B2B marketing involves the sale of one company’s product or service to another. Over the past 15 years, this practice has grown exponentially, emerging as an independent discipline in its own right. Whilst it is often seen as a difficult art to master, there are some very simple ways in which you can successfully utilise business marketing successfully:
1) Infographics
An infographic is defined as the graphic visual representation of information, data or knowledge intended to present complex information quickly and clearly. Whilst not everyone may have heard the term ‘infographic’, we are all exposed to them every day, in the form of train and bus route maps, government statistic charts and other pieces of factual imagery. Simply put, an infographic takes textual data and makes it visually digestible.
Utilising infographics throughout business marketing is crucial for one key reason – visual data has been proven to be far superior to textual information. According to one study, nearly 90% of all the information we remember stems from its visual impact. Using infographics will ensure that your messages stand a far greater chance of being remembered.
2) Mirco-targeting
With the amount of data available today, businesses across the board should be making greater efforts to know and understand their customers. A significant portion of your efforts should, therefore, be devoted to customising and personalizing your marketing messages to establish one-to-one conversations with your customers.
A great start for this kind of personal communication is the creation of buyer personas. A buyer persona lets you know who prospective customers are, how they think, and the motivations behind their decisions to buy your product or service. Learning and understanding this information will give you a much better chance of creating marketing messages that work.
3) Mobile
The role of mobile devices in B2B marketing has transformed enormously in the last decade, developing from a predominantly SMS orientated affair to a multi-device operation, intent on engaging audiences wherever they are. Any business that neglects the importance of mobile marketing is seriously jeopardising its presence in the marketplace.
With the new Google mobile-friendly algorithm now fully rolled out, there’s really no excuse for businesses when it comes to lagging behind on their mobile marketing operations.
4) Education, Education, Education
This is an area where businesses can seriously improve. Whereas B2C marketers continue to promote every single detail of their product or service, B2B marketers are often found lacking when it comes to the amount of product information given on their websites.
Whilst it may be tempting to omit some key information in the hope that customers will contact you to find out more, the reality is that a lack of product information serves as an inconvenience for both parties. Your potential customer may not be a worthwhile or valid lead and so denying them critical information will only waste time for both them and you.
5) Establishing a human connection
Establishing a human connection is something B2C marketers specialise in. For B2B marketers this is an area that is often neglected and, in many respects it is obvious to see why – improving efficiency, increasing employee productivity and lowering costs are
perhaps not the most engaging of subjects.
That said, there is still huge scope to include a strong human element into each and every business marketing campaign. By focussing on the true and long-term benefits of your products and not just the functional advantages, you’ll tap into a human brain and be able to initiate emotionally and psychologically driven decisions.