We get many questions from B2B companies about our inbound marketing services. Unfortunately, a common misconception is that inbound marketing is only for companies that market directly to the consumer. This could not be further from the truth; Inbound is an incredible asset for both B2C and B2B markets. As a corporation that mainly sells to other businesses, you do have a few unique considerations—meaning your need for exceptional content and education is even more significant than it is for a B2C firm. According to HubSpot, B2B companies place a higher value with search engines on educational formats like blogging and webinars, whereas consumer businesses are slightly more willing to experiment with advanced digital formats like interactive content and online tools. Learn a bit more about how inbound marketing works for organizations like yours today.
Buyer Practices Are Changing
The salesperson is no longer in control of the sales process. In fact, according to a recent CEB study of more than 1,400 B2B customers, 57% of a purchase decision is now made before a client even thinks about talking to a supplier. Buyers are researching—and they are researching earlier in the buying process than ever before. When they research, you need to be there.
As a company working with other businesses, you cannot take chances with second-rate content. You must publish content that is useful, answers questions, and that will work well on search engines and social media too. Finding that happy balance is a challenge, but it can be done!
Educate As You Sell
Help customers find your company by educating. Become part of that early awareness. Educating potential customers builds a relationship. Then, when these potential customers are ready to buy, they are more likely to buy from a company with whom they have already developed a relationship. Expand your content beyond the basics—consider a blog, for starters. This is a very informal way to share industry-specific information with your potential customers.
Getting Started – Inbound for Your B2B Firm
Effective B2B lead generation strategies begin with drilling down into precisely the types of leads that are most likely to convert into paying customers. These are called buyer personas, and creating these are crucial. Once you have done this, you can filter out prospects based on your resources and goals, and narrow your focus. Casting a wide net may yield you some worthwhile leads, but you will also pull in a ton of junk leads, too. Once you know whom you are targeting, you will find it is much easier to begin publishing and working that inbound magic.
As you can see, inbound marketing can be an important part of your overall plan for success—even as a B2B organization. One thing you should remember is that you have an advantage over B2C companies. As a rule, B2B buyers are driven by REASON, rather than emotion. This means that remarkable content, that answers a prospect’s questions (at the right time) has a major impact for a B2B firms.
