What is B2B marketing?
What is B2B marketing?
B2B or business-to-business describes relationships between companies, ie products or services offered and sold by one company to another. There is, so to speak, a relationship between at least two companies. B2B marketing is clearly aimed at business customers, not private end consumers ( B2C ).
Difference between B2B and B2C marketing
End consumers often make their decisions spontaneously and their purchasing power is usually lower. Companies that are planning an industrial machine for production, consulting services for a company purchase or, for example, their vehicle fleet are less influenced by mass advertising. An entrepreneur determines his needs, gets comparative offers, but then has to stick to processes and structures in the company, e.g. purchasing, marketing, controlling, department heads and much more. The associated group of customers is also much smaller in B2B than in B2C, so a targeted approach is required. The purchasing process and its associated decision ( customer journey ) is characterized by a longer cycle, which in most cases also needs to be accompanied personally.
Why is a B2B marketing strategy needed?
Purchasing processes, decisions and the final conclusion are a lengthy and complex process in addition to the explanation of possibly complex products or services. Maintaining constant attention in the relevant target group should be planned sustainably in order to conserve valuable marketing resources and budgets, because one thing is not what B2B marketing is: cheap!
Examples of measures in B2B online marketing
- Homepage
- B2B search engine marketing
- B2B Social Media Marketing
- B2B Content Marketing
Having your own website or an online shop is the basis for making yourself and your company visible and accessible on the Internet. Even if companies see their own homepage as a business card, a rethink should take place! Your own website is comparable to a sales representative who presents you, your company and the associated products and services around the clock, 365 days a year. An appealing design, ease of use, and responsive presentation create the basis for unique content with added value! By presenting your USP , a clear call to action and constant accessibility, your own homepage in B2B online marketing has become indispensable.
Search engine marketing is subdivided into search engine optimization (SEO), ie technical, content-related optimization of your website, combined with off-page optimization of this. The goal in B2B SEO is to get better rankings in the Google results ( Serps ), which will increase your traffic and conversions in the long term . A B2B SEO measure requires trust in the search engine optimizer and needs to be planned constantly and in the long term as an accompanying marketing measure. A faster way to get the first relevant traffic to your website is the so-called SEA(Search Engine Advertising), switching Google or Bing ADs to relevant search terms in the search results. In addition to experience in setting up and managing the campaigns, it requires a sufficient advertising budget. In the cases mentioned, the billing model is pay per click , ie a price per click on your website results from the bidding process and quality factor of the advertising campaigns. Under certain circumstances, this can make sense for search terms, but you should assume that the click prices are expensive in the B2B environment.
Social media, whether Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, is ideal for building and presenting your own brand. These channels are also suitable for recruiting employees, as they allow a look behind the scenes of a company, introduce the team and arouse the curiosity of applicants. Another possibility is filigree targeting according to your target group. You can segment here according to demographics, but also, for example, areas of interest in order to display your advertisement in a targeted manner. However, it is important to note here that the personas mostly move on these platforms out of private interest. Networks such as Xing or Linkedin are also suitable measures in social media B2B marketing to reach the target group.
Good content marketing generates interest in your product or service. This can also unconsciously trigger a demand, since the entrepreneur himself does not even know that he needs your offer. An entrepreneur who wants to be "easier to find on Google" will think less or not at all of the topic "SEO" because the term is too technical. An entrepreneur who may be running a website but is researching on the Internet due to a legal adjustment, e.g. "GDPR", can come across your company and the associated offer through targeted content marketing. In content marketing, therefore, it is important to understand the needs of its customers, unique content with added value and which also want to be shared. Furthermore, this measure also makes it possible to present you as an expert and thus to gain trust within the target group.
Examples of measures in B2B offline marketing
- Trade fairs/conventions
- Letters or direct mail
- Workshops
- Cold calling
As an exhibitor at a trade fair, you reach your target group and can enter into personal discussions with them. What is important here is the quick and correct processing of your collected leads, if necessary prompt appointments by your sales department.
Through targeted letters, your brand or products can get back into the minds of the target group. Skillful and eye-catching design of these can affect the open rate and is a possibility.
Passing on his knowledge can convey you as an expert. By means of workshops and lectures you can reach your target group and/or new employees who thus gain a personal connection to you.
The acquisition, be it by telephone or in person, is still a form of opportunity in B2B sales today. However, a high level of motivation and a skilful approach are required here, since you usually catch your target group on the wrong foot and the need may not be there at the moment. This measure can also have a negative impact on your brand.
Guide for a B2B marketing strategy
- Goals: What goal do you want to achieve with your marketing strategy?
- Target group: Who is your target group and how/where can you find them?
- Competitors: Who are your direct or indirect competitors?
- USP: What advantages does your product and/or service have over the competition?
- Through which channels do you want to carry out this marketing activity?
- Can you measure the success of the measure correctly?
- Are the leads processed GDPR compliant?
- Is the use of a CRM necessary for sustainable customer care?
- Is the planned strategy one-off or does another long-term strategy for these leads need to be made?
- Can you map the satisfaction of new customers and encourage them to make recommendations/ratings?
Conclusion
Online marketing in particular has become an important part of B2B. Goals are clearly definable and success is measurable. Through targeted measures and target group-oriented marketing, new leads can be generated for you or your sales department, which contribute to your company's success. The development of your brand is also an important component here and thus creates corporate values within your industry. Consider B2B online marketing as a long-term building block in your marketing budget, as the measures often have a lasting effect and the associated customer journey simply has longer cycles compared to B2C. A combination of online/offline can make sense under certain circumstances and the more channels you use, the more experience you can gain. Finally, an important note: