New B2B campaign, but please with success – Here’s what you should consider before launching your digital omnichannel campaign

Implementing successful digital omnichannel campaigns in the B2B environment often presents many marketers with major challenges even before the actual implementation. Not knowing who exactly is to be reached with the campaign or via which digital channels they can be reached are just two of them. Read this article to find out which tips & tricks will make your B2B campaign a success and what you should definitely pay attention to if you want to reach B2B decision-makers – including a practical overview of the distinguishing features from B2C decision-makers.

In addition to the significantly longer sales cycles, the implementation of promising digital campaigns in the B2B environment requires a deep understanding of the target group(s). This can be demonstrated with a simple example: A fashionable T-shirt is bought quickly. Either you like it or you don’t. In terms of price sensitivity, too, purchasing decisions are generally made more quickly in B2C than in the case of complex and expensive solutions in the B2B environment. This is because, unlike in the end-customer market, a successful marketing strategy here is based primarily on an understanding of the entire buying center.

In contrast to B2C marketing strategies, companies do not try to reach a single person with purchasing power. Rather, their solutions address an entire team of stakeholders and business leaders, all of whom play a relevant role in the decision-making process.

If, for example, a new machine is to be purchased for production, the user of the machine is involved in the first stage. In addition, senior employees in the department, purchasing and, in the last instance for large purchases, members of the management often come into play.

In business-critical and large-scale cases, there are also external consultants who accompany the entire purchasing decision process and have a say in the matter. This is often the case, especially in IT projects.

The question that many marketers and campaign managers in the B2B environment ask or have to ask themselves right at the start is therefore: Who do we actually want to reach with our campaign and which digital channels are the right choice here?

Good preparation is half the battle

One of the most important criteria for a successful omnichannel campaign in B2B is a good foundation. As a basis for all further steps, you cannot be detailed enough in this phase. Our tip: Gather as much information as possible in advance and also involve your sales department.

It makes sense to coordinate these questions with the sales staff:

Who is typically involved in the purchase decision process?
What might a classic buyer persona look like and which channels is my target group using?
In which phase of the sales funnel is my target group?
What challenges does my target group face?
What are the USPs of your solution and how do you differentiate yourself from competitors?

It is important to find answers to all these questions as early as the campaign conception stage. This is the only way to ensure that your digital campaign reaches those who are relevant to you with as little wastage as possible.

B2B buyer personas are not the same as B2C buyer personas

The biggest differentiator may sound very banal at first glance: To whom is the product sold? But what does that mean in detail?

B2B buyer personas pursue different goals than B2C buyer personas. They want to know how their company can profit from the offered solution, are interested in efficiency and in expertise from trustworthy sources.

B2B buyer personas therefore behave differently in the purchase decision process than a B2C customer would in a fast-moving consumer good. Purchase decisions they make are always long-term – such as long-lasting solutions or partnerships. For this reason, they want to be well informed. The more content and information, the better.

B2B buyer personas suddenly have the patience to deal with more detailed content, which B2C buyer personas often lack. Articles, case studies, whitepapers and the like provide the detailed information needed by the knowledge-hungry B2B decision-maker. No wonder almost half of B2B marketers plan to release more case studies in 2022.

B2C buyer personas often make their decisions for emotional reasons. For the B2B buyer persona, on the other hand, almost everything comes down to logic and weighing the costs and benefits. However, that doesn’t mean that the latter can’t be reached through emotion – quite the opposite. They, too, try to solve problems that present them with concrete challenges.

It is not uncommon for emotions to come to the fore here as well. What marketers need to find out are the concrete pain points of their target group or target groups. In concrete terms, this means: What gets on their nerves, which problems can the target group best understand themselves – and how does your solution come into play here?

In summary, we can note the following distinctions:

You now know what preliminary considerations need to be made before you launch a digital campaign.

In the next article, you’ll learn what you need to keep in mind to successfully execute your campaign.

The Campaigns & Performance Team of the Evernine Group supports you in all phases of your campaign. In joint workshops, we focus on who your target group is and how we can best draw their attention to your solution.

Arrange a free consultation right now:

Quelle Titelbild: Adobe Stock / mykyta