As the digital marketplace continues to evolve, businesses must be able to adapt to new changes in order to thrive. This is especially true in the realm of marketing and its ever-changing landscape. Efficient and effective marketing is difficult to perfect, and it takes creativity and in-depth insight to create a good strategy.
In most cases, businesses stick to a B2C model that prioritizes the individual customer. Marketing for B2B businesses, however, takes on an entirely different approach. Here are a few differences between business-to-customer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B) companies in terms of marketing.
B2C
- Short-term transactions offering products and services to consumers
- Single pricing tiers for all products
- Online presence and website focus on conversion and attracting more consumers
- Focuses on an individual buyer persona
B2B
- Long-term partnerships focusing on services that increase ROI for other businesses
- Multiple pricing tiers for service packages
- Focuses on a professional buyer persona that’s part of an organization.
B2B companies offer services and products to benefit another company, so marketing for these businesses should be focused more on what you can do to help them achieve their goals and streamline their processes. There are several ways to go about this, and we at Connection Model are experts in these strategies. Here are the seven most effective tactics to effectively market your B2B services in the digital space.
Digital Marketing Tools for B2Bs
Website Development and Optimization
A website is almost a requirement for every business, whether they’re B2C or B2B. It’s not a marketing tool in the strictest sense, but it’s where your potential customers will learn more about your company and your products. It can also have integrations where they can set up accounts and make payments. Be sure to optimize your website for enhanced user experience and cohesive branding.
SEO
SEO stands for search engine optimization, and it’s a process that helps you reach the front page of search engine results. If your website or social media pages have good SEO, you’ll have increased visibility, leading to more engagement and eventually, increased revenue.
There are a few things to take note of when it comes to SEO, but the most important to know is that it’s an ongoing process. You need to constantly adapt to new trends to maintain relevance in the search results. To achieve this, partner with SEO experts who can create and adapt comprehensive strategies for your website.
Content Marketing
In the simplest terms, content marketing is creating and distributing content that can help increase brand awareness for your company. Through this practice, you can enhance traffic to your website and possibly boost sales from your target companies.
Content marketing comes in many forms: blogs, videos, podcasts, online webinars, and others. The most important thing to keep in mind for these is that your content should be engaging. It must appeal to the desires of your target audience. When handled successfully, good content marketing materials will get you more leads.
Social Media
It may not seem like a good idea to use social media for B2B marketing since it’s tailored more for media consumption and B2Cs. However, there are many businesses that rely on these platforms to find the services they need. For example, a company that needs marketing collateral may look at the pages of video or photo editing firms to check out their portfolios.
Right now, a good social media presence for B2B companies entails being active on all platforms and engaging within and beyond your network. LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram are the top channels for B2Bs. So for now, prioritize these over TikTok, Snapchat, or Reddit since they aren’t as B2B friendly...yet.
PPC
Pay-per-click advertising is a cost-efficient digital marketing tactic that allows you to reach your target audience. For this one, search engines or social media sites will display your ad depending on the query of a user or the algorithm. You’ll only pay for the ad when someone clicks on it. With this method, you can ensure that your target customers are the ones engaging with your content. In addition, PPC ads usually come in plans or packages, so you can pick one that fits your company’s budget and needs.
Email Marketing
Email marketing remains a strong and safe strategy for digital marketing. It functions like the telephone calls of old, since you can get engagement on a more personalized level. Because of its simplicity, you can modify it to cater to specific types of audiences. For example, your email marketing strategy for existing customers should be content that builds loyalty. On the other hand, you can tailor emails for prospective customers into something that will educate them about your services.
Conversational Marketing (Chatbots)
In contrast to email marketing, conversational marketing is one of the latest innovations in the field. This makes use of chatbots or live chat features integrated into the website. Using these, customers can interact with your website in real-time, leading to more engagement and a better user experience. Typically, these chatbots are programmed to move site visitors to other pages and funnel sales.
Let Us Help Improve Your Brand
Ready to enhance your digital marketing strategies? Schedule a strategy session with Connection Model. We specialize in improving your B2B digital presence, offering comprehensive services for website development, SEO, content marketing, and more. Contact us today and start your journey towards improving your brand.
Written By: David Carpenter
