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. (more…)
Continue ReadingB2B Thought Leadership Content Study Shows Impressive Results
by Emily Swet
The 2019 Edelman-LinkedIn B2B Thought Leadership Impact Study has been released, and here’s the key takeaway: thought leadership can be a veritable marketing goldmine. To make sure we’re all on the same page, thought leadership is trustworthy, authoritative content that taps into the talent and experience of your business. (For an example, check out our client Safety Products Group).
The study questioned over 1,200 business decision-makers on how they viewed thought leadership content. Turns out, thought leadership has a lot more influence on sales than marketers realize — and it’s growing. Take a look at the stats:
Thought leadership drives sales.
- 81% of decision-makers said thought leadership increased trust in vendor organizations.
- 60% of respondents said strong thought leadership led them directly to awarding business.
- 49% said thought leadership can command premium pricing.
- 47% of C-suite executives gave their contact info for thought leadership.
- 45% of respondents said thought leadership helps close deals.
But if poorly done, it drives risk.
Impressive, no doubt. But before you run to the nearest content mill, these stats offered a double-edged sword. Just as well-done content brought in impressive reactions, poorly executed pieces did just the opposite:
- 60% said they’d stop following a writer or organization if the content was poorly written.
- 46% said they decreased respect and admiration for such organizations.
- 29% said they’d decided not to award a piece of business on account of poor thought leadership.
Our two cents: you’d be remiss to shrug off thought leadership in your strategy. But if you can’t do it well, don’t do it without help.
Whether you’re in B2B sales or marketing, your goals are the same: bring in revenue. Thought leadership can be a heavy hitter in this capacity, but it’s not a job for the novice. Your content creators not only need to know your business inside and out but your verticals and audience as well. They’ll also need a solid content strategy in place. (If you don’t have one yet, this is a good place to start). If you want your thought leadership to have legs, it’s got to offer relevance, value, and trust. When you hit home with the right subscriber, they’ll share it with the decision-makers that count.
Continue ReadingFive Don’ts of B2B Email Marketing
by MGB2B
As a B2B marketer, maintaining a positive relationship is vital to your sales funnel. One of the best ways to do that is through B2B email marketing. It’s one of the most productive lead generation tools, but there are many ways to overstep your boundaries. When it comes to content, accessibility, and frequency, here are five things to keep in mind as you construct your next email campaign.
1. Sending Too Frequently
Many things are better in moderation, and marketing emails are no exception. We know what you’re thinking: we just told you that staying in touch with your customers is important. But flooding their inbox can have the opposite effect. Your customers receive hundreds of emails like yours, and it’s your job to ensure your email doesn’t get lost in the clutter. By sending emails less frequently, your customers will be less likely to feel badgered and opt out of future communications.
2. Lack of or Excess Personalization
There’s lots of talk of personalization these days, and with good reason. Consumers want to feel attended to and known. In fact, 82 percent of marketers reported an increase in open rates through email personalization, while 75 percent believe that personalization yields higher click-through rates. But keep in mind, this is more than simply a “Dear So & So.” It’s about knowing what your customers want. Sending them emails with products that match their previous interactions with you is one way to do it. But if you send them emails for products that don’t match their interest, or worse, products they’ve already purchased, your emails will become more white noise in their inbox.
This has to be done with a deft hand, however. Too much personalization can be a turn off in a creepy, big brother sort of way. It’s all about balance, folks. Fine tune your efforts so personalization is gradual, purposeful, and accurate.
3. Mobile-Unfriendly Layout
Though people still use their desktops, more and more people stay on top of their email from their phones. It’s important to make sure your content is optimized for all devices. If your images don’t load or your text is wonky, you can expect a swift delete.
4. Poorly Written Content
Customers are savvy. An elementary voice, grammatical errors, or poorly written content suggest your company shouldn’t be taken seriously. Furthermore, body copy that’s too wordy will be a turn off because no one has the time to read a tome.
5. Bad Subject Line
The subject line is the first written content your customer sees, and will define whether they open or delete it. Short, to the point, with just enough hook to pique their curiosity is the way to go. Otherwise, your email content will never be seen.
Considering that today’s marketers need to do more with less, email marketing gives us a whole lot of bang for our buck. And while other marketing trends come and go, email marketing remains a workhorse. To use it to its fullest potential, make sure you keep yours in line with the tips above.
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