Business-to-business (B2B) marketing can feel like a minefield.

The need to impress multiple stakeholders and prove industry authority are just two of the setbacks most B2B providers face. 

In recent years, business-to-business digital marketing has provided a viable solution. It makes it easier to promote services and provides the all-important measurable results. 

But how exactly can companies unlock success in their B2B marketing campaigns? 

Understanding Key B2B Digital Marketing Strategies

By now, most of us understand digital marketing strategies like content creation and website design, but we tend to look at these topics through a B2C lens. 

So, how do those strategies shift when we’re targeting B2B consumers? 

In truth, the fundamentals are much the same. The four pillars of successful B2B marketing are still SEO, social media, content marketing, and paid search.

But, a B2B customer isn’t shopping for themselves. They represent an entire company, and you’ll need to shift your strategies accordingly in the following ways. 

Research, Research, Research

Nobody’s saying that research isn’t important in B2C marketing – it very much is! 

But it takes on an entirely new importance within a B2B digital marketing strategy. 

Aside from simply knowing your target audience, detailed research can help to highlight the client pain points that are key to properly positioning a brand. 

Systematic research of prospects and clients provides insights into everything from the services B2B marketing should be highlighting, to where those services are most likely to perform. 

Niche-Driven Strategies

There’s no room for generalities in B2B marketing. Remember, your prospects are busy professionals – they need to see at a glance why a product is worth their time.

Firms that focus their B2B marketing on carefully selected niches can boost sales, growth, and authority. 

In addition to simplifying sales, specialisations serve to differentiate products and establish expertise. 

However, picking any old niche could serve the opposite purpose if you don’t know what you’re talking about. 

Instead, always select a niche based on company-compatible specialities you know about. That way, it’s possible to become an industry leader in no time. 

High-Performance Websites

Stakeholders won’t commit to a sale based on social media posts alone. They’ll do their research, and a website will be the first port of call. 

Standard SEO practices like improved search rankings and quality content are, of course, vital for ensuring website quality. But, B2B strategies also need to go a little further. 

A website is where a brand should start showcasing their expertise, differentiating their marketing, and ultimately convincing prospects before they reach out. 

There are three top ways to achieve this goal:

1. Sleek designs: Website design has a huge impact on B2B impressions, and should be sleek, responsive, and easy to navigate for even busy professionals on the go. 
2. Industry recommendations: Industry-specific case studies can prove authority by highlighting a brand’s expertise, ideally with the addition of provable stats that secure sales. 
3. Educational content: B2B prospects aren’t looking for entertaining blog content, so don’t give it to them. Educational content, which includes statistical research, thought pieces, and industry news, will be far more effective. 

Savvy Social Media

Social media plays a huge role in the professional services industry, and buyers are increasingly checking the profiles of potential new service providers. 

But, how does B2B social media marketing differ from B2C efforts? 

In truth, not a great deal. Success here still rests on high follower numbers and meaningful interactions. 

The difference largely lies in content, which should remain as informative here as it is on a brand’s website (speaking of which, repurposing/sharing your posted content can be an effective social campaign!). 

Paid ads are also more viable within B2B efforts, making it easier to target customer segments that don’t necessarily spend much time doom scrolling during the working day. 

Go the Extra Mile With Email Marketing

Email marketing campaigns allow you to drop niche-specific stats and facts directly into a buyer’s inbox. 

This keeps a product fresh in their mind and shows that a brand definitely knows what they’re talking about. 

What’s more, email marketing campaigns are pretty easy to set up in the B2B world. Do you have a white paper or ebook on offer? Give it out for free in exchange for email addresses. 

To take email marketing even further, you can segment B2B clients based on things like their industry, position within a company, etc. 

That way, you can send specialist, personalised emails that position products exactly where those prospects are most likely to bite. 

How to Find Your Audience (And Win Them Around)

B2B audiences can feel elusive, and that only becomes more the case the more niche a product happens to be. 

So, how do you find your audience? And, more importantly, how do you win them around? 

The main thing to remember here is that, while the B2B crowd might be a little more high-brow in their interests, they’re still human. As such, you can impress using the following techniques – 

1. Positioning a product: B2B product positioning means more than simply thinking about features. Instead, consider the pain points a product addresses, and the companies most likely to face them. Just like that, you’ve got your target audience. 
2. Segmenting buyer personas: Instead of considering things like age and personal tastes, segment B2B buyer personas based on industry, company size, and business context. That allows you to target the right prospects and meet their applicable pain points head-on.
3. Considering keywords: Keywords in B2B campaigns should target buyers at every stage of the sale’s funnel. A comprehensive keyword strategy should include problem-based terms, solution-focused queries, and feature-specific search terms amongst others. 
4. Perfecting Prospecting: B2B clients have less time on their hands to find a brand. Meet them where they’re at by prospecting on professional sites like Linkedin, where you can easily see a prospect’s niche, needs, and network details. 

Compelling Content and Your B2B Campaigns

Compelling content is key to attracting interest, establishing authority, and generally facilitating sales. But, what digital content is most likely to propel a B2B brand? 

You know cat videos probably won’t serve your purpose (shocker, isn’t it?), but did you know that the following factors can propel B2B content? 

Don’t be Afraid to Play the Long Game

Snackable content like social media videos have their use in B2B marketing, but long-form content is increasingly coming out on top. 

Why? Because long-form pieces provide more overall value, and also secure industry authority. 

Downloadable ebooks and white papers are best as they give you a real run and jump at any niche topic a brand specialises in. 

Base it on Fact

General consumers might not be interested in facts and stats, but B2B buyers definitely are. 

By including these figures within your content, you can prove that you actually know what you’re talking about. You also ensure that buyers can see at a glance how seriously they should take that brand.

Infographics are perhaps the best example of using stats in a snackable format that all buyers can see. Equally, releasing papers based on your own research studies is sure to position a brand as an industry leader.

Tell Compelling Stories

B2B content might be long and fact-based, but that doesn’t mean it should send prospects to sleep. 

You still need to make sure you’re telling compelling stories, especially because a great character arc can encourage readers to place themselves at the heart of the tale. 

Adding peril and humour to even the longest ebooks can highlight the human stakes. The addition of case studies can then show how a B2B brand stands to swoop in and save the day.

Leveraging Data for Success

Does a successful B2B campaign exist without data analysis? 

It’s unlikely. 

Tallying the figures is key to ensuring the fact-based, provable success of your campaigns. B2B prospects love that stuff, and you should, too. 

There are three key ways that data can help to send digital marketing soaring, and they are – 

Discovering Prospects With Data Analysis

Data analysis fundamentally helps marketers to understand their audience better.

By analysing data from different marketing channels, it’s easier to understand everything from who’s interested in a product, to where that audience is coming from, and how they interact. 

Over time, this is the most reliable way to understand detailed buyer personas that make personalised targeting easier than ever. 

Maximising ROI With Analytics

If data is the raw ingredient, analytics are the cake any B2B marketer wants to make. 

By using data to identify trends and forecast demand, analytics turn facts into viable returns. It’s even possible to use these metrics to reduce unnecessary spending on B2B campaigns. 

All of this results in a very real benefit – maximised returns on investment (ROI). 

To enjoy that benefit, marketers simply need to make sure that they’re using the right, high-quality data points, and that they’re consistently analysing data both before and after a marketing drive. 

Proving Product Value With Data

So far we’ve spoken about the value of campaign-specific data, but these aren’t the only digits to consider during a marketing drive. 

Product-specific data can also play a huge role in determining prospective interest. 

That’s because business buyers are looking for hard, cold, company value. Data is the best way to prove it to them. 

Case studies are perhaps the most useful way to showcase this because they clearly outline a problem, solution, and data-driven outcome. 

That ensures clients can also see what a product has to offer, along with the facts to back it up. 

Staying Ahead of the Competition

Knowing the secrets of business-to-business digital marketing is one thing, but remember that every competitor within each B2B niche is likely armed with the same facts. So, how can a brand stay ahead?

This is far from an impossible goal. You simply need to ensure a competitive edge by: 

• Building industry authority: You’re probably sick of hearing about industry authority by now, but it’s worth repeating. By proving expertise across content like white papers, it’s easier to differentiate a brand’s knowledge set, and thus their products. 
• Embracing innovation: This article might outline the basics of B2B digital marketing, but there’s still plenty of room for unique, eye-catching innovations like niche-specific collaborations and in-house research. 
• Monitoring your competitors: The more you understand what a product’s competitors are doing, the better able you’ll be to counteract using effective marketing techniques. Ensure this is the case with regular competitor audits. 

How to Become B2B Best Friends (The Secret to Building Strong Partnerships)

Once you’ve attracted a buyer’s attention, you’re going to want to use digital marketing to build the strongest partnership possible. This is the only way to secure a long-term arrangement that guarantees a sizable ROI. 

But, what exactly are B2B buyers looking for from a best brand friend? The primary secrets to building strong B2B partnerships include: 

1. Compatibility: A strong B2B partnership should be based on the compatibility of a company and product. This requires in-depth research, and segmented, niche-specific personalised messaging. 
2. Trust: B2B partners need to know they can trust a brand. This begins with data-based digital marketing and extends to reliable communications, consistent branding, and transparent pricing. 
3. Clear objectives: Time is of the essence in B2B partnerships that should always be built on clear objectives. Take the time to understand a buyer’s pain points well in advance of your marketing drive, and return to them throughout the buyer journey. 
4. Value: Value is key to B2B buyers, and should include value-driven pricing, and the provable value a product can ultimately provide. Build strong partnerships by using data, transparency, and case studies throughout digital marketing drives and beyond. 
5. Clear communication: Clear communication can cement B2B partnerships, and should be evident from the beginning of a marketing campaign. Using multiple platforms, ensuring fast query replies, and sending regular email communications is vital. 

Do you think you have what it takes to unlock success in business-to-business digital marketing? If the answer’s yes, then it’s time to get started!