Businesses across the globe are making preparations. For what, you might wonder?
No, it’s not plans to cut expenditures. It has nothing to do with labor or hiring.
All the successful companies are focusing on B2B marketing strategies.
Do you really want your business to find success? Then it’s time to jump onto the business-to-business bandwagon. And we have nine of the greatest ways to do it in 2019.
1. Continual Research
It’s something every entrepreneur knows should be done, yet many bypass this important strategy.
To market to businesses successfully, whether the end goal is to get the company’s business or to extend your services to their consumers, it is vital that businesses research thoroughly.
This should include:
- Marketing research that focuses on potential customers, current customers and methods to attract target audiences
- Research and development that finds ways to better products or services or contemplates new products and/or services
- Continual company analyses that explore the business’s reputation, success and competition
Conducting this continual research translates to a better grasp of your company, services and customer desires. Some companies choose to outsource this work; others use the many tools available today to conduct research themselves.
As a result, you will be able to reach out to companies in a way that your competition can’t, giving you a distinct advantage.
2. Case Studies
The research doesn’t just pay off by letting your company draw attention and interest; it also gives you the opportunity to highlight strengths.
Case studies are an excellent way to strut your stuff and gain the attention of serious businesses. In fact, almost 75% of B2B consumers make purchasing decisions based on case studies.
What, you may wonder, does a successful case study entail? If you want to increase conversion rates:
- Target a specific audience
- Make the consumer the champion of your sales pitch
- Make the study easy to read
By integrating all that hard-earned research into a case study that shows customers your worth, you’ll gain a positive reputation and more clients.
3. Mobile Marketing
If you haven’t gotten in on mobile marketing, you are missing out on a huge pool of consumers. Business professionals and consumers alike are turning to mobile devices for everything from research to purchases.
And it’s no longer enough to simply add mobile to your list of marketing techniques. Now, it’s necessary that mobile isn’t just checked off your list–it’s at the top of your list.
Everything offered on your website or in other platforms should be available in an app. And the interface better load quickly and be user-friendly, otherwise, customers will search elsewhere for their products.
Focus on:
- Friendly, easy-to-use interfaces
- Providing the same or additional services through the app
- Quick loading times
- Designs that work with multiple devices
The practice of geofencing is also becoming all the rage and allows businesses to focus on consumers who may be right around their doorstep.
By doing this, you immediately create a positive connection with potential businesses you’d like to work with.
4. Product Reviews
Do you want some free advertising? How about a better reputation?
Make sure your company has product reviews easily accessible by consumers. Keep the reviews genuine and have representatives consistently reach out to those who post about your products or services.
Doing so:
- Establishes your business’s credibility
- Creates real connections between the company and the consumers
- Increases your brand’s reputation as word spreads
- Encourages sales by providing insight into products
- Provides data for research, development, and marketing
If you don’t have a product review page yet, get one on your site pronto.
5. Cross Platforms
Direct mail is dead, right? That’s the myth, anyhow.
And it’s completely false. Study after study demonstrates direct mail is just as effective as ever and holds up well to other forms of marketing.
MRP reports direct mail for B2B marketing is at least somewhat effective almost 60% of the time and initiates a 15% conversion rate, which is a startling percentage across any marketing platform.
But we can’t forget other ways to reach out to clients, and every company official knows the importance of social media today. It’s so integral to B2B marketing that one in four consumers claim they turn to Facebook first when making purchasing decisions.
However, social media isn’t the place to continually post sales pitches; instead, use it to foster relationships and promote discussions. Keep in mind paid advertising in social media outlets is an excellent way to subtly promote your brand.
Go cross-platform for the best results.
6. Sponsors or Influencer Marketing
Yet even with your research, poignant posts and focus on mobile marketing, B2B companies may still find themselves falling short.
It’s time to reach out.
Online, contact individuals, sponsors or organizations with impressive followings and ask them if they would be interested in promoting your product or service. Consider offering these free of charge, as this relationship can have a huge impact on your business’s success.
Done correctly, you’ll wow the sponsor and–voila!–hundreds or thousands of followers see your company.
7. Advertising Buddies
But what about consumers walking into a store?
Don’t forget the influence of good old advertising, including in-store merchandise. Sniff around the neighborhood and partner up with businesses who complement your products or services.
Offer to promote their business or service in your own ads, online platforms, and store and ask them to do the same.
That means when a potential consumer is at a store selling laptops, he or she will see your company name associated with fixing broken laptops. Genius? We certainly think so.
8. Referral Marketing
Some of the most successful businesses started on little more than referral marketing. Ask your past and current consumers to refer you to others.
It’s an easy way to spread the word about your company, and if you make the process easy, fun and engaging you’ll be surprised at the influx in customers.
The key? Make customers feel like they earned the referral.
9. Niches and Target Audiences
But for any B2B business to grow, two things remain unwaveringly the same: you must offer a specific service in a niche and you must reach out to people interested in that niche.
If you fail in these two endeavors, the entire marketing campaign falls apart. Know what you offer and who to offer it to.
Want More B2B Marketing Strategies?
The New Year is sneaking up on us. Now is the time to research the B2B marketing strategies that are right for your business.
But marketing doesn’t have to be expensive. Check out our seven free ways of promoting your products and services.
Fly ahead of the competition and let your company soar.