Did you know that 67% of B2B buyers prefer to conduct research on their own rather than speak to a seller? This means you have to be very careful about your B2B marketing!
Are you interested in learning more so you can attract customers instead of alienating them? Then keep reading. We’ll give you a short beginner’s B2B guide to marketing right here!
Difference Between B2B and B2C Marketing
You might think that marketing is the same all across the board, but the reality is, B2B and B2C marketing are very different.
In general, for B2B sales and marketing, the sales cycle is longer, there are more decision-makers, and the transactions are much bigger.
However, your marketing can still be quite similar to B2C marketing, as the modern B2B buyer expects the same experience nowadays.
The B2B Marketing Funnel
To get customers through the door, you have to get prospects through the B2B marketing funnel first. Here’s a look at each step.
Awareness
To get customers, you need them to be aware of you first.
What’s the best way to do this? By realizing what their problems are and presenting your brand as having the solutions.
You can easily do this through content marketing and paid ads. Write up informative blog posts and your prospects will come to you! Remember that two-thirds of B2B buyers prefer to conduct solo research, so use this to your advantage.
Make sure you have proper branding so it’s easier for prospects to recall your name in the future.
Consideration
Next, prospects will consider what your solution offers and maybe even compare it to your competitors.
Here, you can still use content marketing. Not only can you further convince them of how effective your solutions are, but also, prospects can get to know your brand better.
You can also use email campaigns and digital events to help attract more attention to your brand.
Purchase
Here, your salespeople will be front and center. They need to provide that extra push that’ll convert prospects to customers.
They’ll need to be persistent, but not pushy. Having use cases on hand can be quite handy.
You’ll also want to make sure that your company website is relevant and easy to use.
Retention
The funnel doesn’t just end at purchase; you’ll want to create loyal customers. It costs 5 times more to acquire customers rather than retain them, so save your marketing spend by focusing on retention.
It can be wise to use a CRM (customer relationship management system) so you can make sure you’re constantly serving customers with relevant information.
Be a Pro at B2B Marketing
Now that you have a beginner’s guide to B2B marketing, you’re on the right path to serving your customers rather than annoying them.
So put the information in this article to good use. When you do, you’ll get a leg up on your competition!
Want to read more about marketing? Then check out this blog post on overlooked traditional sales and marketing options now.