Marketers are already in the thick of 2016, tackling fresh challenges that the year is bringing and trying – as ever – to stay one step ahead of the game.
This is harder than it sounds. Some big trends are currently reshaping the marketing industry, such as the rising importance of video, the increasing domination of mobile and new opportunities presented by wearables – and no one can predict where the introduction of virtual reality devices with take us next. Virtual attendees at your next trade show, anyone?
These factors are all changing the way B2B (business to business) marketers do their job. It may be a complex time, but it’s also an exciting one. The key question is – how can marketers ensure they are staying ahead in a rapidly changing world?
Let’s take a look at three tactics marketers can use to stay on top of their game.
More Relevant, Less White Noise
One thing is still certain: content is King. But as many commentators point out, context is also Queen. Creating great content is still one of the best ways to build effective relationships with your targets. But there is no point publishing incredible content if it isn’t relevant, isn’t being seen by the right audience and, crucially, isn’t being seen at the right time.
Consumers are bombarded with messages throughout the day, but that doesn’t mean brands have to work overtime to get their attention. B2B buyers crave content that helps them do their job better, so a great place to start is by developing content that tackles the problems of the people you are trying to engage with your brand. To do this, it’s helpful to understand where in the buying process they are and what their needs are – all information that is available on social channels.
Traditional wisdom tells us that with the Internet and social networking tools at their fingertips, buyers are already quite far through the sales process before they engage directly with a brand or business. But a recent LinkedIn study found there is a misalignment between what marketers think B2B buyers want, and what they really find useful.
The bottom line is that variety is the spice of life, and buyers want everything from case studies to deep industry knowledge and thought leadership. So understand what’s useful to them at each stage through the funnel, and make sure you are serving it to them in an engaging, informative way.
Unleash Data’s Creative Potential
Clearly, technology and the data insights it can provide are valuable tools for today’s B2B marketers – and the more they grasp the opportunities presented by the application of this data, the more effective they will be. A data-driven approach to marketing will help uncover context, and allow marketers to segment and amplify content to more relevant targets.
It’s unlikely that anyone (marketers or their buyers) would want to go back to the dark old days of depersonalized, generic content. It makes for a more productive, richer, experience for both parties. But historically, there’s been a divide between the data-driven and creative aspects of marketing.
Some believe that the over-analysis of data leads to endless fine tuning instead of innovation. On the other side, marketers see data as being central to achieving results and the creative as purely decorative. If both come together, powerful things can be achieved. A data-driven approach can help B2B marketing be far more creative.
One example of the powerful combination of data and creativity is found – like a lot of great content – on Netflix. Their data showed that a large number of their subscribers enjoyed the films of David Fincher, and also the films with Kevin Spacey. They also saw that the original British TV series House of Cards was surprisingly popular. With this data in mind, they commissioned an American version of House of Cards, directed by Fincher and starring Spacey. The result is one of its most popular shows.
Put simply, the kind of intelligence offered by social data insights helps fuel creativity and shape content that will land better with your audience. Creativity becomes only as good as the science behind it.
Data insights also democratizes the creative process. We know a good idea can come from anywhere. But too many great ones have been lost in red tape, ‘but what ifs’, or because they were dreamed up by someone outside of the marketing team. Today, data-driven marketing means the success or failure of any campaign can be measured clearly and objectively – and only the worst marketer is going to ignore the ideas that work.
Build Trust & Transparency
Open and transparent cultures are the hallmark of modern business: the kind that shares its financial data with all its employees and takes a collaborate approach to setting the business strategy.
This doesn’t necessarily mean B2B marketers must fling open the doors of the department and invite everyone in the business to comment, but it’s worth embracing this open, democratic mindset – especially when budgets remain under close scrutiny.
Trust and transparency become even more crucial as the industry deals with the ad blocking phenomenon, which continues to gain momentum. The publishers that are the most vulnerable to this trend are those that have commodity content; that which lacks a distinctive voice and are supported by low quality, contextually irrelevant ads. Marketers who put the customer front and centre of their content marketing strategy will find themselves less at risk – and this requires collaboration with the wider business.
In addition, the relationship between an organization and its customers today is a ‘many to many’ one, rather than the old ‘one to one’. It’s not just marketers telling the story of the business and its products and services anymore – everyone in the business has a role in this.
This is especially true on social channels such as LinkedIn, where customers and industry peers live, talk, and make buying decisions, and where a rich stream of feedback on your products and services is found. This is an ideal place for brands, but one that requires the participation of the wider business to be a success, combined an open and transparent approach to make it authentic.
2016 is set to be an exciting year – and there will no doubt be developments that even the most innovative marketers in the field can’t predict. But if B2B marketers can continue to make intelligent use of data, remain relevant to their customers and foster a transparent and collaborative culture, they are sure to withstand whatever fresh challenges come their way.
