Many companies in B2B have already recognised the value of their website. They use their website to build their own brand, to retain customers and to acquire new customers. The expert for strategic internet marketing in B2B Sanjay Sauldie explains the 3 most important success factors for companies on the new marketplaces.
B2B internet marketing is changing very rapidly with major implications for B2B marketing strategies. Budgets are being allocated in very different ways. While online advertising has increased by up to 6% in the period from 2007 to 2009 – keyword advertising even increased by up to 19% – traditional advertising measures such as TV and radio are losing valuable market share (loss of 3 up to 5%) and even print advertising in consumer magazines has decreased extremely (-9%).
Despite all these developments, print advertising in trade magazines is growing at 4%. Traditional trade fairs and outdoor advertising are the big losers of the new era.
This means that more and more companies in B2B are discovering the value of the website and are using internet marketing measures for positioning their own brand as well as for customer retention and new customer acquisition. If a B2B company is not able to enter these new marketplaces professionally today, it will suffer the consequences of neglect in the years to come. What trends are important to gain a foothold or better position in this market?
Trend 1: Content is the new weapon of the internet
Valuable content is not only valuable for search engines – but especially for your own customers and the customers of your customers. What content can you make available to your customers and what content do you make available to your customers’ customers? The battle for these markets has begun and in the B2B sector there will unfortunately be a lot of losers – the weapons are not distributed according to the size of the company, but according to the speed of reaction to the changes in the market!
Trend 2: The classic website is dying!
If you “only” have a website, you will no longer be noticed on the internet, because there is a lack of interaction, discussion possibilities and opportunities to join in. Under the theme of “Open Innovation”, on which I have given lectures at Deutsche Telekom, websites are becoming portals, forums, their own new marketplaces with their own life. You can see the video recording of my Open Innovation lecture here.
If you don’t manage to bind your target group on your own platform, you will go down in this battle. The positive news: even a small company can suddenly overtake large, immobile companies on the internet. The one who strikes first wins!
Imagine creating something like a “XING” for your target group. Of course, others will imitate you if you are the first and do it right. But think about it: In how many other comparable portals like XING are you represented? Look! It’s worth taking the first step! I would be happy to support you with my experience!
Trend 3: Multimedia or no existence at all!
Videos are becoming increasingly important – and not only for your marketing! At a human resources fair I was allowed to give a lecture on the effects of the internet on recruitment. More and more often, the highly qualified applicants are choosing the companies themselves. One of the really important criteria was how the company presents itself in multimedia.
If you feel like it, just have a look at the following video: www.marktvorsprung.de Your code: AM68167 Which company today – in times of demographic change – can afford to lose the well-trained people to competitors? The battle for the best employees has long since begun – and is already starting in the high school graduation years! See my tip 24
The world around us has changed – there used to be a saying “If you do everything the same, you will only get the same!” This saying no longer applies today – the new change of mind is: “Those who do everything as before will get much less than before!”. Think about it! I look forward to a lively exchange of ideas with you!
Last updated on 7. February 2023
