B2B purchasers are the fish technology providers are trying to hook with their lead generation initiatives. A 2015 report found B2B buyers rely more on content to research and make purchasing decisions today and turn first to general web research before going to vendor web sites.
Nevertheless, while the DemandGen findings are informative, B2B technology providers are left wanting to know how to cast a wider lead generation net more effectively. Ironpaper provides these six tips to better bait the B2B buyer.
Determine your value proposition.
In the B2B arena, as in B2C marketing, a value proposition should be the foundation to all marketing and sales efforts. A strong value proposition describes your technology offering, why your solution is best in the B2B market, and how you will deliver on your promise. This singular, concise statement quickly captures your unique value for the buyer. It's the backbone of all your technology marketing campaigns.
Define your marketing goals.
The MarketingCharts.com graphic identifies increased lead generation as the top goal among the 239 marketers surveyed (61%). Improved lead nurturing and increased sales revenue were also priorities. You must also determine a marketing goal and communicate this will all relevant stakeholders in advance to successfully implement a marketing strategy.
Establish your metrics.
Having decided on, and communicated marketing goals, the B2B technology provider should next put the right measurement and analytics system in place. Marketing automation can prove very helpful in more easily tracking what is working by diving deeper into report findings about leads, conversion rates, inbound sources, or campaigns.
Generate a content marketing strategy.
With a strong content marketing strategy, the technology provider is better able to build trust with potential buyers, drive more leads, and help convert leads to sales. Identify the themes your content will address, target audiences, and the process you will use, and make a content calendar or publishing schedule. Then stick to it and measure key performance indicators to be able to act and react on previous results to drive future success.
Fix your website.
According to Google, 89% of B2B researchers use the internet during the buying process. As such, your website can be your best sales tool as it gives a first impression of your brand. A website should support the content marketing plan and help achieve marketing goals. Two top considerations are mobile responsiveness and user experience. Hubspot studied what users look for in a website and while beauty counted, ease of navigation mattered most.
Align marketing and sales.
Bringing these two teams or departments together to develop common definitions, share goals and lead tracking methods can help improve customer retention, and net higher sales wins. Consider IDC’s finding that misalignment of marketing and sales translates into 10% or more lost revenue annually. Connecting marketing automation (marketing-focused tool) with a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) (sales-focused) can also enable more data-driven decisions to help both teams.
Ultimately lead generation is improved by shoring up the inbound marketing foundation. Audit the current value proposition, goals, metrics, strategy, website, and sales to marketing alignment to reduce barriers to success. Remove excuses that prevent execution and see your lead generation fishing lines start to pull more frequently.
Sources
Gerard, M. (March 8, 2016). Content Marketing Statistics: The Ultimate List. https://www.curata.com/blog/content-marketing-statistics-the-ultimate-list/
MarketingCharts.com, 2016.