How B2B brands can win customers online
If you’re reading this blog post, then you’re almost certainly struggling to get a steady supply of qualified new business opportunities — even though you may be marketing and have been selling online for a number of years.
It’s not your fault. For years, marketers were told that all they needed to do to get successful results was to throw enough , traffic at their website with PPC and SEO, write copious amounts of content, and post it on Social Media. Sit tight and watch the sales flow in.
They were told this by experts with good intentions — but it was only ever partially true.
The challenge
Your business works hard for the money, so should your marketing. Making sales online is tough. There is a lot of competition, and the marketplace is crowded.
When you’re putting in all the legwork (and sometimes more), it’s only reasonable to expect more in return. This makes it even harder to drive any sort of sales from your industry, even if you are the top dog in your niche.
I’ve been there before; struggling to get sales leads online, not knowing what else to do, and getting progressively downbeat about the whole situation.
Thankfully, I had some help and turned things around pretty quickly!
Hopefully, my experience can help you too.
Why you’re failing
Before I get down to the nitty-gritty, let me start off by saying: I am NOT a second-hand car salesman. And this is NOT going to be your run-of-the-mill post.
This advice can be applied to any business but it is not for every business. Why?
Because 80% of people will not follow up on the advice. In most cases, those that do, will stop within 3–6 months. Because it is not for the faint-hearted.
Fixing the problem
Part 1.
What’s the plan Stan?
Before we fix it, we need to understand what the problem is. It is not a challenge, it is a problem. We cannot sugar coat what needs to be fixed.
Show me your plan and i’ll show you the problem.
Most companies may struggle with creating business plans for a variety of reasons. In many cases, thee is no plan at all. There may have been once but now it’s all about wingining it and throwing more energy and time into the problem.
Some other common reasons include:
Lack of experience or knowledge: Creating a business plan can be a complex process, and it requires a deep understanding of the industry, the target market, and the financials of the business. Some companies may not have the necessary expertise or resources to put together a comprehensive plan.
Difficulty in forecasting: Business plans often require the creation of financial projections, which can be difficult to do accurately. Factors such as market conditions and competition can be hard to predict, which can make it challenging to create realistic projections.
Lack of focus or direction: It can be challenging to create a business plan if a company doesn’t have a clear idea of what it wants to achieve or what its unique value proposition is.
Time and Resource Constraints: Preparing a business plan can be time-consuming and require a significant investment of resources. Companies may not have the bandwidth or ability to focus on this task.
Lack of Flexibility: A strict, inflexible plan can make it difficult for a company to adapt to changes in the market or its own operations, which can hinder its growth and success.
Ask yourself these questions above and if they apply to your company. Think about you responses to these questions and how you might address them.
Fixing the problem
Part 2.
It’s not about LinkedIn, content, and creating podcasts
There is a vacuous amount of content and drivel out there.
A lot of it is copied, much of it meaningless and in most cases, it doesn’t actually get to the heart of the problem, let alone allow you to grow.
Again, to fix it answer the questions that are tough.
Here are a started with 10 reasons your marketing is failing. It is not the only reason but is key to understanding and getting to your reasons before you address them.
So B2B marketing campaigns can fail for a variety of reasons. Some common reasons include:
Lack of clear objectives
Without clear goals, it can be difficult to measure the success of a campaign and make adjustments as needed.
Poor targeting
If the campaign is not reaching the intended audience, it may not be effective.
Insufficient budget
A campaign may not be able to achieve its goals if it is underfunded.
Poor execution
Even a well-planned campaign can fail if it is not executed properly.
Poor creative
Campaigns that use unappealing or low-quality creative materials may not resonate with the target audience.
Lack of differentiation
Campaigns that are too similar to those of competitors can get lost in the noise.
Limited understanding of the market and audience
Without a deep understanding of the target market, it can be difficult to create a campaign that resonates with them.
Limited measurement and analysis
Without measuring and analysing results, it’s hard to evaluate what worked and what didn’t.
Lack of flexibility
Inflexible campaign that fail to respond to changes in the market or audience can miss opportunities.
Misaligned with overall brand strategy and messaging
Campaigns that don’t align with the overall branding and messaging strategy may not resonate with audiences
Again, breakdown and answer the questions above,
The Overall Fix
Speak to someone who can help you. Sometimes you are too close to the business. It is hard to be objective and fully accountable.
As i said at the beginning, selling online is tough and getting harder. It is even more challenging to stand out from teh crowd.
If you were having issues with your health you would seek medical advice from a professional. Your business is no different.
If you’ve read this far, well done. Now go and do it!
Hope it helped. Let me know.
