Creative B2B digital marketing strategies for today’s business
Meta: Would you like to add some creative flair to your B2B digital marketing strategies? We have some ideas for you.
Most of us can hardly associate the B2B space with creativity. Naturally. Since most B2B communication revolves around complex solutions that are explained at length using mostly boring business jargon.
Well, B2B marketers are now borrowing a leaf from their B2C counterparts. They have recognized that buyers respond better to education that's accompanied by meaningful entertainment.
How can you put your business out there without boring audiences?
We explore five creative B2B digital marketing strategies that B2B sellers can use.
Podcasting
A LinkedIn survey conducted on 2700 members revealed that 44 percent of business owners, C-suite teams, and other top business executives listen to podcasts. They tune into their favorite podcasts during long flights or commutes, while at the gym, or during other free time to learn about their industry. If you want to capture their attention, put together creative, insightful, and original podcasts.
Here are top considerations:
- Define your "why." Why should people tune in? Would you like audiences to gather perspective, or are you hosting the podcast to share tactical and actionable insights? When you define your “why,” you can target the right listeners.
- Be different. Test your content ideas on audiences before creating podcasts to gauge reception and interest. If your audience like them, you can delve deeper and build podcasts around them.
- Don't do it alone. It’s easy to dominate the show to share your expertise, but you may soon bore your listeners. Keep things interesting by bringing in diverse guests within your industry to share their insights and experiences with listeners.
- Keep it brief. Your listeners are loaded with tasks, activities, and information from other sources. Craft your script and conversations to impart nuggets of gold in the shortest time possible. We're talking 20-30 minutes.
Infographics
Infographics relay information in digestible formats through visual elements like illustrations, graphics, and minimal text. Their goal is to pass on information without boring the readers.
Here are a number of infographic formats you can use:
- Timeline infographics. These allow you to plot the story - milestones and all - visually and chronologically. In a way that doesn't overwhelm readers.
- Informational infographics. An awesome option for explaining concepts or sharing overviews of a subject. They feature multiple sections that combine illustrations with text to convey the message.
- Statistical infographics. We know B2B buyers are interested in numbers, right? This format relies on charts and graphs to present numbers appealingly and without intimidating your readers.
- Process infographics. Marketers use these infographics to explain processes. Design elements like arrows and color-coding help audiences transition from one step to another.
Cold Calling
Today's buyers have a ton of tools at their disposal for conducting searches. B2B vendors haven't been left behind either. Today's sales prospecting tactics rely on search intent tools and other marketing intelligence to determine buyer propensity. It’s a great way for cold calling teams to keep from shooting arrows in the dark and boost brand visibility.
Best practices include:
- Use data. Knowing when businesses in your target industry are in the market allows you to present your solutions the moment they are needed. Data (in-house and third-party) about their searches can reveal motivations and challenges so you can put together fitting solutions.
- Personalize your script. Buyers are tired of script-reading salespeople who don't do any homework to make the conversations valuable. Scrap the generic script for one that’s been customized for the prospect.
- Let each call lead you closer to your goal. It’s easy to go through a list of 100 numbers, but did you learn anything from those calls that will help your next interaction?
- Watch your metrics. A cold calling ROI calculator can provide insights into metrics like cold calling conversion rates, conversation-to-meeting rates, and won contract value per month. It allows you to see whether your team is on track.
Interactive Content
Far from the normal content that people consume passively, interactive content needs their input to produce outcomes. As people enter information, it works to both engage audiences and share insights into their preferences, interests, and challenges.
Here are examples of interactive content you can incorporate:
- Polls and surveys. These are useful for gathering information. You can obtain consumer feedback on your content or solutions, learn purchasing preferences (item categories, pricing, etc.) and consumer demographics.
- Interactive calculators. These solve specific problems based on data entered, which makes them useful for consumers in the consideration stage. The calculators may offer users insights into expected ROI or savings to help them arrive at purchase decisions quicker.
- Interactive assessments. This format is highly appreciated by buyers at all stages. Users answer a set of questions on a particular topic and in return receive valuable insights. Creators can obtain plenty of information about their audiences' knowledge levels and needs.
- Interactive email. There is no reason your email marketing should be lengthy or boring. Embedding videos, charts, games, or polls can give you an edge over the competition and lead to even better open rates.
Influencer Marketing
Previously considered “only useful in B2C” influencer marketing is making huge strides in the B2B world. Brands are turning to employees, customers, and industry experts with engaged followers to reach highly targeted marketed segments. These campaigns may comprise posting images of the influencer using your solutions or having them do a series of blogs/vlogs detailing their experiences with you. Either way, the point will be to gain visibility in ways that build trust with their audience so they can consider buying from you.
How will you measure ROI?
You'll need to come up with goals such as increasing awareness and managing brand reputation, reaching new audiences, and higher revenues. These can be measured using metrics like clicks, conversions, and sales. A good practice would be to find an influencer whose goals are similar to yours. Say, you want to improve sales over a certain period, an influencer with a similar goal for their business will make a great choice.
Where can you find influencers?
Outside of your employees and customers, there are multiple influencer marketing platforms you can check out, including Fourstarzz Media, Heepsy, and The Room. These platforms help you set up campaigns with branded content in addition to streamlining influencer management. Do your homework to ensure the influencer you're eyeing is genuine and has real followers.
