Many businesses think that they can employ the same strategies for B2B that they've done or heard about for B2C businesses. Some marketing firms and professionals may even focus solely on one aspect of B2B marketing like direct and outbound techniques, including sending messages straight to the customers.
However, the issue with only employing outbound strategies is that you must always be persuasive enough to make sales that return your investment on your strategies.
While you can certainly try out different strategies, it can be difficult to determine which ones are best. In this article, we'll discuss B2B online marketing strategies that work so that you can boost your digital marketing efforts.
Did You Know?
- 67% of the B2B buyer’s journey now happens digitally.
- Over 70% of B2B searches start on Google.
- 89% of B2B marketers use content marketing as part of their strategy.
- LinkedIn generates 80% of B2B leads from social media.
- Email marketing has an ROI of $42 for every $1 spent in B2B markets.
What is B2B Marketing?
Business to Business (B2B) marketing refers to marketing strategies that are geared towards other businesses. If your company sells products or services to other businesses, you'll need to employ B2B marketing strategies.
B2B marketing is not the same type of marketing as B2C marketing because they have two very different audiences, and the way in which they communicate will differ. B2B marketing targets individuals who are decision-makers for their organizations, while B2C targets customers who are shopping for themselves.
That being said, B2B and B2C often intersect, and similar strategies can be used to help boost both types of businesses.
Digital Marketing Strategies
Research
One of the most important things you should always do when it comes to your marketing strategy is research. This includes both market research and brand research. Your research will act as the bedrock for all of your marketing decisions so that you can use your money and energy wisely.
Conducting research lets businesses know their clients better and puts them in a position to serve them better and keep them coming back for more. Market research gives you insight into how your marketing strategies are performing and can help you determine which efforts are most successful.
Did You Know?
- High-quality content can increase blog traffic by up to 2,000% for B2B companies.
- 55% of B2B businesses invest in professional search engine optimization (SEO) strategies.
- Approximately 95% of B2B marketers believe personalized communication improves customer relationship.
- Webinars help 73% of B2B marketers and sales leaders acquire high-quality leads.
- 64% of B2B companies outsource writing to achieve better content.
High-Performance Website
Of course, you'll need a website that can promote your business. Your website is one of your business's most crucial assets when it comes to marketing. A high performing website is where your online presence begins and can help you find more clients and customers without having to directly reach out to them first.
Simply put, your website builds your online visibility. Your potential clients will search online and find you organically, visiting your website to determine whether or not to work with you.
CyberCash Wonderland
"Brandon, darling, my online performance last week was a disaster! Not a single sale! I was thinking, maybe selling honey online isn't a good idea. Then this little bumblebee lands right on my table, looks at me in the eye..."
"Bee to bee, I get it, ha-ha. Miss Rockbottom, how many times do I have to tell you that I'm your customer?"
Your website also enables you to show your businesses' unique expertise. Websites are often the first part of your business that someone will see, so it's important to provide visitors with educational content that's carefully targeted and can drive leads.
You will also have to consider the design of the website since it can easily influence your audience's perception of your business.
To help you get started, your B2B website must follow these general guidelines:
- Be suited to your target audience
- Be mobile-friendly
- Have calls-to-action
- Showcase testimonials
- Feature social media
- Provide industry information
- Be updated regularly
Did You Know?
- 50% of B2B buyers use LinkedIn as a source for making purchase decisions.
- 60% of B2B marketers measure the success of their content through organic traffic.
- B2B companies with blogs generate 67% more leads per month on average.
- 40% of B2B marketers say email newsletters are most critical to their content marketing success.
- 92% of B2B marketers now have an online video strategy.
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Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Content
In order for your website to be effective, your audience must first be able to find it. This means that you'll want to appear on the first page of Google search results. In order to do this, you'll have to employ the best SEO services, tactics and strategies.
Search engine optimization is a key piece of the digital marketing puzzle and can greatly impact the success of your business. It is the process of optimizing your website content so that it satisfies search engine algorithm requirements, thus making Google more likely to recommend it to users.
SEO is complex and involved and consists of two components:
Did You Know?
- B2B mobile marketing has seen a 50% increase in the last two years.
- Approximately 75% of B2B businesses say online customer reviews influence their buying decisions.
- 45% of B2B marketers believe that virtual events are effective for lead generation and customer engagement.
- About 85% of B2B marketers say lead generation is their top content marketing goal.
- 70% of B2B companies are investing in improving their customer experience in digital platforms.
On-site SEO
This component uses keywords within your website to communicate with your audience. The keywords should be relevant and focus on your services and expertise.
The purpose of on-site SEO is to tell search engines what your website is about so that the search engines can then provide users with the right results, allowing them to produce more relevant results to searchers.
The reason why relevance is so important is that you want to make sure that your website targets its audience with targeted keywords. Someone who isn't interested in your business coming across it may give your website another click, but it won't provide you with any business.
Therefore, you want to make sure that you're using the right tactics to get potential clients and customers to your website.
CyberCash Wonderland
"Off-site what? You doing some work at the store again, honey?"
"No, no, for the website, David! Gotta boost our ranking with the neighbors, you know? Gotta make them click over our fence for this laptop."
"Mark, I think that's just called being friendly. But hey, you put some clothes on and I'll handle the neighbor relations."
"Wait, we need to prove how Sexy Easy Operators we are, right?"
"Uh, sure, honey. But how about you get dressed and we can optimize our Social...Eco... Whatever that is, in person?"
Off-site SEO
This component is the part of SEO that exists outside of your website. Links that link back to your website through outside engagement or guest articles in other publications or on other websites are examples of off-site SEO tactics.
Off-site SEO increases your website's authority, which Google recognizes and will rank you higher on search engine results pages. With a higher authority and more relevant websites linking back to you, you'll see your ranking on Google rise.
Content falls into both components of your SEO strategy. However, content is more than just the written word. You'll want to incorporate visuals and videos for the best results. Your content should always be original and provide relevant information to your audience.
Social Media
Social media has become one of the most effective online strategies because nearly everyone uses it. When a potential customer searches for your business, they'll most likely come across at least one of your social media profiles.
Social media has become a common source for finding out information about any business. It's also a great place to find recommendations or reviews of products and services.
Social media can significantly accelerate the reach of your business, reputation, and content, which allows you to more easily network with valuable contacts and leads.
Digital Advertising
There are a number of ways to advertise online, including social media, online publications and websites, Google Ads, and more. Digital advertising doesn't only promote your business, but it can drive downloads and increase your visibility.
When it comes to advertising, make sure that you're able to target your audience so that you appear in front of the eyes that need your business the most.
Marketing Automation and Lead Nurturing
Marketing automation is just what it sounds like; it replaces competitive tasks with automated ones using technology so that your marketing channels can exist within one system for creating and measuring campaigns.
You may also want to consider a Customer Relationship Management System (CRM) software to track and organize client information so that you can stay connected.
Similarly, lead nurturing with email marketing can help you reach more potential customers through automated processes. With targeted, analytics-driven email campaigns, you can deliver offers to your customers.
Final Thoughts
Your marketing efforts will only be effective if you continue to keep your audience at the center of your strategy. Ensure that your marketing communicates how your business can benefit theirs and always be available to answer any questions.
For years, I've had a passion for writing, sharing stories with the world. Parallel to that, I've spent a good part of my life in stock investing, learning the ropes and making wise decisions. Now, as I enjoy my semi-retired life, I find joy in blending these two worlds. By combining my financial experience with my writing skills, I aim to create content, hoping to inspire others.
