Has b2b marketing finally taken its place in the limelight?

In one of her many impassioned blogs, b2b sales and marketing champion Maureen Blandford compared b2b to Cinderella. For too long b2b has been, ‘cleaning chimneys while B2C gets to go to all the hot dance parties,’ she says. Is this true, or has b2b finally taken its place in the limelight? As today’s buyers continue to evolve and gain more of their education online, through social media, or through other forms of online information exchange, the role of the marketer evolves with it. b2b marketing really has got more exciting and here’s why.   First of all let’s clarify what we mean by b2b and b2c. They are widely used terms popularised by the digital commerce – b2b is shorthand for business-to-business while b2c represents business-to-consumer. In other words, if you’re involved in b2b you’re a business selling your products or services to other businesses in order to grow. If you’re a marketing person, you probably have a sales team working alongside you, and you are probably marketing a high value product or selling in bulk. Unless you work for the likes of Dell or Intel, you probably don’t get to work on high-end branding projects, and let’s face it your social media campaign is unlikely to go viral. However, working in in b2b marketing has never been more exciting.   Sales and social The main reason why b2b marketers are having a really exciting time is due to the collision of two marketing phenomena: the sales cycle and social media. When most people think about the sales cycle in b2b, they think of the long purchasing process and the fact that a salesperson is usually involved. In general, the time a business takes to make a purchase decision outweighs that of a consumer purchase, and a sale does sometimes require consultative selling. However, the tide is not simply turning – it has already turned. Buying has evolved and more purchases are made in shorter time frames without the hand holding of a sales representative. The reason for this is simple: online.   The majority of b2b buyers now search for a solution online instead of waiting to be contacted. Potential buyers can find information, ask questions and learn everything they need to know about a brand. They know where to buy it, how to buy it and more often than not, pricing structure. By the time many prospects make contact they are already close to making a purchase. Therefore your brand must be highly visible online. Those b2b businesses who have an engaging online presence are way ahead of those that do not, and great content is taking b2b to the next level.  In their latest survey DemandGen (DemandGen Report 2012) highlight the range of mediums used by those b2b marketers who are leading the way.     However, while great content is helping to streamline the sales cycle, the really exciting developments are where social media and sales chain relationships converge. When b2b marketers are engaging with their clients online, they are cultivating relationships with all members of the sales chain, not just the people at the top, or conversely the junior buyer. Often in b2b selling, multiple people with potentially different needs have to agree to the purchase particularly as deal sizes increase. This unique facet of b2b, which has previously been seen as cumbersome, is forging an exciting social media strategy.   Building b2b relationships online The two-way, real-time nature of social media lends a highly personal dimension to the task of converting sales leads. Marketers can communicate information and answer buyer questions about their offerings more quickly. You not only inform, but also build trust and credibility. Furthermore, relationships built online can help position you as a trusted advisor and decrease concerns associated with a potentially expensive product. Pioneering b2b marketers have not only mastered targeted online marketing for the three buying phases – awareness, evaluation, and decision – but have also mastered how to cultivate relationships with all members of the sales chain.  blur Group will be keeping a keen eye on case studies that highlight just how exciting and clever b2b marketing has become.   Looking for a quicker and cheaper way to deliver your next b2b project? Brief the Global Services Exchange