Updated on 02/03/2023
Hubspot defines inbound marketing as a business methodology that attracts the attention of customers through the creation of content that they find valuable and relevant and experiences that are tailor-made for them. We have already talked about the specifics of Inbound marketing and its advantages in a B2B context. In this post, we will share 4 tips for developing a multi-channel B2B strategy that leverages Inbound marketing.
How to intercept the attention of business customers?
In the end, all the aspects that we have reflected on fall here, on this question: How do we capture the attention of business customers? There are two indicators that are relevant to all of the channels and phases of B2B processes:
- By creating a solid lead generation strategy that takes into account a context where the digital media landscape—high volume, many players—is constantly changing
- By focusing on all phases in which the potential customer will be motivated, convinced, and ready to contact sales
Planning is therefore fundamental to gain the confidence and interest of a prospect, and it is crucial to convert the prospect into a lead and qualify him/her for the subsequent conversion. But how can we intercept the attention of business decision-makers today? And, how can we monitor the different touchpoints where leads can be found? What tools can we use to enhance this attention so that it becomes the foundation for a lasting relationship of trust?
The answer to all these questions is only one: building, from the beginning, an accessible, authoritative, and coherent digital presence. To do this, requires adopting an Inbound marketing approach that takes the specific characteristics of each digital channel into account, where you create and distribute relevant content that is immediately understandable, easy to use and, of course, interesting.
An omnichannel marketing strategy for B2B
To build an inbound omnichannel plan for B2B, you will first need to understand the dynamics of the different media and create communication objects that can meet the typical expectations of each lead generation channel. Below, we have summarized several suggestions from in summary that can help you in creating your own strategy.
1. Social Media Marketing Strategies
Social media is a key component of B2B marketing, but everything is more complicated here than in the B2C world. The conversion rates of B2B social media continue to be rather mysterious. Some sources place the conversion rate at around 1.95%, which is still a bit low. In general, quantity versus quality seems to be the norm, and this makes social media an ideal channel to increase brand awareness in the early stages of the buyer’s journey. In any case, the main channels to focus on are LinkedIn Ads and Facebook Lead Ads.
2. PPC Lead Generation Strategies
Pay-per-click (PPC) lead generation campaigns focus on a wide range of paid advertising platforms, the most popular of which are Google AdWords and The Google Display Network. The AdWords conversion rate is 2.70% and the Display conversion rate is 0.89% on average. Rates vary depending on the industry, so it’s best to keep an eye on the benchmarks for your business.
PPC is not a substitute for organic marketing but complements it. Google tested some models on SERPs to find out if the paid search absorbed organic traffic and found that 89% of the traffic generated by paid ads is not replaced by organic.
3. Blogging Lead Generation Strategies
The blog is at the heart of content marketing, the strategy that invests in creating content that is relevant and consistent with a defined audience, with the goal encouraging interaction with leads and customers, throughout their shopping trip. For the B2B market, blogging activity can:
- Direct traffic to your website. With proper SEO and editorial calendar planning, a blog can help strengthen the company’s presence on search engines, linking it to the keywords searched by potential customers: each post is an additional indexed page with which to “place” company content on Google
- Convert traffic into leads. A well-positioned CTA on a valuable blog post can direct prospects to the landing page for conversion into leads
- Facilitate closing other deals. A blog can help convince existing customers to close other deals or can serve to “evangelize” other people (through spontaneous referral activity)
- Establish a “niche authority” within particular spheres of influence
4. Email Marketing Lead Generation Strategies
Email is as relevant today as it was years ago. Email is a sort of bridge between marketing automation and CRM, two of the most used cloud solutions by marketing professionals; its opt-in function is still the starting point for lead generation.
The emergence of advanced tools such as predictive analysis and AI algorithms only makes email marketing more and more customizable and timely, which makes it effective for following up on signals of interest, delivering content, and sending presentations.