Our clients in Chicago want to know: what are our key takeaways for B2B marketing in 2014? Always reflecting upon our past work, the team at Autumn Consulting was eager to pull together some observations from last year.
How has the B2B marketing landscape changed in the Midwest? For one, our clients in the Chicago area are more accountable than ever and their audience is paying close attention. They don’t want annoying advertisements – they want helpful industry expert advice and a genuine network of resources that listen. These subtle shifts in the marketplace have a huge impact on your marketing investment:
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B2B Clients Want Custom
B2B clients are loyal to their suppliers, so the most common issues our clients have are not always how to keep their customers, but how to get them. Typically, all that’s needed is a little bit of education about your product and a little bit more careful listening.
What customer insights can you glean from your existing customers? How can you improve their customer experience? Listen to your sales team and understand your customer needs so much more. If you spend more of your time in 2015 capturing the questions and issues of your customers, they’ll spend more time with you. Autumn Consulting is a B2B full service marketing firm that can provide an outsider’s perspective in clarifying what it is your customers want and how you can deliver it to them.
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You Can’t Ignore Mobile Users
When was your last website update? B2B marketing experts throughout the Chicago area say that if your website is not mobile user friendly, it might be worth considering a refresh. Here’s why:
- Many small businesses are spending their money investing in mobile plans so that their product buyers and plant managers stay connected while they’re on the road. If they are connecting on the phone, make sure your website is ready.
- You can target mobile users and desktop users separately using Google Adwords and SEO web analytics.
- Click-to-call functionality allows your mobile users to simply select a phone number as it is published on your website, improving their overall customer experience.
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Pay Close Attention to Content Marketing
Social media marketing is leading the way – even for B2B companies. Everyone has a website, but those who stand out are the companies that engage with their customers day-in and day-out. Your customers are online daily, whether on Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, or Pinterest. Your customers want YouTube videos to familiarize themselves with your brand and your products. They want to relate to their professional network more than just Monday-Friday, 9-to-5. Our B2B clients have said they benefit from intentional content marketing in the following ways:
- The ability to use, re-use, and re-share content from the website, via email marketing, and across all social media platforms
- The channels to customize a message to different audiences – and track their engagement
- A vehicle to prepare and share content to all of their audience, no matter where they are in the buying process
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You Can Actually Generate Leads with Lower Investment
For our clients in the Chicago area, B2B marketing has changed drastically in the last 10 years, with the advancement of website technology and web analytics. No more do you have to make a large investment in advertising to print and media because your audience is online, waiting to hear your message! The best way to generate quality leads anymore is online, and the investment won’t break the bank, either.
- Website – present your message in an informative way
- Email Marketing – make sure the message gets out, track your audience engagement, and ensure your message changes as your audience needs change
- SEO and Web Analytics – monitor trends in web traffic and sales
Autumn Consulting has specialized in generating and qualifying leads for B2B small- to mid-sized business for over a decade and we are exciting to face the new year. If you’re not sure how to make your goals a reality, work with us to develop a custom web marketing solution for your business.
