B2B Marketing Techniques
Following are marketing techniques outside of the typical ones (advertising, publicity, trade shows, etc.) that many business-to-business companies have found to be effective:
•Create and actively interact with customer advisory boards. Invite the most influential opinion leaders to participate.
•Create and actively interact with strategic partner boards.
•Create external “expert councils” for all major new products. Invite the most knowledgeable and influential outside experts to participate, involve them in the product design itself.
•Hold conferences and seminars, inviting current satisfied customers, prospective customers and internal and external industry experts. Present case studies, the latest innovations, let the experts speak, and allow time for networking.
•For software companies, “Beta test” your software with major influential customers and those that would provide compelling case studies and testimonials.
•Hold product launch parties for important customers.
•Record testimonials from your most supportive customers and subtly interweave these with the background music that plays when people are on hold at your company.
•Develop and disseminate a portfolio of customer case studies to reinforce specific brand benefits to specific target customers.
•Publish and widely disseminate white papers to position your organization and brand as experts in your field.
•Develop a speakers’ bureau and actively orchestrate speaking engagements at key industry events – conferences, trade shows, industry association meetings, etc.
•Actively seek industry association committee assignments and board positions
•Constantly keep the following people and organizations aware of your brand and its latest accomplishments:
-Industry analysts
-Financial analysts
-Resellers and other strategic partners
-Your organization’s professional partners: lawyers, accountants, management consultants, advertising agencies, etc.
-Trade magazine editors and writers
-People who write about your industry for the general business press
-People who write books about your industry
-Influential bloggers and podcasters in your category
-Other opinion leaders
Can you think of other techniques?
