B2B digital marketing definitely takes a different form to B2C marketing on many levels. However, there are some fundamentals that are shared. The following tips are relevant in many ways to both B2C and B2B marketers.
So, how can companies create effective digital marketing strategies?
1. Talk to your clients
Find out the digital channels they tend to pay attention to, what do they enjoy and what don’t they enjoy? What would be useful to them?
2. Don’t rely on any one channel
Your website, blog, social media accounts, videos and forum memberships need to work together and link together – no channel should stand on its own. Bounce channels off one another to create a complete and consistent online presence.
A website on its own isn’t enough, but by adding to your digital marketing strategy each channel will support another. For example, social networking can be great for SEO.
3. Join communities, and create your own
By participating in forums, commenting on blogs and making use of social networking sites, you are effectively becoming part of a conversation and part of a community. And, as your participation develops, you should find ways to create your own communities too: for example, by creating forum discussions or using hashtags on Twitter.
4. Don’t forget mobile
More and more consumers are browsing on the go – that means accessing websites and emails via their mobiles. It’s even been predicted that by 2014 mobile internet usage should be higher than desktop internet usage, if trends continue at a similar rate to the past five years.
If your website isn’t clear on your consumer’s phone, they’re not likely to stay there for long. And if emails aren’t visible or fall off the sides of the screen, again, it can seem like more hassle than it’s worth. Be sure to optimise your digital efforts for mobile too.
5. Talk to your clients (again)
As your digital marketing develops, speak to your clients to find out what they feel worked best for them – and then do more of it. If there’s anything that didn’t quite work, do less or none of it. Simple!
6. Always be relevant
Don’t spend time on channels where your audience aren’t operating or that they don’t respond to. Don’t spend time sharing content that isn’t of interest or relevance to your clients or your offering – however much you’ve enjoyed reading it!
These tips are our interpretation of results of a Softchoice report, which we came across via Social Media B2B.
Tips for B2B Digital Marketing
