3 Tips to Upgrade Your B2B Digital Marketing Strategy

In today’s marketplace, your company’s digital marketing strategy is more important than ever. We reach our customers in a variety of ways and, in order to do so effectively, a
comprehensive digital marketing strategy needs to be dynamic and updated to meet the changing environment.

In order to optimize your digital marketing efforts, it is important to tailor the individual components to fit your brand and the customer you are aiming to serve. For business to business (B2B) companies, these elements can provide unique challenges compared to those in the business to consumer (B2C) space. Addressing those challenges and customizing your approach can lead to true competitive advantage.

In this article, we will look at some of the latest trends in B2B digital marketing to optimize the way we reach our customers.

Navigate this Article

• Tip #1 – Showcase your industry knowledge through content marketing
• Tip #2 – Make the most of your social media presence with Linkedin
• Tip #3 – Video content is essential to a winning strategy
• Bonus Tip – Combine all three for maximum marketing value

Tip #1 – Showcase your industry knowledge through content marketing

Business to business companies have a unique advantage when it comes to understanding their customers as they often exist within the same supply chain. By definition, B2B businesses create products or provide services for other businesses. Since you and your customer share a common speciality, you likely speak the same language in a way that the end consumer (B2C) might not understand.

Effective content marketing educates potential customers while helping to establish your company as a trustworthy authority. The content you create should provide value to your consumer.

Content marketing can help you gain visibility from customers in the top stages of the sales funnel. These customers are considered to be in the awareness or evaluation stage in their buyer’s journey. In other words, the consumers of this content are seeking more information and might not be immediately ready to buy. By giving them valuable content, you begin to establish a connection while explaining some of the services you provide.

Your company blog is a strong channel to communicate directly to customers and yield results. Over 70% of B2B buyers have been shown to read blog content before making a purchase.

Tap into that content marketing potential with your specific audience in mind. Use a touch of industry jargon to demonstrate your know-how and gain credibility, but be sure to keep your messaging authentic and clear.

Offer your audience consistent value from a trusted source to optimize content marketing as part of your digital strategy.

Tip #2 – Make the most of your social media presence with Linkedin

Social media marketing is an essential piece of the digital puzzle for all companies. As a B2B seller, your strategy should follow the latest universal trends in social media while also recognizing the differences in where your customers reside and engage.

The B2B buyer’s journey often takes a different route than the B2C end consumer. As a result, reaching the buyer through different forms of media can give your business an edge.
B2B social media marketing is where Linkedin shines. Linkedin has exceeded $3 billion in ad revenue and organic engagement on the platform continues to rise.

Effective B2B sales are built through strong relationships. It requires frequent touchpoints to maintain connections and drive repeat business. Linkedin is a platform where you can nurture those relationships with potential clients.

Linkedin is a great space to build your professional brand, and your efforts on the platform will gain even more traction with interaction from your employees. Your brand account will maximize its reach potential if your employees are empowered to promote your content and engage with the platform as individuals. Employee representation on Linkedin shows your customers the faces behind the work, strengthens those essential professional connections, and further legitimizes the organization and message.

Looking for more ways to improve your social presence? Check out these social media brand awareness suggestions.

Tip #3 – Video content is essential to a winning strategy

Recent data suggests that people are watching more video content online than ever. Hubspot notes that “86% of businesses use video as a marketing tool” and 87% of those marketers report a positive return on investment (ROI).

The benefits of video content don’t stop there. Industry professionals consistently report the benefits of video marketing as an effective lead generator, having a direct & positive impact on sales and increasing user understanding of their products & services.

You can use digital video content as a way to introduce your team to potential clients & customers. If you’re looking for content ideas to kickstart your video program, consider:

● How-to & educational content
● The newest developments on your products & services
● Customer testimonials and reviews
● Industry updates and news
● Case studies that highlight your successes

Video is a format that can communicate your message across all of your platforms. While you may want to share the same message on all outlets, be sure to edit your video content for each specific platform. Certain social media channels will have different limits on video length. You’ll also want to make sure the shape and format of the video is optimized for the platform.

Your video content strategies should follow the lead of your online marketing planning, always keeping your customer and the way they engage with the platform top of mind.

Bonus Tip – Combine all three for maximum marketing value

As is the case with most digital marketing elements, these tips work best in combination as part of an integrated overall strategy. Building trust and providing value should be at the core of a B2B content marketing strategy.

The interaction of your marketing channels will provide authority to your brand and create more exposure for your messages.

As we’ve mentioned above, allowing your customers to connect with the people behind your brand can strengthen those B2B relationships. Endorsement and engagement from your employees on Linkedin are a major boost to this initiative. Similarly, video content allows the people behind your brand to communicate directly to potential customers. Including customer faces and voices in your content will promote additional shares and impressions within their individual networks.

The best B2B digital marketing strategies link website, social media marketing, Google Business Profile, and PPC & paid media campaigns in a way where each element:
● Is optimized for SEO
● Is customized for the specific platform
● Speaks directly to the target audience
● Is linked to the other elements so the rising tide can lift all ships

RiZen Metrics is a content marketing and SEO agency in Scranton, PA that also specializes in full-service digital marketing strategies. Interested in working with our team? Let’s talk strategy today!