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Digital marketing remains an important part of the marketing strategy for B2C and B2B brands alike. But the approach may still be uncharted territory for some B2B marketers as they evaluate and develop strategies on how to best position and optimize the messages for their brands.
People today spend more than two hours a day on a mobile device plus time on a desktop computer. Although some experts anticipate a decrease in the use of desktop computers, they expect an increase in the use of mobile devices.
Regardless of how users access content, digital marketing remains an important strategy for reaching them. To take advantage of increased online time, marketers need to further adapt their strategies and omnichannel campaigns.
B2B marketers who focus on similar successes to their B2C counterparts can learn from the strategies that B2C marketers use successfully in consumer-centric marketing.
The triad of remote work, shrinking marketing budgets and increased online activity underscores the need for B2B marketers to adopt and implement proven B2C strategies to improve reach.
1. Increased personalization
Buyers expect personal connections and an outstanding brand experience when shopping. B2C brands tend to use positive, personal tones in their messages, while B2B marketing often takes a more technical and buttoned-up approach.
Although B2B customers sometimes appreciate and expect a more technical tone, B2B email marketing offers the opportunity to humanize formal communication with a more personal tone, which can result in additional sales. The strategy also helps cultivate human connections and drive a better brand experience.
That’s not to say you’re missing out on professionalism or reputation. You should maintain decency and standards while adding personality to the mix. People value the human element and experience, and they value brands ‘efforts to personalize communications, empathize with potential customers’ problems and challenges, and encourage engagement or contact for more information. Don’t throw away your value propositions or breaking news – instead, customize them to convey a more personal tone.
As a channel, email enables more direct conversations. Email contacts choose to receive your communications because they want to hear from you.
Use this connection to your advantage. Use simple options to customize e-mails beyond the fields “First name” or “Company name”; Here, too, your prospects want to get in touch with people. Add a personal touch by adding seasonal or holiday hooks to your messages, expressing your customers’ appreciation, or even showcasing your company’s personality through fun footers and subscription preference messages.
2. Digital touchpoints
Digital touchpoints, like marketing emails or text message marketing, are a long game as a typical shopper can interact with 10-20 touchpoints before making a purchase. However, these touchpoints allow B2B companies to build and maintain long-term relationships with their customers and signal warmer leads rather than targeting one-time buyers. Someone who is not quite ready to make a purchase is still picking up information and tucking it away for later use. This longer conversion time requires taking care of customers throughout their journey by providing meaningful insights to support their assessment.
B2B marketers who employ broader omnichannel strategies, such as trigger-based email campaigns, add a critical component to a subscriber’s experience. In fact, 33% of brands in a Litmus survey said that transactional and triggered messages generated more than 25% of their sales.
Customer behavior and certain events can physically trigger messages. In B2C scenarios, a customer might add an item to the cart but not complete the purchase. The abandoned cart causes the system to send emails containing a sale of dog treats or whatever the customer had in the cart.
In a B2B marketing scenario, someone can register for a webinar but not attend. The absence could trigger a follow-up email that includes a recording and an invitation to speak to a representative about the omission.
B2B marketers should also explore how their B2C peers are integrating insights from a channel like email into their broader content strategy. As people spend a lot of time surfing online using mobile devices, brands that improve their mobile presence get almost unlimited access to users.
For example, consider a particular email that is proving to be particularly effective in driving sales from those who read the email on a mobile device. Marketers should share a similar campaign through social or SMS marketing.
3. Relevant content
While most B2B brands are unable to use the type of abandoned cart campaigns B2C brands use, B2B marketers can implement something similar based on previous campaigns, content, and interactions.
For example, re-interest potential customers by analyzing which content in your funnel is most successful. Based on the most downloaded content, number of views, and social engagement for specific news, brands can see what’s trending in the space.
Also, marketers are better able to deliver relevant content at a time when consumers are asking for personalized experiences. Epsilon studies show that 80% of customers are more likely to buy from a brand that offers personalized experiences.
In B2B marketing, such a campaign does not necessarily lead to a direct sale; However, marketers providing relevant, helpful materials to a customer demonstrate value to a manager while earning the customer’s gratitude and respect. Sometimes it is better to have an additional touchpoint while customer information and data is being gathered to develop a lifelong customer than to complete a one-time sale.
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Even though B2C and B2B brands sell completely different products, B2B brands can still implement B2C marketing strategies to increase ROI and build long-term customer relationships.
The use of personalization, digital touchpoints and new campaign styles in your B2B marketing can lead to many advantages without having to completely reinvent the wheel.
More resources on B2B and B2C marketing strategies
Forget B2B and B2C: it’s a B2P world now
How your B2B business can thrive in a B2C search space
How B2B marketers can incorporate B2C strategies into their marketing
