Adapt Your Marketing Stack

Build Resilience and Customer Engagement

In previous article, We explored the changing landscape of B2B marketing and the increasing importance of influencer marketing. This time, we'll dive deeper into how businesses can adapt their marketing asset stack to stay resilient and effectively engage customers in these evolving times.

Understanding the Marketing Asset Stack

Traditionally, the marketing asset stack comprises three main categories:

1. Internal Communication Materials:?Training materials, brand guides, and sales team collateral.
2. Public Facing Materials:?Assets for brand awareness and customer engagement.
3. Customer and Stakeholder-Facing Materials:?Resources for qualified leads and customers and reporting materials for compliance and shareholders.

These categories include a variety of outputs, such as:

• Text and Brochure Ware:?Emails, brochures, whitepapers, case studies, blog posts, newsletters.
• Visual and Media Assets:?Website content, webinars, audio and video podcasts, advertisements, posters, billboards, and trade show materials.
• Sales, Reporting, and Training Materials:?Annual reports, sales materials, work proposals, marketing automation tools, and training resources.

Historically, companies focused on producing advertisements and trade show materials, followed by sales and reporting. However, the rise of the internet and social media has shifted the emphasis towards shareable content, significantly transforming customer discovery processes.

The Rise of Influencer Assets in B2B Marketing

The B2B landscape has seen a significant shift towards online research and influencer-led decision-making. According to Lilah Raynor from Logical Research, buyers now spend a substantial portion of their time on independent online research rather than meeting with suppliers. This trend has accelerated, especially post-pandemic, with sales enablement occurring online at double the pre-pandemic rate.

Today's B2B decisions are increasingly influenced by online reviews and independent influencers, as well as insights from employees within the companies being evaluated. Traditional marketing materials, like glossy brochures, are being overshadowed by the authenticity of word-of-mouth marketing and visible online advocacy.

Flip Your Stack To Stay On Track

Leveraging Influencer Marketing for Resilience

This shift towards influence-based marketing isn't about more than one-way communication from the company to the customer. It also facilitates intelligence gathering on market trends and product improvements, which is essential for building business resilience.

The recent global disruptions have underscored the importance of understanding market shifts. Monitoring how audiences engage with online content and influencer commentary has been crucial for businesses to stay informed about market changes. Future disruptions need to be more clear-cut, making it vital for companies to track online engagement with their marketing assets continuously.

Flipping Your Marketing Asset Stack

To stay competitive, B2B companies should prioritize developing content that influencers and employees can share. This approach not only fosters trust in your brand but also shifts away from outdated marketing strategies.

An effective B2B influencer-led marketing strategy offers several benefits:

• Streamlined Procurement Processes:?Influencer content aids in simplifying purchase decisions through credible and accessible online information.
• Enhanced Market Understanding:?Insights from influencer commentary help businesses better understand customer needs and market dynamics.
• Increased Brand Credibility:?Authentic advocacy from employees and influencers enhances the company's reputation and credibility.

By adapting your marketing asset stack to prioritize influencer-led content, you can ensure your company remains resilient and responsive to market changes. This strategy will also help you anticipate customer needs and stay ahead of industry trends.

Sum-up

In today's fast-evolving B2B landscape, flipping your marketing asset stack to focus on influencer-led content is not just a trend but a necessity. This approach builds resilience, fosters deeper customer engagement, and provides valuable market insights. By staying attuned to how your audience interacts with your content and leveraging the power of influencers, your business can navigate future disruptions and thrive in a competitive market.