B2B Marketing Strategy -  A Decade Later

“The best marketing doesn’t feel like marketing” – Tom Fishburne quoted this ages ago; however, this still resonates very well in the current times. There is no rulebook for marketers on developing cutting-edge strategies, infographics to include in your deck, or a set method to meet the ever-evolving customer demands in a country like ours. A comprehensive SWOT analysis is necessary to understand the nuances and decode the customer mindset, enabling B2B marketers to excel. However, the most significant determinant of B2B ‘effective’ marketing is your audience and stakeholders. That includes whether you understand your audience in the first place and how you communicate with them from there. What worked in the year 2000 may not be a suitable fit in the current scenario, nor in the years to come.

The bottom line?

As B2B marketers, we have an opportunity to deliver so much more in an industry that is ripe for innovation and disruption. Cookie-cutter methods will no longer suffice, and they will not help brands stand out. Does that mean we keep reinventing the wheel? The answer is no, but to act smartly and make the most of our budget and tactics to devise the best strategies for the brand.   

Building Trust with Quality Content

Content is and shall always be at the epitome of everything a marketer does to reach the end goal. Trust is the most important currency for a B2B marketer—high-quality content positions your brand as a trusted advisor rather than a seller. Trust requires visibility. However, more than that, it involves credibility, which only comes with the right messaging and narrative. Enabling the potential user with the correct information will help a B2B marketer to influence the decision and ultimately result in getting them on board. In this decade, relationships are the backbone of B2B growth. Trust-building content strengthens the customer-brand relationship, not just at the point of sale, but post-sale, reinforcing loyalty and advocacy.

No, Shy, Try AI

Early this year, LinkedIn released a report stating that 94% of Indian B2B marketers achieve high ROI with AI. With almost every marketer using AI to improve campaign returns and measure ROI better, B2B marketers must work with leaders to prioritise ‘value metrics over volume metrics’. Embracing AI will aid in the long-term strategy, as those who can harness and work efficiently with AI will be able to position the brand effectively, segment customers (or "bucket" customers), determine the proper return on investment (ROI) for the brand, and ultimately benefit end customers. Marketers are always looking to get more value from analytics, and this is an area where AI shines. If given the right prompt, AI helps analyse vast amounts of businesses’ data and reveals impactful insights into customer behaviour, preferences, and future trends.

Optimise Your Strategy as You Go

Cold calls, outreach, and sales pitches no longer cut it — the customer wants evidence and the partners ' promises. The job of a B2B marketer is not only to chase targets, but also to strategise plans to cater to the demands. Due to the demanding nature of the business and the crowded market, it becomes imperative for the marketer to keep their creative thinking always on and make real-time adjustments to maximise campaign effectiveness. Modern B2B journeys are no longer linear; they are complex. One needs a 360-degree strategy and pivot almost daily to meet the demanding changes. Buyers today are bombarded with numerous touchpoints and formats, including email marketing, vodcast, webinars, and newsletters. A marketer needs to apply different permutations and combinations to target the audience and ask these questions: what to do, when to do and which channel to opt for to stay ahead of the curve. 

Follow the mantra "Hurry up slowly" in B2B marketing. 

This formula was never taught in any book to date. The point one tries to establish here is not “just acting” and implementing strategies or plans, but to act wisely. Whether it's content, digital ads, or email marketing, the goal should be to target the right audience with the most effective methodology. B2B cycles are long. Deals don’t close overnight, and plans don’t get executed in a jiffy; hence, one needs to optimise daily, but recognise that trust, authority, and pipeline take time.