The primary objectives and aims of this paper include the examination of various articles on the present state of B2B business. The articles examined provide information regarding the ins and outs of the enterprise. The advice and practices discussed in the articles and consequently this paper are paramount to this course considering that people with the requisite experience write them. Experience is known and famously praised as the best teacher, however, learning from other peoples’ experiences prevents an individual from having to fail in order to learn. As such, the articles also have some of the best practices in B2B that the people authoring them have used and continued to use. In addition, this article shall also analyze the role of the B2B articles in understanding the B2B Marketing course. There shall also be an analysis of building long term customer relationships in the business market.
Articles themes
A Scientific Explanation into the Reluctance of B2B Marketers to Innovate
It is ironical that most business usually claims that they lack the money to push forward innovations such as digital marketing while simultaneously spending money on things that reassure them of the protection of their image. The main science behind this is that while many of the marketers are aware that their efforts are not producing the desired results they are unwilling to risk a change. Obviously, it is illogical to keep repeating a process that is failing rather than try a new process that might succeed. As such, if the B2B marketers intend to achieve any results they must innovate and try out the new things.
Tips for Stronger B2B Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
The SEO strategies offered show how a B2B business can increase its website traffic by ranking higher in the results of the Search Engines. The SEO will also aid the business to target its customers more efficiently, with an increased online sales conversion. Firstly, the bossiness must understand its customers and their searching habits. Then the business must expand on their search terms. The search terms are the words or phrases that the business might want to attain a higher rank.
B2B Social Media Marketing Plan
In this approach, a B2B marketing plan must involve the utilization of social media and the age group that is most conversant with the social media. Millennials (18 to 33-year-olds) and more specifically he recent graduates are most conversant with social media platforms. Therefore, this group is a real asset to the business and should be utilized in the Social media marketing plan. However, the natural fluency and know-how of the group should not automatically elevate them to running the Social Media platform. Where such appointments have occurred, the result has been a failure mainly because they are inexperienced in social media marketing and also marketing in general.
Focus on 1:1 by B2B Marketing
B2B marketers often make the mistake of focusing on large vanity metrics rather than investing in single one-on-one meaningful connections. By focusing on their customer relations, the B2B businesses can have bigger investments and greater revenue generation. The main ways in which to increase the 1:1 marketing is by building relationships. Focusing on individual customers, managing the customers’ in-between their purchases and finally helping the customers on the management of their business.
Emotional Effects on B2B Purchases
71 percent of the buyers in the B2B businesses make their purchases if they see a persona; value in the business. The result is that the personal value of the business to a customer had a twice the impact the business impact had on the customers. Emotional value vastly overwhelms logic and reason in customer purchases. Therefore, B2B business must focus on connecting with people and their customers on an emotional level if they desire to increase their sales.
Benefits of Digital Listening
Digital listening simply means that a B2B company should be informed of what the customers are saying online. Raj Rao, Vice President of 3M Co. states that digital listening strategies have been a significant part the company’s marketing strategy for the last five years. An uniform approach to listening to the customer allows the company to dedicate its focus on the customer's solutions. A spontaneous nature is also expected for a business if it is to respond quickly and efficiently to high priority customer feedback. Big companies must avoid inertia by constantly responding to their markets.
Sales Strategies that Work Well
The first sales strategy seems to be the realization that the process is complicated. The customers being different must be approached differently, and the opportunity to present all the buyers is exceedingly rare. The customers must also trust the business especially in dealing with sensitive information. The organization must strive to keep the movement forward rather than backward. The company must know where the prospect’s head is at and adapt accordingly. The B2B business must also create a legitimate sense of urgency in their customers and optimize on it. Finally, the business must cut down on their expenses.
The role of the articles in understanding B2B marketing course
Sales Role in the Organization
The role of sales in Marketing has been emphasized consistently in the articles with regards on how to improve them. The 1:1 article especially highlighted the importance of creating an interpersonal relationship with the customer to ensure that the customers make their purchases. The principles behind the articles coincide with the courses lesson on sales role in an organization. Sales differ from other various forms of marketing communications mainly because it is person-to-person.
Elements of Business Strategy
Business strategy while not dealt with exhaustively by the articles seems to be the underlying theme to all of them. In fact, the final article deals specifically with the successful businesses and the strategies they applied.
Building long term customer relationships in business markets
The importance and value of customer relations in businesses cannot be overstated especially in B2B businesses. It allows a business to enhance its brand, add to its value and shore up its position against its competitors.
The business ought to communicate regularly with its customers. Customers will feel that the business is aware of them and appreciates their importance to the business. As such, the business must resist the temptation to send only promotional emails and newsletter to the businesses. Instead, the businesses could send helpful emails and newsletter. The frequency and the mode of communications must also be varied regularly. Therefore, the business could combine and alternate between face to face communication, emails, phone calls, and direct mail.
The B2B business must also seek to improve its customer relations. If the business can afford it, it must ensure that it has a dedicated channel or staff for dealing with and fixing customer issues efficiently and urgently. A serious customer service allows the customers to have good customer experience that will determine the choices that they make. The customer relations ensure repeat business, increased sales and positive word of mouth free advertising.
Customer reward is also essential in developing long-term customer relations. The reward programs work very well for B2B business as they present the customer with the view that the business is not just out to get their money but also appreciates them. Effective customer rewards are the graduated rewards that create the situation where the more the customers spend on the business, the greater their rewards. The rewards could be discounts or just any rewards that remind the customer of the business and its products and services.
Works Cited
Naude, Pete and Christopher Holland. "Business-to-business relationships." Relationship Marketing, Theory and Practice (1996): 40-54. Online.
