The nature of business is changing. Big data is driving growth into an increasingly digital marketplace, while the increase in remote work created by the COVID-19 pandemic changes the way we conduct business. As a result, companies of all industries must be on the front lines of new marketing frontiers.
This means an omnichannel presence. Business-to-business (B2B) companies must now reach clients that operate within the same spaces as occupied by the larger consumer-driven digital economy. Social media, search engines, and software services all play vital roles in an ineffective marketing approach. To cultivate growth, you need to assess all of these and implement strategies for success.
Omnichannel marketing best practices are essential for any modern B2B effort. Find out why, and explore the channels and best practices you need to implement to reach a broader base and retain clients.
Variety is the Spice of B2B Marketing
Despite the surge in the omnichannel presence of B2B buyers during the COVID pandemic, this medium is not a trend. In fact, the data makes it quite clear that omnichannel marketing is an element of B2B sales that isn’t going away anytime soon.
Even with personal interactions becoming more and more accessible during the downturn of the pandemic, B2B buyers showed their preference for interacting over a mix of mediums, remote and digital self-service, and cross-channel platforms. By using these tools, B2B companies can elevate their positions with a forward-thinking and highly scalable approach to business.
And the proof is in the pudding, with McKinsey research showing just how powerful omnichannel marketing is for B2B companies. Here are some of their most compelling findings:
- 8 in 10 B2B leaders say omnichannel is more effective than traditional methods.
- 83% of B2B leaders believe omnichannel selling is more successful in securing new business.
- 20% of B2B buyers would be willing to spend as much as $500,000 in a fully digital sales model.
- 64% of B2B companies intend to increase their number of hybrid sellers.
- Only 15% of in-person sales meetings are expected to be the norm going forward.
These market insights show how B2B marketing is moving in an omnichannel direction. From fully digital to hybrid sales that cross all kinds of platforms, no B2B company should ignore the power of remote accessibility and convenience in modern marketing.
In addition, the digitalization and hybridization of B2B marketing tools allow for greater collection of all kinds of data to better support your sales efforts. Benefits of marketing data include an increased conversion rate, increased sales, and increasingly loyal customers.
With these benefits in mind, what channels should you be using in your omnichannel marketing approach?
The Channels
While B2B marketing has traditionally included a lot of boots-on-the-ground, cold-call, and in-person interactions with companies, these approaches just aren’t as effective in the modern world.
Now, the presence of social media and all kinds of software services gives you the means to generate leads and create more satisfied clients. Various platforms are out there for getting your message across and reaching the businesses you hope to build relationships with. But some channels are better than others.
To achieve the 287% higher purchase rate that omnichannel marketing can offer, consider these channels:
- Web search for organic traffic
- Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising
- Email marketing
- Social media
- Podcasts and webinars
In the remotely working world, these channels offer accessibility that’s hard to find elsewhere. From optimizing your SEO strategy to show up in web searches to building a podcast that relays informative content to your potential clients, all these sources can help drive leads and client engagement that will boost your success.
However, without an ideal strategy for implementing these channels in your marketing, your efforts won’t be as successful as they could be.
The Best Practices
That said, it’s important to maintain best practices when developing an omnichannel marketing strategy for your B2B sales. While these channels are accessible, using them effectively requires a thorough understanding of data science and analytics as well as how to humanize data for a real audience.
When building your omnichannel approach, here are some of the best practices you should incorporate into your strategy:
Hire a data analytics expert
Your success on any channel is dependent upon your application of data. To gather, assess, and apply this data with a humanized narrative requires expertise. Consider hiring a data analytics expert or train yourself or your staff in data analytics.
Assess the tools available to you
Fortunately, all kinds of platforms for gathering and analyzing omnichannel data are available to you — many of them for free. From the SEO insights on Google Analytics to applications for understanding social media data, you can build sources to better understand your clients, their challenges, and their needs.
Prepare an effective tech stack
Once you have the right base of client and market information to draw from, you need to optimize your tech stack to support a cohesive workflow. Your dashboards, Content Automation Tools (CAT), and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platforms should all be acting on the same information. As a result, you can comprehensively manage your marketing efforts across channels.
Commit to sustainability
Energy-efficient and paperless processes aren’t just beneficial to the environment; they’ll attract more leads. Committing to sustainable business practices like using renewable energy, reducing waste, and recycling can lead to benefits like improved company image and employee morale. As a result, you can develop more partnerships with other sustainability-focused organizations.
Continuously reevaluate
Your omnichannel marketing presence needs to update with demographic and business trends. Continuously reevaluate your data, messaging, and strategies to support an evolving approach to marketing in a constantly changing global market.
By following these best practices, you can adopt a more effective omnichannel marketing strategy that draws in more business while keeping current clients happy. Offer the best in data analysis and market insights, and give your clients what they need.
Bottom Line
Because omnichannel marketing is here to stay, any B2B company should maintain a comprehensive approach for reaching new leads and improving customer retention on a variety of platforms. From SEO efforts to podcasts, applying these best practices across channels has the power to boost all your most important metrics.
illustration: created by stories
Jori Hamilton is an experienced writer living in the Northwestern U.S. Her areas of expertise and topics she typically covers revolve around business productivity, marketing strategies, and web design. To learn more about Jori, you can follow her on Twitter: @HamiltonJori