Posts Tagged ‘B2B Marketing’
The Anatomy of a B2B Marketing Campaign - Results & Follow Up
Welcome to the 4th installment of the Marketing Monday “Lunch & Learn” Series by Allegra Marketing. Each Monday, we share a post from a 4-part series of marketing information and ideas. This series will discuss the anatomy of a successful business to business marketing campaign, with specific focus on developing goals and metrics, developing creative and copy by segments, selecting channels and deploying campaigns, and tracking results and following up. We will expand on these topics to provide a framework for planning, organizing and executing an effective B2B marketing campaign.
We hope you enjoy Part 4 of 4 of The Anatomy of a B2B Marketing Campaign!
Results & Follow Up
After clearly defining your objective, the goals necessary to achieve it and the measurements of success, the results of your marketing campaign should be easy to identify. If the objective is achieved, the follow up should focus on replicating the success. If the objective was not achieved, you should go back and review the data and goals your organization failed to meet. The following is a list of questions that should be addressed when analyzing the results and effectiveness of a B2B marketing campaign:
- Was our objective realistic? (Did we aim too low/high?)
- Was every goal vital to achieving the objective?
- Did we allocate our assets efficiently?
- Did we use our time effectively?
- What could we improve upon next time?
- Did we use the proper measurements of success?
If the campaign was not successful, it may worthwhile to consult with an outside marketing professional to gain an additional perspective on what worked and what could have been done differently to increase the chances of achieving objectives in future campaigns.
This article has discussed the anatomy of a successful business to business marketing campaign. Its aim is to educate marketers on how to develop goals and metrics, develop creative and copy by segments, select channels and deploy campaigns, track results and follow up.
For more information about B2B marketing solutions, contact Allegra Marketing. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn!
The Anatomy of a B2B Marketing Campaign - Selecting Channels & Deploying Campaigns
Welcome to the 3rd installment of the Marketing Monday “Lunch & Learn” Series by Allegra Marketing. Each Monday, we share a post from a 4-part series of marketing information and ideas. This series will discuss the anatomy of a successful business to business marketing campaign, with specific focus on developing goals and metrics, developing creative and copy by segments, selecting channels and deploying campaigns, and tracking results and following up. We will expand on these topics to provide a framework for planning, organizing and executing an effective B2B marketing campaign.
We hope you enjoy Part 3 of 4 of The Anatomy of a B2B Marketing Campaign!
Selecting Channels & Deploying Campaigns
Creative, compelling communications are only effective when marketed to the target audience through proper communication channels and effective campaigns. This process can involve multiple channels, including cold-calling, direct mail, e-marketing, radio & television marketing, outdoor print marketing, online advertising, on-site demos and live event marketing. If a B2B marketing campaign does not successfully present both the creative segment and compelling copy to its audience in a place where they are receptive to the information, the response to the campaign will suffer. Goals will not be met, decreasing the chances of achieving the objective.
It may be beneficial to marketers to select several different channels when trying to reach business prospects. For instance, business prospect that may not respond to direct mail may respond to the same creative and copy when it’s used in an email campaign, or vice versa.
Deploying campaigns, especially when the campaigns cover several marketing channels, is a multi-phase process where planning and flexibility are critical. Measurements of success must be monitored to identify effective channels of communication and successful aspects of the creative segment and copy. Increasing successful communication practices and improving ineffective ones allows for a more efficient allocation of resources and improves the chances of success.
The following is an example of how a B2B campaign can be measured for success and efficiency:
Action: Monitor response to campaign and record channel of communication which resulted in new client contact and/or acquisition.
Goal: Identify three most effective channels by counting number of new clients acquired in region through each individual channel and conducting cost benefits analysis.
Metrics: Monthly and quarterly marketing costs for each channel. New client contact and/or acquisition per channel and per dollar spent based on cost per channel.
For more information about B2B marketing solutions, contact Allegra Marketing. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn!
The Anatomy of a B2B Marketing Campaign - Developing Creative & Copy by Segments
Welcome to the 2nd installment of the Marketing Monday “Lunch & Learn” Series by Allegra Marketing. Each Monday, we share a post from a 4-part series of marketing information and ideas. This series will discuss the anatomy of a successful business to business marketing campaign, with specific focus on developing goals and metrics, developing creative and copy by segments, selecting channels and deploying campaigns, and tracking results and following up. We will expand on these topics to provide a framework for planning, organizing and executing an effective B2B marketing campaign.
We hope you enjoy Part 2 of 4 of The Anatomy of a B2B Marketing Campaign!
Developing Creative & Copy by Segments
After the campaign goals are determined, the next step in the process is to develop a creative way to grab and hold the attention of business prospects in the campaign’s target market. The creative aspect of your B2B marketing campaign should stimulate interest in learning more about your organization, which is where the copy provides detailed information.
The copy should complement the creative segment by providing compelling information that excites and further sells potential clients. It communicates the benefits received by businesses that enter into a relationship with your organization. Your persuasive copy should convince your target market that it is a “no-brainer” to respond to the marketing campaign and compel them to contact your organization.
In some cases, market research should be conducted to determine how different marketing segments respond to creative and copy. For instance, some business prospects may respond to creative/copy that is playful or funny; others only to creative that is professional and poignant. Segmenting prospects also gives marketers the opportunity to test different markets to see which types of creative and copy work best.
The ultimate goal, of course, is to capture business prospects, attain their contact information and segment them into narrower channels that will support future marketing efforts.
For more information about B2B marketing solutions, contact Allegra Marketing. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn!
The Anatomy of a B2B Marketing Campaign - Developing Goals & Metrics
Welcome to the 1st installment of the Marketing Monday “Lunch & Learn” Series by Allegra Marketing. Each Monday, we share a post from a 4-part series of marketing information and ideas. This series will discuss the anatomy of a successful business to business marketing campaign, with specific focus on developing goals and metrics, developing creative and copy by segments, selecting channels and deploying campaigns, and tracking results and following up. We will expand on these topics to provide a framework for planning, organizing and executing an effective B2B marketing campaign.
We hope you enjoy Part 1 of 4 of The Anatomy of a B2B Marketing Campaign!
Developing Goals & Metrics
Before starting a Business-to-Business, or B2B, marketing campaign, it is critical to clearly define the goals and metrics that will end up driving the success of that campaign. Initial goals must be reasonable to achieve and their methods must contain quantifiable factors that can be measured to determine the rate of success. In addition, achievement of the initial goals should serve as a foundation for achieving larger, long-term goals and future desired outcomes.
In most cases, goals can be defined by answering a series of questions that help to identify some of the issues that may arise during the course of the campaign. The following questions are an example of those that may be asked to help develop reasonable goals:
- What kinds of resources are available to help us reach our goal?
- How long do we have to accomplish our goals and achieve our objective?
- What constraints might affect us?
- Is each goal vital to achieving the objective?
By developing and utilizing metrics, marketers give themselves the ability to review data that will help them track progress and improve the likelihood of success in achieving the goals of the B2B marketing campaign. Data collected from the quantifiable factors can also be used to identify effective techniques and improve or remove ineffective processes.
The following scenario presents an example of a B2B marketing campaign objective, complete with goals and metrics:
Sample Objective: To increase brand identity and business relationships among the 131 organizations that match the target market criteria for new client acquisition in the Northeast US region over the next 12 months.
First Quarter Goals: Delegate direct marketing and customer support responsibilities for region to a multi-person team and create sales goals for each member. Initiate contact with all 131 organizations through combined e-marketing, direct mail, business networking and cold-calling. Create interactive files on each organization and develop customized marketing plan based on data acquired.
Metrics: Monthly and quarterly reports on number of target organizations aware of brand and those which have responded to marketing efforts. Number of new clients acquired, tracking of growth in region and participation rate increases (or decreases) from quarter to quarter. Identify common factors among organizations who responded to marketing campaign and those that did not.
For more information about B2B marketing solutions, contact Allegra Marketing. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn!
Marketing Solutions 101 for Business to Business: Communication Channels
Welcome to the 4th installment of the Marketing Monday “Lunch & Learn” Series by Allegra Marketing. Each Monday, we share a post from a 4-part series of marketing information and ideas. This series will discuss the basics of marketing and will provide marketing solutions for enterprises looking to improve their business-to-business marketing. The topics that will be covered include defining the ideal client, differentiating your business, segmentation and messaging and communication channels.
We hope you enjoy Part 4 of 4 of Marketing Solutions 101 for Business to Business!
Communication Channels
The final element of a successful marketing plan is determining your method of distribution or communication channels. Any marketing plan, no matter how well it is developed, will fail unless it is distributed along effective communication channels to the market segmentation or target market.
Selecting effective communication channels is a major element of a business’ marketing mix. Businesses must properly use direct marketing, sales promotion advertising, personal selling and public relations to communicate the existence and value of a product or service to the target audience.
In order to properly select effective communication channels or distribution methods, business must focus on getting their message, product or service to the target audience at the right time with consideration for profit and effectiveness. Successful marketing does not end when an individual or business has developed a successful service or product and has found its ideal client or target audience. Marketers must then decide how they are going to distribute this message, product or service to their target audience.
Businesses that successfully identify an ideal client or target audience, differentiate their business from their competitors, properly segment their target audience and create a message that is distributed through the proper channels to reach their target audience will ultimately be successful. By following these steps you will be reaching potential customers with an effective message and will ultimately see an increase in sales and profit.
For more information about marketing solutions for B2B companies, contact Allegra Marketing. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn!
Marketing Solutions 101 for Business to Business: Segmentation and Messaging
Welcome to the 3rd installment of the Marketing Monday “Lunch & Learn” Series by Allegra Marketing. Each Monday, we share a post from a 4-part series of marketing information and ideas. This series will discuss the basics of marketing and will provide marketing solutions for enterprises looking to improve their business-to-business marketing. The topics that will be covered include defining the ideal client, differentiating your business, segmentation and messaging and communication channels.
We hope you enjoy Part 3 of Marketing Solutions 101 for Business to Business!
Segmentation and Messaging
The next element of a successful marketing plan is segmenting your target audience and tailoring a specific message that will address their wants and needs. At its most basic level, market segmentation refers to dividing a market in terms of commonalities or similarities. Meaning that the members of a specific market segment have something in common.
The major purpose of market segmentation is the concentration of marketing energy or marketing solutions to a specific subdivision or market segment to gain an advantage over the competition within this specific subdivision. Concentration of marketing energy or solutions is the key component of all marketing plans, and market segmentation is the marketing solution or tool that allows us to help achieve this focus.
There are numerous ways to segment a market for business-to-business marketing, the most common of which is firmographics. Firmographics refers to the characteristics of a specific organization. Much like demographics to an individual, firmographics paint a portrait of an organization based on factors such as industry, number of employees, revenue size, number of locations and the location of the company.
Marketing segmentation is important because it is a great way to apply marketing solutions or energy to a subset of a specific market. However, crafting a message that resonates with that specific subset is equally important. If you choose to segment the market by focusing on firmographics make sure to target your brand or message to the largest segment that fits your niche. Segmentation’s greatest value lies in targeting a subset of businesses and allowing your business to craft a specific message that is tailored to the needs and wants of that specific subset.
For more information about marketing solutions for B2B companies, contact Allegra Marketing. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn!
Marketing Solutions 101 for Business to Business: Differentiating Your Business
Welcome to the 2nd installment of the Marketing Monday “Lunch & Learn” Series by Allegra Marketing. Each Monday, we share a post from a 4-part series of marketing information and ideas. This series will discuss the basics of marketing and will provide marketing solutions for enterprises looking to improve their business-to-business marketing. The topics that will be covered include defining the ideal client, differentiating your business, segmentation and messaging and communication channels.
We hope you enjoy Part 2 of Marketing Solutions 101 for Business to Business!
Differentiating Your Business
The next element of a successful marketing plan is differentiating your business from your competitors or positioning yourself properly to your target audience. Positioning can be defined as how your product or service is perceived by your target audience relative to your competition. Your goal is to create the perception, or an image, that is differentiated, unique and definable in the mind of your target audience. To successfully position your service or product, try the following:
- Define and create a list of your business’ competitive advantages
These advantages might include lower costs, better customer service, higher quality, etc.
- Choose the competitive advantage that differentiates your business
What you choose, or which benefits of your business you select, will depend on what positions your competitors have chosen and how you wish to position yourself amongst these competitors. However, some competitive advantages may be inconsistent with other products or services, too costly to develop or simply not strong enough to differentiate yourself in the marketplace.
It is essential that your marketing solutions and materials support the image or position you are trying to create. It is also essential for your business to know your potential and present competitors, both direct and indirect. You should examine your competitors’ strengths and weaknesses relative to those of your business. This will help you select marketing solutions and a market position that provides your business a competitive advantage.
Your market position should emphasize the factors that your customers or clients value most and those which differentiate or set yourself apart from your competition.
For more information about marketing solutions for B2B companies, contact Allegra Marketing. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn!
Marketing Solutions 101 for Business to Business: Defining the Ideal Client
Welcome to the very first installment of the Marketing Monday “Lunch & Learn” Series by Allegra Marketing. Each Monday, we will share a post from a 4-part series of marketing information and ideas. This series will discuss the basics of marketing and will provide marketing solutions for enterprises looking to improve their business-to-business marketing. The topics that will be covered include defining the ideal client, differentiating your business, segmentation and messaging and communication channels.
We hope you enjoy Part 1 of Marketing Solutions 101 for Business to Business!
Defining the Ideal Client
The first element of a successful marketing plan or the first step towards successful marketing solutions is identifying your ideal client or target audience. A target audience consists of the businesses and individuals that are most likely to want or need what you have to sell. Before creating a marketing plan, it is critical to define your target audience and create a profile of your ideal client so you can properly generate marketing solutions that will attract this audience. After identifying your ideal clients and target audience it will be much easier to create marketing solutions around their identity and needs.
There are numerous questions you may want to ask in an attempt to define your target audience. These questions include:
- Where is the business located?
- In what industry is the business?
- How big the business?
- How long have they been in business?
- What is the business’ annual revenue?
- Is the business a multi-unit business or a sole proprietorship?
- Who in the business are you marketing to? CEO, CFO President, Etc.
There are other questions that may need to be asked, but once you have answered the correct questions and created your ideal client profile, you can then incorporate this information into your marketing solutions. Incorporating this information into your marketing solutions will ensure that you spend less time looking for clients, and once you find these clients they will be more likely to purchase your product or services.
For more information about marketing solutions for B2B companies, contact Allegra Marketing. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn!