B2B Digital Marketing Strategies

B2B digital marketing strategies are key to a successful B2B business model. In this article, we will discuss B2B digital marketing vs B2B digital advertising. Is there a difference between the two and what makes them different? We will also address B2B online marketing strategies and why they’re important.

b2b marketing strategies

What Does B2B Mean?

What does B2B stand for? Simply put, B2B is a marketing term short for business-to-business. This form of marketing is selling a product or service from one business to another. Some example products are fabric, plastic, and steel. A service example would be a digital marketing agency like SEO Design Chicago. We offer website development, SEO, analytics, and many other digital marketing services to other businesses.

Digital Marketing vs Digital Advertising for B2B Companies

To begin, let’s explore the difference between digital marketing and digital advertising

What Is Digital Marketing?

Digital marketing includes all marketing efforts using the internet or digital technologies. Businesses use email, blog posts, their company website, and social media. Digital marketing is targeted to connect with current and prospective customers.

Examples of Digital Marketing

Some B2B digital marketing examples include:

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Search engine optimization is key to having an online presence. There are many components to SEO to make your website rank higher on Google. Blogs will also benefit from SEO. 

Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing is exactly what it sounds like. Using social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, etc., you promote your brand and drive traffic to your website. 

Content Marketing

Content marketing is used to grow brand awareness and traffic to your website. Blogs, infographics, newsletters, and e-books are all examples of content marketing.

Mobile Marketing

Mobile marketing is crucial these days. Much of our shopping and searches happen on a mobile device. Your website and app must be mobile-friendly and easy to use. Mobile marketing incorporates many aspects of digital marketing.

digital advertising

 

What Is Digital Advertising?

Digital advertising is a subset of digital marketing. This means advertising is more about promoting a product or service, whereas marketing is about identifying your target audience, product creation, and pricing.

Business-to-business advertising works to reach the employees and decision-makers when it comes to purchases from another business. When the cost of products for a business is higher, it may take longer to make purchasing decisions. Also, other departments may need to approve the purchase decision before it is finalized.

B2B advertising also targets institutions, such as schools, hospitals, or other companies that use specific products and materials. Therefore, in order to build a successful marketing strategy, businesses must know their audience.

Examples of Digital Marketing

Some digital advertising examples include:

Search Engine Marketing (SEM)

Search engine marketing is a dependable way to advertise. Two subtypes of SEM are:

  • Pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns 
  • Search engine optimization (SEO)

Display Ads

Display ads are the most basic ads in digital marketing. These ads do not show up in search results. They will show up as banners, landing pages, pop-ups, flash ads on a website and on blogs. Display ads are usually made up of images and text. They are simple and affordable. 

Native Ads

Native ads are similar to display ads but they are directed more at a specific target audience and intentional in placement. They are sponsored ads that are placed into the feed. Native advertising is based on the user’s previous search history and online habits. Users tend to appreciate native ads because they are so relevant. The ads are always labeled as sponsored. 

Video Ads 

Video ads are a great way to promote your business. There are so many components to consider when it comes to video ads. These ads can show up as commercials before YouTube, Hulu, or Facebook videos. However, video ads take a lot more time and effort to create engaging and interesting content that catches your audience’s attention. 

Social Media Ads

Because there are billions of social media users, social media ads are the largest hub for digital marketing. There is a lot of crossover with social ads and it’s very common to see display and video ads across various social media platforms.

Email Marketing 

Email marketing is an effective way to target your audience. It is affordable and costs nothing to build an email list. You can set up email campaigns for a variety of reasons. Emails can be about promotions, discounts, blogs, and other interesting content. 

To recap, below is a side-by-side list to differentiate digital marketing and digital advertising.

Digital Marketing  Digital Advertising
Any form of marketing online Any ad you see on the internet
A broader term that starts when you have a business idea It is one part of the marketing mix and a subset of digital marketing
Digital marketing is a process Digital advertising is an activity within the process
Builds a brand and brand image. It has a defined plan and strategy Creates awareness, generates traffic, and promotes the brand. Hopefully, this will lead to sales.

digital marketing strategy

B2B Online Marketing Strategies

It’s always good to do your research and know your marketing goals. This will make it easier to brainstorm, develop and implement B2B online marketing strategies. There are several strategies to know as you begin your B2B marketing.

Engaging Website

As a B2B company, your website should be informative, entertaining, user and mobile-friendly, and a good resource. Be sure to have a tool to collect data to know how your website is performing and if you’re getting leads and sales. 

Some necessary components to your B2B website include:

  • Aimed toward your target audience
  • Mobile friendly
  • Clear call to action (CTA) for pricing, scheduling, ordering, requesting a white paper, etc. 
  • Up-to-date testimonials 
  • Feature your social media accounts
  • Relevant and current industry information
  • Updated and optimized regularly

SEO and Content

Another component to your B2B strategy should include solid, SEO-ready content. The higher you rank on Google, the more likely you are to get website visits. This is something you can do for yourself or hire a company to optimize your content. They can help you with keywords and phrases to help search engines find your website. 

Starting a blog on your website will improve your SEO. In addition, you could become known as a thought leader in your industry. Your content should be authoritative. Guest articles can be linked back to your website and blog. This strategy will increase awareness and draw people to your website. Video content can also be helpful, educational, and put a face to your brand. Other content ideas include infographics, e-books, white papers, and case studies.

Integration 

Integrating your online and offline efforts is a key part of your B2B marketing strategy. In doing this, you can focus on customer service—be available and provide support. Integration is also a way to send people to your website, social media, and landing pages.  Landing pages are a great way to measure the success of offline promotions.

Social Media 

Social media should not be overlooked. Always use social media as part of your B2B marketing. Your content must be engaging and interesting to your followers. Cross-promotion over different social media platforms, websites, and blogs will give you brand awareness. However, you should avoid obvious sales pitches on social media. Make it a point to inform and engage your audience.

Some ways to engage your social media followers are: 

  • Sharing industry tips and news
  • Updates on your products and services
  • Positive client stories
  • Educational videos made by your company
  • Video testimonials

PPC Campaigns

Depending on your budget you should consider running a pay-per-click (PPC) campaign. These campaigns can reach a very specific target audience and are the number one way to get leads and brand awareness. 

Redefining Targets

Targeting specific audiences or demographics can help you invest in effective campaigns. Through the use of analytics, you can fine-tune your campaigns and strategies over time. Google Analytics is a free tool to give you insights and to track and understand your marketing success or lack thereof. 

b2b inscription

B2B Companies to Know

Here are some B2B companies:

Salesforce

Salesforce is an integrated CRM (customer relationship management) platform. It is a B2B company that provides a central location to organize your sales process. It includes marketing, sales, commerce, and service in every single shared view of customers. Salesforce helps companies stay organized.

Hootsuite

Hootsuite is the top social media management system. It is a B2B company. Hootsuite is a  scheduling platform for social media and other digital content. It is a place to manage, track your performance, gain insights about your customers, and provide easy to create reports. Hootsuite is dependable and meets the social media needs of large and small businesses. 

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a great B2B company for professionals. It is a social platform that helps job seekers. It is like a business card you leave with other professionals. Linkedin is used for networking and as a way to connect with others. You can find job openings, business articles, and news.

MailChimp

MailChimp is the world’s largest automation platform. It is a B2B company that helps large and small businesses and is all about mailing services. MailChimp is an all-in-one marketing platform for marketing campaigns. You can easily create emails, build websites, and design landing pages. MailChimp is used to grow your business faster and increase revenue. 

Skype

Skype is a B2B business from Microsoft. It is the most popular digital top B2B company for people all over the world. Skype is a video conferencing platform that can be used from your phone, computer, watch, or TV. Skype uses the internet to expand communication with people all over the globe. You can make calls for free or cheaply on Skype.

General Electric 

Among the many things General Electric (GE) is known for, it is also a B2B company that provides electrical solutions. GE has shown the world that creative advertising can go a long way in building your brand and your company’s success. 

Avery Dennison

Avery Dennison is a B2B company that sells packaging, printing, and labeling to businesses all over the world. As a B2B company, they have worked to develop their website, optimize their online catalog, navigation, and other functionalities. Additionally, Avery Dennison has good SEO, which gives them a higher Google ranking and draws in more sales through organic search.

FireRock

FireRock provides essential tools to build a custom home. As a B2B company, they have a great website with high-quality photos to highlight their products. Purchasers can get a good idea of what they’re looking for. Additionally, FireRock uses Pinterest to introduce its photos as well.

BulkBookStore

BulkBookStore is a successful B2B company. They are a great place to shop for bulk quantities of books (25 copies or more). BulkBookStore is a place to find large quantities of books for classrooms or even business meetings. They offer retailers discounted pricing. Furthermore, they have an efficient ordering system and timely delivery of published books. 

best marketing certification

Improve Your B2B Digital Marketing Strategies

Since we live in such a “noisy” digital world, it’s important to stand out above all the noise. Much of our shopping, researching products, and reviews are online. As a B2B business, partnering with other businesses will be beneficial. 

Do you need digital marketing or advertising assistance? SEO Design Chicago offers many services such as web development and design, content creation, SEO, and digital advertising. We would love to partner with your business. Check out the SEO Design Chicago website to see a full list of services.

FAQ:

  • What’s the difference between B2B digital marketing and digital advertising?
  • What are some B2B companies to keep in mind?
  • Why are B2B strategies essential for your business?
  • How can you balance marketing and advertising for your business?
  • Should you hire a company to help you with your digital marketing?

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