Usually, the most innovative and creative marketing that we see are from companies that are B2C i.e., Business to consumer and it is very rare to see the same from B2B companies. B2B companies are often stuck on how to market and build their brand awareness, and this blog is to address just that: How to market if you are a B2B company.
This blog will be divided in 3 sections for your convenience
– Before action
– Marketing actions
– After action
BEFORE ACTION
- Market Research: This should be the first step of any marketing strategy regardless if you are business is B2B or B2C! Market research helps you identify, know, & analyze your customers. Market research will also help you know what the consumers are looking for, what are they unsatisfied with, what their exact need is, what they like about your company, what they don’t like etc.When you know all this you can target them and fulfill their needs.
2. A Strong Website: The next thing you need is an efficient and fast website. People today have a short attention span, so you need your website to load everything quick and be free of glitches. You also need to make a layout that makes your services easy to find on your website like a tab which contains everything the website has on top which makes it easier for the consumer to browse your website. You want the consumer to be engaged with your business and spend more time, so focusing on this area would be wise.
MARKETING ACTIONS
- SEO: SEO stands for search engine optimization. If your website is optimized (having the right information or the correct words that a user searches for) then, consumers can find your website easily. Having a highly optimized website will bring in more clients for your B2B company. If a company searches for your services in layman terms (which is usually the case), then you should have those keywords in your website, so your site appears on top of the search engine result. You can use Google Keyword Research for this. Some common SEO tactics also involve registering for backlinks & bookmarking on social platforms.
2. Social Media: A very effective and efficient way to market your B2B business is to use social media. Social media lets you promote your goods, monitor what happens around your brand, monitor your target customers, and build a network for very cheap! Being active on Social media can connect you to the right businesses that might be looking for your services. For example, commenting on the posts of relevant companies can help you gain attraction and a following. You can also use the social media to target the relevant people.
3. Advertising: There are a number of ways through which you can advertise your B2B business.
4. SEM:SEM stands for search engine marketing. Here, you can advertise your business on the search engine, so your company’s website appears on top when people do a relevant search.
5. Social Media:You can also used paid advertising on Social Media, so relevant people see your business.
6. Retargeting:You can retarget the audience that has shown interest in your company before through this by using cookies. People tend to remember your company once you have been in front of them multiple times.
7. You need to identify the right channel for your business and advertise there. If you have a professional business, it is better to advertise on LinkedIn instead of Instagram. Right form of marketing is also something that you will need to include in your market research.
8. Word of mouth: Word of mouth is probably the strongest form of marketing and you need to ensure that your services are so good that businesses refer you to other businesses. This will also improve your image while getting you more reliable clients. When companies refer you to others, then other companies already trust you and so you would have already jumped over a tall hurdle.
AFTER ACTION
- Customer Service: It is of utmost importance for your B2B company to have an impeccable customer service and customer relationship management system. Good customer service helps you keep loyalty and maintains your brand image. It would also be in your best interest to form a relationship with your existing customers and keep checking up on them from time to time to build a bond.
2. Analytics and Performance measurement: Finally, it is absolutely crucial to measure the efforts you have been making. You can use tools like Google analytics for SEMs and respective social media analytics for your social media efforts. Consolidate the report from all channels and see if your efforts have brought wanted results. If not, then it is time to change your strategy.
B2B marketing is a tough cookie to crack but it is not impossible! All you need to do is identify the right customers, right companies, and be where they are. Once they know you exist, the quality that you offer will surely attract them! Happy marketing!
Written by – Rohan Pipalwa (Intern)