B2B Branding: Creating a Unified Message Online

B2B branding isn't always easy when you are marketing your brand on many online platforms. This is a problem that's plagued businesses in recent years as more social media channels become available and online media options increase. With all those options, it's tough to create a strong branded message across the entire online spectrum.

A confused branding message can occur online when businesses try to impart their messages broadly, and across too many channels at once. You could call this "spinning digital plates". Once you have communicated your message on multiple outlets, you might have changed part of your brand message in the process.

This means that when someone finds your B2B business on search engines, the message they see on one social media site may be different from what you have displayed elsewhere on the Internet.

This kind of brand confusion is especially detrimental to B2B businesses because B2B customers want as much accurate information as possible about who you are and what you offer. With recent reports showing that B2B buyers carefully research B2B businesses before buying from them, you need consistency in your online message.

How do you make your message more unified so that everyone understands what you stand for? Much of the way to do this focuses on being strategic about which social media channels you utilize, and honing in on the promises you make to your customers.

PARING DOWN YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS

The biggest mistake you'll make with your online branding is thinking that you have to post on every social media outlet. With so many options out there, you're apt to send mixed messages, especially if you've neglected one of those accounts recently. You may have an outdated company description on a given social outlet that you've since revised. If someone happens to find this account through a Google search, they've already received the wrong message from you.

It's best to whittle down the social media accounts you use to only the most important few. Figure out which social media sites your target B2B customers actively use, and carefully manage your overall message on these sites. You'll find that creating a schedule and/or system for maintaining your important social sites will help you be more efficient in keeping up with your branding changes.

HONING IN ON YOUR BRANDING PROMISES

Word spreads fast when you keep a promise you set in your branding message. Once you communicate a message across the entire online landscape regarding what you offer and what makes you different from competitors, keep it consistent so that customers know what to expect. Even a slight deviation from what you've promised throws everything out of balance and confuses those who heard about you through word of mouth.

One effective way to achieve consistency is to create a direct and compelling message, showing how your products solve a particular problem for your target demographics. All B2B customers want to know how you're going to solve a problem for them. They also want clear and easy-to-read information that gives proof of how this works.

Here is where you can truly refine your message so that customers understand what makes you stand out.

CREATING A VIVID PICTURE OF AN OUTCOME

Your B2B customers want proof in your message that your products solve problems better than a competitor's. In other words, you want to create a vivid picture in their minds of a particular outcome that will occur if they purchase and use your products. The best way to do this is by creating video testimonials from past or current customers who benefited by buying from you.

Thanks to the visual culture we live in, video testimonials represent a powerful visual component to your overall message. By placing these videos online as part of your digital marketing efforts, you help to eliminate confusion. Most importantly, you'll eliminate the true enemy of B2B businesses: doubt.

Contact us, and we'll help you create a consistent, unified message about what your B2B business offers.