In 2020, businesses around the world had to adapt and entirely convert their digital strategies, and 2021 is looking no different. Businesses are continuously adapting thanks to government lockdowns and mandates. It’s this environment that has set an adapt or die precedent.
If you haven’t been as focused on your digital strategies, now is the time. How are you using digital marketing, sales tools, and other tactics to increase demand and grow your business? Digital strategies are no longer a nice-to-have — they’re a necessity. Spending your marketing dollars on digital was once considered risky — but it’s riskier not to.
No matter how you choose to look at it, the global crisis was a wake-up call for businesses around the world.
B2B Digital Marketing Today – How to Succeed
If 2020 was any indication, you simply cannot afford to ignore your digital presence and remain in business. Paid advertising, search engine optimization (SEO), your website, and social channels all work cohesively for a strong digital presence. While you may already have these items in your arsenal, so much has changed in the world of business. What worked prior to the crisis — or even during the crisis — won’t work today. It’s necessary to revisit these tactics to strengthen your revenue marketing strategies. We recommend:
Redefining Your Target Audience
You likely defined your target audience when you first started your business, but a lot has changed in the world. The buyer personas you developed prior to 2020 don’t necessarily reflect today’s buyers.
It’s vital to reevaluate your buyers’ information, as this info informs nearly every marketing activity — which ensures your content and other materials are seen by the right people and you’ve wasted no resources.
Revamping (or Creating) Your Web Presence
No digital or “revenue marketing strategy” can function properly without an online presence, and this includes an effective website. Did you know that a third of small businesses in the United States don’t have a website? Or that 85% of shoppers visit websites prior to making a purchase? Factor in that the usual B2B transaction involves many key decision-makers, and not having a website where buyers can research you first is no longer sustainable. Your website needs to be more than a good looking digital flyer, it must act as an information portal and guidance for your prospects needs.
B2B Performance Marketing—Content Marketing Strategies
Your customers enjoy learning new things. What better way to showcase your value and guidance than with B2B content that’s educational and logical, and highlights your expertise?
Traditional B2B marketing strategies interrupt consumers’ day-to-day activities with advertisements — a good B2B content marketing strategy instead offers actionable advice and valuable information, which is exactly what your customers want and need to begin their own buyer’s journey. Not to mention, great content supports and works in conjunction with your overall SEO efforts. The greatest strategy anticipates what your audience will search for and then offers that in advance. It’s our job to guide them through leadership of our target audience.
An important thing to consider is that your content will work best when you align content with the three stages in the buyer journey: awareness, consideration, and decision. For instance, content that speaks to a buyer’s pain points is most effective in the buyer’s awareness phase. In the consideration phase, your content should be educational and distinguish your brand from your competitors. Finally, in the decision phase, your content should offer decision-making support and information.
Final Thoughts
The world has experienced a major disruption. It has altered how people function, both personally and professionally. There are many lessons to be learned, and the future is unpredictable. But there’s one constant — technology, digital marketing, and other strategies, regardless of industry, play a crucial role in your success moving forward. Businesses may have resisted digital transformation in the past, but it’s simply not feasible to ignore anymore. Embracing tech and adding enhanced digital marketing to your B2B marketing strategies adds value for your customers. It will help you continue to grow.
Scared to go it alone? Consider partnering with a growth marketing agency.
