B2B Marketing: The Tragically Unfollowed Method

You don’t have to look far to find a list of B2B marketing techniques that are supposed to work, but you also don’t have to look far to see that many of these methods are outdated, ineffective, or both.

However, there are some underrated B2B marketing methods out there that can provide solid results if you’re willing to put in the effort and do them right. Got a few minutes? Great! Let’s get into the details:

What happens if you flip the B2B marketing funnel? – YouTube

Key Takeaways
1. Understand the Unfollowed Approach: Gain insights into the often overlooked aspects of B2B marketing that can yield remarkable results.
2. Embrace Unconventional Strategies: Explore innovative tactics that set you apart from competitors and capture your audience’s attention.
3. Prioritize Authenticity: Learn how authenticity in your marketing efforts can foster trust and long-term customer relationships.
4. Leverage Data-Driven Insights: Discover the power of utilizing data to tailor your B2B marketing strategies for maximum impact.
5. Optimize for Engagement: Explore methods to create engaging content that resonates with your target audience and encourages interaction.
6. Rethink Conversion Paths: Challenge traditional conversion paths and explore new ways to guide prospects through the sales funnel.
7. Consistent Communication: Understand the importance of maintaining consistent and relevant communication with your B2B audience.
8. Continual Adaptation: Embrace a mindset of constant learning and adaptation to navigate the evolving landscape of B2B marketing.

Table of Contents

1. Don’t Forget the Basics

You might be wondering, “How do I know my target customer?”

The answer is simple: You have to get inside their heads. You have to analyze your business goals and then translate those into a person.

Your target customer is the one who will either help you achieve your goals or stop you in your tracks. They are the people who buy from you, work with you, or give feedback that helps shape your brand and improve its value.

Let’s get started by breaking down their characteristics:

Who they are
Where they live
What they do (their job)
Why they do what they do (their motivation)

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2. Set Up A Winning Website

Now that you have a great sales pitch and an effective marketing strategy, it’s time to make sure that your website is up to snuff.

You want your website to be easy for visitors to find what they’re looking for. Make sure it is mobile-friendly; over 50% of internet users are now using mobile devices like phones or tablets as their primary way of accessing the internet and those numbers are growing rapidly!

When creating your site, remember that security is key: you don’t want customers nervous about entering their information into the form fields on your site.

The more secure and trustworthy your site looks, the better off you’ll be in terms of conversion rates (the percentage of people who complete a specific action).

Creating an easy-to-navigate user experience will also help increase conversions because when visitors feel confused by how something works on a site, they tend not to return—so keep this in mind as well!

3. Ditch The Hard Sell

If you’re a salesperson who’s used to hammering away at the prospects and pushing them to buy, then you’re going to have a hard time shaking that behavior in B2B marketing. It’s probably going to make your campaigns much less effective.

The problem with the hard sell (and I’m sure you know what I’m talking about) is that it’s not exactly trustworthy or genuine and neither are people who use it, as they generally don’t care about their client as much as they do themselves.

You don’t want your business brand to get caught up in this type of reputation. Yet many companies still rely on this method because they feel that if they don’t push their products or services hard enough, nobody will buy them and the company will go out of business!

Generating demand for your B2B product requires a strategic approach. Explore 12 Ways to Generate Demand for Your B2B Product and learn effective tactics to attract and engage potential customers.

4. Selling Content Still Works

Content marketing is still a great strategy for B2-B marketers. It’s a way to build trust with your audience and build your brand, and it’s also an effective way to get people to your website.

Content marketing is an excellent tool for building credibility because it gives you the chance to become an authority on some topic or industry that matters to your audience, even if you don’t have all the answers yet.

And by publishing content regularly, you can show that you are the person they should go to when they need information about this subject; after all, if no one else has published anything lately then why would they come to check out what you wrote?

5. Provide More Than Information

Problem-Solution: As a B2B marketer, you have content that can be used in a variety of ways. Focus on providing valuable content that helps people solve problems and make decisions.

This means creating more than just information for your target audience; it means telling stories that illustrate how products and services can help them achieve their goals.

Relationships: Your goal should not be to just drive sales; rather, it should be to improve relationships between your prospects and existing customers by providing value through helpful information (and, of course, some great deals).

You may not get referred immediately after publishing an article or two online but if you’re consistently providing great content with real value over time (and you truly are), those referrals will come!

6. Keep Your Buyers In Mind

Understand the buyer’s pain points.
Avoid the hard sell.
Get to know your buyer.
Know what they want, and what they don’t want.
Know what they like, and what they don’t like.

7. Have Great Relationships With Journalists

A lot of people think it’s difficult to get into a good relationship with a journalist, but in reality, you only need two things: time and effort. The first step is establishing contact with the journalist; this is done by asking them for advice or information on your industry.

You can also introduce yourself if you see one of them at an event or conference; don’t be afraid to approach them!

Then once you’ve made their acquaintance, keep in touch through social media so that they know who you are when something relevant comes up in their beat (which we’ll talk about later).

When dealing directly with reporters and editors at publications like Forbes, Entrepreneur Magazine, and more specifically MarketingProfs (where I work).

It’s important not only that these relationships exist but also that they’re strong enough so that when an opportunity arises where there might be some synergies between what our publication does/doesn’t cover already vs what your company does/doesn’t cover already.

Then we’ll have already built up trust based on previous interactions/knowledge gained over time instead of starting from scratch every single time.”

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8. Make Your Customers Do Your Marketing For You

Customer testimonials are one of the best ways to tell your story. As a bonus, they’re also a great way to build trust, credibility, and rapport with prospective customers the same way that online reviews help people make decisions about where else to spend their money.

Many B2B marketers have learned this lesson firsthand, but there’s still plenty of room for improvement in this area. Here are some tips:

Use social media channels like LinkedIn and Twitter as the first line of customer-generated content marketing and don’t forget about Instagram!

Your customers can share their experiences on these platforms just as easily as they can write them down in a review or leave them a comment on your website or blog post.

And if you’re looking for more inspiration on how to use social media effectively in your marketing strategy (and beyond), check out our guide on how businesses use social media across industries today!

Excelling in B2B marketing requires understanding the best practices, as well as avoiding the pitfalls. Learn from the insights shared in The 16 Best and Worst Practices in B2B Marketing to refine your strategies and optimize your marketing efforts.

9. Use Social Media Wisely

Social media is not a replacement for traditional marketing. It’s simply one more tool in your arsenal, and it should be used to help you reach your intended audience in ways that traditional marketing can’t.

For example, if you sell automotive tools and supplies, then posting about the latest recalls or recalls on social media might not be relevant to potential customers.

However, posting about tips for DIY repairs could be useful and engaging especially if paired with a link to your online store where they can buy the products they need from you (or click through from there).

The point here isn’t that you have to post about everything under the sun but rather that social media is an opportunity for interaction with potential customers who aren’t necessarily ready yet for direct sales pitches so don’t waste those opportunities by only focusing on selling!

Instead, use these platforms as another way of connecting with people who could become valuable advocates on behalf of your company over time.

By listening more than speaking and making yourself available as someone worth following/friending/liking/whatever else makes sense given what kinds of people are following other similar accounts already…

10. Get Social Proof From The People Who Matter Most

Social proof is a critically important part of the buying process, especially when you’re selling to a new audience.

If you can provide social proof that shows how your product or service has helped others succeed, it will build trust with prospective buyers and demonstrate to them that your product is viable.

The best way to do this is through testimonials and not just any old testimonials: You need video testimonials. How do we know?

Because according to research from Drift and Forrester Consulting, only 7 percent of prospects are willing to read text-based reviews but 65 percent are willing to watch videos about your company or product!

So when someone on the fence comes across one of these videos, they’re more likely to make a decision based on what they see than if someone else had simply told them about it in written form.

Uncover hidden gems of wisdom from experienced B2B marketers. Explore 27 Marketing Secrets B2B Marketers Need You to Know and access valuable tips and tricks that can significantly impact your marketing success.

Conclusion

In this guide, we’ve talked about the ins and outs of B2B marketing. We’ve covered a lot of ground, and hopefully, you’re feeling better prepared to tackle your marketing challenges.

In the end, it’s important to remember that although B2B can seem like a unique industry, it still runs on the same principles that all successful marketing does:

Good relationships with customers, treating them well and earning their trust, and keeping your content relevant for them at every stage of their buyer journey.

It sounds simple when we say it like that, but don’t be fooled—these things take time to master! With a lot of hard work and persistence though, you can become an expert in B2B marketing too.

FAQs

Here are some frequently asked questions related to the topics covered:

What are the key elements of a re-engagement email?

Re-engagement emails typically include personalized subject lines, a reminder of past engagement, an enticing offer or call to action, and a clear way for recipients to re-engage.

How does gaming the influence marketing system impact credibility?

Gaming the influence marketing system can erode the authenticity of influencer relationships and undermine the trust between influencers and their audiences, potentially leading to diminished credibility.

Which Twitter marketing tools can assist in social media analytics?

Several tools, such as social media management platforms and analytics software, can help track key metrics like engagement rates, follower growth, and hashtag performance on Twitter.

How can re-engagement emails help improve email campaign performance?

Re-engagement emails target inactive subscribers, potentially turning them into active customers. By reigniting their interest, you can reduce list churn and enhance overall campaign effectiveness.

What role do Twitter marketing tools play in managing multiple accounts?

Twitter marketing tools often offer features like scheduled posting, real-time monitoring, and engagement tracking, making it easier to manage multiple Twitter accounts efficiently and effectively.

Costantine Edward

Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.