Inbound Marketing Strategies: The B2B market has long been known for using more traditional sales methods to reach customers.
With the advancement of social networks and digital marketing, organizations have evolved their techniques. They realized that applying Inbound Marketing strategies to B2B companies could generate much greater demand – and much lower cost.
That’s because Inbound Marketing allows you to develop ways to attract consumers. By gaining their trust, it is possible to launch an offer finally. This avoids the discouragement most people feel when they see a traditional ad. In addition, it positions your organization as a reference that deserves to be monitored.
Where to start creating the best Inbound Marketing strategies for B2B companies? Rest assured! This article will give you important tips for structuring content marketing that works for your business. Keep reading!
Differences Between B2B And B2C
Before explaining the main Inbound Marketing strategies for B2B companies, it is important to understand what B2B and B2C businesses are.
- B2B, from the English “business to business,”: means business for business. It is the business model where a company sells its product or solution to another company.
- B2C, “business to consumer”: in plain English, business to consumers. In this case, companies sell directly to the final consumer. Here, they create product-focused content. The objective is to awaken attention and the desire to purchase through the product/service itself.
The sales process in the B2B market is considered to be much more complex than in the B2C. Despite the very well-defined stages, the sales cycle is long. Many more people are involved in the process, and companies are much more discerning than the final consumer. Furthermore, the average ticket is also high.
Inbound Marketing For The B2B Market
Now you know how this market operates. So you need to understand how Inbound Marketing strategies work for B2B companies. One of the most important things in the sales funnel of B2B businesses is having qualified leads. They are the easiest audience to drive to close sales in the best possible way.
This is exactly the role of Inbound Marketing: creating content to attract qualified leads. That content needs to help your audience in some way, no doubt. But it should also contribute to getting to know your organization, generating authority and trust.
Focus On Customer Content
The keyword in Inbound Marketing is content. And, more than that, content that attracts. Develop a strategy that helps your customers to know, consider and choose your product as the best option. That is, create different materials for each phase your potential customer is in:
- Phase 1: here, the public still doesn’t know your company, product, or even your niche market. Therefore, it is the perfect time for content that teaches and brings new information. Use mainly blogs, social networks, and videos on YouTube, for example.
- Phase 2: Your audience already knows your product or service in this phase. Therefore, the content must help and guide the customers’ company(ies). Guides, templates, and structured assessments are good value content options to make available and consolidate your authority in the area.
- Phase 3: In the last phase, your customers are almost ready to buy your product or service. So focus on your business. Produce pieces that speak of the product, of the differentials. Bring success stories with other customers, and show why you are the best option!
Do you want to know a case where Inbound Marketing strategies for B2B companies were super successful? Check out the results of the strategy we created.
At the beginning of the partnership, in 2016, the Inbound Marketing strategy began to run with a focus on :
- production of content for the blog;
- rich downloadable materials;
- email marketing;
- automation flows;
- ads and sponsored posts on social media.
In other words: a complete sales funnel designed to attract personas, convert leads, and qualify them through the sales funnel.
However, even with a great audience, engagement, and conversion rates, there was still a challenge to be overcome: the main persona of On You (B2B) was great entrepreneurs or employees with C-Level positions. And these still converted little on the blog and social networks.
Also Read: Learn All About Digital Marketing So You Can Invest In It
