Online B2B marketing can be quite simple. It is critical to understand that unlike online retailing, B2B e-marketing is rarely designed to close the sale. This is because B2B products and services are typically more complex, requiring collaboration between seller and buyer to ensure a proper ‘fit’ before the deal is closed. In fact, the most successful e-marketers live by these three simple goals:

Generate Awareness
It’s tough to make a sale if prospects don’t know about your product or service. A compelling website that clearly details your offering is essential. Invest in current SEO to ensure search engines find and display you high in their rankings. Drive additional site traffic with PR releases, social media (especially Twitter and LinkedIn), and participation in industry events like tradeshows and conferences. Cross-link with key clients, suppliers, prospects and industry resources. Dedicating money to pay-per-click and online advertising can also help cover the search terms and URL’s your prospects use. But remember that just as in print advertising, online ads require a consistent investment over time to be truly effective.

Validate Your Value
Don’t leave it up to your prospects to connect the dots. Explain your approach to the market challenge and position your solution as the best possible option, not just another consideration. Be sure to detail your unique user benefits with well supported adjectives like fastest, simplest, easiest, most cost-effective, strongest, longest-lasting, etc… Professionally written Success Stories are an extremely effective way of validating your value proposition with the end-user. With insightful pitching, these stories can be re-used as contributed articles in target publications. Readers consistently rate journalistic content as 75% more credible than paid advertising. Prospects love reading how a peer used your product or service to meet a common need!

Encourage Action
You’ve generated awareness and validated your offering – prospects are ready to learn how your product or service can meet their specific needs. Think through how to most efficiently navigate this process – from your prospect’s perspective. It’s hard to go wrong with a short ‘Contact Me’ form, provided you follow-through with a timely, informative call. Other options include registration for access to proprietary content, offering a detailed product or service download, or sign-ups for a guided video tour. The options are endless; with an objective of giving the prospect knowledge and perspective that propels them through the sales pipeline. Capture their contact information for follow-up, as closing a B2B sale ultimately requires a personal touch. Whatever your pipeline strategy, keep it quick and easy. Small, sequential steps are much more effective than a long, drawn-out process. Keep in mind – the more you ask a prospect to do, the more opportunities they have to ‘opt-out’.

By employing these three tactics, you will win prospects over by delivering helpful information that communicates value and paves the way for a seamless close!

John Wilkinson
Business Communications Strategist
JH&A Advertising