Today’s B2B marketers have a lot of tools at their disposal. However, not all tools are created equal. These are some of the things that the best marketers are doing to achieve their goals.
- Content always matters. Customers, especially ecosystem partners that work with you and some of your competitors, want to know that the company they represent has the expertise, experience, and authority in the industry. The best marketers use content marketing as a means to communicate this to their customer. Thought leadership pays off.
- Lead generation and nurturing. Acquisition is not the only thing-retention is the key to organic growth. Statistics show that 90-95% of prospects are not ready to make a purchase when they come into contact with you. Keep talking to them until they are. The best marketers have systems in place to score their leads and then build relationships with qualified prospects. Nurtured leads are more likely to buy more, require less discounting, and shortening sales cycles.
- Use metrics. The best marketers constantly measure the effectiveness of their marketing initiatives. Whether Google adwords in a PPC campaign or an email blast special offer or an ongoing newsletter, properly developed metrics show what is working and what is not. Keep what is-even if it’s not the sexy “new thing” like Facebook or Twitter. The most successful marketers do not abandon proven marketing efforts.
- Have a social media strategy. The best marketers use social media to support existing marketing efforts and assist in launching new efforts/products/services. Remember to keep your social media strategies in line with your business and brand DNA—if it’s true to the brand, it will work; if it isn’t, prospects will shun you for being a “fraud.”