Marketing for B2B, otherwise known as business-to-business, is a growing field in 2017. B2B is when a company sells products or services to another company. Businesses exchanging goods with one another is fairly common since even businesses need to buy inventory. Because so many brands recognize the value of B2B marketing, marketers are aiming to develop strategies geared toward these type of campaigns.
How Does B2B Marketing Work?
Previously, most people within the industry tended to think of B2B marketing as a boring type of campaigning that had to appeal to brands rather than people. However, this has changed in recent years, with marketers opting to add more creativity to B2B marketing. Entrepreneurs are beginning to see the value of B2B marketing in a whole new light. One example of a successful B2B campaign has been Adobe, the desktop publishing service that developed a powerful content marketing strategy in the digital age.
The Targeted Audience for B2B Marketing.
B2B has a huge market, even bigger than the consumer market. B2B marketing tends to aim at a more niche market since the buyers are often specialized professionals. B2B businesses tend to produce goods and services that are practical for a business environment but wouldn’t be bought by a consumer. For instance, your average consumer isn’t likely to buy equipment that crafts clothing, but a t-shirt company would. Some of the most common types of companies interested in B2B would be government agencies, construction firms, schools, hospitals and wholesale warehouses.
How is a B2B Plan Developed?
Agencies like the Long Beach B2B marketing agency, TLG Marketing, has created a customized marketing strategy that tailors to business-to-business efforts. While B2B has similar ideas with consumer marketing, it is executed differently. Because the market for B2B is more specialized, the marketing tends to be more quality oriented. B2B buyers pay less attention to the popularity or emotional persuasion of a marketing campaign. There is also more of an emphasis on cost effectiveness since buyers often operate under a company budget.
Generally, most B2B marketing strategies revolve around these four points:
- The quality of the product or service.
- The pricing that businesses prefer. Many buyers pay attention to the cost and potential value of the goods or services that they purchase.
- A straightforward, niche target audience. The great thing about a niche market is that the marketers can focus on a specific set of needs to fulfill.
- Promotional advertising. Brand promotion can range from online content, blog posts, websites, television ads, banners, trade shows and more.
Popular Trends in B2b Marketing.
1. Executive Branding
This kind of strategy involves the showcasing of the leaders behind the brand. In today’s digital age, customers want to know who they are buying from. If a brand’s executive has an excellent reputation, this could do a lot to establish trust with the buyers.
2. Visual Content Marketing
This is one arena that the Long Beach B2B marketing agency, TLG, pays a lot of attention to. Online video content is immensely popular, especially on video sharing giants like Youtube. Businesses should absolutely take advantage of this type of content as a way of spreading brand awareness.
3. Social Media Marketing
The popularity of social media has exploded over the past decade. Businesses have used these sites as opportunities to engage in online conversations with potential customers. This goes for B2B marketers as well. Engaging with customers through social media can foster trust and clarity.
4. Mobile Marketing
By now, mobile usage has surpassed desktop usage. Marketers and webmeisters have readjusted to the shift, creating websites and content that can be easily viewed on a mobile device. B2B marketers, likewise, will cater their strategies around developing mobile-friendly sites.
5. An Appeal to Emotion
The landscape of B2B marketing is changing into a more personal one, as marketers are realizing that buyers are people too. An appeal of emotion can be made to buyers of the B2B market too. The trick may be to learn how to appeal to buyers beyond a professional level.
The Value of B2B Marketing
Like most forms of marketing, business-to-business will likely continue to evolve in its trends and innovations. In today’s digital world, marketers will have to continue to adapt to the ever-changing B2B market.