“B2B marketing is difficult and it doesn’t work.” Have you felt like this about your company’s marketing efforts? B2B (business-to-business) marketing, especially with the rise of social media as a channel, can send small businesses into “uncharted” territory and be difficult for some to manage. Having the right tools and some helpful tips can make a huge difference in how you see the fruits of your marketing labor.
Small Business Owners Are Frustrated with Their Marketing
Measuring the effectiveness of a marketing campaign can be difficult. Many small businesses just don’t know if what they are doing is really working the way it should. When you have a small budget to begin with, it is very important to make sure that you are getting the ROI that you need from your marketing dollars.
The problem is that most businesses don’t know if what they are doing is working because they don’t have a clue about marketing effectiveness. They abandon marketing campaigns quickly and frequently, constantly trying to move on to something new. This results in tons of lost time and money.
Warning: Effective Marketing Is Measured in More Than Just Dollars and Cents
In a perfect world, you could run a marketing campaign and your customers would tell exactly which campaign brought them to your company. If all marketing was this straightforward, it would be simple to know which marketing campaigns are working and which are not, and exactly what your ROI is on each one.
With the rise of new marketing platforms, like social media, effective marketing cannot be measured only in dollars. An effective marketing strategy can be measured in different ways like customer engagement and site traffic, among many others. Be sure that when you are looking at the effectiveness of your marketing campaign that you are using the correct data for that type of campaign.
The 5 Things You Can Do To Make Your B2B Marketing Work Better
The good news is that there are some simple changes that you can make to your marketing efforts to help get you on the right track to getting the results that your business needs. Here are 5 tips that will make a big difference with your B2B marketing strategy.
Effective Tracking Is Critical
How do you know your marketing campaign isn’t working? How do you know that it is? Truth is, that if you are not tracking your marketing campaigns and advertisements then you have no way of knowing how much, if anything, you are getting in return for your marketing efforts.
There are many different trackers that will help you analyze data so that you can adjust your advertising as necessary. Knowing where you are at with each campaign can help you maximize your marketing budget.
Talk to The Right Market
You wouldn’t put an ad for a Lamborghini sports car in a magazine aimed at teens and kids. Now, most business probably do not misdirect their ads to that degree, but some unfortunately do.
Too often I hear from business owners and marketing managers that a sales representative called them and gave them a special deal on some ad space. Problem is, it wasn’t a marketing venue that they would have chosen on their own if someone had not called them with a “special deal”. Just like consumers in a department store that get sucked in by great sales on things they didn’t really need/want in the first place, marketing efforts can get side-tracked by the same thought patterns.
Make sure you are putting your ads where your target market is. Period. You don’t want to waste time and money on misdirected campaigns. If you aren’t sure exactly where to find your target market, take some time to do research before you start your next campaign. You will be glad you did.
More is Less
You are in B2B marketing, which means your customers are busy business persons that don’t have time to waste reading long, lengthy ads. Be direct and to the point.
If you have additional information that is important to your product or service, make it available on your website so that they can access it easily when they have time. Your ads should be simple and efficient, showing your customer how you can help their company so that they can get back to business.
W.I.I.F.T.
Have you heard the adage, “what’s in it for me” or “WIIFM”? Another problem with some marketing campaigns is that businesses focus on themselves as the me. Instead, consider WIIFT, “what’s in it for them”.
When you make your next advertisement, be sure to include what is important to your customer. Highlighting things like how your product/service can help them solve their problems or make their business better/easier/simpler.
Show Them Their Dream
Your customers are in business to achieve a goal – a dream. Your job as a B2B marketer is to show them that your product or service will make their dream a reality.
For instance, if you sell commercial vans, it is your job to make sure that your ad shows what it looks like when their business runs smoothly and professionally with your vans. What does that look like? Create emotions with your marketing, not just advertisements.
It’s Time to Start Making Your B2B Marketing Campaigns Work For You
B2B marketing doesn’t have to be difficult. It can work. If you apply these 5 simple tips to your marketing strategies, you will be able to revamp your marketing campaign and start seeing the results you are looking for.
If you are not sure where to start, set goals for each campaign and track where you are in relation to that goal. Before you can accurately judge whether your current campaigns are effective or not, you need to take the time to set these goals and track the data.
