They inspire the imagination of every narrator and send a shiver down the spine of good-faith people: myths and superstitions.
But not only everyday human life is peppered with strange stories.
In B2B online marketing, in particular, there are still beliefs that are long outdated and make your marketing strategy look old.
In this article, we debunk the eight biggest myths of B2B online marketing and show you how you can translate the stubborn fairy tales into promising concepts for your digital marketing.
Myth 1: Social media marketing plays no role in B2B online marketing
Facebook, Instagram, and Co. are only used by private individuals and do not influence the success of my B2B online marketing!
Could this sentence come from you? Then you are one of many who believe the number one fairy tale in B2B online marketing.
The days when social media were considered a pure B2C (business-to-customer) domain are long gone. Around 55 percent of B2B customers put, namely, the social channels when it comes to information about the product or service of desire to collect.
Social media also extends far beyond the “pioneer” Facebook: LinkedIn and Xing, for example, offer you excellent opportunities to target your buyer personas and use marketing measures wherever they are popular. With the integration of social media into yours You can do B2B online marketing:
Do targeted marketing – because social media has numerous tools available to analyze your customers’ buying behavior.
☑️ Save money – because placing ads on platforms such as Facebook or LinkedIn also protects the wallet of smaller B2B companies.
☑️ Establish a relationship with your customers – because your company gets a “face” on social media and interested parties can enter into direct dialogue with you.
Create the perfect digital business card for your company – because if you work professionally and your customers are satisfied, nowhere else can they make this known as quickly and effectively as on social media.
So clear up the myth and engage in intelligent social media marketing by focusing on the channels that interest your business customers.
Myth 2: I have to convince the managing director with my advertising messages
CEO on board, a product sold? Not at all.
Different rules apply in business-to-business than in the end customer business. The decision-making process takes much longer and does not depend on the preferences of a single person – for example, the managing director. On the contrary: a whopping 81 percent of B2B decision-makers are not at the management level (C level).
The golden rule to put an end to this second B2B online marketing myth is: identify key purchasing motives and get to know the goals, needs, and priorities of the individual decision-makers.
You can use your contact person to find out exactly who is involved in the sales decision and which criteria are decisive. Ask questions about the process after a purchase decision: Which departments will be required? What benefits do they expect from working with you?
A well-founded analysis gives you a clear picture of internal processes and other “indirect” decision-makers, whose needs you should also consider if you want to sell your product or service successfully. People like to speak of convincing a buyer center here.
Myth 3: Only the “young” people are online – and they have no B2B focus
Is the Internet only for the younger generation? You should send this belief into the desert as soon as possible – because times have changed.
The “Generation Y” (* 1980-1995) is clearly on the rise in B2B: around 45 percent of B2B decision-makers are between 18 and 35 years old. These so-called “millennials” like to use the unlimited possibilities of the Internet to find out about providers and solutions for their needs. Facebook, Google & Co have primarily replaced long-established marketing instruments such as product presentations, exhibition stands, or brochures.
Source Google presentation “B2B Growth with Google Solutions” by Carsten Richter
Highest railroad, so to tick off the third myth and tailor your content marketing to the needs of the new B2B buyers.
Pay attention to the following points that make today’s B2B buyers easier to choose your product:
☑️ Fast, authentic communication – keep track of all channels that are of interest to your business customers.
☑️ Trusted content in the right format – actively uses online platforms by providing relevant content for your target audience, preferably in the form of videos or case studies.
☑️ Availability on mobile devices – B2B buyers can make 60 percent final decisions, and in many cases, they do so on their smartphone. So make sure that your online content is perfectly optimized for use on your smartphone or tablet.
Myth 4: Nobody reads the texts on my website anyway
This fourth myth stubbornly persuades and entices numerous entrepreneurs to neglect their website massively.
A fatal mistake – around 66 percent of B2B buyers want websites that deal directly with the specific needs of their industry.
In the best case, general texts in which keywords are meaninglessly strung together make the search engine happy – but not your customers of tomorrow.
Establish yourself as an expert and create trust by writing case studies from the respective subject area of your prospects. Provide industry solutions that show how your product or service can meet the needs of your future customers.
Most important factors for a purchase decision in B2B (source)
Of course, you also need to know exactly who your dream customers are, what motivates them, and what benefits they hope for from your offer.
A so-called buyer persona gives you in-depth insights into the emotional world and, ultimately, into the decision-making process of your customers. In contrast to the target group definition, in which the desired customers are grouped facelessly according to general criteria, a buyer persona represents a fictitious person. This represents your typical customer. In addition to socio-demographic information, a buyer persona also includes emotional factors such as challenges, goals, desires, or fears.
So take enough time to create your buyer personas – for example, based on information about existing customers or using surveys by your sales team. The creation of targeted content with added value is guaranteed to be easier for you.
Myth 5: I reach my customers through the cold acquisition
No! Unsuccessful contact attempts, underground recall rate – cold calling is also a thing of the past in the B2B area. It is expensive, time-consuming, and not very promising.
But why?
In the digital age, far more than half of the B2B buyers prefer to do their research online rather than speak to a sales representative. Before you make a purchase decision, get information about the desired product or service. B2B buyers mostly trust their research on the Internet – rather than the statements of sellers.
So how do you design successful digital sales without a cold acquisition?
- Generate audience – establish yourself as an expert in your subject area, for example, through guest contributions or appearances as a speaker.
- Collect customer data – which the customer bought products? What Internet research does the customer do about the desired outcome? What webinars or other content did the customer watch?
- Use networks – take an active part in the action and get in touch with potential customers in a personal way. Satisfied business partners will recommend you and continuously expand your network.
- Capitalize on customer-friendliness – quick answers to customer inquiries and efficient processing of requests work wonders.
Myth 6: Search engine marketing in B2B makes no sense
Is SEO out of date today because Google will change the algorithm again tomorrow? Not quite.
Due to its dynamic nature, SEO acts as a real catalyst for optimizations in the area of B2B online marketing – because if you keep your website up-to-date, you are far ahead in terms of reach and awareness.
More than 70 percent of business purchase research begins with an organic search. The results on Google & Co. are viewed by business people as trustworthy and even preferred to paid advertisements.
So you can safely forget the fairy tale about SEO as a dusty technology – because search engine optimization is and remains one of the supreme disciplines in B2B online marketing!
Myth 7: I can be successful without online marketing
Many entrepreneurs are still turning their backs on online marketing.
“I have a website – online marketing is enough.”
In B2B, however, an average of 11 interfaces (or touchpoints ) are required before a customer makes his final purchase decision. These contact points are in the offline and online world alike. In the best case, they play optimally together and reliably accompany the customer on his way to purchase ( customer journey ).
Source Google presentation “B2B Growth with Google Solutions” by Carsten Richter
With a so-called omnichannel marketing strategy, you create the touchpoints above for your customers and thus offer them a seamless shopping experience.
To illustrate this, here is a small example of an omnichannel campaign: the entrepreneur gains the attention of his customers through poster advertising. By scanning a QR code, interested parties can access the company website and can receive vouchers for the company’s webshop.
The smooth flow of information between the individual channels, personalization, and a high degree of flexibility form the essential cornerstones of a successful omnichannel marketing strategy.
Myth 8: Influencer marketing is only for B2C
The use of influencers (English for influencers ) has become an integral part of business-to-customer marketing. Popular YouTubers, Instagramers & Co. publish appealing articles about the sponsored products and increase the reach of the advertising company many times over.
Contrary to the general opinion, influencer marketing is not only suitable for addressing private individuals. Even in the B2B environment, this form of advertising offers an excellent opportunity to present your own company in a contemporary manner.
To make your influencer marketing successful, you should ask yourself the following questions in advance: Which influencer type is best suited for my company? What do I expect from an influencer? What can I offer the influencer with my company?
Influencer types and their properties
☑️ Managing director = expertise, charisma
☑️ Employee = “face” of the company, credibility, personality
☑️ Brand ambassador = long range
☑️ Reference customers = authenticity, advice
Myth conclusion
The B2B world is also not immune to myths and false assumptions. Who but these fabulous stories takes advantage, and their online marketing certainly spices up with it, gain a clear advantage over competitors superstitious gives.
In this sense: have fun with the fairy tale lesson!
