There are many opportunities available if you are looking for clients in the B2B market, but the competition is fierce. Check out these stats to find out why B2B marketing is in a category of its own:
- Most B2B buyers are already 57% through the buying process before they ever meet with a representative.
- Only 20% of B2B buying decisions are based on the price or the actual offering — 80% of buying decisions are based on the buyer’s direct or indirect customer experience.
- 80% of business buyers like learning about a brand from an article series more than from ads.
Perfecting your approach will dramatically increase your success, so if you are looking for new partners in the B2B sector, check out these 30 winning ideas to get the attention of other businesses.
1. Blog Posts
Blog posts are an excellent way to speak directly to your audience. Additionally, an ongoing blog provides a ready repository of past blogs, so that potential customers can find answers to any number of topics. A company blog also allows you to analyze and capitalize on the content that best engages your readers’ interests.
2. Case Studies and Usages
Unlike B2C marketing, B2B marketing seeks to place actionable information in the prospect’s hand, and conducting case studies and sharing those results is an excellent way to prove how effective your product or service can be.
3. Survey Results
Surveys are also an excellent vehicle to show potential clients that you are proactive in meeting customer needs and demands. Sharing these results allows yet another point of contact, which helps further imprint your brand on the potential customer’s mind.
4. Industry and Sector Interviews
Interviews allow the reader to better understand their business sector by hearing from leading members of the community. Additionally, by presenting them, your readers will come to trust you as a knowledgeable industry resource.
5. E-Books
E-books are a great way to deliver information on a topic that would be short-shifted with a mere blog post. An e-book is very scalable to address a deeper topic and can be posted on the company website to strengthen your position on the topic.
6. White Papers
White papers are the ideal alternative to publishing an e-book when the amount of information you wish to share is larger than a blog post but smaller than an e-book. White papers allow you to focus tightly on a single topic and display your subject expertise.
7. Webinars
Webinars are an excellent way to share detailed information with your B2B customers regarding a range of topics. Webinars can be a great opportunity for you to present the benefits of your products or services live (and allow for comments and questions), and you can also record the webinar for clients to view later if they missed the live presentation.
8. Podcasts
Podcasts are rapidly increasing in popularity and provide another channel to reach out to potential new clients. This format allows you to demonstrate your expertise and tell your story in a more personal way.
9. Email Segmentation
No two leads are the same, and you shouldn’t treat them as such. When you capture a new lead, you should have a workflow in place that is related to their engagement — the number of impressions, email opens, clicks, and other key indicators. As you move leads through this workflow, they will have a more personalized experience and you can help guide them based on their level of interest.
Seem too complicated? There are plenty of services out there to aid in creating your email workflow. I like to recommend Ontraport because it is easy to use and very reasonably priced. Starting at $79 a month, you can send an unlimited amount of emails and it provides automated follow-ups and process mapping.
Hubspot is another great marketing tool, and they just started offering free email marketing. Hubspot has an easy-to-use interface and also is fully scalable, meaning that it has the capability to grow as your business grows.
10. Product Descriptions
Product descriptions provide details that allow B2B customers to better understand the different characteristics of your products in order to make a more informed buying decision. Be extremely detailed in your descriptions to provide as much information to your buyers as possible.
11. Informative Infographics
Infographics are a visual presentation of a great deal of information at a glance. Populating your website with quality informative infographics will make your site stand out in the minds and memories of future B2B customers. And don’t feel like you need to take a course in graphic design — it has never been easier to partner with freelancers to create engaging content. Fiverr is a great place to find quality freelancers for short-term projects, and they are upfront about their pricing — infographics start at just $5 on Fiverr. Additionally, Fiverr guarantees the work of their freelancers, so they don’t get paid until you are satisfied.
12. Generate Referrals with Current Customers
Create great referrals by building strong relationships with your customers. 63% of business owners report that referrals comprise the bulk of their new business opportunities.
13. Video Presentations
Videos allow you to explain your product in detail. By creating engaging videos, you can leverage the power of YouTube to reach an expanded audience with one of the largest search engines available.
14. Online Magazines
Online magazines offer professionalism and the ability to explore topics in greater depth. More than a company newsletter, an online magazine is a vehicle for displaying your expertise on a given subject.
15. Industry Studies and Results
Industry studies are of great interest to business owners looking to stay on top of their field. By reporting and sharing these studies and results, your site will become a trusted resource for industry information.
16. Continuously Update Email Lists
Update your email lists regularly to ensure that your marketing and outreach efforts are reaching their intended recipients. An outdated email address is pointless when it comes to generating valid business leads, so make sure that your list is as accurate as possible.
17. Join Social Media Groups
Not only should you join social media groups, but you should be sure to participate. Platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn are ideal places to interact with other industry experts, so make sure that you actively engage by starting conversations, answering questions, and being supportive of other participants.
18. Analyze Customer Queries and FAQ
Create an FAQ page for customers looking for a quick reference point for information or answers. Customers demand near-instantaneous information, and a list of the standard questions asked may just fit the bill.
19. Consider a Chat Box
As noted above, customers demand near-instant gratification when looking for information. An auto chatbox provides that point of contact during off-hours, and can even work to collect the lead’s contact information.
20. Utilize Online Directories
Use online directories to establish yourself as an active industry participant. Yelp, Bing, LinkedIn, and Google are all excellent platforms to establish an online directory presence.
21. Optimize SEO for Increased Web Traffic
It is impossible for business customers to join your ranks if they can’t find you amidst the sea of online advertising. There are various tools available to help you fine-tune your SEO efforts. I recommend using SEMRush for their 20-in-1 SEO tool that helps you rank higher and analyze what keywords will best improve your chances of being found.
22. Use Paid Ads to Augment Organic Search Results
Your SEO efforts will be rewarded with increased traffic owing to your organic efforts, but placing strategic paid ads can greatly augment those organic results. With appropriate keyword research, you can ensure that your website is at the top of the page when potential clients search for services, which can be key to attract the right kind of customers.
23. Invite Guest Bloggers to Share their Expertise
Offering guest blogging opportunities helps establish a working relationship with other industry leaders by building a rapport and trust that will hopefully transcend the pages of your blog — maybe even to the signing of a business contract in the future.
24. Issue Press Releases Regularly
Press releases literally keep your company in the news and provide an outreach vehicle to get your company’s story out to the larger world. Be sure to submit press releases when your company launches a new product or lands a significant contract.
25. Always Look for New Networking Ideas
As they say, “many hands make for lighter lifting,” and the more channels and networks you explore, the less any single effort has to succeed to ensure that your business continues to grow.
26. Installation Videos and Technical Sheets
Take the guesswork out of the buying process and show your customer how you will solve their problem. Technical sheets can be easily posted on your website for all to view so that you can move your leads down the sales funnel easier.
27. Add Interest by Boosting Online Content
Content is king when it comes to online customer engagement. Boosting your online content with fresh, compelling content helps ensure that your visitors won’t exercise their right to click on to another page.
28. Check Out the Competition
Determine what products your competition is selling and at what prices. Try to determine what they are doing well (so that you can mimic these strategies) and where there are gaps in their offerings that your product or service can alleviate. SEMRush offers a free competitor overview report that will provide you with 32 pages of information, featuring traffic generation strategies, audience behavior, advertising campaigns, and much more.
29. Get Out There with Guest Speaking
Look for guest speaking opportunities at seminars, business meetings, and other venues that will get you and your company out in front of your business peers who might benefit from your expertise.
30. Harness the Power of Influencer Marketing
Influencers can help to build your social media following, drive traffic to your website, and boost sales for newly launched products and services. You will have the most success if you look for micro-influencers that are in your niche.
Wrapping It Up
As you work to perfect your B2B marketing, be aware that marketing to businesses looks different than marketing directly to customers. Unlike an appeal to customers that typically relies on hitting an emotional button to affect a sale, B2B marketing aims to provide information to your target. With the above 30 tips, you can provide plenty of data to help your potential clients realize that your solution is the best fit for them.
Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links. I only recommend products and services that I use and stand behind, and if you decide to try them, I will earn a commission at no cost to you. Doing so helps me run this blog and provide free content for you, my readers.
