In our recent survey, we asked 50 companies that sell to other businesses (B2B) to rank their most effective form of marketing for return on investment.
The results closely match our experience (PHEW!).
So here’s what they said; together with OUR stance on why it works.
1. They Said…. In Person Events
We Say: This is a fantastic way to meet prospects as long as you are positive your target audience will be there. Otherwise it’s a costly waste of time. Data capture at these events has to the THE number 1 priority; not selling. It’s the follow-up that’s key.
2. They Said… Case Studies
We Say: Absolutely. Get them on your website, use them in pitches, and publish on social media. Showing your experience gives your prospects faith and trust in you.
3. They Said…. EBooks
We Say: Complete necessity; but not as a stand-alone. It needs to be something embedded into your website so that you can capture data in exchange for your document. Again, the data is key; as is the quality of what you are providing to them. Show you knowledge, experience and thought leadership in your industry.
4. They Said…Content Marketing
We Say: Don’t be without it. From white papers, reports, videos, to tip sheets and blogs. It needs to be 100% useful for your target audience so that you continually build that all-important relationship that will lead to a sale.
5. They Said…Email Marketing
We Say: This is a core component to any communications plan in the B2B world! This should be used for sharing content, providing offers, giving fundamental market information and to generally stay in touch. The crucial part here is the building and segmentation of your data; above and beyond everything else. By creating meaningful pools of data you can talk to your prospects in a much more personal way; and that’s so important.
So there’s your top 5 tactics to start implementing.
BUT, here’s the thing….
The average number of tactics used to get a sale is around 9.
One tactic in isolation limits your exposure and ability to build relationships that will create a sale.
So how many interactions do you create, before you give up?
No matter what tactics you are using; these 5 or another 5, this point provides the most prevailing message of all:
INTEGRATION: It’s the exposure of your ideal customer to a mix of these tactics that will yield the best results.
If there’s one of these that you haven’t yet got covered, it’s time to commit it to your marketing plan!
Victoria
