Recognizing and understanding your target demographic is critical for every marketer, but it is especially critical for B2B advertising. 

It is easier to develop a frictionless funnel for your users when you have a complete picture of their customer journey. This results in more high-quality leads. The following questions are useful to ask yourself, your sales team, and your marketing team as we reflect on the previous year and make plans for 2021.

If you’re advertising on Google, you’re definitely familiar with the look and feel of your conversion windows – that is, you know exactly how long it takes for a click to become a sale. 

What follows is something you should be aware of. Business-to-business success does not end with the completion of the initial form filling. The number of leads that become MQLs, SQLs, and finally, the number of deals influenced by sponsored channels is important information for advertisers. 

Furthermore, it entails being on the same page as your sales staff. Unless your leads are converting into sales, your marketing plan isn’t functioning.

When it comes to audience targeting, here are some of the questions you should ask yourself (and your sales team!):

  • Are you trying to reach out to certain users? Do they correspond to the ideal customer as defined by the Sales team?
  • What criteria are being used by Sales to qualify these opportunities? Ensure that you are focusing your efforts on the right users who are most likely to progress through the sales funnel. And, maybe more crucially, are you excluding those that you are aware is not participating?

Focusing on what you’re strong at is a fantastic way to start. Many B2B clients have told me that their companies could collaborate with companies in any field they want. And while that may be true, not only is there a lower up-front cost to create materials for these users (think case studies, blog posts, or current clients listed on your site), but your sales staff also has some actual examples of clients with whom they have had success to draw from as well.

Which sales are scoring leads?

What is the relationship between your marketing strategy and the scoring system that you have in place?

If your sales team is scoring leads based on how visitors engage with your website or which webinars they attend, does your marketing strategy match that system?

You’ll also want to be able to customize your communications based on where your customer is in their buying process. You might want to consider the following questions:

  • What recent changes have occurred in my customer’s industry? What has changed in their pain spots, which is the reason they’re looking for my product?
  • What is the average length of time it takes for my clients to be considered? How about the information that they require at every stage of the process?

When it comes to business-to-business marketing, not every campaign should be made similarly. Take note of every valuable activity a user performs at any point of the funnel, regardless of whether or not it’s the most valuable of those actions.

What does each buyer in the process require? What is the difference between the two? When it comes to purchasing a B2B product or service, there are often numerous purchasers involved. What information does each buyer require? Do you personalize your message to meet their needs?

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Last Updated on November 23, 2019

Author

Elizabeth is a Senior Content Manager at Scaleo. Currently enjoying the life in Prague and sharing professional affiliate marketing tips. She's been in the online marketing business since 2006 and gladly shares all her insights and ideas on this blog.