When it comes to B2B marketing, it’s more than just trying to use emotions to convince your audience to buy. In B2B marketing, research holds a lot of power. You’re not just listing pain points, you’re tabling pain points, strategies, ROI and processes. This is one of the major differences between B2B and B2C marketing.
Here, logic is as important and necessary as emotions.
Therefore, in this blog post, we’re going to look into what B2B marketing is and what strategies you can use as a Nigerian business owner to make the most out of your marketing business.
What is B2B marketing?
B2B marketing (business-to-business marketing) is any marketing strategy where a business promotes products or services to another business.
In B2B, your customer is the company you’re selling to. This marketing type differs a lot from B2C marketing (business-to-consumer marketing ) where the targeted audience are individuals just like you and I.
Difference between B2B and B2C marketing
There are a lot of differences between these marketing types. And just like we stated in the introduction, this is quite understandable.
When it comes to B2B marketing, your target audience includes businesses, organizations and corporations. The decision making involves more than one individual who can range from entry level individuals to c-suite executives.
While B2C marketing focuses on individuals who are looking for products or services to meet their personal needs. The buying decision is usually dependent on the individual who needs the product.
B2B marketing focuses on long sales cycle. This typically involves negotiations, contracts and relationship building.
B2C marketing tends to deal with shorter sales cycle. It is usually a quick transaction that involves little negotiation and zero contracts.
For instance, the last time you bought a cloth or a perfume from a retail shop or even from a digital store—that’s B2C marketing.
B2B’s marketing style is mostly professional, deals with a lot of data and industry specific content.
B2C content is usually engaging, fun and speaks mostly to the audience’s emotions.
Effective B2B marketing strategies
When it comes to B2B marketing, there are a few strategies to put in place in order to make the most out of your marketing campaign.
#1 Know who your customers are
Unlike B2C marketing with a wider range of audience, B2B marketing focuses on a specific industry to market its products or services.
In B2B marketing, there is need to know exactly the kind of business you’re trying to target.
Through market research, you can understand your customers better.
Additionally, you can create a detailed buyer persona highlighting your target audience’s pain points, desires and where they mostly hang out in the digital space.
This is the first step in creating a B2B strategy as every other thing depends on how well you know your potential customers.
#2 Content marketing
Create targeted and solution based content highlighting the pain points of your potential customers and how your business stands as the bridge between their current pain point and the solution they’re hoping to achieve.
In B2B marketing, your customers need valuable insights before making decisions. A content marketing strategy makes it easier to put out content that showcases expertise.
#3 Use LinkedIn as your B2B platform
LinkedIn is a social media platform housing so many professionals. Unlike other social media platforms, this platform was built for professionals who are looking to connect, educate and inspire each other.
With LinkedIn, you can make the most out of your B2B marketing efforts.
LinkedIn offers you the ability to not just connect with Nigerian professionals, but other professionals around the globe who might fall within your target market.
To make the most out of LinkedIn:
—Optimize your LinkedIn profile: Make sure your profile clearly states what your business offers and how it solves problems.
—Share valuable content: Post insights, industry trend and success stories to show your expertise.
—Use LinkedIn Ads: you can run ads targeting businesses that may need your services.
#4 Utilize SEO in your B2B marketing efforts
Many Nigerian businesses search for solutions on Google. As a B2B marketer, there is a need to take your website serious.
Optimize your website using SEO best practices to stay visible to website visitors.
When you adhere to SEO best practices such as on-page and off-page optimization, your website can become visible to business owners who can eventually turn to buyers.
Read up on how to optimize your website for on-page SEO here.
#5 Use email marketing for lead nurturing
B2B sales don’t happen instantly. Many businesses need time to consider their options before making a decision.
To nurture your leads;
—Send regular targeted emails to your potential clients in order to stay top of mind.
—Create e-books, guides or tutorials that will help them in their business. In B2B, there is a need to build trust and relationship with your customers.
—Offer free consultations or demo sessions to showcase value.
Sending out targeted, valuable and relevant emails can help transform your potential customers to buyers.
#6 Encourage user-generated content and reviews
Positive reviews, especially the ones created by your customer is one of the best and fastest ways to convert potential customers to customers.
These business owners want to make sure you can be trusted, you need to show them that you can be trusted.
Utilize these positive reviews on your social media, website and email newsletters. When potential customers come across positive reviews and recommendations about your product or service, it sparks curiosity which in turn leads to sales.
Additionally, encourage satisfied clients to refer other businesses to you. If a company or a business hears about your services from a trusted business partner they are more likely to work with you.
#7 Invest in paid advertising
While organic marketing is very important and great, paid ads help you reach the right audience faster. Platforms like LinkedIn ads, google ads and Facebook ads allows you to target businesses based on their industry, job titles and location.
#8 Use data and analytics to improve marketing efforts
Many B2B marketers waste money on marketing business. This is mostly because they don’t track their results. By analyzing data, you can identify what’s working and what’s not and adjust your strategy accordingly.
Conclusion
B2B marketing in Nigeria is not just about selling, it’s about building trust and forming long-term business relationships.
Implement the simple strategies listed in this article to improve your B2B marketing efforts. From understanding who your customers are to analyzing what works, you can stay ahead of the evolving marketing world.
Is your business leveraging the right B2B marketing strategies?
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