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| What Is B2B Marketing: Definition, Strategy, and Trends |
B2B Marketing: Brief Definition
B2B marketing refers to the marketing processes deployed by companies to other companies, which are their customers. It opposes B2C marketing (business marketing strategies to consumers), which is more concerned with reaching the end users of a product or offer. Although the same tools are used in both areas, B2B marketing stands out with a much more targeted approach.
Detailed definition
There is a distinction between the areas of B2B and B2C marketing, in that advertising strategy aimed at businesses differ greatly from those used to win over consumers. For example, since the number of customers is generally more limited, B2-B marketing cannot claim to have the same reach. On the other hand, B2B requires close coordination between the sales department and the marketing department, because the measures adopted must be transverse.
Ideally, marketing actions should begin immediately after the launch of an offer, to reach a larger number of prospects (potential customers) and transmit them to the sales department. However, not all prospects generate a lead immediately. It is, therefore, necessary to obtain enough potential customers so that the prospecting lists of salespeople are expanded.
Another important difference between B2B marketing and B2C marketing is a much more personalized approach. Advertising strategies need to reach the right people, i.e. those who are likely to influence decision-making within companies. These include:
- Department Heads
- General managers or other members of the company's management team
- Executives, senior managers, and management advisors
- Employees of the finance department
Large-scale advertising campaigns are rarer in the B2B sector. On the contrary, they are based on direct measures aimed at a targeted group. The means used to assert the company's commercial expertise to its contacts are plural. To make prospects aware of the brand, for example, it is possible to create specialized articles on topics and areas mastered by the company. Professional communities such as LinkedIn can also be very helpful in B2B marketing.
They do not just offer job offers and professional profiles. Unlike social media sites like Facebook, LinkedIn is an opportunity for companies, provided they offer value-added content that highlights new developments, emerging trends, or products. This content must appear on the company's profile page to optimize its chances of reaching a suitable target group.
An online presence is absolutely essential to B2B marketing, as no decision-maker can complete a transaction based solely on advertising actions. Personal research on topics and suppliers is part of the internal purchasing process. For example, more than two-thirds of decision-makers conduct research online before completing a call for tenders or partnerships. A proper SEA and SEO strategy can help a company improve its visibility in search results pages and increase its leads.
Trade shows are the third important growth driver for B2B marketing. These are all opportunities to find potential partners for your sales team. However, there are many trade shows and it is usually impossible to attend every event. It is better to focus on quality over quantity. Instead of trying to reach as many potential customers as possible at a trade show, it's best to focus only on those who are likely to close a deal.
The personalization of exchanges is, once again, essential: professional customers want to deal with reliable partners, who know them and with whom communications are easy. The volume-based approach can be successful in the B2C sector but rarely works in the B2B field.
How to develop an adapted B2B marketing strategy?
To be able to use B2B marketing in a relevant way, the first step is to precisely define your target group. The following questions will be useful:
- Are you looking to reach large or small businesses?
- In which sector are these companies active?
- Is there one sector that stands out in particular?
It is then necessary to define the best way to approach your target group. Are your future customers active on the Internet and can they be contacted via Facebook or other social media? Could a professional network such as LinkedIn be used? Do these customers regularly visit specific trade shows or events?
In addition, the measurement of the proposed actions must also be defined upstream. Generating leads or improving awareness can be decisive for a company.
If these questions are properly clarified, concrete steps can then be put in place. The use of the Internet is essential because, despite the importance of trade shows and events, online actions are at the heart of any B2B marketing strategy. In general, it is advisable to use a combination of several measures because these often complement each other and can create synergy.
Cultivating the company's presence on the Internet is a priority because, no matter how good its advertising strategy, it will be difficult to find without optimal online visibility. Optimizing your website is therefore essential. Site pages should be clearly structured, easy to read, and include contact information.
Most people in positions of responsibility obtain information about their potential business partners through the Internet. It, therefore, makes sense to cultivate a presence on one or more B2B portals, in addition to the company's website. These portals serve as the first point of contact for many decision-makers looking for business partners. Thanks to their attractive format, they can generate a large volume of leads.
SEA campaigns are proven to create brand awareness among potential customers. Of course, they can also generate additional contacts, because ads are displayed based on targeted user searches. However, the primary goal of these campaigns is to build brand awareness.
Content marketing, on the other hand, is more likely to provide value to customers and build company expertise that provides quality information. This type of action is particularly relevant for B2B because know-how is an essential value for convincing a customer. Although content marketing can take place primarily through the company's website, B2B portals and professional networks, such as LinkedIn, are also relevant mediums.
B2B marketing and social media content
Social media is generally less appropriate in the context of B2B because it is difficult to use them as levers for targeted communication. However, companies and their employees often have a profile on Facebook and other communities. This means that social media content is likely to attract professional clients, provided you choose the right techniques. Possible goals could be:
- Draw attention
- Authenticate company expertise
- Establish business contacts
- Get advice
If enough representatives of a target group are present on a social network, brand awareness can be increased through regular contributions, supported by advertisements (eg on Facebook ). Advertisements can also be targeted at people with common interests. Posts should offer engaging content and appear regularly.
A second strategy – which is not possible for all companies – consists of taking part in the various discussions around professional subjects, on social networks.
Through relevant contributions and comments, a company can demonstrate its expertise and affirm its reputation. This is a winning strategy in B2B because companies with a good reputation are seen as credible and can gain the trust and approval of their customers.
Social media can also support the sales process. If, for example, a decision maker is challenged by an article that may be of interest, they will be more inclined to close a sale. In addition, this process improves subsequent contacts with customers, who are generally more receptive to this kind of approach.
A final way to use social media in B2B marketing is to ask for a recommendation from business partners. Of course, this is not necessary when the customer is fully satisfied with the company's performance, but a positive review can cultivate the trust of other partners. The alternatives are to solicit content sharing or positive feedback on social media. This strategy significantly improves the company's brand awareness and image. It gives credibility to its advertising campaigns, especially if they are supported by external recommendations.
Conclusion
B2B marketing is very different from B2C marketing. Its main objective is to identify prospects and contact them directly through more modest and targeted measures. The personalization of contacts and a flawless reputation are also important criteria for success.
Also, no advertising should be too intrusive, especially to gain new customers. If the company's name and services are known, prospects can then find the information they need through its website and B2B portals. Social media can help generate leads, but it also plays an important role in supporting content marketing and SEO actions.
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