Building and maintaining a successful B2B online marketing strategy can differentiate your company from the rest. You probably already know that your organization needs a clear, documented marketing strategy in order to remain competitive. Sadly, while 93% of marketers claim to use content marketing, only 30% of B2B companies report having a documented strategy in place.
To be successful and increase your revenue, your online marketing strategy should be made clear before your campaign gets underway.
You likely already have a structured strategy in place. All that’s required is hammering out the details.
There is the research involved, such as analyzing your target audience and current market conditions.
Then, you must set up a high-performance website with a variety of clear conversion goals.
Search engine optimization should be employed to boost your online profile and deliver a healthy amount of leads your way, and social media and paid advertising can help you scale those efforts for even higher return.
When you throw in marketing automation, CRM, lead nurturing, and the analysis of all web data, as well as testing and optimization, you have on your plate a series of tasks that should be scheduled and assigned so that there is no confusion going forward.
In essence, your documented strategy will act as a roadmap that takes you from Point A to B. Point A is where you’re starting from. The B is how you will separate your organization from the pack.
Here are a few examples of top brands reaching out to their audiences in innovative ways. Take notes and employ similar tactics for an effective and well-documented B2B content marketing strategy.
1.IBM
International Business Machine Corporation (IBM) became incorporated in 1911 as Computer Tabulating Recording company, which later changed its name to the now popular IBM in 1924. The company is heavily invested in computer Hardware, Software, Consulting, and Hosting services.
For its B2B content marketing strategy, IBM employs a mix of geographic, psychographic, demographic, and segmentation variables. Since the company works in a highly competitive environment, it must compete with companies across a variety of parameters, such as technology, research and development, consulting services, pricing, quality, IT infrastructure, and more.
To remain successful across a variety of channels and in the face of so much competition, IBM relies heavily on segmentation. The company engages in geographic segmentation, demographic segmentation, psychographic, and behavioral segmentation to keep campaigns precision-targeted.
Geographic segmentation separates prospects into groups associated with where they live. Demographics could be based on age, income, or social class. Psychographic segmentation is generally based on lifestyle, personality, or any perceived values the individual holds. Lastly, behavior would be segmented based on clicks and other actions, like downloads.
In the image above, you see IBM is maintaining its position as a thought leader by opening its doors to a discussion by the CEO about advancements that are relevant to all industries.
Below, you will see that the company is even delving into new industries, like the fashion world. Here, IBM segments its audience and searches for new ways to reach out to its customers.
The strategies employed by IBM seem to work. The company has been ranked 7th as the world’s most valuable band by Forbes and has been valued at well over $140 billion as of May 2016.
2.Intel
As the world’s largest computer chip maker and manufacturer of microprocessors, graphics cards, mobile phones, and integrated circuits, Intel has managed to become a cornerstone of the IT industry. The company’s operations are based in Santa Clara, CA, but the company has facilities in 63 countries located throughout the world.
Like IBM, Intel uses demographic segmentation along with psychographic segmentation to satisfy the ever-changing needs of the market. The company is segmented into its Client Computing Group (CCG), Data Centre Group (DCG), Internet of Things Group (IOTG),
One of the biggest challenges Intel faces is branding a technical product that clients cannot see. The chips are inside the CPU, which makes traditional marketing difficult, to say the least.
To overcome this obstacle, Intel uses a variety of out-of-the-box techniques, such as mass marketing to make people aware of the brand. The company unveiled its characteristic five-note jingle that could soon be heard in over 130 countries worldwide. The tune along with an aggressive visual marketing campaign that included the well-known “Intel Inside” logo, the company managed to become a household name. Furthermore, consumers now look for the Intel logo to pinpoint the best technology products.
While customers of Intel tend to be original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), business houses and individuals inclined toward tech products also fall within Intel’s target market.
To reach this broad range of people across a variety of channels, Intel is fond of using storytelling in its content marketing strategy.
Case in point, the brand collaborated with Vice to start Creator’s Project, which provided artists with newer outlets of creative expression.
The company also publishes the Intel IQ Magazine, which is a publication that focuses on telling tech innovation stories that improve lives across a variety of industries.
Another campaign shows the future of autonomous cars and Intel as the ones paving the way towards that reality.
3. Accenture
Accenture is a world leader in professional services and management consulting. Founded in 1989 in Dublin, Ireland, the company has locations in more than 120 countries globally and boasts a client roster that is mostly comprised of the fortune global 500.
Accenture recently rebranded its logo and repositioned itself as a new age company that offers digitally advanced solutions to customers throughout the world.
The company has a significantly wide net to cast, and uses a mix of demographic, psychographic, and geographic segmentation to cater to its many clients.
Accenture tends to focus on the differentiating needs of its customer base. It competes with CSC, IBM, and Microsoft, among others, when it comes to brand pull, a skilled workforce, innovative products and services, and technical know-how.
To stand apart, Accenture focuses on providing a customer experience that is rather like the ones offered by B2C organizations. The approach was based on a report the company produced in 2017 that showed that 71% of B2B customers increasingly want B2C-esque experiences, which include faster response times, 24/7 availability, and personalized experiences.
To accomplish this, the company uses a variety of white papers to showcase the brand’s expertise and to build trust and loyalty.
By providing useful statistics and actionable advice, the company became a go-to leader that its audience will always think of first.
4. Cisco
Cisco is a multinational corporation based in California that manufactures, designs, and distributes network equipment. The company follows a customer-centric approach that makes its services available to end-customers. Since Cisco’s offerings are network-based, the company primarily uses demographic segmentation to serve the growing needs of its customers.
Focusing on the business’s values, the company has successfully established itself as a trusted network partner that connects the world together.
Cisco is another company that likes to use storytelling as a way to reach its vastly varied audience segments.
In 2012, Cisco created The Network Effect, an award-winning documentary series about the history and future of telecommunications.
The company also found marketing success with its humorous video titled “The Internet of Everything: Circle Story” which focused on the ways sensors could shape our homes in the future.
Cisco is investing in influencer marketing and brings its IT community into the fold by creating “Cisco Champions,” which the brand calls its IT advocates. The IT professionals involved in this group have a sense of belonging, which increases brand loyalty. The customer loyalty marketing strategy even had a hand in creating the hashtag CiscoChat on Twitter.
5. Oracle
Oracle is a world IT leader that was founded in 1977 with headquarters in California. The company relies on demographic and geographic segmentation strategies that address the needs and wants of its audience.
The customers of Oracle, like the others on our list, are vast and varied. Therefore, the company employs a set of targeting strategies that separate the company from its primary competitors like Google and Amazon.
The company’s Supply Chain Management resource library is a good example. The company has succeeded in offering customers an easy-to-navigate online resource that gives access to reports, infographics, videos, briefs, and other types of content to serve a variety of professional needs.
Segmentation as a successful B2B marketing strategy
72% of B2B marketers cite the need to create more engaging content as their top priority. However, what’s engaging to one person may not be to another. This is why you notice that segmentation is the B2B marketing tactic of the day. Using segmentation and other common methods like storytelling, you can pinpoint your audience’s problem and deliver solutions that are always right on the button.
However, keep in mind that the above examples are only the aspects of the content marketing strategies that we can experience first-hand. The companies above employ tactics that are complex and intricate, from research to customer involvement, as well as testing and optimization over a variety of demographics, industries, preferences, and behaviors.
The lesson is to ensure that you are properly measuring your B2B marketing strategy over time to keep it relevant and targeted as market conditions change and technologies continue to advance.
One thing is for sure. The organizations above most certainly have documented content strategies in place. Does yours?
Contatct KeyScouts today for a free marketing strategy consultation.
