B2B Monday Myth: B2B Buyers Don’t Read Reviews
by MGB2B
The Myth: B2B buyers don’t read product reviews.
The Truth: Reviews are an important part of the B2B buying process.
Whether choosing between restaurants or the right brand of jeans to buy, you have probably consulted a review site at some point before making a purchase decision. As a buyer of consumer products and services, there are plenty of review sites at your disposal. The same is true for B2B buyers. The use of review sites during the B2B purchase process is on the rise. When evaluating a list of vendors, 55% of buyers said that B2B product reviews are critical to their final decision. The same study reported that B2B buyers are increasingly relying on feedback from their peers and colleagues when making purchase decisions. In fact, the percentage of B2B buyers who identified peers and colleagues important resources more than doubled from last year. How can you make these trends work for your company?
Here are 3 ways to earn more B2B product reviews, and make them work for you:
- Make the review process easy. Coming out of a positive buying experience, most customers would be happy to provide a good review of your product(s) and company. But if they can’t figure out where to post a review, or if your own built-in review portal is not user friendly, you could lose out on valuable insights that could lead to more sales. Toward the end of the purchase process, let your customers know where they can review their experiences, whether it’s on an outside platform like VendOp or on your own site.
- Respond to reviews right away. Whether positive or negative, reviews deserve acknowledgement. Responding to B2B product reviews within a day of when they are posted is a good way to not only preserve (or mend) customer relationships, but it can also create good experiences that your buyers can share with peers and colleagues. Plus, if your comments are published publicly, others may be encouraged to provide feedback, knowing that you are listening.
- Highlight reviews on your website. Your customers and prospects are actively looking for reviews as they evaluate possible vendors. Make your reviews easy to find by adding them to your website, and refreshing them when possible. In essence, these are mini-case studies that can both help your prospects with the decision making process and recognize your customers.
For more tips on making B2B reviews work for you, check out this post. Happy Monday!
Continue ReadingB2B Monday Myth: Social Media Does Not Generate Quality Leads
by MGB2B
The Myth: Social media does not generate quality B2B leads.
The Truth: B2B companies are finding (and converting) leads on social.
Contrary to popular belief, social media is not limited to social interaction alone. It serves as a useful marketing tool for managing and enhancing lead acquisition. B2B businesses can use social media platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, and even Facebook to interact with potential customers and generate leads. And once B2B leads have been acquired on social media, they are 13% more likely to convert than leads found by other tactics. In order to generate B2B leads on social media, follow these three tips:
- Create compelling content. Keeping your audience engaged (and growing) is crucial to generating new leads. Create and curate content for your social media channels that your audience will find useful, interesting, and/or entertaining. Running low on content ideas? Here are 5 simple ways to make your content more effective on social.
- Track what content is the most effective. While keeping a steady stream of content flowing on your social channels is important, simply publishing without analyzing could lead you to repeat mistakes. Track what content is working by looking at clicks through to your website and interactions on each channel. If long-form articles are not generating much attention, consider adapting to a form that is easier to digest, like video content, and vice versa.
- Commit to social media and be reliable. If you are connecting with potential leads one day, you cannot abandon the effort the next day. The worst thing a B2B marketer can do is go radio silent on social media. Effective social media use requires commitment and constant diligence. Make sure you respond to leads in a timely manner and post new content regularly.
With these tips in mind, you can launch into your week focused on generating new, quality leads on social media. Good luck, and Happy Monday!
Continue ReadingB2B Monday Myth: Your Marketing Should Target Boomers and Gen Xers
by MGB2B
The Myth: B2B Marketing to Millenials doesn’t work. Brands Should Only Target Baby Boomers and Generation X
The Truth: Millennials Are Making B2B Decisions
It’s no surprise that millennials, those of us born between 1977 and 1995, are influencing many of the trends in B2B marketing. Yet many B2B marketers still believe that this generation is not responsible for making any B2B purchasing decisions. If your company is concentrating marketing efforts solely on Boomers and Gen Xers, you may be surprised to learn these 3 facts about B2B marketing to millennials:
3 Surprising Facts About B2B Marketing to Millennials
- 46% of B2B researchers today are under 35. According to a 2015 Think With Google report, millennials are playing increasingly important roles in researching purchases and making buying decisions for their companies. If you’re not taking millennials into consideration in your content and media choices, you could be losing more sales than you realize.
- Your website is the second most important part of vendor research. After search engines, a B2B vendor’s website is the most important part of the research process in the eyes of millennials. And as a generation that was raised online, millennials are going to expect more from your website than, well, just a website. It needs to be mobile friendly. After all, 42% of B2B research is being done on a mobile device.
- Millennials value case studies and white papers. When nearly 1,500 millennials involved in B2B buying decisions were asked which content format was most important when researching a purchase, video unsurprisingly came out on top at 29%. What was surprising, however, were the next two choices: case studies (19%) and white papers (16%). The common misconception that millennials aren’t interested in long-form B2B content is just that: a misconception. That being said, it is wise to return to your existing materials and give them a refresher with a younger audience in mind, in particular, making them easy to find on your website.
When it comes down to it, the motive of B2B marketing is to reach those who would be interested in what you have to offer. Why rule out a generation whose influence has steadily been growing in the industry? Good luck reaching this growing audience and Happy Monday!
Continue Reading