B2B Myth of the Week: Customer-Centric Marketing Only Benefits B2Cs
by MGB2B
Myth: Customer-centric marketing is only for B2Cs
Fact: Customer-centric marketing is pivotal for B2Bs
Focusing on customer needs and wants—be they physical or emotional—has been the foundation of B2C marketing for years. This may not be the first strategy that comes to mind for B2B marketers, but turns out, they could learn a thing or two from their B2C counterparts. Why? B2B buyers are savvier than ever. B2B brands can no longer just claim the best product or service and expect sales. They need to make a stronger connection to their audience.
Enter customer-centric marketing. This technique prioritizes customers over any other factor using a blend of common sense and solid user data. That means focusing on customers pain points at every stage of the buyer journey. Remember, multiple factors impact your buyers’ decisions, and they’re not all directly product-related. Want to learn how to sharpen your customer-centric marketing arsenal and stand out for from your competitors? Read on.
1. Do your research
With knowledge comes understanding. While great marketing often includes a heaping portion of intuition, effective customer-centric marketing requires research. You’ll need solid data to fully understand not only your customers and their needs and wants, but also how they currently perceive your brand. Conduct surveys with your own database or bring in a third party to help give a neutral perspective of both your current and prospective customers. Once you’re armed with this data, you can…
2. Give a great experience
Now that you know your audience, you can craft buyer personas that help bring your marketing efforts to life. This will help pinpoint content marketing tactics that answer customer questions, provide useful information, and position you as a trusted authority in your field. You can also use this information to help personalize your marketing, delivering the right message to the right person at the right time. (i.e., You don’t need someone to see an email for a product they’ve already purchased—they need to see the next one that compliments it, and feel as though you know them).
While we’re on the topic of experience, let’s talk about your website. Is it clean and easy to use with enticing visuals, smooth eye flow, and purposeful copy? Or is it a jumble of products and descriptions? Is it optimized for mobile or do your users have to pinch their smartphone screens to navigate their way around? The answers to these questions could be the difference in a user that stays—and one that clicks away.
3. Don’t be annoying.
This may seem obvious, but everyone needs the reminder. Sales teams want and need leads to acquire new business. This single-minded focus can sometimes drive marketing tactics that no one likes. (Have you ever answered a robocall you actually wanted?) Overselling, blowing up customer inboxes, and posting too frequently can have the opposite effect—especially if the ad is a bad one. People feel overwhelmed, interrupted, and downright stalked by marketing. The good news is, they don’t seem to mind marketing that’s done well. With a deft sense of timing and the right creative, your marketing can drive the results you’re looking for.
In the end, it’s about keeping the customer in mind.
Think about the brand experiences you’ve had that either prompted purchase, or better yet, made you an advocate. We’re willing to bet it wasn’t through a hard or slimy sales technique. It’s because that brand made you feel good—either by solving a problem, making your life easier, or simply being something aspirational. This is the mindset B2Bs can emulate from their B2C counterparts. Connect with your customers and provide them real value, and you’ll be converting the leads that count.
Need help getting your customer-centric marketing strategy on point? Give us a call.
Tags: b2b, B2B marketing, B2B marketing strategy, B2B marketing tips, marketing strategy