You spent hours upon hours plotting out your B2B digital marketing plan. You planned out everything to the very last Tweet. You feel confident in your strategy. You believe new email subscriptions, social media followers and customers will be pouring in in no time.
Fast forward a few weeks. You’re measuring the results of your digital marketing efforts, counting your number of conversions, bounces, new sessions and website visitors. You’re shocked when you discover your marketing strategy didn’t pan out the way you predicted. You expected to generate and nurture qualified leads, drive website traffic and boost conversion rates, but while your results aren’t terrible, they’re nowhere near meeting your goals. You stare flabbergasted at the screen, wondering what could have possibly gone wrong.
Everyone makes mistakes. It’s inevitable. But there are some common B2B digital marketing mistakes that can be easily avoided. If your marketing efforts aren't driving the results you hoped for, check out these 4 B2B digital marketing mistakes you might be making.
Mistake #1: Posting on EVERY Social Media Platform
Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Instagram, LinkedIn, Snapchat...is there an end to the number of social media platforms out there? If you feel an irresistible urge to post on EVERY social media website, squash it.
There’s no need for you to post on each and every social media site. You’ll only be wasting your time and burning yourself out. Sure, you may enjoy pinning scrumptious crockpot recipes (who doesn’t?), but are your customers actually on Pinterest and do those pins relate to your product offerings and your customers’ needs?
Instead, choose which social media sites you use carefully. Think about what social media platforms your ideal customers frequent. Creating a strong presence on social media is beneficial, but only if you’re focusing on the social media sites your customers are using.
Mistake #2: Talking About Your Products
You know your product is awesome. Your boss knows it. Your cat, Luke Skywhiskers, knows it. So, of course, you want to shout from the rooftops how amazing your product is! But, unfortunately, your digital marketing isn’t all about you. It’s about the customer and how your products solve their pain points.
Your marketing efforts should be customer-centric, not company-centric. If you’re rambling on and on about your products and its features, all the user reads is blah, blah, blah.
Your B2B digital marketing strategy should revolve around your target customer. Instead of listing the features of your products, you should be mentioning the unique benefits your products or services offer for your target audience. How does your product fix their problems? How does it make their lives easier? Once you’ve answered these questions, you can create targeted, goal-driven content that keeps the customers' needs in mind.
Mistake #3: Targeting the Wrong Customer
All too often, companies fall into the trap of thinking everyone is their customer. To make the most of your B2B digital marketing, you have to segment your audience.
Take some time to think about your ideal customer. Essentially, who will use your products or require your services? Identify their demographics, hobbies, industries, challenges and motivations. Once you’ve discovered their defining characteristics, you can develop buyer personas and shape your marketing content to better serve their needs and pique their interest.
Mistake #4: Overlooking Mobile
As of 2015, mobile overtook desktop as the primary digital platform consumers use. Instead of viewing content on an ample desktop screen, your customers are now scrolling through emails, reading blog posts and articles and scouring websites all on a screen that takes up just a few inches.
Customers are searching for information and products while waiting in the reception area at the doctor’s office, standing in line at their local coffee shop and anywhere they can spare a minute to browse online. If your website is difficult to navigate on a mobile device, your customers may call it quits and find a competitor’s site with a more responsive design. A mobile-friendly website will ensure that your website looks its best on any device screen.
You may think you have your B2B digital marketing down to a science, only to realize that there is room for improvement when the results of your campaign come rolling in. Some marketing mistakes are easy to spot, but other silent mistakes can hide in plain sight. If you think your marketing strategy leaves something to be desired, keep an eye out for these common digital marketing mistakes in the future.
