As more and more companies are created in the world, it becomes essential for professionals to be creative in their B2B marketing strategies. To achieve objectives and improve profitability, business relationships between companies must be widely developed. The promotion of products, via dedicated marketplaces, is a necessity.
Table of Contents
- What is a B2B marketing strategy?
- Which effective B2B marketing strategy should you choose?
- Create your B2B marketing strategy in 5 steps with VirtualExpo
- How to determine B2B marketing objectives?
- Some examples of successful B2B marketing strategies
What is a B2B marketing strategy?
B2B refers to business-to-business commercial relationships. As in B2C (business to customer), it is necessary to implement an adapted marketing strategy. Since there are fewer players in this field, especially for companies operating in niche sectors, it is essential to be very effective in making your products or services known.
By adopting a B2B content marketing strategy, a company can reach its target audience more easily. Relevant content ensures performance in order to generate qualified B2B leads. Content allows you to gain visibility, demonstrate your expertise and respond to the needs expressed by prospects and clients. Without an effective strategy, it is very difficult to stand out from the crowd and make a place for yourself in competitive markets. A consistent marketing approach also allows for a more in-depth partnership between a supplier and a customer.
Which effective B2B marketing strategy should you choose?
There are several techniques that companies can use to their advantage in B2B marketing. The two most interesting to date are storytelling andinbound marketing. Storytelling is about playing the emotional value associated with a company or a brand. Telling a story makes it easier to connect with a company. The transmission of a message in this way is ideal for getting buyers to identify with the brand. Storytelling is thus becoming a major driver in the field of emotional marketing. It is important to pay close attention to the language you use in your communication strategy to achieve the desired effect.
Inbound marketing has become a must in recent years and is a trendy and effective method. It consists in abandoning intrusive techniques, now considered spam (unsolicited electronic communication), and instead attracting the customer to the company by responding precisely to their needs. For this, a company will offer premium content and position itself as an expert on a given topic. This can include a blog, a white paper, webinars or a personalized newsletter.
Create your B2B marketing strategy in 5 steps with VirtualExpo
As a B2B expert, VirtualExpo can provide manufacturers and distributors with durable solutions for successful strategies. It is possible to identify 5 main steps in this process.
The first is to establish a very precise portrait of the company's target audience. Here you will need to identify the target your company wants to reach, then determine what they are looking for and what leads them to make a decision.
The second step is to take into account the position of the persona (the target audience) within the proposed purchase path. Each client goes through the process of becoming aware of a problem, considering available solutions and making a decision.
In a third step, the requests and offers of the competition will be analyzed in detail. This study will allow your to develop original content adapted to your buyer personas.
The fourth step is to create targeted content that answers these questions. Content creation can be outsourced for more efficiency if you don't have enough resources in-house.
The last step is the use of appropriate tools. VirtualExpo's specialized marketplaces include a set of customized services that facilitate the promotion of companies and their products or services.
How to determine B2B marketing objectives?
For any action plan, it is possible to set "SMART" objectives in advance: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound. It is essential to start with a coherent clear objective, such as a 15% increase in turnover over a period of 6 months for example. The goals set should meet strategic imperatives determined by the management of your company, generally around an increase in sales in the short or medium term.
Intermediate objectives can also be set based on specific indicators such as the cost of customer acquisition or conversion rates. The achievement of these different objectives is only possible by developing actions directed towards the appropriate target audience. Customer insight is an essential element in understanding the behavior of the target audience and how best to meet their needs.
Some examples of successful B2B marketing strategies
VirtualExpo's experience in this field has enabled it to contribute to the success of many companies. It is possible to highlight several examples of successful strategies.
In the maritime sector, the company Schenker Watermakers has used the B2B marketplace NauticExpo to gain international visibility. Due to the fact the platform is available in 9 languages, the company was able to benefit from qualified traffic to their site. They also received advice from a content expert and an SEO manager.
Opinion Ciatti, a company specialized in home furnishings, was looking for new customers to increase its sales. Here again, being present on a B2B marketplace like ArchiExpo allowed them to increase quotes and orders in just a few months.
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