A brand can only be successful these days if it has fans instead of customers. Brand loyalty is no longer a question of the business model. B2B companies benefit from being inspired by B2C strategies and channels.
Courageous companies are again relying on tried-and-tested means such as audio branding and print marketing to establish corresponding proximity to their fans and cleverly link them with voice commerce and live stream events. With all the options, the challenge is not to overwhelm the users. Successful brands are brands that can be experienced – with all the senses.
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Digital Strategies For B2B Companies
Especially with supposedly unspectacular B2B products such as screws, mobile scaffolding, or production systems, B2B trade can learn a lot from the B2C cosmos. The keyword is emotionalization. Both analog and digital. Because the same rules apply to all companies, especially in the digital space; here, everyone has to submit to the appropriate algorithms and, at the same time, ensure traffic to their online shops.
In 2021, for example, the biopharmaceutical group Sartorius relied on a solid emotionalization of its B2B advertising campaign. To boost sales of its pipettes, the company used an unusual key visual: a cramped hand. The accompanying text: »Ergonomic pipettes. Listen to your hand.« The corresponding call-to-action: »Order your free test pipette now.« This tonality, geared to the users’ needs, led to greater attention and, ultimately, more vigorous sales development.
Overall, some digital strategies are less established in B2B than B2C. Three particularly effective ones are mentioned here:
Digital Strategies: Personalization, Visibility, Infrastructure
Digital Personalization
Businesses need to understand their customers. For this reason, it makes sense to conduct a customer analysis before developing an effective marketing strategy. In the B2C area, personas are standard for many companies. They are designed concerning the needs and mentalities of customers.
If B2B companies know the people behind the business customer accounts, they too can use tailor-made offers in the form of advertising and sales campaigns. Only then can B2B companies reach the right people with their marketing efforts.
Employees in different roles are often involved in purchasing decision-making, such as buyers, technicians, lawyers, and managing directors. The question is always: Who is the contact person, and what information does he need? Service content or sober price display?
Digital Visibility
Both B2C and B2B companies are dependent on online customer acquisition, for example, through a search-engine-optimised online presence with background information and an integrated contact function.
In contrast to B2C trade, however, more time has to be invested in grouping search terms for Google Ads in digital marketing for B2B since the search queries are usually more specific. In addition, keywords with a lower search volume must also be considered in B2B since medium-sized companies rarely get past the big players in the industry. However, the mechanisms behind it are the same as in B2C.
Digital Infrastructure
B2B companies not only have to continue to automate their e-commerce processes, but they should also build a good infrastructure on social networks: an authentic appearance, community management, or thought leadership on B2B channels such as LinkedIn or XING can make a big difference. This is precisely where the right target companies and contacts can be reached with ads and appealing postings.
Products and services must be presented in the same inspiring and emotional way as users from B2C are used to. This creates closeness and transparency.
“Fans instead of customers” is the motto for building an online community, especially in B2B.
The construction machinery manufacturer Caterpillar/CAT, which has already been mentioned in connection with its innovative machine maintenance strategy, now generates a significant part of its sales by selling merchandise such as key rings or toy excavators.
The community pays to represent the brand on their own accord. CAT has climbed the B2B community management Olympus: Construction machines are turned into products that arouse emotions.
Companies have to ask themselves how they can convert the inspiration from B2C campaigns to their own business – the essential requirement for this: They know their target group or make investments to get to know them.
