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Lots of great brands struggle to figure out online business-to-business marketing (B2B). Most are excited about the seemingly unlimited opportunity and the supposedly lower-cost way to reach the right partners with just the right messages. They quickly discover digital marketing isn’t as rational and predictable as the constant chatter about data and analytics would suggest.
Apple’s iOS14 and beyond has reigned in targeted advertising. Google’s coming restrictions on cookies will further limit the data needed to track and find potential clients. Analytics platforms from Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to Meta rarely tie neatly, and many more confusing surprises await relative newcomers to the client acquisition game.
Yet when it comes to consulting, energy, finance, industry, and technology, we’re talking about some of the smartest folks in the world. Why haven’t they been able to figure out what direct-to-consumer brands (DTC) have been doing online for years? Is there something in the DNA of top B2B companies that makes digital marketing an uphill slog?
Let’s look at five factors holding back B2B brands to see what the underlying trouble might be!
Complexity—Successful B2B leaders often offer multiple services for different sectors and customers, making it hard for potential clients to find what’s relevant quickly, a must online.
Jargon—Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) often treat in-house marketers as lightweights and insist on using language only they understand, another barrier to relevance with B2B prospects.
No Hero Offer—Most great DTC brands are built around a powerful, instantly understandable, must-have offer, e.g., best boots under $200. While many B2B products or services don’t lend themselves to such simplicity, it’s crucial to have a clear hook. Otherwise, overstimulated, impatient business people will just move on.
Weak Calls-to-Action (CTA)—Once the hero offer sets the table, you must entice the prospect to take a nibble. On B2B sites, CTAs are often hard to find, too vague (“Learn More”) or simply unmotivating (“Contact Us”). Better campaigns share meaningful insights or data. Some invite prospects to meet SMEs. You get what you give.
Moving Goalposts—Because top B2B players are filled with independent, talented professionals with varying expertise, it’s no easy task to agree upon what a successful campaign should do, let alone how to measure ROI. To make progress, a strong marketing team needs to set clear goals with explicit C-suite support. If not, campaigns will be nothing less than the proverbial camel, a horse built by committee. You won’t get results. But there'll sure be plenty of blame to go around.
The funny truth is this. B2B companies’ core strengths, such as deep subject matter and technical expertise, are often weaknesses when it comes to digital marketing. As we see so often in life, being too good at one thing blinds you to how other things work. So what can B2B brands do about it? In our next post, we’ll cover how the best businesses overcome this paradox and win online!
