The age of digital marketing is here, but for many B2B businesses they’re lagging behind their B2C counterparts. Does a business that exclusively serves other businesses really need to let go of traditional marketing practices? Yes, if they want to stay competitive and give their audience what they want. Whether you outsource your marketing needs or have a team in-house, make 2015 the year to delve deeper into the digital realm.
There are some classic marketing strategies that are still effective for digital marketing, but for the most part they’ve been adapted to fit new tech-driven needs. For example, the Small Business Administration recommends some businesses still use direct marketing campaigns, but that doesn’t mean digital marketing goes out the window. Here’s why you should make stronger digital efforts in order to stay competitive:
Direct mail marketing can be great for some of your demographics, but it’s pretty useless if it means you’re leaving out customers who only respond to email, social media or other tech outreach attempts. The better your bait, the more fish you’ll reel in. Keep that in mind when you’re planning your next strategy.
In the world of marketing, you need to spend money to make it and that’s a memo your competition has received loud and clear. With ZDNet reporting that more and more companies are spending more on digital marketing, that means if you don’t keep up you’ll be left in the dust. Keep an eye on your competition and the bigger, successful companies to get cues on where and when to spend.
In 2014, there are more smartphones than people in the world, more Americans are using smartphones compared to desktop devices, and the majority of Americans research on their phones before making any kind of purchase. Mobile readiness isn’t optional, and it’s part of your overall digital marketing design. Maybe an app or mobile version of your website can help drive revenues.
If you opt into PPC marketing via relying on a company to manage strategies for you, you can enjoy a nice little boost of nearly passive income. It also helps you reach new audiences, get your name out there, and help connect you with demographics who are already checking out certain internet realms where your industry shines.
No matter what classic marketing approach you use, from billboards to print newspaper advertisements, your customers get used to things. They might not even be processing and seeing your marketing efforts. Instead, they’re becoming accustomed to digesting digital efforts, especially if your company hasn’t spent in this realm before. Just like your brain will fill in letters to make sense of a text that’s poorly written, they’re on autopilot when it comes to your marketing.
Unfortunately most classic marketing techniques look like, well, marketing techniques. Your customers don’t want to be pitched to or deal with hard sells. Since they’re a business themselves, adopting native advertising in a digital realm shows them respect and informs or entertains them along the way. In the digital marketing world, it’s important to steer clear of obvious pitches and instead five your customers something they can use.
Most businesses report that they’ll be spending more on digital marketing in the coming years and with good reason. It’s where the highest ROI is and it’s simply the landscape where most businesses are thriving. Get on the bandwagon now and don’t miss out on customers and profits in the coming year.
