2020 brought unprecedented challenges to businesses across the world. From shutdowns and budget cuts, 2020 was a year of change and learning to adapt as best as we could. As we begin this new year, 2021 is still going to be a year of adapting but in a different sense. Digital content is the main focus of B2B marketing strategy, and it is essential for success in 2021. Let’s discuss other B2B marketing trends to explore in the new year.
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Customer Retention
Selling to someone who already uses and loves your products is easier than trying to find new customers. This is retention marketing. With retention marketing, you are using strategies to strengthen already existing customer relationships in order to maintain your ROI and get continued sales at a lower cost. Marketing to your already existing customer base is more cost and time-efficient. Some of the best ways to retain customers is through constant communication, surveys and testimonials, and customer appreciation. While businesses love to bring in new prospects, retaining your current customer base may be the best place to start this year, especially if your marketing budget is limited.
Top Tier SEO
This marketing trend is definitely not new to B2B companies, but it is here to stay and that is SEO. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is what drives traffic to your website and content. With such a large digital space, people are looking for valuable information that solves their problems. By improving your SEO, you are providing users with helpful, relevant content while getting your company’s name out in the open. If you’re looking to improve your marketing strategies, SEO is a great place to start.
By analyzing your SEO and website analytics, you can see what content performs best.
Email Isn’t Dead
Along with SEO, email marketing is not going away anytime soon. SEO is how you build your audience, but email is how you will communicate and build relationships with them. This is especially true if your target audience is in the Millennial or Generation X age groups.
Eye-Catching Content
As marketing shifts into a more digital space, the importance of creating content is more important now than ever before. Think about it. In 2020, how often did you go in-person to a business? Due to COVID-19 and shutdowns, the answer is probably close to zero. Your customers are the same way. Right now, our digital presence is dominating customer experience. B2B companies should create content that best serves their customer base. There is no one size fits all – some people prefer reading whereas others would rather watch a video. Content should be interactive and encourage followers to share your posts, engage and explore your website for related information. Eye-catching and interactive content can also help retain customers through participating and active engagement.
Podcasts
With an estimated 100 million podcast listeners across the country and only projected to increase as time goes on, this medium is becoming increasingly popular. By implementing podcasts into your marketing strategy, you are utilizing a trend that has the potential to make impressions across your target audience.
If you have the resources to start a podcast then there are several strategies you can implement to get your brand’s name out there. From doing casual mentions of your company to distributing your podcast across your social media channels and other platforms, podcasts can entice listeners to learn more about your business. The best way to get maximum ROI on a podcast is by using the content in your episode and turning it into other pieces of content such as blogs, infographics and even videos.
Depending on your target audience, podcasts could be a great way to reach prospects.
More Conversion Paths = More Leads
Do you have various pieces of content, but you aren’t sure if they’re getting clicks? Try building landing pages with contact forms! With multiple landing pages you will have more success in generating leads for your business. For example, if you just have one form for a newsletter sign up then you have limited ability to get your messaging out there. But if you have 10 different landing pages that are targeted at specific audiences with content they’ll be interested in, then you have the ability to tailor different messages that will convert into leads much quicker.
When it comes to the year ahead, there is not telling what B2B marketing trends will emerge, but we predict we will see these and more! With 2021 underway, we hope B2B marketing will continue to grow and improve in order to reach their audience in this digital world. If you’re looking to improve your B2B marketing strategy, contact us today.
