From pro to pro: if you want to win over new B2B customers today and keep their loyalty, your communication needs to be digital at heart. We show you 7 examples of modern marketing measures which are essential for your toolbox – and that can be combined, tested, expanded and, above all, implemented.
The 8 essential marketing measures
1. Define the target group
The core of all marketing measures is the target group. Only if you know your customers and their needs can you address them and speak to them at their level. Which is why every marketing measure starts with the identification of the desired clientele and their requirements. For activities in the B2B segment, companies should consider the respective demand, for instance, the sensitivity towards price, the size and location of the existing or potential business partner.
2. Take SEO measures
Once you’ve determined the target group, you must give them the relevant content. This should include the essential keywords which the company – or products, services or line of business – is associated with and people are looking for on the Internet. With the use of well-integrated SEO (search engine optimisation), these keywords can be combined and leveraged in a way that they cater to the search intentions of the desired clientele – and the company’s own website appears at the top of the hits list on the Internet during searches. You can also promote your website on our B2B platforms to receive backlinks and improve your rankings.
3. Leverage SEA
Just as helpful in gaining customer loyalty: SEA (search engine advertising). Online ads can be created in line with your potential group of customers and presented in a targeted way. The respective ads are placed, for instance via Google Ads, at the top or bottom of the search results list of the most popular search engine. This service comes with a fee: the price is based on automated bids and calculated using a cost-per-click process. Here is where B2B marketers have an advantage. The traditional keywords for the B2B segment are normally less competitive than the search terms for the B2C business – and therefore more affordable. As a result, Google estimates the click price for the keyword “coil cradle” at less than 50 cents (for one of the top positions, above the organic search results). In contrast: the per-click costs for the search term “TV” is estimated at more than 3 euros.
4. Test Facebook and similar as an online marketing measure
A promising platform for marketing measures is social media networks. Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram have an enormous reach and, for that very reason, can be an important means for B2B customer loyalty and acquisition. However, companies should develop and test their promotions in every case in line with a carefully planned social media strategy – to ensure the target group is reached. If you don’t have the know-how in this area, external specialists can help. In general, you should clarify which content your target group is interested in, which kind of content you can provide and which employee is responsible for the ongoing management of the social media channels.
„Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram have an enormous reach and, for that very reason, can be an important means for B2B customer loyalty and acquisition.“
5. Integrate a responsive design
More and more people are using smartphones and tablets. This also goes for businesses. Which is why digital marketing measures should be designed for use on mobile end devices too. The specialist term for this is “responsive design”. This is when websites are automatically adapted to the relatively small displays of mobile end devices. If this is neglected, content appears very small for large monitors and difficult to follow on a smartphone. This impacts the user’s experience and can result in the user immediately leaving the website.
6. Optimise the landing page
If a customer reacts to an online ad, their click should lead to a website which offers concrete added value. Otherwise they will leave the landing page on the spot. Which is why it must live up to what the digital ad before had promised. The content should match the search intention. The better this is, the longer the interested visitor will remain on the website. Well-placed and formulated calls to action (CTAs) increase your chance of a conversion, for instance an actual purchase.
7. Monitor the marketing measures
Just as important as marketing measures is the monitoring of their success. With tools such as Google Analytics or Sistrix, valuable insights can be gained about users’ behaviour. This includes the number of visits, click rates and bounce rates. These and their characteristics reveal whether a promotion was a success or failure. If you cut corners here or do not analyse the numbers deeply enough, you are wasting a huge amount of potential.
8. Monitor the marketing measures
Just as important as marketing measures is the monitoring of their success. With tools such as Google Analytics or Sistrix, valuable insights can be gained about users’ behaviour. This includes the number of visits, click rates and bounce rates. These and their characteristics reveal whether a promotion was a success or failure. If you cut corners here or do not analyse the numbers deeply enough, you are wasting a huge amount of potential.
The next level: advanced online marketing measures for B2B
Apply retargeting
With the use of retargeting, visitors to your own website can be individually marked. The purpose of this: it is possible to identify the visitor on other websites and address them in a targeted way with advertising.
Retargeting is possible in one of two ways: static and dynamic. In this case, static means that users of your own website see the same ads. This makes sense when a certain product or a special promotion is to be advertised. Dynamic retargeting, in contrast, allows for ads to be displayed individually based on each specific visitor’s needs. This is possible thanks to machine learning, a technology which reviews the behaviour of persons on a website and thus learns bit by bit their individual needs.
User influencers
Some players on social media platforms, so-called influencers, enjoy a wide following due to their expertise, and thus have the ability to be highly alluring and persuasive. Your company can use this effect for its own means – when the followers are part of their target group, it makes sense to start up a collaboration with influencers. This can include showcasing product tests or step-by-step video tutorials on product functions, or providing podcasts on relevant topics.
Conclusion
There is a host of B2B marketing measures which can be implemented relatively quickly. You can increase the awareness of your product or service, your reach or reputation on the Internet. As a result, you can gain more attention among potential customers and the chance to boost your conversions.
For quick success, it makes sense to dedicate time to single promotions and prepare and implement these in a focused way. Just as important is the monitoring of these measures. After all, only if they work are they worth the financial and personnel efforts. One thing, however, is clear: single promotions are good, and a completely integrated online marketing strategy is better. Yet, this requires a longer run-up.
