B2B DIGITAL MARKETING EXPLAINED

B2B digital marketing refers to the strategies and tactics used by businesses to promote and sell their products or services to other businesses (B2B) in the online realm. It involves utilizing various digital channels and techniques to attract, engage, and convert potential business customers.

Digital marketing is an essential component of any modern business strategy. With the majority of your current and potential clients spending their time online, digital marketing provides your business with an opportunity to connect with your target audience and drive conversions.

However, with so many different tactics and strategies available, it can be difficult to know where to start.

In this comprehensive guide, we will take you through everything you need to know about digital marketing. In a nutshell, I wrote this blog to help you understand what digital marketing is, its benefits, and how you can use it to grow your business. Do you think this is for you? Keep reading!

Table of Contents

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Elements of every B2B Digital Marketing Strategy.

To build a solid digital marketing strategy for your B2B business, it is important to understand the core foundations that underpin this dynamic field:

Your goal– This is the main reason why you are adopting digital marketing into your overall marketing strategy. What do you expect to achieve for your business using online marketing?

Target customer –This is a group of people you are trying to reach, engage with and sell your products or services to. You need to understand what their needs are, their goals, and challenges hindering them from reaching their goals and how you can help them win.

Your unique selling point – Why you? There are many other competitors who offer similar products or services to your target market and why should they choose you over them? This is the point where you clearly communicate your value proposition.

Platforms and resources – These are tools and resources that you will use in order to execute your digital marketing tactics. These includes your website, social media platforms, skills, budget etc.

Content marketing – By now you already know that content is king. In digital marketing you need to engage and communicate value to your target audience. Content marketing is the only way to go.

The above are some of the main foundations of any digital marketing strategy, whether you are in B2B or B2C type of business, you need those aspects. If you are looking to create a solid digital marketing strategy for your business, I have a step by step guide for you with a free template.

How B2B Digital Marketing Works

Just to be clear, if you want results from digital marketing, don’t make it a by-the-way marketing strategy, have a reasonable budget, and consider it as a long-term strategy. Don’t expects instant results.

First decide on what you want your business to achieve from digital marketing and learn about the needs, objectives, goals, and pain points of your dream customers in relation to your offering. Look at what the competition is offering and what is lacking in the industry then use that gap as your key selling point.

Consistently communicate value and share useful tips with your audience using content on social media platforms, your website, emails, and other platforms. This will help you attract attention, build trust and credibility with your target audience. As you are sharing content, give exclusive content in exchange for their contact information and more details about their businesses and pain points. Those who share their details have graduated from your audience to your marketing-qualified leads. Thereafter, send them useful content tailored to their very specific needs and ask them for a meeting or phone call to deeply discuss how you can help them solve that particular issue step by step. At this point, the lead is sales qualified which means you can pass it down to the sales team to build deeper relations and convert the leads into clients.

B2B Digital Marketing Strategies

Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)

Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO) is a crucial aspect of digital marketing that focuses on maximizing the percentage of website visitors who take a desired action, such as making a purchase, downloading a free guide, requesting a demo, or filling out a contact form. In simple terms, it aims to improve the effectiveness of a website by increasing the number of visitors who convert into customers or achieve a specific goal. CRO involves analyzing user behavior, identifying areas of improvement, and implementing changes to optimize the website’s performance.

To carry out conversion rate optimization effectively, several activities are involved. Firstly, it’s important to gather data and analyze user behavior on the website. This can be done using tools like Google Analytics, heatmaps, and user recordings to understand how visitors navigate the site, where they drop off, and what actions they take. This data provides valuable insights into areas that need improvement. Secondly, hypotheses are created based on the data analysis. These hypotheses suggest changes or tests that can be made to improve the website’s conversion rate. These changes can range from altering the design, layout, or content to simplifying the checkout process or adding persuasive elements.

To implement CRO, a structured approach is crucial. The first step is conducting an audit of the website to identify potential problem areas. This involves examining the website’s design, navigation, user experience, and conversion funnel. Once the audit is complete, specific changes are prioritized based on their potential impact and ease of implementation. A/B testing is often employed, where two versions of a web page are compared to determine which one performs better. Through these tests, data is collected and analyzed to make data-driven decisions for optimization.

Let’s consider a B2B example to illustrate CRO in action. Imagine you have a software company and on the website, there’s a call to action “Book a free demo” You then realize that you are getting a good amount of traffic but the number of prospects booking the demo is way too low. So you decide to add another call to action eg “Request a callback” to conduct an A/B test and then compare the results of the two after some time. When comparing, you realize that the number of leads has increased and most of them were requesting a callback, because they were not ready for a demo. Maybe they needed a meeting to explain their challenges and get a tailor-made solution.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

SEO involves a range of activities to improve a website’s visibility and performance in search engines. These activities include keyword research, where relevant search terms are identified and strategically incorporated into website content, meta tags, and URLs. On-page optimization focuses on optimizing website elements such as headings, images, and internal links, making them more search engine-friendly. Off-page optimization involves building high-quality backlinks from reputable websites to increase a site’s authority and credibility. Additionally, technical optimization ensures that a website’s structure, speed, and mobile-friendliness meet search engine requirements. Regular monitoring, analysis, and adjustments are crucial to maintaining and improving SEO performance.

To get started with SEO, you can begin by conducting thorough keyword research to identify the search terms your target audience is using. By strategically incorporating these keywords into your website’s content, titles, and meta tags, you can help search engines understand the relevance of your website to specific queries. Creating high-quality, informative, and engaging content is also key, as it not only attracts visitors but also encourages other websites to link back to your content. Building a network of high-quality backlinks can significantly boost your website’s authority and visibility in search engine results. Regularly monitoring your website’s performance using analytics tools will help you identify areas for improvement and make data-driven decisions to enhance your SEO strategy over time.

Remember, SEO is a long-term process that requires patience and ongoing effort, but when done effectively, it can significantly increase your website’s visibility and bring valuable organic traffic to your business.

B2B Content Marketing

Content marketing is a part of digital marketing that includes creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and engage a target audience.

In the context of B2B marketing, content marketing plays a vital role in establishing thought leadership, building trust, and nurturing long-term relationships with other businesses. B2B content marketing aims to provide valuable insights, industry knowledge, and solutions to address the specific pain points and challenges faced by B2B customers. By creating high-quality content such as whitepapers, case studies, webinars, and blog posts, you can position your brand as expert in your respective industry, gaining credibility and attracting potential clients.

When it comes to B2B content marketing, it is essential to tailor the content to address the unique needs and preferences of the target audience.

B2B buyers are often looking for educational and informative content that helps them make informed decisions for their businesses.

For example, a B2B software company may create in-depth guides that explain how their software can streamline operations, increase productivity, and solve specific pain points faced by businesses in the industry. By providing valuable content that addresses these challenges and offers practical solutions, your B2B brand can attract the attention of your target audience and position your brand as a trusted advisor.

B2B buyers consume a lot of content to educate themselves and make better decisions during the buying process.

“54% of Decision-Makers – and 48% of the C-Suite – say they spend more than 1 hour per week reading and reviewing thought leadership.” According to LinkedIn

B2B Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing enables your B2B brand to effectively connect, engage, and build relationships with your target audience, which primarily consists of businesses, professionals, and decision-makers. By leveraging social media platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook, your brand can establish your online presence, promote your products or services, and showcase your industry expertise.

The main benefit of social media marketing for B2B brands is the ability to increase brand awareness, generate leads, and foster brand loyalty through personalized and targeted content.

Using social media marketing, you can leverage the advanced targeting options provided by social media platforms to reach their specific buyer personas and decision-makers.

For example, a consulting company targeting small to medium-sized businesses can create highly tailored content and advertisements on LinkedIn, targeting users based on job titles, company size, and industry. This enables the company to effectively deliver its message to the right audience, increasing the chances of engagement, lead generation, and ultimately, conversions.

Social media platforms gives you a free platform to showcase your expertise, communicate your value proposition and present your products and services to millions of potential customers.

Email Marketing

Email marketing plays a crucial role in B2B digital marketing strategies, offering a direct and effective way for businesses to communicate with their target audience.

One of the main benefits of email marketing for your B2B brand is its ability to deliver personalized and targeted messages. By segmenting your email lists based on factors such as industry, job title, or previous interactions, you can tailor your content to specific recipients, increasing the chances of engagement and conversion.

Additionally, email marketing allows you to nurture leads over time by delivering relevant and valuable content at various stages of the buyer’s journey, helping your brand build trust and credibility.

An excellent practical example of how a B2B company can leverage email marketing is through a comprehensive lead nurturing campaign. Let’s say a software company offers a range of products and services for the healthcare industry. They can create a series of automated email sequences that deliver informative content, such as whitepapers, case studies, and webinars, to their leads. The company can start with a welcome email that provides an overview of their solutions, followed by a series of emails that address common pain points in the healthcare sector and highlight how their offerings can solve those challenges. By tracking engagement and monitoring recipient behavior, the company can identify hot leads and deliver targeted offers or demos to further drive conversion.

There are several email marketing platforms available that cater specifically to B2B companies like yours. Here is a tabular overview of some popular options, along with their key features and pricing:

Email Marketing Platform	Key Features	Pricing
Mailchimp	Advanced segmentation, automation workflows, A/B testing	Free plan available, paid plans start at $9.99/month
HubSpot	CRM integration, personalization, analytics	Free plan available, paid plans start at $45/month
Constant Contact	Drag-and-drop email editor, list management, event registration	Plans start at $20/month
Brevo	Marketing automation, transactional emails, SMS marketing	Free plan available, paid plans start at $9/month
Campaign Monitor	Drag-and-drop email builder, audience segmentation	Plans start at $9/month

64% of B2B marketers say their email marketing strategy was effective for meeting business goals in 2021. (HubSpot Blog Research, 2021)

81% of B2B marketers say their most used form of content marketing is email newsletters. (Content Marketing Institute, 2020)

Digital Advertising

Digital advertising plays a crucial role in B2B digital marketing strategies, allowing your business to reach its target audience effectively and drive meaningful results.

Unlike traditional advertising methods, digital ads provide B2B brands with a wide array of targeting options, advanced analytics, and measurable outcomes. By leveraging digital advertising, you can enhance brand visibility, generate leads, nurture customer relationships, and ultimately achieve your marketing goals with precision and efficiency.

One of the main benefits of digital advertising for B2B brands is the ability to target specific industries, job titles, and professional interests. This level of targeting ensures that ads are displayed to relevant decision-makers and key stakeholders, maximizing the chances of engagement and conversions.

For example, a software company offering CRM solutions for small businesses can create a digital ad campaign targeting CEOs and sales directors in the retail industry, highlighting the benefits of their product in streamlining sales processes and improving customer retention. This laser-focused targeting enables you to optimize your marketing budget and allocate resources effectively.

There are various types of digital ads available for B2B companies to leverage in their marketing campaigns. Some common examples include search engine ads (such as Google Ads ), display ads, social media ads, video ads, and sponsored content.

Search engine (PPC- Pay Per Click) ads appear on search engine result pages, allowing you to capture leads actively looking for specific products or services.

Display ads can be placed on relevant websites or within specific industry publications to increase brand visibility and drive traffic to your website.

Social media ads lets you target their audience on platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter based on demographics, job titles, or interests.

Video ads, such as those on YouTube, provide an engaging way to showcase products or share educational content.

Sponsored content allows B2B brands to collaborate with industry influencers or authoritative websites to reach their target audience through trusted sources.

By understanding the different types of digital ads available, you can select the most suitable formats to effectively communicate your brand’s value proposition and achieve your marketing objectives.

Data Analytics

Data analytics and measurement play a crucial role in B2B digital marketing, enabling companies to derive valuable insights and make data-driven decisions.

With the power of data, you can gain a comprehensive understanding of your target audience, campaign performance, and overall marketing effectiveness. Through data analytics, you can track and measure key metrics such as website traffic, conversion rates, customer engagement, and return on investment (ROI). This enables you to optimize your marketing strategies, identify areas for improvement, and allocate resources more effectively.

Let’s consider a B2B software company in Kenya that offers a range of products and services to different industries. By leveraging data analytics, this company can track and analyze customer interactions on their website. They can examine data points such as the pages visited, time spent on each page, downloads, and form submissions. Through this analysis, the company can identify which pages and resources are most engaging to their target audience, understand customer preferences, and identify potential pain points or areas for improvement in their user experience.

Armed with these insights, the B2B company can optimize their website content, navigation, and conversion paths, resulting in a higher conversion rate, increased lead quality, and ultimately, more sales.

There are several analytics tools to help you read and interpret important data on your website and social media platforms. You can use Google Analytics, a free tool from Google to understand your customers, improve user experience on the website and come up with relevant content.

Every social media platform today comes with inbuilt analytics to help you see how your content is performing, gives you insights about your audience and you can use that information to improve your overall social media marketing strategy.

Free Digital Marketing Tools

Digital marketing for B2B companies can be greatly supported by a variety of free tools available online. These tools can help your business improve its online presence, generate leads, analyze data, and enhance your overall digital marketing strategy. Here are some major free tools that can assist in your digital marketing efforts:

Google Analytics: Google Analytics provides detailed insights into website traffic, user behavior, and conversions. It will help you track the effectiveness of your digital marketing campaigns, identify traffic sources, and optimize your website for better performance.

Ubersuggest: This tool allows you to discover relevant keywords for your industry and target audience. By researching and incorporating these keywords into your content, you can improve your search engine optimization (SEO) efforts and attract more organic traffic to your website.

Mailchimp: Mailchimp is a popular email marketing platform that offers a free plan for businesses with fewer subscribers. It enables you to create and send professional-looking email campaigns, manage subscriber lists, and track email performance through detailed analytics.

Canva: Canva is a user-friendly graphic design tool that you can use to create visually appealing content for your digital marketing efforts. It provides templates for social media posts, infographics, presentations, and more, helping you design eye-catching visuals without the need for advanced design skills.

Buffer: Buffer is a social media management tool that offers a free plan for managing a limited number of social media accounts on a single dashboard. It allows you to schedule and publish posts, track engagement, and analyze social media performance.

HubSpot CRM: HubSpot CRM is a powerful customer relationship management (CRM) tool that provides a free plan for businesses. It will help you organize your contacts, track interactions, and manage sales pipelines. The tool integrates with other HubSpot marketing tools, enabling you to align your marketing and sales efforts seamlessly.

SurveyMonkey: You can use this to create and distribute online surveys, and collect valuable feedback from your customers and target audience. The tool provides basic survey creation features and analysis capabilities, helping you make data-driven decisions.

Google Trends: It offers insights into the popularity and search volume of specific keywords over time. You can utilize this tool to identify trending topics and keywords related to your industry, enabling you to create relevant and timely content for your digital marketing campaigns.

These free tools can be instrumental in supporting your digital marketing efforts. However, it’s important to note that some tools may offer additional premium features and functionality for a fee, which you can consider if you require more advanced capabilities.

How to become a digital marketing professional

Gain foundational knowledge: Start by building a strong foundation in digital marketing concepts and strategies. Familiarize yourself with key areas such as search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, social media marketing, content marketing, email marketing, analytics, and conversion rate optimization (CRO). You can find online courses, blogs, and industry publications to learn from.
Develop your skills: Digital marketing requires a range of skills. Sharpen your skills in areas like copywriting, graphic design, data analysis, project management, and communication. Take advantage of online resources, tutorials, and practical exercises to practice and enhance these skills.
Get hands-on experience: Theory is important, but practical experience is crucial in becoming a digital marketing specialist. Look for opportunities to work on real projects, even if they are small or unpaid. Offer your assistance to local businesses, non-profits, or start-ups to gain practical experience in areas like social media management, content creation, or campaign optimization.
Build a personal brand: Establish yourself as a digital marketing professional by building your personal brand. Create a professional website or blog to showcase your knowledge and expertise. Consistently produce high-quality content related to digital marketing and share it on social media platforms. Engage with industry influencers and participate in relevant online communities to expand your network.
Stay updated with industry trends: Digital marketing is a very dynamic field. Always keep up with the latest trends, tools, and strategies. Follow industry blogs, attend webinars and conferences, and participate in online courses to stay current with the rapidly changing digital landscape.
Obtain relevant certifications: Certifications can enhance your credibility and demonstrate your expertise. Consider earning certifications from recognized organizations such as Google Ads, Google Analytics, HubSpot, Hootsuite, or Facebook Blueprint. These certifications validate your knowledge and can make you stand out in the job market.

Network and collaborate: Networking is essential in the digital marketing industry. Attend digital marketing events, join digital marketing groups on social media, and connect with other professionals in the field. Actively participate in projects, share your views, and learn from others in the industry. Work on developing your brand as a professional digital marketer, this will attract exciting job and business opportunities for you.

Continuously learn and adapt: Digital marketing is a dynamic field, and it’s crucial to continuously learn and adapt to stay ahead. Stay curious, seek out new learning opportunities, and experiment with new strategies and tools. Embrace a growth mindset and be open to testing and refining your approach based on data and insights.

Remember that becoming a digital marketing specialist takes time and dedication. Embrace the learning process, be proactive, and always strive for continuous improvement.

Free Digital Marketing Courses

When it comes to pursuing a career in digital marketing, there are numerous courses available to help you gain the necessary skills and knowledge.

One renowned platform offering free digital marketing courses is HubSpot Academy. HubSpot offers a wide range of courses covering various aspects of digital marketing, including inbound marketing, content marketing, email marketing, and social media marketing. Their courses are designed to provide comprehensive training and are suitable for beginners as well as professionals looking to upgrade their skills.

Google also provides excellent opportunities to learn digital marketing through its online learning platform, Google Digital Garage. The platform offers free courses on topics such as search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, analytics, and mobile marketing. These courses are created by industry experts and cover essential concepts and practical techniques. Google Digital Garage certification is widely recognized and can enhance your credibility as a digital marketer.

In addition to HubSpot and Google, other reputable organizations and individuals also offer free digital marketing courses. For instance, Neil Patel who is a thought leader in the digital marketing space offers tools and free courses on digital marketing cutting across, SEO, CRO, Content marketing, etc. Meta Blueprint (formerly Facebook Blueprint) is another valuable resource that offers courses on Facebook and Instagram advertising. LinkedIn Learning is an online learning platform that covers a wide range of digital marketing topics, providing courses taught by industry professionals.

These courses provide a solid foundation in various digital marketing disciplines and can pave the way for a successful career in this rapidly evolving field.

Core Skills a B2B Digital Marketing Specialist / Manager needs

Many companies have always directed their Marketing Managers or someone from the marketing team to assume the role of a Digital Marketer. This is a wrong move because the skills required by a digital marketer are different from the ones that a Marketing manager acquired from their Bachelor’s in Marketing or even an MBA.

A B2B digital marketer requires a diverse skill set to effectively navigate the digital landscape and drive results for business-to-business marketing initiatives. Here are some core skills that are crucial for a B2B digital marketer:

Strategic Thinking: B2B digital marketers should have the ability to think strategically and align marketing efforts with overall business objectives. They need to understand the target audience, market trends, and competitors to develop effective digital marketing strategies.
Content Marketing: Creating compelling and relevant content is essential in B2B marketing. A digital marketer should possess strong writing and storytelling skills to craft engaging content that educates, informs, and addresses the pain points of the target audience.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Understanding and implementing SEO practices is vital for B2B digital marketers. They need to optimize website content, keywords, metadata, and other elements to improve organic search visibility and drive relevant traffic to the website.
Paid Advertising: Proficiency in managing and optimizing paid advertising campaigns is crucial. B2B digital marketers should be adept at using platforms like Google Ads, LinkedIn Ads, or Facebook Ads to create targeted campaigns, monitor performance, and adjust strategies to maximize return on investment (ROI).
Analytics and Data Interpretation: B2B digital marketers need to be comfortable with data analysis and interpretation. They should have a good understanding of tools like Google Analytics or other marketing automation platforms to track campaign performance, measure key metrics, and make data-driven decisions.

Social Media Marketing: B2B organizations can benefit from a strong social media presence. Digital marketers should be proficient in social media marketing techniques, such as creating engaging content, managing social media accounts, utilizing paid social advertising, and leveraging social media analytics to drive brand awareness and generate leads.
Email Marketing: Email marketing remains a powerful tool in B2B marketing. Digital marketers should have experience in crafting effective email campaigns, creating segmented lists, using marketing automation platforms, and analyzing email performance to nurture leads and drive conversions.
Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO): B2B digital marketers should be skilled in optimizing conversion rates throughout the marketing funnel. They need to understand user experience (UX) design, A/B testing, landing page optimization, and other techniques to improve conversion rates and generate more qualified leads.
CRM and Marketing Automation: Proficiency in customer relationship management (CRM) platforms and marketing automation tools is essential. B2B digital marketers should be able to manage customer data, create targeted workflows, and use automation to personalize marketing efforts and nurture leads effectively.
Collaboration and Communication: B2B digital marketers often work in cross-functional teams, requiring strong collaboration and communication skills. They should be able to effectively communicate ideas, coordinate with designers and developers, and work with sales teams to align marketing and sales strategies.

It’s important to note that these skills can vary based on specific industries, company size, and job responsibilities. However, these core skills provide a foundation for success in B2B digital marketing.

My final thoughts

B2b digital marketing involves developing and implementing a targeted strategy to reach business customers through digital channels. This involves understanding your audience, creating valuable content, utilizing social media, and measuring the results. By prioritizing your digital marketing efforts, your business can gain a competitive edge and reach more potential customers. To take the first step towards improving your b2b digital marketing strategy, book a free strategy call with me today, and let’s discuss how we can grow your leads and revenues through digital marketing.

Looking to grow your revenues through digital marketing? Request A Free Strategy Call.

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We get to know you and your business
Understanding your pain points and marketing goals
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