B2B Marketing Strategies That Actually Work

We’ve tested them. We’ve executed them. We’ve exceeded the ROI goals.

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What are B2B marketing strategies?

The commonly accepted definition of B2B marketing strategies is a plan that companies use to market their products or services to other businesses rather than to individual consumers. These strategies focus on the needs, interests, and challenges of individuals who are making purchases on behalf of, or for, their organization (rather than for personal use). The aim is to understand the unique characteristics of business customers and to create marketing messages that appeal to these characteristics in a way that influences the purchase decision.

But here’s the thing: people are making the decisions. So, while we may be selling products and services to businesses who buy them, it’s the people (and their buying team stakeholders) who need to be kept in mind.

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These buyers and buying teams fall into a few different groups:

Business Owners: when you’re selling products and services to businesses with fewer than 250 employees where the owner(s) have the final decision-making authority.

Enterprise Executives: when you’re selling to large businesses where Director+ level decision-makers are responsible for outcomes. This is where you’re going to get multiple people or buying committees making buying decisions.

Team Leaders: when you’re selling to people who are trying to solve problems but aren’t necessarily going to lose their jobs over unsatisfactory outcomes.

End users: products and services that don’t require more than permission. They’re tasked with getting something done, and your product or service will help them.

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Key Factors When Developing B2B Marketing Strategies

• How expensive is your product or service? If it’s expensive, you will market to the business owner or a buying committee.
• Is your product or service complicated? If it is complicated, you will market to the business owner or a buying committee.
• How many people will be using your product or service? If it’s a single person or small team, then you’re probably selling to a small business owner, team leader, or end user. If it’s the entire department (think sales or marketing or logistics), then the company is big enough to have that many people so you’re selling to a committee.

You absolutely must be crystal clear about who your target audience is.

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What is the Motivation Driving the Purchase?

All purchases are made for two reasons: for pleasure or to remove pain. That’s what drives our purchases as consumers, and businesses are not any different. Businesses make purchases for pleasure or to remove pain.

Business purchases for pleasure are based on wanting to make more money. That’s it. Your product or service can make a business run more smoothly, run faster, add products or services, do more with fewer people, operate more efficiently, or grow but in the end, it’s all about making more money. Even non-profit organizations and governmental entities operate on this principle.

If the purchase motivation isn’t about making more money, then it is about removing pain. Your business’s product or service may address the pain of compliance, complication, communication, competition, or vulnerability but in the end, the goal is to remove some sort of organizational pain.

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What’s the True Motivation of the Buyer?

Understanding the true motivation of the buyer is probably the most crucial aspect of developing B2B marketing strategies. Once you make decisions on this it will set up how your campaign messaging. With that in mind, let’s return to our buyers and buying teams:

Business Owners: Making more money or removing business pain.

Enterprise Executives: Making more money (via promotion, bonus, increased recognition, equity, etc.), not getting fired, or fending off internal threats.

Team Leaders: Making more money (via promotion, bonus, increased recognition), not getting fired (or in trouble), or fending off internal threats.

End users: Making more money (via promotion or bonus) or not getting fired (or in trouble).

Key Elements of B2B Marketing Strategies Include:

1. Who is your target audience?
2. What is the business’s motivation for the purchase?
3. What is the true motivation of the buyer or buying team?

Now you’re ready to create effective messaging, offers, and pricing but wait, it’s not that simple.

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Don’t Confuse Strategy with Tactics

This has unfortunately become a very common mistake among marketers at all levels. A quick scan of search results for “B2B marketing strategies” will include the following erroneous results:

• Market Research: This is not a strategy, it’s something that needs to be done to better equip marketers.
• Targeted Marketing Communications: This is not a strategy, it’s part of the marketing campaign creation and execution.
• Sales Alignment: This is not a marketing strategy, but it is something that needs to happen to make the marketing successful. The best marketing in the world cannot make up for a poor sales effort.
• Content Marketing: This is not a strategy, it’s a tactic.
• Performance Measurement: This is not a strategy, but without performance measurement, you’re not sure what is working and what isn’t working. This is called advertising.

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Examples of Actual B2B Marketing Strategies:

Digital Marketing Strategy

Use digital marketing tactics to reach your target audience and communicate your marketing messages. These digital marketing tactics include:

1. Paid media: search engine marketing, paid social media, content distribution, display marketing, account-based marketing, influencer marketing, retargeting, and affiliate marketing.
2. Organic media: search engine optimization, content marketing, thought leadership, local SEO, citation marketing, video marketing, and social media marketing. Also known as Inbound Marketing.
3. Digital PR: press releases, content marketing, influencer marketing, reviews, case studies, UCG, testimonials, and thought leadership.
4. Outbound Marketing: a mix of paid media and digital PR which also includes webinar marketing, online events, email marketing, and social media outreach.

Channel, Partner, VAR, or Through Partner Marketing Strategies

Forming strategic partnerships whereby you sell your product or service with and through partners and resellers. These B2B marketing strategies are wide-ranging and include industries as vast as high-tech, cyber security, automotive, farm equipment, software, snack foods, soft drinks, alcohol, and a lot more.

Traditional Marketing Strategies

This is where the old standards of TV, radio, and print remain but also include direct mail, in-person events (tradeshows, networking, sponsorships, OOH (out-of-home and outdoor), telemarketing (please don’t), POS (point of sale), sampling, contests and giveaways, and referral marketing.

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Which B2B Marketing Strategies Actually Work?

This is a loaded question, and the answers will vary widely based on who you’re asking and what they’re selling. The reality is that ALL these strategies can and do work. Your larger enterprise companies like Amazon, Proctor and Gamble, Unilever, L’Oreal, Volkswagen, Google, and Coca-Cola spend billions annually on marketing and advertising and use all the B2B marketing strategies previously listed. It all depends on your industry, your competitors, your resources, your audience, the economy, the weather, and 400 other factors we may or may not have influence over.

With this amount of uncertainty, it’s tempting to think there’s a secret shortcut or some killer B2B marketing strategy that’ll make everything click and make all your marketing dreams come true overnight. But let’s be real: marketing doesn’t work like that. Every brand, product, and audience is different, and what sends one business soaring might not even get another off the ground. You’ll never see IBM and GE getting into an online beef like Wendy’s and Burger King.

With new platforms and technologies popping up and algorithms always shifting, what worked like a charm yesterday might be old news today. That means marketers need to stay on their toes, ready to tweak their game plan, test out new ideas, and ditch what’s not working.

So, instead of looking for that elusive magic bullet, it’s all about getting to know your audience inside out, keeping up with the latest trends, and not being afraid to experiment. Sometimes you’ll hit the mark, and other times you’ll miss, but that’s all part of the game. The key is to keep learning, adapting, and optimizing.