B2B Marketing: Tips for elevating your strategy

You’re looking to elevate your b2b marketing strategy and go to the internet to do some research. What tips pop up? The typical: SEO, PPC, email, social media presence, etc. We’ve talked about these same strategies in several newsletters too! And while yes, those suggestions are helpful…they don’t necessarily stay ahead of the curve.

Today, we’re going to be diving into b2b marketing tips that will help elevate your strategy, stay on top of your game, and stand out in the b2b world.

Grab your caffeine, put on your comfy clothes, and let's dive in.

Looking to connect? Check out marketing in sweatpants here.

Business to business marketing (b2b) refers to the process of one business informing another business of a product or service. Instead of b2c (business to consumer), b2b marketers want to get the attention of decision makers of other companies.

Let's look at b2b marketing tips:

Target Millennials

According to recent research from sources such as Forbes and TeamStage, by the year of 2025, millennials will make up 75% of the workplace.? The report details how 73% of millennials are involved in purchasing decisions, with 30% being the sole decision maker. Speaking from experience (and research of course), here’s 2 ways you can target millennials.

Social Media: One of the most common misconceptions is that b2b marketing must solely be through LinkedIn. In some cases, that may be true and LinkedIn is the social platform that gives your b2b marketing strategy the highest ROI. But, if you’re not testing other social platforms regularly and committing to investing in a well-rounded ad approach through multiple websites and social platforms, you’re missing a huge opportunity. Millennials tend to have presence on many social media channels, so consider testing your b2b strategy on multiple apps. At the very least, create brand awareness through several channels and platforms!

Digital Experience: Millennials are known for wanting instant gratification. When targeting the generation, you want your digital experience to be clear and seamless.? One thing millennials aren’t going to do? Wait for your company to get their _____ together. Companies should be able to provide reliable, prompt customer service, with a website and digital experience that is clear and easy.

Commit to Long Purchasing Cycle

Statistically, a b2b purchasing cycle is proven to be longer than a b2c purchasing cycle. However, data from McKinsey suggests that since the pandemic, the b2b purchasing cycle has become even longer. So, what can b2b marketers do about it? Embrace it! A longer purchasing cycle means that your audience wants to do research and ensure your organization is a good fit. For marketers, that means creating content with a balanced ask-to-give ratio. This balance helps ensure your audience doesn’t feel rushed, pushed, or sold to. In Direct Marketing Partners ‘Why It Takes 7-13+ Touches to Generate a Qualified B2B Sales Lead’, ?they discuss the long game purchasing cycle and how marketing and sales are quick to identify leads that are very early in their purchasing cycle. The hands-on guide details 13 touches that companies can implement into their strategy to help personalize their customer experience. Data from Microsoft shows that sales/marketing teams usually give up after the 4th touch.

Commit to the long game purchasing cycle through your social content, emails, and overall customer journey. This ensures your audience has all the information to make their decision when they’re ready.

Subscribers will know how often we discuss data privacy and ethical data use. In the year of 2024, data use in the US is not only going to be just an ethics issue…but a legal issue. Recent Privacy Sandbox reports detail that by the end of Q3 of 2024, third-party cookies will be completely phased out. The US is finally starting to catch up to places such as Europe, where GDPR is very clear on how and when you are able to collect and use people’s data. First party data is the only way to move forward with data collection. Marketers and organizations that may need further resources check out: ‘How to Collect & Use Customer Data the Right (& Ethical) Way in 2024’.

It’s important marketers are preempting your organization internally and making necessary changes to your practices as it relates to customer data. It’s our job to protect customer information and practice ethical, legal data collection. And guess what...today's workforce cares about data use. Businesses care what data you collect, how you collect it, and how you use it.

For many marketers, this means making changes to your website, forms, opt-in options, tracking, and data sharing to ensure your organization is compliant. While only first party data may require your company to make changes, these are positive changes for both you and your audience.

?(Suggestion – again! If you have not watched ‘The Great Hack’ on Netflix, I cannot recommend it enough. It gives you a deep understanding of what happens when data is used illegally and inappropriately.)

Create Self-Service Resources

Data suggests that 73% of clients (ages 18-49) say self-service options such as live chats are the most convenient way to communicate with a business. When 70% of the buyer journey is completed by the time a client reaches a sales and development team, it shows that people want to do the research, ask questions, and receive answers on their own accord. For those in B2B marketing, that means being strategic in creating easy, enjoyable, and reliable, self-service options. Here are some great ways to create self-service options for your audience:

Blogs: Consider posting blogs with company information, thought leadership, case studies, client success stories, and FAQ’s.

Forms: Create website and ad forms that allow the audience to reach out when the time is right.

Chat bots: Consider investing in a chat bot platform/widget that prompts clients so they can easily find information and ask questions.

Texting feature: Many chat bot platforms also have a texting feature that allows clients to text with people inside your organization.

?All these options (and many more out there!) also add an extra level of personalization to your customer journey!

?Let’s look at some key b2b marketing statistics:

B2B marketers - What strategies have you had success with? What's helped you stay ahead of the curve? Where/when have you had to switch your strategy?

Talk next week!

-marketing in sweatpants

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