B2B – IT’S NOT ALWAYS COMPLICATED
In the depths of business-to-business marketing you’ll find questions, problems and relationships that can seem profoundly complex. You’ll hear about martech and full stack, ABM and AI, CRM and CMS, CX, UX and AI and any amount of other jargon. But up on the surface things are simpler.
Because there are only two things you really need to know about B2B marketing to know everything:
- B2B is everywhere and
- B2B is about the relationship.
Once you know these things, all the complicated acronyms and multi-syllable words fall in place.
IT’S ALL B2B
It’s important to understand that business-to-business relationships are embedded in practically every service or product.
Just think of how the producer of your smartphone had to purchase metals and minerals from another company in order to manufacture the various components of your phone.
Equally, the coffee and croissant you had at a café required bulk purchases of coffee, butter, flour and many other ingredients. Some academics would say that, one way or another, every social and economic actor integrates resources, creates values and provides services.
To put it simply, it’s all B2B.
Looking at it this way can help us demystify B2B marketing. Yes, we must speak of churn rates and CMS and CX and all the rest of it. But at the end of the day, B2B is really just about cultivating better relationships with other people and businesses who, like us, work in this deeply interconnected B2B marketplace.
IT’S NOT ALL TRANSACTIONS
Business between businesses involves fewer, larger buyers who are embedded in complex networks. These businesses will have complex needs that often respond to demands that derive from the demands of other businesses.
In short, it’s complicated.
As such, successful B2B relationships require a thorough understanding of the other business’s needs and their environment. This means that B2B is not and cannot be about pure transactions.
Instead, B2B is about lasting committed relationships.
Rather than focus on volume, look to emphasise customer value. Rather than a focus on product quality alone, the quality of the relationship must come to the fore. Great customer service and continuous contact are critical features too.
Good B2B partnerships are complex and therefore hard to replicate. They are hard for competitors to understand, copy or displace.
Looking at it this way, we can understand that committed business relationships offer a durable advantage precisely because they are so difficult to manage.
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP
Our executive team and account managers here at Always Be Content are keenly attuned to the nature and needs of B2B organisations. We understand that the complexities of the B2B environment demand sophisticated solutions. Our response is to listen.
Once we see the full story, we can help you find the most appropriate and effective solutions.
For example, when the UK’s largest energy company wanted to promote its renewable solutions, we listened. We did our homework, studied their supply chain, their partnerships, their culture and their unique needs.
The result? We crafted an integrated campaign that improved cost for traffic and online conversion rates. NPS rose by +28 and customer numbers increased for the first time in a decade!
Equally, when a global engineering firm wanted to highlight their sustainability strategy, we did what we do best: empathically listened. The result was a core creative that smoothly integrated into all aspects of communications. The company’s value increased by 12%.
If you, too, are looking for cutting-edge B2B marketing solutions, get in touch with us. Let’s have a conversation over a cup of coffee – digitally or otherwise. After all, B2B is about great relationships, and lasting relationships begin with a good chat.
