20 B2B Marketing Ideas (+ Examples)

As more start-ups enter the market and the technological landscape continues to evolve, competition within the business-to-business (B2B) space continues to heat up.

Consequently, businesses need to be more strategic and innovative in how they approach their marketing efforts.

To stay on top of current trends and ahead of the competition, here are 20 out-of-the-box B2B marketing ideas to help you reach and engage your target audience.

20 B2B Marketing Ideas

Ready to spearhead your B2B marketing strategies in the right direction?

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1. Define Your Target Audience

In B2B marketing, one of the most important things you can do is define your target audience. Who are you trying to reach with your marketing efforts? What kinds of businesses are they in? What are their needs and pain points?

Answering these questions will help you create more targeted and effective marketing campaigns. It will also make it easier to measure your business’ return on investment (ROI)—a key metric used to determine the effectiveness of different marketing campaigns.

So how do you go about defining your target audience?

The common characteristics that define a B2B target audience may include factors like the industry a brand resides within, the size of a business, or its geographic location. Honing in further, we can define a B2B target audience as the decision-makers within those businesses or organizations—the people who have the authority to make purchasing decisions.

That’s who you should be targeting.

To do so, follow these tips:

1. Research your ideal customer. Who are they? What do they do? Where do they live? What are their pain points?
2. Use customer segmentation. Once you’ve defined your ideal customer, segment them into smaller groups based on factors like age, location, income, and so forth.
3. Create buyer personas. Now, create detailed buyer personas based on customer demographics, behavior patterns, motivations, and goals.

2. Incorporate the New Marketing Mix Into Your Approach

The marketing mix is a model that businesses use to plan and execute effective marketing campaigns. Traditionally, the marketing mix comprises the 4Ps: product, price, place, and promotion. While the 4Ps hold true in many regards, there is a key issue. The model assumes there is little to no difference between business-to-business marketing (B2B) and business-to-consumer marketing (B2C).

This simply won’t do.

That’s why a shift toward the “new marketing mix”, made up of the 5Cs, is a better fit for businesses that operate in today’s market.

The 5Cs comprise communication, channel, cost, customer solutions, and community. As you can see, each C has a subset of components that businesses, like yours, can focus their marketing efforts on for maximum impact.

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It’s up to you to decide which components of the new marketing mix will be best suited to the tastes and preferences of your target audience. This is accomplished with the use of a marketing audit.

3. Conduct a Marketing Audit

Engaging in marketing analysis, by way of a marketing audit, is critical for businesses that wish to succeed in the B2B realm.

Specifically, a SWOT analysis can be used to better understand marketing conditions and how a business fits within the opportunities and challenges posed by this setting.

What is a SWOT analysis?

Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.

By understanding each portion of a SWOT analysis, businesses will make informed decisions about how to position their products and services within the market, and how to price them in order to maximize profits.

So how do you conduct a SWOT analysis?

By following the acronym. Here’s how:

1. Strengths. These are the factors that give the business an advantage over its competitors. Examples of strengths include brand power, innovative products, and skilled employees.
2. Weaknesses. These are the factors that might hinder the business’ growth or success. Examples of weaknesses include outdated products, excessive production costs, and a high customer churn rate.
3. Opportunities. These could be new markets a business could enter or new partnerships a brand could form.
4. Threats. These are generally factors that are outside a business’ control, including changes in the marketplace or new regulations that may affect an industry and hinder growth.

4. Consider Your Target Audience’s Buying Behaviors

Knowing your target audience is one thing, putting marketing practices into place that resonates with them is another.

In order to understand the buying behaviors of a target audience, businesses and marketing professionals must identify what factors influence the decisions associated with making a purchase. There are four main types of buying behaviors that businesses should be aware of: impulsive, selective, habitual, and extended.

Each type of behavior is associated with different factors that influence a consumer’s decision-making process:

1. Impulsive buying involves a consumer buying a product or service on a whim, with no planning or thought. This type of behavior is often driven by emotions, such as happiness, sadness, or anger.
2. Selective buying involves a consumer carefully choosing what to buy, based on factors such as price, quality, and brand. This type of behavior usually results in a higher level of satisfaction with the purchase.
3. Habitual buying involves a consumer buying certain products regularly, out of convenience or necessity. This type of behavior is often driven by habit or routine rather than conscious decision-making.
4. Extended buying involves a consumer taking the time to consider all their options before making a purchase.

5. Target the Next Generation of Professionals: Millennials

As reported by the Pew Research Center, back in 2016, millennials became the primary force behind the US labor force. They predict by 2025, millennial workers will be 74 million strong.

With these numbers in mind, you should primarily target your marketing material toward this generation of professionals.

How?

What sets millennials apart from other generations is that they’re digitally savvy. They are the first generation to grow up with computers and the internet, and they have a natural affinity for technology. And this is reflected in their purchasing habits.

There are a few key things to keep in mind when marketing to millennials:

1. Increased focus on digital and social media marketing.

As digital natives, close to 3 out of 4 millennials claim their buying decisions are heavily influenced by social media recommendations compared to traditional marketing channels like TV ads. With this insight, make sure your website is mobile-friendly and that you have a strong presence on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

2. A move away from traditional marketing messages.

Millennials are turned off by hard-sell tactics and prefer brands that are authentic and transparent. In fact, 84 percent of millennial respondents say they would show customer loyalty to brands that are more transparent in their approach to doing business. So instead of bombarding this generation with “old school” marketing tactics, try using seemingly trustworthy channels like content marketing to provide valuable information that will help them make informed purchasing decisions.

3. Greater emphasis on corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives.

Millennials are concerned about the world around them and are looking for ways to make a difference. For instance, 91 percent of millennials will switch from one brand to another that is associated with a cause. This shows that CSR initiatives, like supporting causes that align with the company’s values, being transparent about business practices, and communicating CSR efforts to customers, can be very effective in marketing to millennials.

Of course, not that we should ignore the older or younger generations. Just keep in mind that, at this present moment, tailoring your marketing efforts toward the interests of millennials is likely to have the greatest impact on generating new leads and attracting prospective buyers to your business.

6. Make Securing Positive User Reviews a Priority

When prospective customers are considering working with a new B2B business, they will likely read reviews from other businesses.

In fact, TrustRadius’ research shows that, on average, buyers use 5.2 resources to validate their purchasing decisions—user reviews being the second most used information source. Further, the research reveals that three out of five (61 percent) B2B software buyers claim they felt more confident in their research after reading user reviews.

With this sentiment in mind, showcasing positive reviews left by previous customers allows new clients to feel confident in their decision to do business with you.

Whether you decide to integrate customer reviews on your website, like a product page, or leverage third-party review sites, here are a few ideas on how to make user reviews a priority:

1. Create a process for collecting customer feedback. Make it easy for customers to leave reviews by setting up an automated process that captures their input after each interaction.
2. Use positive reviews in your marketing materials. When potential clients see that your past and existing customers are satisfied with your products or services, they’ll be more likely to do business with you.
3. Respond to negative reviews publicly. If you receive a negative review, take the opportunity to turn it into a positive by responding quickly and professionally. This demonstrates to prospective clients that you care about your customers and are committed to improving your products or services moving forward.

7. Leverage Client Testimonials

Client testimonials are one of the most powerful tools in a marketer’s toolkit. When used effectively, they can help you close more deals, differentiate your product, and build trust with prospects.

Here are some tips on leveraging testimonials to your business’ advantage:

1. Use testimonials from familiar names. Prospects will be more likely to trust testimonials from other businesses that they respect and admire. If you can get testimonials from big-name companies in your industry, even better.
2. Use testimonials throughout the buyer’s journey. Don’t just save your testimonials for the end of the sales process. Leverage them early on to help prospects see the value of your product or service.
3. Use client testimonials when pitching. If you’re trying to get press coverage, include some glowing quotes from satisfied customers in your pitch email or press release.

8. Build a Presence on Twitter

Twitter is viewed as a powerful marketing tool for B2B businesses because of its ability to reach a large audience with ease. Twitter allows businesses to share information and content with their followers in a concise format, an efficient and cost-effective method for placing their brand before the eyes of potential clients.

And, of course, many business professionals hang out on Twitter, making it a great place to rub shoulders with fellow business owners and marketers.

Here are some tips for building an influential presence on Twitter:

1. Use Twitter to share news and thought leadership content. Share informative content that will resonate with your target audience. This could include blog posts, infographics, or videos.
2. Engage with fellow business owners and marketers on Twitter. Follow others in your industry and join in on conversations. This will build relationships with potential clients and help to grow your network.
3. Include a call to action in your tweets. Share relevant content and ask for a response from your followers. Use hashtags that apply to your industry niche and brand. This helps drive traffic to your account, and it will help you gain visibility on Twitter.

9. Embrace LinkedIn

With just shy of 850M users, LinkedIn is another powerful social media platform that B2B owners can use to build exposure and promote their businesses.

Here are some tips for getting started with LinkedIn marketing:

1. Create a company page. Your company page is your opportunity to showcase your brand on LinkedIn. Include key information about your business, such as your products and services, company size, and industry.
2. Share valuable, relevant content. Think of your company’s success as a game of numbers. The more content you share, the more potential customers are likely to see it—and the greater chance they’ll one day become a customer.
3. Join LinkedIn groups. There are many industry-specific groups on LinkedIn where you can take part in discussions and share valuable insights with potential customers and fellow business owners within your niche. This is a great way to build trust and credibility for your brand.

10. Stop Ignoring TikTok

It’s time to stop ignoring TikTok and start incorporating it into your b2b marketing strategy.

Why?

Well, TikTok has quickly become one of the most popular social media platforms, announcing last year (2021) that it hit 1 billion active users worldwide.

Impressive. But, despite its enormous user base, there is still resistance from some businesses to embrace the new platform. The biggest misconception that turns many potential users hold towards the platform is it is predominantly used by Gen-Zers. And while there is truth to this, a growing number of older generations are using the platform too.

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So what does this mean for businesses?

Well, TikTok provides an opportunity to reach the next generation of customers in a fun and creative way. And here’s the thing: TikTok is already huge, and it’s only going to continue to grow. And the best part is, the platform just recently released its new Business Center. A portal of business-focused features that allows users to manage multiple accounts, create advertisements, and track campaign performance.

So, as much as some of us hate to admit it, there’s no denying TikTok presents B2B businesses with serious growth opportunities.

11. Don’t Shy From Influencer Marketing

As Todd explains in the below video, the creator economy is already and will remain to play a powerful role in the success of B2B companies, just as it does in the B2C industry.

@todd_clouser Imagine a marketing team made up of creators built out the same way sales teams use SDRs. The #creatoreconomy is coming for #b2b, but it’s not going to look the same as it does in B2C. Forward thinking marketing teams will build a team of full time content creators the same way sales teams build out SDR teams. The goal being to evangelize product users into die-hard fans and turn non-users into aspiring users. #b2bmarketing ♬ original sound – Todd C. 🗣️ Content Strategy

For those who aren’t sure, the creator economy refers to the growing trend of people making a living by creating and sharing content online. This includes content like writing articles, making videos, or posting photos. And while there has always been a market for creative content, the rise of the internet has made it easier than ever for people to reach a large audience and make money from their creations.

Influencers are a great example of this.

Influencers are taking advantage of the creator economy by collaborating with brands to create sponsored content. This type of content is beneficial for both the influencer and the brand because it allows the influencer to generate income while also promoting the brand to their followers.

In fact, there already exists a strong relationship between many brands and influencers. According to TopRank Marketing’s recent research report, 86 percent of B2B brands claim they find success with influencer marketing strategies. The report goes on to explain that 72 percent of B2B brands say influencer marketing improved brand reputation, 70 percent state it improved their brand awareness, and 56 percent claim influencer marketing strategies supported lead generation.

Here are three tips for working with influencers:

1. Define your goals. What do you hope to achieve with your influencer marketing campaign? Once you know your goals, you can look for influencers who align with your brand and can help you achieve those goals.
2. Evaluate an influencer’s engagement rate. Once you’ve found a potential influencer, look at their engagement rate (the number of likes, comments, and shares they get per post). This will give you an idea of how popular they are with their followers.
3. Be clear about what you want. Influencers are great assets to have in your marketing arsenal, but they’re not mind readers. So, before you work with influencers, be clear about your goals and what you expect from them.

12. Dive Into Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing involves an individual promoting a third party’s products or services and earning a commission when a sale is made. In B2B marketing, most times this involves a business partnering with a b2b marketing agency or recruiting a prominent content creator that promotes the B2B business through social media posts or other published content.

You may wonder how affiliate marketing differs from influencer marketing.

It’s based on the same concept. The biggest difference is that affiliates are paid when a customer conversion is attributed to a creator’s content—typically paid with a commission of the order value. Whereas in influencer marketing, influencers are paid for simply posting promotional content—regardless if customers are converting or not.

So, depending on your approach to B2B marketing, you may favor affiliate marketing over influencer marketing. Or simply employ a mixture of both.

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So what’s the big deal with affiliate marketing?

Well, affiliate marketing accounts for around 15 percent of the digital marketing industry’s revenue.

Not bad.

Here’s how to cash in on affiliate marketing strategies:

1. Find the right affiliates. Look for affiliates that have an audience that aligns with your target market. For example, if you sell software to small businesses, look for affiliates that target small business owners or entrepreneurs.
2. Offer attractive commission rates. Affiliates are more likely to promote your products or services if they stand to earn a good commission. So, make sure your commission rates are competitive.
3. Promote to potential affiliates. You can do this by creating an advertising campaign or by providing information about your program on your website or social media channels.

13. Build Landing Pages That Address the Purchase Cycle

The process a business takes to research and buy a product or service is generally longer and more complex than in a B2C transaction. Most times, multiple decision-makers are involved, each with their own objectives, budgets, and timelines.

With this in mind, to be successful in marketing to businesses, you’ll need to create targeted content that speaks to each stage of the purchasing cycle—and one of the most important tools for doing so is the landing page.

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A user arrives on a landing page after clicking a search result, external link, or an online advertisement. The landing page will usually display sales copy that is an extension of the search result, marketing material, or advertisement.

Different landing pages should offer different options to suit a customer’s needs. For example, at the beginning of the purchasing cycle, customers may be interested in general information about a product. A landing page suited to this stage would summarize the product and its features and include a call-to-action (CTA) that pushes the potential customer further down the purchasing funnel.

Here are a few tips to get you started with landing pages:

1. Keep your focus on the customer. Your landing page should be all about the customer and their needs. What are they looking for? What pain points are they trying to address? Keep your messaging focused on them, not on you or your product.
2. Make it easy to navigate. Your landing page should be easy to navigate, with a clear path to conversion. The last thing you want is for potential customers to get lost on your site. Include clear CTAs and make sure your forms are short and simple.
3. Use compelling visuals. This could include an eye-catching header image or an infographic that outlines your key points. Whatever you choose, make sure it is visually appealing and will grab the attention of your target audience.

14. Don’t Neglect Post-Purchase

It’s not enough to make a sale—you must be sure your customers are satisfied with their purchase and that they continue to do business with you in the future.

What’s the best way to encourage repeat business?

Through post-purchase support.

By providing support after a purchase, businesses can address any issues or concerns that customers may have, and resolve them in a timely manner. This builds trust and confidence with customers and encourages them to continue doing business with your brand.

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Here are some post-purchase strategies that will keep your customers coming back again and again:

1. Reach out after a purchase. Thank customers for their business and ask if there is anything you can do to help them further.
2. Offer additional resources or support. Provide helpful tips, resources, or contact information so they know you’re always available to help them out.
3. Ask for feedback. Getting feedback from your customers is essential to improve the quality of your product or service.

15. Increase Email CTOR With Embedded Videos

Witty subject lines and well-written email bodies are all for nothing if your email recipients aren’t clicking through to your website, product pages, or social media channels.

This is where embedded videos shine.

Embedded videos add a level of interactivity that will pique recipients’ interest. They are eye-catching and will break up the body of an email, making it more visually appealing. Using embedded videos also makes conveying information quick and efficient—something that is important in the B2B niche, as recipients are often short of time.

Beyond these benefits, embedded videos are used as CTAs, helping to increase click-to-open rates and generate leads.

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Here are a few best practices to follow with embedding videos in your email marketing content:

1. Keep it short and sweet. Videos in an email should be around 1-2 minutes or less. Any longer than this and you’ll risk losing the attention of your audience.
2. Make it relevant. Your video should pertain to the rest of your email content and offer something that would interest your target audience.
3. Use a strong call to action. Include a strong call to action at the end of your video so viewers know what you want them to do next (e.g., click through to your website).

16. Run Email Nurture Campaigns

In order to generate leads and sales from a B2B perspective, keeping your brand top of mind with email nurture campaigns is key. By definition, an email nurture campaign is a series of automated emails that are sent to subscribers in order to move them further down the sales funnel.

In other words, it’s a way of providing valuable and persuasive content that will eventually lead to a sale.

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There are many ways to run an email nurture campaign, but some tips on how to get started include: 1) segmenting your list so that you can send targeted content, 2) using engaging visuals and personalization, and 3) making sure your CTAs are clearly visual and located in a prominent position.

Email nurture campaigns can be highly effective in B2B marketing, so if you’re not already running one, now is definitely the time to start.

17. Keep Up With Search Engine Algorithm Updates

Don’t let search engines’ algorithm updates take you by surprise. Instead, have strategies in place that allow your business to shift and tweak its marketing strategies post-release. In other words, just because one tactic worked well before an update doesn’t mean it will still be effective after a new update is rolled out.

With this in mind, be willing to try new things and experiment to find what works best at attracting website visitors. And test, test, test. Never rest on your laurels. Always be ready to discover new data trends that will support your approach to search engine optimization.

Here are a few tips on how to do so:

1. Check Google Search Central (formerly Webmasters) regularly. This is where you can keep up with everything Google Search and any major algorithm updates.
2. Subscribe to SEO newsletters and blogs. This will help you stay up-to-date on the latest SEO news and remain competitive in the long run.
3. Follow industry leaders on social media. Many of them share their thoughts on the latest algorithm updates and what they mean for businesses.

18. Execute Effective PPC Ad Campaigns

Paid search is a powerful marketing tool for B2B companies. By running effective PPC ad campaigns, businesses can reach their target audiences with relevant ads that generate leads and drive sales.

However, it can also be a very costly endeavor if not carried out correctly.

To run a successful PPC campaign, businesses need to do keyword research to identify the right keywords to target. They also need to create compelling ad copy that speak to their target audience’s needs.

Here are a few tips to help you execute effective and profitable B2B Google search ads:

1. Define your goals and objectives. What do you hope to achieve with your paid search efforts? Make sure your goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).
2. Research your keywords carefully. Make sure you are targeting the right keywords that will reach your target audience. Try using both broad and long-tail keywords in your campaigns.
3. Create compelling ad copy. Your paid ads should be clear, concise, and persuasive in order to capture the attention of your target audience.

Read more: Check out our PPC services

19. Write Content for Business Professionals

As a business professional, it is important to remember that your customers are also busy professionals. This means that they are looking for in-depth, informative content that will give them the information they need without taking up too much of their time.

Here are some ideas for B2B marketing content that will resonate with business professionals:

1. Write blog posts that focus on solving common business problems.

Chances are, your target audience is always looking for ways to improve their businesses. Write relevant content that offers helpful solutions to common problems faced by businesses. Not only will this type of content be useful to your readers, but it will also show them you understand their challenges and are a valuable resource for information and solutions.

1. Create infographics that break down complex topics into easy-to-understand visuals.

Infographics are a great way to communicate complex information in a format that is easy for busy professionals to digest. When creating infographics for your B2B audience, include data that apply to their industry and focus on topics that will interest them.

1. Write about industry trends.

Business professionals are always looking for new information on the current trends and movements within their industry. By writing on these topics, you’ll demonstrate that you’re up-to-date on the latest industry developments, allowing them to stay informed.

Read more: check out our blog writing services

20. Optimize Your Business Website

Optimizing your website should be a top priority for anyone serious about marketing their business online and keeping up with the competition.

Search engine optimization includes, but is not limited to:

1. Make sure your website is mobile-friendly. More and more people are accessing the internet from their mobile devices, so it’s important that your website is responsive and easy to navigate on a smaller screen.
2. Use keyword-rich titles and descriptions. When potential customers are searching for products or services like yours, you want your website to appear in Google Search. Use relevant keywords in your titles and descriptions to help improve your ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs).
3. Focus on the technical aspects of SEO. Technical SEO refers to optimizing a website for search engine indexing and crawling. This means ensuring that all website content is well-structured and easy for search engines to read.
4. Optimize for page speed. Page speed is also important, as users are less likely to wait more than a few seconds for a page to load. Improving page speed can be a complex task, but it’s well worth the investment.

Read more: Check out our SEO services

Summary

By targeting your audience, creating valuable content, and establishing a strong presence on social media, you’ll reach new heights in the B2B field.

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Here at Loganix, our digital marketing service helps businesses like yours improve their online visibility and reach, including SEO keyword research, website analysis, and link building.

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