Effective marketing isn’t always the easiest thing to get done right. Inbound marketing, content marketing, marketing automation, and social selling are just some of the concepts that B2B marketers have learned in recent years.
With improved digital customer journeys, where customers seek information and inspiration on their own, having effective B2B marketing strategies and a strong digital presence has become just as important for B2B companies as having a competent sales force.
In this post, we provide a quick guide to B2B marketing to help your business reach new heights of success.
Get to Know Your Customers
The basis of all marketing is to start from the customer’s needs. In B2B, it has traditionally been seen as sufficient to segment customers based on company size, business area, and geography.
Today we realize that clients are also people. We must understand and communicate with them as individuals, not as formal organizations or companies.
The first step in successful inbound marketing work is to get to know your customer, a job that must be done jointly between marketing and sales.
Use Social Media
By now, you probably already know that having a social media presence allows B2B buyers and end-users to interact with your brand in a closer and more interactive manner.
Clients are more likely to purchase from B2B companies with which they’re familiar so being present on more social media channels, besides your website, is essential when you want to interact with prospects and convert them into loyal customers.
Many B2B businesses are making use of the most obvious channels like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. As good as these platforms are for engaging with your potential customer base, you shouldn’t overlook TikTok.
This social media platform has amassed 1 billion users since it was launched in 2016 and its explosive growth has brought vital videos and internet trends, taking the world by storm. It’s an excellent source for promoting your brand and establishing meaningful connections with your audience.
If you’re clueless about how to get started on this platform, a professional social media agency can help you and your business grow your TikTok following organically. They will help you obtain real-time analytics so you can effectively monitor, track, and analyze your outreach and activity.
Don’t Forget About LinkedIn
As we said, everyone is aware of the importance of having a strong social media presence but when it comes to the B2B model, you cannot afford to ignore LinkedIn as the best business-oriented social media platform that is full of businesses and professionals looking to make connections.
A whopping 94% of B2B marketers use this platform for lead generation, but it’s also a great place to have valuable and insightful discussions with your leads and clients.
However, you should keep in mind that it’s not an easy task to master this unique platform and you need to invest a lot of hard work if you want to make the right connections quickly.
And this is where LinkedIn automation tools enter the picture. You can read more about LinkedIn marketing automation tools and the many useful features they provide to understand how your business can benefit from this.
Prioritize Customer Journey
In B2B sales, personal customer relationships can often be an even more important factor compared to B2C. When it comes to deals, the customer journey takes longer and involves more people.
Today, the customer has easily accessible opportunities to conduct thorough research before a possible deal, for example by comparing you with competitors. But as a starting point, it’s rarely just the price that is compared. Having trust in the brand is often an important factor.
Potential customers might create the first impression of your company by looking at your website, your social media presence, or by simply reading about you. Even before you’ve had contact, the customer may have formed a more or less clear opinion about the company.
For this very reason, it’s important to also think about the initial parts of the customer journey. Trust is a crucial component, and the first seed should be sown early. A tip is to get help from customers from your target group and visualize the customer journey that leads to business and a long-term relationship.
Invest in Loyalty
B2B is about building long-term relationships, so once someone has become a client, it’s important to maintain the relationship regularly. To deepen the relationship and strengthen loyalty with your customers, you can, for example, offer exclusive discounts, and invitations to events.
This is also where you can focus on additional sales (upselling and cross-selling) and offer new features that provide added value. You can also create reward systems and affiliate programs.
Final Thoughts
Today’s marketing is constantly changing as new tools, technology and opportunities emerge. If you want to make the most of your B2B marketing, learn how to use your social media channels efficiently, promote your content, and always put your customers first. Soon enough you will be able to see the results you want and drive more leads and converts.
