Shorten the B2B sales cycle by leveraging your content

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If there is one thing that aggravates the modern B2B organisation, it’s the ever-lengthening sales cycle. As the future of your company may very well depend on getting revenue through the door, a sluggish sales course is a growing concern for everyone from CEOs to sales reps.

So first, let’s look at the factors contributing to longer sales cycles:

– Tighter budgets: Overtime, we’ve seen more prudence when buying with inceased emphasis on ROI

– Decision apprehension:Corporate expenses are being analysed more closely, making buyers leery of making a hasty decision

– Increased options: Buyers have almost unlimited opportunity for options, and too much choice can confuse buyers, leading to procrastination

– Poor marketing and selling: If the message isn’t crystal clear and/or the selling process alignment is off, the sale will take longer, if it happens at all

These days, content marketing is the trending topic on every marketer, sales rep and business owner’s mind. We know that propagating fresh, relevant content is essential to a successful digital strategy, but perhaps the most important content marketing benefit is the impact on the sales cycle. A relevant piece of content available to the prospect at the right time in the sales cycle can help accelerate the purchase decision.

Now let’s explore what types of digital content can shorten the B2B sales cycle?

Product brochures and data sheets: Prospects will want to review your product or service literature before making a purchasing decision. It’s possible they’ve already made the emotional decision to buy and are now looking for some confirmation by matching features and functions against their needs. Prospects can also use brochures and data sheets to compare your benefits and features against competitor’s offerings. Whatever the reason, well-organised and complete product and services information can only benefit you.

Company and product reviews: Testimonials and independent reviews will only magnify the impact of your self-written information. These independent commentators provide credibility to your product and brand while alleviating the buyer’s fear of making a bad decision.

Case studies: Case studies are an excellent way to validate your offering and are a great tool to show how a product or service works. This specialised content can have a much greater impact on prospects than a generic product pitch.

“How to” guides: Potential buyers are interested in how they will install your product and use it on an ongoing basis. Assuming your product is not over complicated, providing this information will ease buyer reservation and motivate them to act quickly.

Order forms: The ultimate way to shorten the sales cycle, order forms compel the prospect to take action now. Even if you offer an expensive or complex product, order forms can be used to generate a minor close — perhaps a free trial offer, where you ask for a small commitment upfront, followed by a larger commitment later.

Website information: Think of your website as the Nerve Centre. All of the categories mentioned above should be accessible via your website. Your website is where you are going to be able to educate, motivate and convert prospects into customers.

Price List: B2B companies commonly make the mistake of not listing their prices online. They hesitate, thinking their prices will drive away prospects and give competitors access to their offers. But if you apply all of the above, the price will be weighed against all of the other benefits of the product or service. Don’t lose out on sales because a prospect doesn’t feel you are being upfront.

 

When it comes to shortening the B2B sales cycle, there is no right or wrong formula when it comes to content length. Different products, services and brands may need more explanation and information than others. But if you feel that your website is getting a little text-heavy, try presenting some of the aforementioned digital content in non-text formats, such as infographics, audio and/or video. Get the information to your reader in a quick, easily digestible manner with clear links and CTAs.

If you’re not sure you’re worried you’re not quite hitting the proverbial nail on the head when it comes to your content, let us take a look. We can help get your on the right path to more money in your pocket! Email erin@b2bpartners.nz

Why B2B companies need to use conversion rate optimisation

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According to a new report from Econsultancy and RedEye, three out of five businesses (59%) believe conversion rate optimisation is crucial to their overall digital strategy. A further 40% of respondents consider it to have varying degrees of importance while, in contrast, a mere 1% of businesses believe CRO to be an unimportant factor in their overall digital approach.

While these numbers make it seem pretty clear that businesses are aware of the importance of CRO, many still have yet to implement it into their digital strategy, especially in the B2B world.

Many B2B digital marketers don’t consider themselves to have anything to convert and CRO is better left for the boys in e-commerce. It’s true that the B2B sales cycle is a long one: it has several stages of procurement and the final decision is made by committee, not an individual click of a mouse; but that doesn’t mean B2B sites lack conversion points, they simply have a more subtle, nuanced set than their B2C counterparts. Generating sales leads, qualifying and filtering these leads, supporting research queries and generating positive feelings towards your brand are all vital touch points for potential customers. And all of them can be improved using CRO.

The following are a few tips to help B2B companies effectively use conversion rate optimisation.

1. It’s not an option

Optimising your website for user interaction is not an optional add-on to your strategy. It is your digital strategy. Marketing disciplines of organic search, search engine marketing (SEM), advertising, content, PR and social media are interdependent — and best practices in one discipline will engender best practices in another. Be sure your content is succinct, meaningful and reflects the real-world language prospects use to find you. Good content encourages shares and likes, which in turn creates links and rankings. The main point is this: good content propagates engagement, leading to form fill-outs and sales inquiries.

2. Action and goals

No different from an e-commerce site, the webpage presented to a user should have a distinct hierarchy of your business objectives. If you are looking to drive users to complete a form, make sure this is given prominence (i.e. a high-contrast, attractive looking button or a clear text link), ensuring nothing else is competing for attention with this call-to-action.  If your priority is to drive phone traffic, a prominent phone number along with the times of day the lines are manned is key. If you have live chat, make this a standout feature of the page. If a white paper or case study download is a main action of yours, pages with these a central action point should prioritise downloads over form inquiries.

3. Analyse and measure

In the business-to-business world, it is difficult to quantify the contribution the web makes on company revenues, and therefore is rarely recorded or measured. A culture of analysis and the ability to benchmark is essential for successful CRO, which means it’s imperative to allow your web analytics team more influence. Have your analytics team regularly meet with your main business intelligence team. This will help you to understand how to assign value to leads acquired online.

4. Digital is different

The way users consume your digital property is different than a physical interaction. For instance, if you have a large inventory of products, how should you group these products together under category headings? The categories laid out by your corporate communications team may not contain words or phrases used by consumers in the real world. Put your users in control and feature a prominent site search feature. It’s also important to consider how tablet and mobile impacts a text-laden site; here again, internal site search is vital to the user.

5. Design

You site should have a clear brand proposition and a clear logo within the masthead; photographic assets should support the message you want to convey to you prospects and customers. Ensure each page leads to an evident user action, whether that is a form inquiry, download or progression to another step.

6. Content

Corporate copywriting is enjoying a renaissance as we’ve experienced a strong resurgence in content marketing over the last five years. The number one rule when writing copy is always quality over quantity as research suggests that only 20% of text is actually actually read, not just skimmed. So make sure your important product features in the opening sentence(s), or better yet, use bullet points for emphasis. Steer clear of overuse of product codes and excessive amounts of technical product detail — it’s a sure-fire way to lose your audience. Infographics and video draw the eye and encourages sharing, so long as it is succinct with a strong message outlining business benefits.

7. Culture

If you have an international customer base, keep in mind that users in different areas of the world respond to design that is conducive to their respective culture. For instance, where the colour red may sometimes be an indication of danger in the West, in China it’s a symbol of good luck. To prevent your cultural wires from getting crossed, think about a local approach to design that appeals to your international clientele.

It’s a new year and a perfect time to kick your new digital plan of action into high gear. If you thought conversion rate optimisation isn’t for your B2B company, think again. These seven tips will get you off to a great start and give you better insight into where you are finding success and failure within your digital strategy.

Right brain vs left brain of B2B marketers

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Psychologists and personality theorists have long believed there to be differences between the right and the left side of the brain. The right side of your brain is responsible for creativity, while the left side handles the details and implementation. The left side is analytical while the right side is artistic.

InB2B marketing, the type of thinker you are guides the campaigns you design. So what type of marketer are you?

Another fabulous infographic from our friends at Marketo blog can help you figure out which side of your brain is fueling your designs.

After reading the Right Brain vs. Left Brain infographic, what conclusions did you draw? Is is accurate?

How colour can effect your brand strategy

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The most prominent brands in the world are defined by their colours. McDonald’s golden arches, Coca-Cola red, BP green.  Entire slogans have been made around colour — like UPS, “What can Brown do for you?”  These companies have succeeded in creating a visual identity for their brand by strategically using colour in their logos, websites and products.

The colour you choose to represent your company is an essential character in telling your brand’s story. Our brains are designed to respond to colour. Once we identify pigment, a chemical reaction in our brain produces an emotional response, and these emotional responses trigger a multitude of thoughts, memories and associations with people, places and events.

Because of the emotional identification to colour, integrating it into your brand will help achieve the highest level of impact. But conveying a simple idea of meaning and differentiation compels us to select a colour that properly fits your brand positioning. Your colour scheme must represent your target audiences’ emotional associations and desires, plus how the value proposition or promise of your brand meets these desires.

Marketing blog, Marketo, put the rainbow under a microscope and created this helpful infographic to identify how different colours can help you connect with your consumers.

Colour is an essential component of any brand strategy. Properly chosen, it can define your value, strengthen and support your brand positioning, enable greater awareness and customer recall and distinguish yourself among competitors.

If you feel your company image could use some revamping, or are simply interested in a consultation to see how we can take your brand to the next level in the new year, contact us at+64 9 950 2140 or erin@b2bpartners.nz

Stubborn business myths we just can’t quit

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Growing up, we’ve all been told the same universal myths by our parents. From, “If you keep making that face it will freeze that way,” to “If you swallow your gum it will take seven years to digest,” or my personal favourite, “If you eat a watermelon seed it will grow inside your stomach.”  There is no shortage of outrageous untruths we were told as children and the trend hasn’t waned, only graduated now that we’ve reached adulthood.

We love to make broad, sweeping generalisations from a single data point.  Coincidence and luck are commonly mistaken for cause and effect — like the time your co-worker ran the pool table after four shots of tequila and a beer then claimed he’s a shark after a few [too many] drinks. Whether it’s a by-product of rationalisation or unadulterated blind faith, we choose to believe what we want to believe and that has created room for some steadfast business myths we not only tell ourselves, but pass on as gospel to our disciples, forever stoking the folklore fire.

Myth #1: It’s not what you know but who you know.

This isn’t bad advice, but what should be seen as a testament to the importance of networking has become a misinterpreted suggestion that only the privileged few with connections get ahead in the business world.

For every success story, like Snapchat founder and CEO Evan Spiegel, who had connections, there are a dozen like Starbuck’s founder Howard Schultz who bad to build from the ground up. While knowing the right person could get you an in, if you can’t hack it you won’t last long. No matter what you want to believe, the truth is knowledge, skill and experience is just as important as networking.

Myth #2: The boss is always right.

Now this one is a bit tricky; each employer/manager is different and some may not be as open to suggestion as others. However, competent executives and effective leaders know how critical it is to hire the sharpest, most talented people they can and encourage them to speak their mind and suggest ideas.

The idea of a “yes-man” has become antiquated and quite frankly, detrimental in today’s business world. Sugar-coating the truth or telling your superior what he wants to hear will only get you ahead in dysfunctional, bureaucratic organisations that are quickly going nowhere.

Myth #3: Nice guys finish last.

You don’t need to forego your backbone, but you’ll gain more company admiration by being a genuine and pleasant person than the office tyrant; show respect to those who deserve it and be tough on those who don’t. You don’t need to give up being nice to others to be professional and competitive.

Myth #4: Don’t work hard, work smart.

To be truly successful in this world, you have to work smart andhard. With very rare exception, there is simply no substitute for strong work ethic and good old fashioned hard work. It will not go unnoticed by your colleagues and superiors.

Myth #5: Work is work, it’s not supposed to be fun.

It’s true that business is about business and it can’t all be fun and games. But your absolute best chance at being successful (no matter how you choose to define success) is finding your passion and turning it into a living.

If you dread getting up in the morning because you pursued a career path you thought you should be doing rather than having any real interest in it, there’s no doubt you will end up a little bitter and cynical.

Stop looking for shortcuts to the top. Hard work and perseverance never led anyone astray. And most importantly, find something you love to do — it’s the only way to do great work.

Watch your AdWords campaign bloom with the help of these three tips.

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In the world of organic search results, it’s anything but lonely at the top. Websites that rank first in an organic search earn almost double the amount of traffic as the site ranking second, and the traffic percentages only degenerate from there.

It’s a bleak existence for sites positioned after the third or fourth rank in a search, so if you are serious about keeping your brand’s name out of the Google result wasteland, you’ve probably enlisted the help of Google AdWords. It’s quick, targeted and has a wide reach, not to mention it can be completely cost-effective — if you are doing it correctly.

That’s right; AdWords can’t be your omnipotent saviour all on its own, you’ll need to develop a strategy. Here are a few overlooked AdWords truths that can help you cultivate your campaign this summer. Once you’ve sewn a few of these tactical seeds you’ll be able to kick back, relax and watch the results bloom.

 

1. There are three types of keywords

It’s important for businesses to keep in mind that there are three types of keywords that consumers use when searching online. First, they do their research, then they compare products and lastly, they search with the intent to buy.

Research stage: During this phase, the consumer doesn’t know exactly what he or she wants, so the search typically has generic, simple terms. Let’s say the consumer is looking for a tent. During the research process he learns there are all different types of tents: dome, geodesic, ridge, tunnel, etc. Keep in mind the consumer has not decided on a brand yet.

Comparison stage: As the consumer continues to peruse the search results for the generic term, things will start to get more specific. He can read reviews and pit two products against each other. If he is in the comparison stage, he might use phrases like:

Kathmandu v. Robens
Kathmandu tent reviews
Kathmandu prices
Kathmandu warranty

We don’t particularly recommend bidding on phrases like this. They can end up being a waste of money as they are simply being used by those searching for an answer while investigating a future purchase.

Buying stage: By this point, the consumer has his credit card beside him, ready to make a purchase. This is the point where coming up with the right keywords is essential. It’s likely the consumer knows exactly what he wants, just not where to find it. A “buyer keyword” will have the following:

Colour
Make
Model
Brand

So let’s assume the consumer that was searching for a tent has made a decision. He wants to go with Kathmandu and the tent model he wants is the Retreat 270 Tent v2 in “sage green,” so his search phrase may be “Kathmandu Retreat 270.” Buyer keyword phrases are specific. Bid on these specific-to-your-brand words as they usually lead to sales.

2. Try dynamic keyword insertion

This is a big time saver. Instead of writing a new ad for each keyword, Google will update your text with the keyword that is used to target your ad. It makes your brand more relevant to potential customers while making it easier for you to create unique advertisements for a large number of keywords.

3. Ad position has less effect on CTR

This may seem a little disjointed to what was said in the opening paragraph, but hear us out. If you are using AdWords to advertise your brand, Google will highlight the keyword that is being searched for by a user. That way, even if your site isn’t the first result, they keyword that is relevant to the user will show up bold in your ad. It allows the user to see that your ad is still relevant to them, when it would otherwise be overlooked.

If you’re having trouble piecing together the right AdWords campaign for your company, don’t worry — we can help. Get in touch with our Digital Manager, Veronica Nobbs. She will happily provide you with a free, no obligation account audit. veronica@b2bpartners.nz

More play and less work this summer with these online apps

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In the past few years marketers have faced large-scale and accelerating change in their profession, and it’s showing little sign of slowing down. Today’s modern marketer faces a new paradigm of inbound marketing programs driven by digital channels, served by multiple methods and measured by sophisticated technologies.

It’s a brave, new world that marketers are negotiating, and often with limited budgets and staff. Today’s marketers wear many hats, manage a slew of different projects, and can be responsible for most, if not all of clients’ online marketing campaigns including social media, email marketing, content, SEO, etc.

And on top of all that we still have to marketing ourselves!

But there’s good news for the contemporary marketer; there’s an abundance of online tools that can help us control the workload. The following apps can help us manage our daily tasks and responsibilities allowing us to be more productive and ultimately, open up our schedules to do more of what we love.

 

Project Management/ Collaboration

Mavenlink

Mavenlink has a robust feature list. It assists in managing tasks, tracking projects (both internally and those with clients), sharing and receiving files and tracking time and expenses.

One of the standout features of Mavenlink is the ability to delegate tasks to both clients and employees, assign deadlines and view when the task has been started and completed.

Basically, Mavenlink is an all-inclusive project management tool and it is integrated with Google Apps.

Alternative apps: Basecamp; Trello

Search Engine Optimisation

Moz

This tool is extremely easy to use and navigate. You can see how your keywords rank, compare keywords side-by-side, and see which search engines are sending traffic to your site. And all can be done from your dashboard.

Alternative app: Google Insights; Optify

Landing Page Creation

Unbounce

Unbounce allows you to build, publish and A/B test landing pages without the help of IT. It empowers marketers to act independently from technical teams to improve efficiency and their ability to generate sales. Even if you don’t know how to code in HTML, Unbounce’s landing page builder is much faster.

File Management

Dropbox

Dropbox allows you access to all your files in the cloud, which means you can be anywhere and still access the file you need. Your files are stored online and are accessible to all members of your team for editing or reviewing purposes.

This application is especially beneficial if your company is spread out over several different locations. It saves you and your employees from having to email files back and forth — after you’ve dropped it in, it’s accessible to everyone.

Alternative app: Google Drive

Social Media Management

Hootsuite

Hootsuite is a great tool if you manage multiple social media networks for an assortment of clients. You can pre-schedule posts for a specific date and time and you can preview how it looks before it goes live.

One of the best features of this app is the Hootstuit “Streams,” which allows you to view all your posts on all your networks in a visual format, making it super easy to keep track what you are posting and where. Additionally, you can track your campaign analytics, which is handy if you need to regularly report the success of clients’ social media campaigns.

Alternative app: TweetDeck; Buffer

Visual Content Tools

Piktochart

If infographics are part of your digital marketing campaigns, this is a wonderful tool for you. Not a designer? That’s okay; you don’t have to be to use this app. Piktochart allows you to create graphic-design worthy infographics on a user-friendly platform. It also allows you to store them all in your account so you can edit them whenever the need arises, great for clients that require a boat-load of changes!

Alternative apps: Prezi; Flexadex; Passpack; Evernote

Is your brand making one of these 5 content marketing mistakes?

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In a recent blog post, we explored how modern day marketers are evolving their strategies to adopt a more consumer-centric attitude. More and more companies are recognising the need to transition from an “always be selling” mindset to one that focuses on having a story to tell.

In an age where an endless amount of choice is at your fingertips, information is what drives sales. For the past few years, content marketing has been hailed as the future of the industry, and by now most marketers have accepted and embraced the burgeoning tool. But as with any (relatively) fledgling discipline, brands are bound to have some missteps along the way. Even the most agile of companies can trip over themselves from time to time, so it’s high time we explore some of the most common challenges content marketers face today.

1. Throw it Out and See if it Sticks

If your brand’s plan for content marketing is “produce content,” then you don’t really have a plan. Launching new content with no clear direction is a ready-fire-aim approach and there’s a good chance you won’t be providing your readers with anything of value. Yes, your brand’s content marketing goals will likely change over time, but before you set out, you should be able to at least answer the following questions:

– Who is my audience and what are their questions? How can I provide valuable leadership with my own content?

– What are my brand’s short term goals for content marketing? Long term?

– What types of content are my competitors producing and what can I learn from them?

 

2. Content is not Shareable

You want your content to reach as many eyes as possible, but unfortunately no one is going to share if it’s too difficult for them. Every piece of content should have clear, well-placed buttons that allow your readers to share your content with members of their own communities and close circles. To maximise your share-ability, try to include the big three: Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

 

3. Content Doesn’t Encourage Deeper Engagement

The whole point of content marketing is to connect with your existing and potential customers while establishing yourself as a reliable resource. Encouraging your readers to connect can help form dynamic, long-lasting relationships and brand advocacy. Stimulate engagement by:

– Asking viewers to comment or ask questions

– Offer suggestions for related material

 

4. Results are not Being Measured

In the beginning, the process of developing good content will be a bit of a matter trial and error. Unfortunately, not all content is created equal, and more importantly, not all content will work for every type of brand. Experiment a little at first but once you’ve got a good base, pay attention to what is working and what isn’t. With each post, your company should be able to measure:

– What is getting the most clicks

– How prospects are finding your content

– How long are prospects staying on your site and looking at additional content

 

5. No Call to Action

While the primary goal of content marketing is to drive brand awareness by providing existing and potential customers with useful, easy to understand information, it doesn’t mean that we have to avoid salesmanship entirely. Linking your content to a product or service can very beneficial:

– Offers a solution to a customer’s needs or questions

– Establishes your brand’s expertise

– Removes an unnecessary step in the purchase cycle

– Eliminates the need for your readers to look elsewhere for a product or service you offer

 

Content marketing strategies are unique for each and every brand. If you haven’t gotten started yet, or aren’t sure how to measure whether or not your current strategy is working to the best of its ability, flick our Digital Manager an email. She’ll get your content where it needs to be.

Veronica Nobbs: veronica@b2bpartners.nz

 

About Veronica:

Veronica has packed years of experience into her youthful career. A NZ digital innovator, she held the role of Digital Analyst for Jason’s Travel before launching her own last-minute hotel stay app. Veronica is Google Adwords Certified and is a specialist in CRO, SEO and SEM and can call on her analytical and marketing skills at warp speed.

Social media has the insight to modernise our marketing strategies

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The emergence of social media and the decline of mass media are the two biggest marketing stories of the decade. Both print circulation and television viewership have been falling consistently since the turn of the century. TV viewership is down almost 50% since 2002, however, social media has experienced astronomical gains since its humble MySpace beginnings. In fact, social media usage among U.S. adults is up a whopping 800% in the past eight years alone.

These dying forms of traditional media are taking our conventional marketing techniques with them. Today’s connected consumer is inundated with choice the minute they enter the ever-expanding world wide web. In order for companies to win business, their message has to stand out among the rest and the hard truth is, singular-message emails or banner ads meant for a massive audience just aren’t cuttin’ the mustard anymore.

While it may be hard to ditch some of the time-honoured marketing techniques of yore, the rapid transition from mass to social media is actually presenting marketers with the opportunity of a lifetime. Information collected from social media allows us to create impactful, relevant messages and personalise our marketing approach — which is not only more effective, but more cost efficient and scalable.

3 Step Personalised Marketing Process

Data Collection: The first step to gathering user data is to implement social login. Social login is a form of single sign-on which uses existing information from a social networking site (we’ve all been prompted to “login using Facebook,” “login using Twitter,” etc) to sign into a third party website.  By using social login, your business can collect and interpret data information to better understand their customers.

Data Segmentation: Determining meaning from raw data is a crucial next step when personalising the marketing process. Once the data is retrieved it needs to be broken down and analysed to determine customer identity and behaviour.

Data Conversion: After data is segmented, it needs to be converted into actionable insight. Companies can tie collected and analysed data into the marketing platforms they are using, i.e. CRM software, email marketing platforms and advertising networks.

The implementation of personalised marketing allows marketers to collect information from their audience using social data. Targeting smaller audiences is made possible for marketers simply by examining a group of user’s behaviour data and social profile. Messages that are tailored to appeal to niche audiences have higher relevancy and consequently, effect on a group.

If you are looking to improve your conversion rate, our Digital Manager, Veronica Nobbs, can help you turn social data into a targeted, personalised marketing strategy. Contact her at: veronica@b2bpartners.nz

4 B2B marketing strategies with a B2C twist

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As the digital world expands, business buyers are being presented with an unprecedented amount of information and opportunity for choice. This power of seemingly infinite knowledge and selection creates an unparalleled competitiveness that is forcing B2B marketers to evolve their campaigns to meet the growing expectations of their consumers.

But let’s face it, a B2B marketing career isn’t particularly glamorous — we’ve got to sell some downright unsexy products. So how can we present an engaging campaign about software, chemicals or manufacturing widgets to our extremely adept potential buyers?

The most successful business-to-business marketers start with building a brand, or in other words, they think like B2C marketers. The following are four ways to help “consumerise” our marketing practices.

1. More Marketing, Less Outside Sales

First and foremost, make sure all the information a buyer wants to know is front and center. One of the great strengths of B2C marketing is the wealth of product information that is available online, transparent pricing and easy purchase options. Yes, B2B purchases are significantly more complex, but marketers can provide detailed product specifications in easy to understand terms, demos and testimonials to help educate their potential buyers.

Marketers can speed up the purchase process by offering fixed pricing, which circumvents the need to negotiate. If a product is more complex with multiple features, tiered pricing will allow buyers to stay well informed during the research process.

Allow buyers to pay by credit card. This may not be an option for every B2B company, but it can greatly simplify the procurement process. Additionally, you could offer a line of credit to your buyers or provide direct billing online.

2. Give (Some of) it Away

Lowering barriers between a product and a buyer is crucial for B2B companies. When possible, try offering a free trial to customers — this allows them to develop an idea of what they can expect when the time comes for a purchasing decision. The focus here is getting people to actually use the product rather than marketers telling them how great it is.

A free product can go a long way; however it’s important to force a purchasing decision at some point. This could come in the form of a trial expiration date or blocking non-paying users from applying some of the features.

3. Customer Challenges to Encourage Feedback

Enterprise buyers want to know what their peers think of a product. Customer testimonials are certainly nothing new in the B2B world, however new technologies are providing ways to get customer advocates more actively involved in the marketing strategy. Platforms like Influitive allow B2B marketers to create challenges (i.e. provide a product review) that customers can complete in exchange for points. Acquired points can then be redeemed for an offer, for example a $25 voucher at a coffee house chain or even a free service provided by your company.

4. Marketing Gamification

It seems “gamification” is the new digital trend craze. It’s an interactive, entertaining way to promote awareness and encourages participation, not to mention makes tedious tasks (completing surveys) a little less laborious. Turning B2B marketing into a game is a bit tricky, but has proven successful for several businesses. Consider SonicWALL, a networking company who created a game for IT professionals called The Network Security Challenge. The premise of the game is to dictate what is allowed past the “security” as potential threats arise. As the game goes on, the threats are presented at an increasingly faster rate until it becomes impossible to stop every one. What the game is teaching its users is that no one person can manually decide what to let past a firewall and that a network security solution (SonicWALL) is needed to automate the process.

As the B2B and B2C worlds continue to intersect, we are likely to see more and more B2C strategies adopted by their business counterparts. While the list here is not an exhaustive one, they are a few tips to consider when making your marketing strategy more consumer-friendly.

If you want help developing a smart B2B marketing strategy with a B2C twist, contact our Digital Manager, Veronica Nobbs: veronica@b2bpartners.nz