B2B Marketing Channels: How To Choose Worthwhile Marketing To Attract Quality Clients
When it comes to growing a business, there are so many B2B marketing channels that choosing a worthwhile place to focus on can be frustrating.
Any marketing channel you choose will take time to see results. Spending thousands of dollars or months on a marketing initiative that never gets momentum or leads to more customers is also possible.
This post covers critical aspects of B2B marketing and the pros and cons of different marketing channels. While each situation and business is different, this can be a starting point in figuring out what may be worth exploring to grow your business.
What Makes B2B Marketing Different
Business-to-business (B2B) marketing differs from business-to-consumer (B2C) marketing in a few ways. While the marketing channels can often be the same (for example, B2B and B2C companies can use SEO to get results), there are key differences.
When evaluating what B2B marketing channels to pursue, consider the unique aspects below.
Relationship building. Relationship-building rules B2B marketing for many reasons. By building a relationship with a potential buyer, you can become their go-to (even if they leave their current company, for example). Money spent on a B2B purchase will typically be higher. Thus it requires more trust-building with prospects.
Decision making. Unlike B2C marketing, where the end consumer is the buyer, in B2B, you need to be conscious of the different stakeholders involved. The person interested in your solution may not be the end user. They might not be the decision maker. So, your marketing, messaging, and sales process may need to adjust to accommodate many people.
Buying cycles. How long does it take the organization to go from realizing a gap, considering how to address it to vetting options, and making a final decision? Think about how your ideal client makes decisions and what you can provide to educate them throughout the process. Knowing this will help you tailor your marketing and sales strategy. You can use this information to determine what type of content may be helpful to your target audience. For example, do you have content that helps your buyers become aware of the problem you can help them solve? Do you have content showcasing why your solution is the best one?
Budget allocation. How are budgets typically allocated, and when? Organizations of all sizes have processes in place for budgeting. Approaching them with a solution when the budget's gone isn't optimal. Be sure you understand when it's most helpful and convenient for the company to buy. Is there already a line item for the solution you provide? Or will you need to educate stakeholders about why they should carve out more money for your services?
Successful marketing includes breaking through the noise to reach your target audience. A B2B marketing plan must also take into account each of the above.
How To Get Started With B2B Marketing
Step back before you start vetting which marketing channels make sense for your B2B campaign. You'll want specific plans and assets before you pour resources into marketing. Otherwise, you'll likely waste both time and money.
Below are vital aspects of powerful marketing to define before implementing a campaign.
Brand Strategy: When you show up on marketing channels, you are marketing your brand. A weak brand strategy means your marketing won't work. Or, at best, it will be far less effective. Many issues can arise, including targeting the wrong audience and confusing messaging. Once you've documented your brand strategy and evaluated it across your marketing channels, you're ready for marketing.
Marketing Strategy: You cannot build a well-run marketing campaign without a marketing strategy. What is your high-level goal? How do you plan to accomplish it? What process do you need in place to support your marketing? Think through critical strategic questions before you worry about which channel to prioritize.
Ideal customer: As part of your brand and marketing strategy, outline who your customer is and the problem your business solves. Document the journey they'll take from being unaware of your offering to becoming ready to buy.
Who are you talking to (your ideal client), and what do you know about them?
Where do they do their research?
Where and when are they willing to hear about solutions? They may be on Instagram but may not want to hear about your business while scrolling.
Messaging: Messaging must be considered as part of your overall strategy. While your message will change based on the marketing channel, the campaign, and the timing, be clear about what you're saying. Whenever you can, use ideal customer verbatims. How do they describe what they need? What's most important to them as it relates to your solution? Two excellent tools for this are customer interviews and online portals.
Once the foundational work is complete, exploring channels is appropriate. Hopefully, it's clear why you shouldn't go right to "what channel should I use?" That question is irrelevant without the overarching strategy and understanding of your ideal customer.
Several marketing channels could work based on what you're trying to do. How you use them will determine your marketing results.
Pros and Cons: Considerations When Evaluating B2B Marketing Channels
Each B2B channel has pros and cons. Below you'll find a few common examples. When evaluating each, think about your resources, the time required to execute, and the time it takes for a meaningful outcome.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
SEO is a powerful marketing tool that surfaces relevant content for people looking for specific information. For example, local businesses can use SEO to target particular keywords used by their ideal clients, such as "Seattle chiropractor."
High-intent keywords are keywords that, based on the search, are used by people who want to buy. Someone searching for a "technology consultant near me" has a problem to solve and will likely become a customer.
You can get an idea of the content your ideal client might want/need to take the next step with your business. While this may sound too good to be true, keep in mind that SEO marketers have spent years learning and optimizing.
With high intent comes high competition and expensive campaigns. Everyone has access to similar data and tools, so you constantly need to be evaluating opportunities. SEO is not a set-it-and-forget-it. Finally, SEO requires a lot of research and planning and often takes months to see results.
SEO Implementation Tip: The goal of SEO is to get your website near the top of search results. To do that, you'll need to start by defining what keywords to target (with realistic opportunities based on keyword and competitor research), optimizing your website's performance, and ensuring your landing page information matches the search term to provide a seamless user experience.
LinkedIn is an obvious choice as a B2B marketing channel. On LinkedIn, it's perfectly acceptable to network with strangers. It's also reasonably easy to get visible by engaging with other people's posts. For example, if I connect with "Steve" and his connection "Amy" comments on his post, it's acceptable to join the conversation. Now, Amy can see your profile, too, and your comment is visible to other connections of Steve.
As with all organic social media, building trust with your connections takes time. LinkedIn has a lot of spammy and inauthentic behavior (how many times have you seen "we have lots of connections in common!" only to see that's completely untrue?). Make sure that you reach out from a place of honesty and authenticity.
LinkedIn Marketing Implementation Tip: LinkedIn's search functionality makes it easy to find potential connections. Look through your current contacts and companies you may want to work with to ask for an introduction. Creating content, engaging with others, and updating your profile to position yourself as an authority are all essential for success.
TikTok
TikTok has gotten much attention lately as a powerful marketing platform for business owners. TikTok's algorithm changed the social media game. Many other social media platforms primarily show content from people you follow, people already in your community. But TikTok's FYP (for you page) does the opposite. You can regularly get in front of brand-new people interested in the type of content you're creating.
Recently, it's been revealed that TikTok is competing with Google for SEO. In the past, TikTok has relied on trends and popular audio. Now the platform is prioritizing keywords for search. Keywords and SEO offer a significant opportunity for those who take advantage.
TikTok has become far more saturated. Creating content is a competition for attention. It demands a lot of creativity and regular content creation (posting multiple times per day).
Many people talk about the benefits of going viral (which becomes much harder to do because so many more people are creating content). Note that a lot of virality involves creating polarizing and controversial content. The more people who have input and comment (positive or negative) on your content and opinions, the more reach you'll get.
While TikTok can be great for discovery, it's not the best platform to nurture a community. Be aware that you may not see content often from accounts you follow. The same goes for people who follow you.
Finally, TikTok requires you to be fully "in it." Trends happen quickly, and the platform has a unique language and expectations. It's not a place to repurpose other videos or show up occasionally.
TikTok Marketing Implementation Tip: Use your favorite project management tool for managing your content process and production. When it's available in your profile, add a link to your website or landing page so your followers can learn more about working with you.
YouTube
YouTube is a massive search engine owned by Google. Therefore, a YouTube strategy needs to rely heavily on SEO. For your content to be successful, you need data on what people are looking for and how. Similar to SEO, with YouTube, you have the benefit of serving content based on what your ideal clients want to see. But again, it can be highly competitive. You may have other ways to monetize through YouTube, such as driving traffic to your website and affiliate links.
Beyond SEO, YouTube is a video platform. So, plan to research, outline, produce, and edit your video and the supporting written content. Think strategically about how you can get the most out of YouTube based on why people are on the platform. Many people go to YouTube for DIY solutions - trying to solve an immediate problem on their own. By creating videos for a potential customer who is DIY-ing, do you expect them to pay for a solution? Maybe they will, but perhaps they just wanted an answer.
YouTube Marketing Implementation Tip: Use Google Suite to plan and document your video scripts. Always give a call to action in your videos, such as asking viewers to download an opt-in so you can build your email list.
Email Marketing
Email marketing is a tool that all businesses should use in some capacity. While leveraging other marketing tools helps get new eyes on your business, you don't own 3rd party platforms.
Say you build a following on Instagram. But Instagram then decides to make changes (which, based on recent events, is not unrealistic). Or, your customers start to leave the platform in droves for an entirely new social media channel. Now, Instagram has become a far less effective marketing tool for you to reach those people.
With email marketing, you own your contact list. People have opted-in to hear from you. You have a tangible asset that allows you to communicate directly with interested prospects.
Emails can be pre-planned & automated, which makes it easy to be less reactive. The format is also straightforward relative to other platforms like TikTok or YouTube.
Email marketing is typically not a way to get in front of new customers. There are exceptions, for example, selling your product or service through a partner or affiliate. But generally speaking, people need to know about your business to sign up for your email list.
Email Marketing Implementation Tip: Be sure to not only send promotional emails, especially for B2B marketing. Email marketing allows you to educate your readers about your expertise. Send emails with helpful information and resources that invite potential clients to learn more.
Podcasting
Podcasting is an excellent opportunity to build your brand. One benefit of podcasting is its more evergreen nature. You don't need to post daily or stay aware of trends. It allows you to share insights and provide significant value to listeners. Podcasting is also a great relationship builder. By interviewing other experts, you build business relationships and expand your network.
Similar to all non-paid marketing, podcasting takes time to build up. Of course, having an audience on another platform makes it easier to build a listener base. Otherwise, have a plan to promote your new show - the podcast will need a marketing plan.
Podcasting Implementation Tip: A great way to start exploring the podcast route is to be a guest interviewer on other people's shows. Interviewing as a guest can help you see best practices, better understand production, and practice sharing your expertise in a live setting.
Paid Ads
Pay money, and show your message to the right people. Paid ads sound like a dream. If you know your ideal customer very clearly (going way beyond demographic information), have a proven offer that converts, a highly-targeted marketing funnel, and scroll-stopping creative, paid ads may be a fantastic option. You'll need a budget that covers learning, data collection, and campaign optimization.
Like SEO, many agencies and professionals have built deep expertise in the paid ad space. It can be highly competitive and expensive. Without a strong strategy, clear messaging, and a detailed test-and-learn plan, paid ads can be a massive waste of money with no actionable outcome.
Paid Ads Implementation Tip: It's worth chatting with a professional ads expert when considering paid ads. Ask them about their past clients and what you should expect from a timing and cost perspective to see results. Also, inquire about their process to test and learn to optimize a campaign over time.
How To Evaluate The Best B2B Marketing Opportunities For Your Business
Hopefully, this goes without saying - there is no "perfect" marketing channel. There's no guarantee using any particular platform will get you results.
But by researching what's out there, you can make an informed decision based on your specific business goals and resources.
In addition to each channel's pros and cons, think through the below.
Short-term vs. long-term marketing. Some marketing, especially building an organic platform, can take months or years to see meaningful results. You may not have time to wait. What are your time constraints? This will help you determine to dedicate to longer-term marketing vs. shorter-term. For example, speaking at an industry event or scheduling referral meetings could immediately land you new leads. Growing a social media presence will take much longer.
Evergreen vs. timely content. Some content you create will be timely and trending. Other content should be "evergreen" - or relevant for a long time. You'll likely want a combination of both types of content. Having quality evergreen content means you have a resource you can repeatedly use (and repurpose when appropriate). Using trending content can help you earn traffic during certain moments, such as when people search for a popular topic on Google or TikTok.
Budget. Many marketing channels and campaigns need monetary investment. You may decide to run ads. If you pursue SEO, expect to invest time in keyword research and money in a data tracking software. Without a budget, free marketing options can be effective with time and dedication.
Resources (team members, tools, etc.). Do you have any people, tools, or processes to make your marketing more efficient? When building out your marketing with limited resources, you need to keep it simple. Learning new platforms, strategies, and user interfaces while trying to create unique content is a lot to manage.
Understand Your Ideal Client. As mentioned earlier, understanding your ideal client is key to making marketing decisions. If you haven't already, outline your path to purchase (from a potential client first hearing about you to how they'll eventually sign up or convert). Then, outline how your marketing will support each step of that process.
Evaluate what's worked. A great starting place for new marketing is previous marketing which worked well. When you know what's worked, prioritize doing more of it. Asked yourself what about it worked and how you can replicate it to improve new marketing channels.
Consider what you enjoy. While this may seem like "fluffy" advice, it's essential if you have a role in marketing the business. If you hate video, yet you're trying to build a personal brand to promote your business, will you show up & be effective on a video platform? You can outsource marketing, but when you own a growing company and plan on creating content, show up in places you enjoy (or else you won't show up at all).
A final note: when you explore agencies with a particular type of expertise, they will likely recommend their solution. A paid ads specialist will probably tell you that a paid ads package is the way to go. But that might not be a great option for you. Do your research and speak with a Fractional CMO who can help you navigate where to focus your attention.
B2B Marketing Channels: A Recap
Marketing is nuanced. Without much more information, it's irresponsible to say, "this is how you should market your business."
But you need marketing to stay in business. You can't avoid it.
Start now and prioritize getting better at marketing. Hopefully, this post is a good launch pad for your continued research.
You can't have a successful business long-term without marketing. If you've been avoiding it or felt entirely overwhelmed by all the options, that's okay. Better to get going! As always, I'm here for your questions and would be glad to speak with you via a complimentary consultation.
