We talk a lot about business-to-consumer (B2C) marketing. But what about business-to-business (B2B)? What are the differences in a marketing strategy when selling to businesses as opposed to selling to Tom, Dick, or Harry? Well, I'll tell you what the differences are: not much.
When you are marketing your product or service to businesses, remember that real people make up that business, and appealing to those real people is what is important. Just like in B2C, the selling point of your service or product to a business is "how does it help me?" (As in, how your product/service makes a business more profitable/productive.)
Below are some guidelines to consider when developing your B2B Marketing strategy.
I could quote you statistic after statistic about website research and purchasing habits of businesses, but what it comes down to is that your website needs to be geared toward the benefits and solutions you provide. Your website needs to convey who you are, what you offer, and why someone should care. It should be easy to navigate, well-designed, and full of helpful content. Websites are excellent sources of lead generation—and that applies to B2B just as much as B2C.
When you write your content about all the benefits and solutions your product and service provide, don't think that you're done. As people change and trends change, so does your content. Make sure you are adding blogs, infographics, and videos. Different people research in different ways. Some may be drawn to your blog, while others prefer videos. The more your story is told, the more listeners you'll get. Many potential customers visit a site again and again, whether for additional research and consideration or to gain new knowledge, so having content that covers your business in depth and breadth will help visitors turn into leads. And, because Google cares about what's going on with your website, it's crucial that you learn how to properly create content and optimize your site if you want to attract organic traffic.
Social Media isn't for just B2C. Your social media presence, much like your website, will tell potential customers what you offer and what you value. Basically: if your customers—including employees of potential customers—are on social media, you should be too. This is not just to promote your business, but also to engage with those customers and prospective customers. Here's a look at the best platforms for businesses.
Google and social media advertising, like boosting a post on Facebook or sponsoring a trend on Twitter, can be great ways to get noticed and drive website traffic. Businesses, just like consumers, are constantly searching for solutions on how to be more efficient or more profitable. To get the most bang for your buck, make sure you narrow down your target audience and research the keywords they use.
These are just a few key points to consider when developing a marketing play; remember that you are marketing to real people in the business. Keep your message real and your content optimized for target audiences and the platforms you use.