Top Strategic Marketing Tactics for B2B Businesses This Year

Media reports are now revealing the best marketing tactics for B2B businesses this year. Many of these techniques have been consistent from year to year, though each one keeps evolving with new approaches. These have all proven effective for B2B businesses today, particularly because they bring personalization elements between you and your B2B buyers. Some of them are also old standards which you can improve upon with smarter content. Here are the top three:

1. IN-PERSON EVENTS

Many B2B businesses are attending and creating in-person events as a way to connect more personally with potential buyers. It's not hard to see why–many B2B buyers prefer to meet with those from whom they're buying. Buyers also like to actually see what products they're purchasing, to avoid any second-guessing when purchasing online.

In-person events also offer an opportunity to present compelling information about your product. If whitepapers and infographics are more popular online for product information, having attractively printed information at your live booth is even more enticing.

Be sure to provide thorough information at each event, including product demonstrations. Leave no doubt that your product solves problems better than your competitors' products.

2. WEBINARS AND WEBCASTS

This is the next best marketing strategy, after in-person events. After all, many buyers are overseas or simply unable to make it to live events.  A webinar allows you to tape your live event or convention and broadcast it to the world on your website. It's important to make your webinar video available at all times, so buyers can watch it at any hour. This means using high-quality video and sound so viewers don't miss a single word you say.

If you can manage it, live webinars and webcasts are better than taped ones. You can advertise these in an email newsletter to new and current buyers. As they watch live, it can lead to faster calls to action on buying your products. When you demonstrate your product in real-time, you make a call to action seem more urgent.

3. VIDEOS AND BLOGS

The reason these are mentioned together is because of how seamlessly they work in conjunction with one another in today's time when visuals are more popular than reading. No matter how you put together a blog, you still need content that's exclusive and not easily found on someone else's site. This includes industry information giving unique angles on the type of products you manufacture.

Most of all, videos are popular with B2B businesses because they are also a window into more personalization. You can make it more personal when you give a sense of talking one-on-one with a buyer, rather than merely talking to the masses. Make your videos look like you're talking to a good friend rather than just another customer. This is especially important if you create behind-the-scenes videosshowing how you make your products or introduce your employees.

If you create a video blog (or vlog), a great way to save time on content is turning some of your old print blogs into video form. Viewers appreciate this more visual approach, including some animation to stand in for an infographic.

The key is to consistently provide as much information about your products as possible in an entertaining way. That should always be a major strategy amid all of the most popular strategic marketing tactics.