How the B2B industry can prepare for what comes next

If you’re in business to sell to other businesses, you know how difficult it is to target and convert during even the best of times. Not only do you have to concern yourself with the ebbs and flows of your company, but you have to get inside the minds of each and every decision-maker you’re in contact with.

Your clients’ successes are defined by increased ROI and refined processes. They’re driven by their company’s financial wellbeing. They think only in long-term solutions and even longer-term relationships. And if that’s not hard enough, your target is a single entity, secured behind skilled gatekeepers who know how to keep you and your messaging at bay.

What we’re getting at is, even during the best of times, B2B sales are hard enough. Now, factor in COVID-19 and the question as to when, or even if, business as normal will ever return to… normal, and you begin to wonder if staying focused, driven, and motivated is even possible. In short, yes. Yes, it is. Right now is when you need to lean into every task, checklist, and rainy day bucket you have so you can position yourself and your company for what comes next. So we have prepared some tips to help get you through

Stay in touch with your core clients and decision-makers.

If you haven’t already done so, start by reaching out to your best and most loyal clients. Check in with them and make sure any need they have, that you can address, is being met. And if they’re not sure how you can help, just let them know your standing by with honest counsel and experienced guidance. These contact points can include a simple phone call, regular email newsletters, website landing pages, or social media posts that let them know what your status is, and how you are positioned to help, right this moment. Be sure to provide clear paths to customer service professionals within your organization.

Reach out to those that are aware, but have not yet engaged.

Tap into your CRM’s closed/lost file as well as your website’s audience retargeting tools, social media pixels, and saved/customized/qualified digital audiences. Leverage these resources with campaigns that raise awareness with paths to more information for further research. Also, become aware of how people are now searching for assistance that you can offer. A cohesive SEM and SEO strategy that targets and optimizes for trending search terms will place you directly in the conversion path.

Now is the time to write. Even those who haven’t yet converted stand to benefit from your advice and expertise. SEO-optimized blog posts educating potential clients on how you and your company’s products/services can position them for success will increase brand recognition and loyalty. (Not to mention increase your site’s rank and surfacability down the road.)

Discover engagement opportunities in places you never thought to look at.

Not only are the number of people browsing the web every day up, but the amount of time they’re spending on it is also is up as well. Potential customers that never had the time to explore, research, and plan ahead are now active, online, and engaged.

It’s time to get outside of your creative comfort zone and pivot your display campaign’s strategy. Launch a series of A/B tests or try presenting interactive elements within your ads that push audiences to engage before the click. Identify opportunities to leverage the additional time people are spending online by creating thought-provoking questionnaires or quizzes. A single extra data point can help you better understand how your targets respond, as well as who’s worth focusing on.

So what comes next?

Don’t forget that every customer arrived only after first being made aware, and followed by an abundance of research, before making the decision to engage your services. Now is the time to double-down on communication and marketing initiatives. Rethink your short-, mid-, and long-term goals, define each of your key audiences, and get to work.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Our team of digital strategists, developers, and designers are standing by.

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