Remaining engaged in a world of trending topics and new developments is essential for B2B marketers. In B2B marketing, there are some distinctive features that do not always follow parallel trends in consumer-based approaches. Understanding the game changing factors for B2B marketers and separating what is effective for B2B marketing from what is effective in other contexts is crucial in maximizing profits for your company or your clients going forward.
Top Three Factors for B2B Marketers in the Modern Business Climate
The key to successful B2B marketing is to identify trends and other influential factors in the industry and turn these into actionable steps that you can easily implement in your strategies. You need to stay up-to-date with the most current topics and trends that move the needle in terms of brand credibility, audience engagement, and business growth.
1. Video Is Emerging As An Essential Choice
Video marketing is not necessarily a new element in B2B marketing but it is becoming an increasingly more important tool. Given the effectiveness of the video medium for getting your message across in a stylish and powerful way, it is unlikely that video will ever cease to be relevant. This year you need to take steps to effectively expand your reach, engage your audience and boost your sales.
The Rise Of Video
Over two-thirds of tech marketers are now focusing more on using video in 2019. This represents a substantial increase even from a year ago. Such a broad market movement in this direction is an important signal that cannot be ignored.
Maximizing Effectiveness Of Video Marketing
The trick to maximizing the effectiveness of using video in B2B marketing is to have solid content that will generate new interest and leads for you or your clients. Video content should be engaging, provide information and invite conversation about your brand, products or services.
Measure Your Results
One difficult aspect of using video is that it can be difficult to effectively measure its effects. Sure, you can be confident that your videos are generating new leads but what metrics should you use to gauge whether or not your money is being well spent? Having a way to accurately quantify the generation of new business and conversions into sales is essential to maximize the usefulness of video in your B2B marketing efforts. Some key areas that should pay attention to are:
- View count
- Play rate
- Click-through rate (CTR)
- Conversion rate
2. Acceptance Of Technological Advances
While technological innovation continually opens up new doors for those with innovative ideas in B2B marketing, the adoption of new technologies such as AI may have reached a plateau. This could be for many reasons. The first of which might simply be because it always takes a while for marketers to understand exactly what the technology is capable of. There are novel uses for AI in B2B marketing that have not even been considered yet and there is huge potential for marketers to leverage these newer technologies.
The second reason has to do with the sheer amount of money already being leveraged in this area. It is true that there are ongoing uses for AI technology that are already working to great effect. This includes chatbots,which 70% of users say they prefer to interact with when they only have simple questions that need answering andmarketing automation platforms, which 54% of B2B brands say they use.
Get On Board With Marketing Automation
When it comes to marketing automation platforms and tools, it is worth taking a more in-depth look at the advantages this technology can provide,especially, if you are part of the 46% who are not yet on board with this technology. The data-collection and targeting abilities of these systems have improved substantially and they offer the opportunity for you to create personalized marketing campaigns for individual leads based on your customer’s online behavior.
B2B marketers should not wait for a magic bullet tech solution to increase ROI. Instead, take what currently exists and leverage it to maximum effect.
Social Media Is A Familiar Friend
While B2B marketers are increasingly expanding out into other platforms, Facebook remains the most significant medium for B2B marketing. With a relatively stable user base even in the wake of being in the media spotlight, Facebook’s sheer volume of data makes it an essential tool for targeting the right audience and getting the most bang for your marketing buck.
Due to its comparatively informal nature, Facebook offers a way of contacting leads that other mediums do not. Engaging with your audience and establishing a community of discussion is possible with some effort and planning.
3. Take An Omnichannel Approach
Combine the factors for B2B marketing with the rising importance of omnichannel approaches to digital marketing and you simply cannot afford to neglect your social media presence. Integrate all of your channels, from your blog to your direct mail campaigns, and establish a consistent message that will make your brand recognizable in a variety of mediums.
As a final consideration, even though digital marketers will, for obvious reasons, spend most of their energy on the digital environment, the importance of informal connections and contacts is still highly relevant. Sometimes a handshake and being on a first-name basis with your business can make a huge difference in converting a lead into a sale. It can be easy to forget this in the light of advanced technology, social media, and an increasingly digitalized marketing approach. Be sure not to forget the importance of this more traditional channel in your multi-channel campaign strategy.
Take What Is Working And Push Innovation Further
Keep your business relationships intact and forge new successful partnerships by monitoring current B2B marketing trends. Take these trends, expand, and be a trendsetter yourself by offering solutions to any challenges you might face in B2B marketing.
With our vast experience and knowledge in the world of B2B digital marketing, we can help you to ensure you get the best ROI on your B2B marketing efforts. Get in touch with our team at Mikesell Digital Consulting, to find out how we can help elevate your B2B marketing strategy to new heights.
