5 tips for b2b marketing
If you offer products or services to companies, you have to organize your marketing differently than if you focus on consumers. But what are the right tactics for B2B marketing? In this article we list 5 tips for b2b marketing.
1. Show why you offer a product or service
This tip does not only apply to B2B marketing, but also to B2C marketing. It is clear that companies need this even more. A company is not waiting for a product or service that they do not know what to do with. They can of course find out for themselves, but in most cases they do not want to make time for this. Companies want to know why they need your product or service and how it helps their company move forward.
That is why it is important that you show the lead or customer why this product or service has added value. You can of course give examples of situations where the company could use the product or service, but it's even better to tell your own story. Let the customer know why you are offering this product or service and how the idea came about. That way you immediately make it a lot more personal. The customer is not specifically concerned with the product or service you offer, but with the reason why you do this.
It is best to answer the questions why, how and what in a clearly visible place on your website. Always start with the why and then explain how you deliver the product or service. Then you can give a description of the product or service that your company offers. You should actually be able to answer these three questions in one sentence, so that the lead or customer immediately has a clear picture of your company.
2. Provide self-service
In recent years we have seen self-services appearing all around us. Just think of the self scanners at shops or the gas stations where you can pay outside with your debit card without a shop. This is a very good way to arouse greater interest among companies in your product or service. With the advent of the internet, almost everything is possible nowadays and the customer can serve himself in this way. This ensures convenience for the customer, but also for you!
However, many self-service concepts do not run well enough, but this is not due to the fact that it is self-service. In most cases this is because the system is too difficult and no clear explanations are available. Make sure that the system is as clear as possible and do not make too many (unnecessary) extensions. It is a good idea to have the system tested by your current customers as well, so that you can improve it even more.
3. Make personal contact with the customer
Even though many companies like it if they can order and/or use a product or service through self-service, a large proportion of companies still need personal contact. For example, you can make an appointment with them to discuss the quote or the first sale or you can visit them after the purchase to explain the product or service. Even if there are problems, you can visit the customer to help them with this.
A more efficient and often also cost-effective way to make personal contact with the customer is by making video calls, for example. Contact via social media is of course also possible, but personal contact via SMS or WhatsApp is more appreciated by most companies. How do you combine self-service with personal contact? Very simple: the customer can ask you for a service or product via the self-service, but in case of questions or complaints they can contact you personally (via WhatsApp, SMS or Skype).
4. Examine how the purchasing process is going
Every customer who makes a purchase from your company comes to you in a certain way. If you find out how this buying process works, you can determine which marketing strategies you can use best. For example, does a company make an application after reading one or more blog articles? In that case, you can focus more on content and post similar content to the blog articles that have previously brought in customers. If a customer comes in through social media advertising, you can expand this more. It is also possible that most customers come to your company through a reference from a business connection. In that case, you can encourage customers to recommend your company to their business connections.
You can also see how a lead eventually turns into a sale. A lead who signs up for the newsletter may receive two calls from the sales department. Twenty percent of these leads make a purchase after the first call and only one percent after the second call. In that case, you can skip the second call from now on and make the first call even better, so that you get thirty percent of the leads. Take a look at the entire purchasing process, cut out what hardly yields results and improve the activities that yield the most results.
5. Post references on the website
Companies often make purchases for higher amounts than consumers. For that reason, they really want to be sure that the purchase will also yield them something. How do you ensure that you come across as a reliable company that provides good quality and service? You do this by placing references on your websites so that leads can see how other customers have experienced your product or service.
Even though we often know that references are very important, we usually do nothing with them. It is also not easy to ask your current customers for references and not everyone responds to this. However, you can also choose to offer existing customers a discount or a small gift if they post a reference on your website (or social media). This makes it a lot easier to ask them for a favor and a larger proportion of customers will respond to it. Visitors to your website can then directly view experiences of others with your company and you can refer other leads to your website.