Marketing your brand to the right audience as a B2B company is very important.Marketing a B2B company is very different from marketing a B2C company since your audience doesn’t consume the content as a traditional consumer would. A good digital marketing agency would know how to divide the content for each audience.
Surveys and studies show that most B2B audiences engage in business content through social media and search engines. In addition to that, B2B audiences consume a lot of content through blogs, articles and other readable content. They read a lot of business content to stay updated and informed about the new trends in the industry.
Technology is the new black
A recent survey done by clutch.co shows that the most recent online business content that B2B audiences engage in is most likely to be technology. Most digital marketing agencies would agree that technology is ever changing and it impacts almost all B2B audiences, irrespective of their job and the industry they are in.
Technology as a topic is much more relevant than saying something like ‘small business’ because everyone needs technology. Creating content about technology is a very effective content marketing strategy because it’s the most relevant to the B2B audience.
Publishing content about new technological advancements your company has to offer is the best way to target new customers.
Blogs and other article formats
B2B audience’s primary consumption of content happens through blogs and other traditional article formats. The reason behind why B2B audiences are so interested in consuming blogs is the abundance of blogs which are available. According to a survey done by TrackMaven, the number of blogs published from 2011-2016 increased by 800%.
Every good Digital Marketing Agency realizes the value of blogs for B2B businesses. If your business creates content in the formats which B2B audiences favor, then you have a lead and an ability to engage with the B2B audience and you can make a positive impression on multiple target groups.
Some of the advantages of blogs are –
- It helps drive traffic to your website
- It could potentially convert that traffic into leads
- A good resourceful blog helps you become the industry leader
- It drives long-term results
Infographics for B2B Marketing
Infographics can be a very effective content marketing strategy for B2B as well as B2C. It’s a great tactic for generating awareness, communicating a story and getting traffic on to your website.
Our brain processes images way faster than just words alone. That’s why infographics are so effective and powerful as a marketing strategy, especially for B2B audiences since they are on the clock most of the time.
According to a survey, 76% of B2B buyers have said that infographics were a valuable part of the buying process. A good digital marketing agency will create infographics which cater to their audience’s needs. This also works great in sync with the blogging strategy discussed earlier.
Solutions should be easily available
Any B2B company should make sure that they offer solutions to their target audience. If you have a solution for your target audience’s problem, then you need to make sure that the solution is the first thing they notice when they visit your website or your social media.
Let’s say your company is a goods manufacturer and you deliver the goods in just two days and your competitors take over two weeks to deliver, then you have a competitive edge over other companies. If a prospective B2B client is looking for someone to solve the late delivery issue, your company would be a viable option.
However, you will lose out on that client if it’s too difficult for them to find the solution anywhere on your website.
Create content online which shows that your company is a problem solver and that will give you an edge over other companies.
Social Media
Social media is MUST to market any kind of company. All types of audiences are active on social media
But, the B2B audience doesn’t consume the content the same way a B2C audience would.
Instead, B2B marketers will find greater success on other platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube. These three are the most popular platforms for B2B content consumption.
Every digital marketing agency would suggest you have an active presence on all three platforms for greater success.
This is not to say that your business should not have a Facebook page at all, but you should prioritize your LinkedIn page over your Facebook page because that’s where your audience is most likely to be.
Know your audience active hours
One thing a good marketer or a digital marketing agency keeps in mind or understand is when their target audience is active online on social media.
B2B audience active hours vary from traditional B2C audiences. Make sure to publish content during the hours when they are online.
It will render useless to post content when people with the buying power for the business are not on the clock.
Email Marketing
Email marketing is also an effective marketing strategy to reach B2B audiences. All business owners prefer to have business communication through email, that’s why it’s the most effective tactic for generating new leads.
Targeting B2B audience through email might require a title bit more work than targeting B2C audience since here, qualified leads are an absolute necessity. Sending individual emails to your current and prospective clients as opposed to using email distribution software might be a better approach.
Content should be Mobile device friendly
This is probably the only section where B2B and B2C audience has similarities. Everyone consumes data on their mobile devices. Either it’s their smartphones or their tablets. The reason is simple, it allows people to be productive on the go. It allows them to work from homes, coffee shops or even when they are traveling.
Be updated on the Industry Trends
Business owners need to stay updated with all the latest industry news and trends. 45% of B2B audience consume content online to stay informed about new trends in the industry.
You can become a resource of this information for your audience with your blogging and email strategies by posting blogs about new trends in the industry and sending out newsletters on email with breaking stories and new technological advancements.
Conclusion
B2B audience and B2C audience are very different in the way they consume content online. A good marketer should recognize this and create a content strategy according to that.
Once you have a better understanding of how your target B2B audience consumes business content, you will be able to improve and enhance your overall marketing strategy.