Whilst customer engagement is much talked about when it comes to business to consumer (B2C) strategies, the Business to Business (B2B) industry hasn’t adapted quite as quickly. But, with the rising popularity of smartphones and online purchasing, an engaging, positive experience has never been more important.
So, what can B2B organisations do to improve customer engagement within their marketing efforts? Let’s find out.
Social Media Marketing
With the sheer popularity of social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, your company probably already has at least one social profile online. However, today it’s simply not enough to just be present on social media. Remember that B2B customers are also B2C consumers in their own time; with an increasing number of web users turning to social networks to find both personal and business brands, a high level of social activity is vital. B2B marketing on Facebook, for example, can be done via videos, images, status updates, polls, shared articles and links, and more to get your customers talking and engaging with your brand.
Business Blogging
When business owners search for services and products online, they want to know that they are making the best investment in their company. To be sure of this, the business owner tends to look for a brand that is a reputable authority and has the knowledge and reviews to prove it. But, when you sell online, it can be difficult to showcase just how good you are without a blog or portfolio, meaning that your blogging competitors will be favoured. Along with being the best way to present your knowledge and showcase your authority in your business niche, a blog will provide you with more content to share on your social media profiles. Additionally, adding useful, evergreen content to your blog will improve your website’s SEO.
Push Notifications
In today’s ‘smartphone era’, both business and personal customers want to be able to access the latest information from their favourite brands on-the-go. So, develop an app that your customers can download to keep up to date with your company, their orders, new products/services and more. With an app, you can truly personalise the customer experience; you can collect data on each individual customer’s preferences to send them tailored notifications and updates.
Email Newsletter
Email marketing is a tricky subject; do it well and you can get great results. On the flip side, making mistakes in e-mail marketing can lead to disaster. However, business to business companies are at an advantage; business customers tend to use and check their email more than personal customers. And, if your company provides a solution that entrepreneurs can utilise, sending valuable and informational content via email can be a great way to encourage them to engage more with your brand. Be sure to stick to the golden rules when sending email newsletters: make sure that your recipients have given their permission, personalise the emails, and don’t spam.
Customer engagement is quickly becoming a bigger priority for B2B marketers. How do you encourage your customers to engage with your brand? We’d love to hear from you in the comments.
