Is Your B2B Marketing Strategy Really That Good?

In B2B marketing, it’s easy to spend an inordinate amount of time looking outward. 

• What are my client or company’s differentiators?
• What market changes are on the horizon?
• Why doesn’t Brad in accounting shave his not-so-ironic-anymore moustache?

And of course, Brad aside, having this outward view is completely necessary. Understanding a company, its customers, and its position in the marketplace are all requirements of the job.

But…

What if we traded the magnifying glass for a mirror?

Think about it. 

• When was the last time you had the time to really examine your B2B strategy?
• First, do you even have a real strategy?
• If you don’t, you’re certainly not alone; over half of B2B companies don’t have a clear marketing strategy.

Let’s presume you’re awesome and are one of the lucky few who actually have a B2B marketing strategy. When did you last review your approach? Not just metrics, KPIs and dashboard layouts that dreams are made of - but the actual WHY of your tactics and strategies?

If you’re brave enough to put your strategy under the microscope, you may find what is all too common in B2B marketing today:

• Ineffective tactics based on outdated norms
• “Tried and True” methods that are neither tried nor true
• Strategies based on marketing myths busted by real data

In this article (and accompanying infographic), Imaginasium, a B2B marketing agency, takes aim at popular B2B marketing myths and provides data-backed strategies you can implement today.

There are numerous effective B2B marketing tips there. Let’s focus on three of the more eye-opening points as you reevaluate your own B2B marketing strategy.

Yes, people do read longform content & it works

1. “People don’t want to read.”
2. “People have short attention spans.”
3. “People hate scrolling.”

Wrong, wrong, and wrong when it comes to B2B marketing. Data science shows that people read, share, and link to in-depth articles of 2,000+ words 153% more than shorter content. It’s often difficult and expensive to create and promote invaluable content, but longform content should definitely be part of your B2B arsenal.

If your B2B doesn’t resemble B2C, you are SOL

For most marketers, B2B isn’t as sexy as B2C. The latter is fun, exciting, and often has a more immediate return or reward for your efforts. Many consumers feel the same way.

80% of B2B customers expect a B2C experience.

Eighty percent. That’s 4 out of 5. That’s every Backstreet Boy except Nick. If your B2B marketing doesn’t live up to those B2C expectations, you’re going to fail.

Poor Strategy = Poor ROI

As mentioned above, more than half of B2B companies lack a clear marketing strategy.  So, perhaps it's not surprising to learn that 52% of B2B marketers admit to struggling with ROI. It isn’t difficult to see the link between the two.  Expecting a positive ROI result without a solid strategy in place is like driving a race car without fuel.

And those three ideas are just a small piece of the pie!

Check out the infographic to find opportunities to improve today. It’s so easy to get complacent in B2B marketing. And new insights are definitely an important part of success.  But it’s just as important to turn your view inward and really evaluate your B2B marketing strategy. All the customer and market knowledge in the world won’t mean squat without a strong strategy to engage your prospects and customers.

If you want to discover more on how to successfully navigate B2B marketing, read up on Imaginasium’s article 15 B2B Marketing Strategies You Won’t Want to Ignore.