In the B2B world, marketing can take a number of forms but basically refers to a company’s efforts to communicate with potential and existing customers about their products and/or services. Most businesses have some form of marketing, whether they realize it or not, and the goal is usually to increase sales and engagement with existing customers. As a marketer, you may work for an advertising agency, a freelancer, or even an inhouse marketing department in a business – regardless of where you fall within the B2B ecosystem, you are, in some way, involved in marketing.

To that end, here are some of the most effective online marketing strategies that can be harnessed by B2B companies in 2019.

1. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the practice of designing, implementing, and optimizing content (such as website pages, blog posts, and product descriptions) to ensure that people can find them easily when they are searched for on search engines, such as Google.

If you’re not familiar, SEO is constantly changing and evolving. In 2019, companies should focus on implementing natural and organic SEO methods. Let’s say you’re a real estate company – aside from your website, you may have real estate blogs, YouTube videos, and even Instagram posts that you can utilize for SEO purposes.

2. Email Marketing

Email marketing is one of the most reliable and effective forms of marketing. The catch is that you need to have an active email list in order to reap the benefits of email marketing.

In 2019, marketers should consider using email marketing to cultivate a relationship with their audience. To accomplish this, they can use different tactics, such as nurturing emails, which will eventually lead to sales.

For instance, if you’re a fashion company, you could use email marketing to promote a new collection of clothes and utilize emails to notify customers of exciting news, special offers, and so on.

3. Social Media Marketing (SMM)

Since its inception, social media has been a source of marketing information and inspiration for businesses around the world. What is social media? It’s simply a tool that allows individuals to communicate with and/or support one-another via digital spaces, such as websites and blogs, as well as forums and photo-sharing platforms.

Marketers can utilize social media to establish and grow their own personal brands, watch-owned personalities, and even gain credibility with customers, influencers, and other stakeholders. To do this, you need to have a clear strategy in place and establish yourself as an authoritative voice in your industry. Consider using platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to reach your target audience.

4. Content Marketing

Also known as “spray and pray” or “blast marketing,” content marketing is the practice of creating and distributing valuable, engaging content to attract, connect with, and convert potential customers into paying subscribers or buyers.

This content might take the form of an eBook, an online course, a white paper, a blog post, or a social media update, and the list goes on.

The main purpose of content marketing is to create and distribute content that will interest and/or be valuable to your target audience. You can also use content to establish credibility, educate your audience about your value, and generate leads.

5. Brand Management

Branding, the process of designing a company’s identity and advertising it to the world, has been a critical strategy for businesses since the beginning of advertising.

However, over the past few years, the way we consume information has changed. Essentially, consumers now have the ability to learn about products and services, easily comparing a number of options, and then making a purchasing decision. This, in turn, makes marketing more complex. How do I present my brand in a way that will make my customers trust me?

If you’re a business owner, you may already be trying to answer this question. Brand management is the practice of designing, implementing, and enforcing a brand strategy.

How to Use Online Marketing for B2B Companies

If your B2B company has a website already, it’s time to set up a strategy for marketing and optimizing that site for maximum impact.

The first step is to analyse the competition. What are the other businesses in my industry doing online? What do I know about them, their pricing, and so on?

Then, it’s time to plan out your strategy. What do I want to achieve? Am I looking to generate leads, sell my products online, or simply expand my reach to more people?

The answers to these questions will lay the groundwork for your subsequent steps. Once you’ve established your goals and a brief description of your product or service, it’s time to move into action. Identify the metrics you’ll use to measure your success and start compiling a list of potential vendors, partners, and customers to reach out to.

For each piece of content you create—whether that’s a blog post, an eBook, or a white paper—compile a list of topics you’ll address within the content. Determine how long each piece of content will be and work out a publishing schedule. You might opt to release a new blog post every two weeks or so.

By establishing this kind of editorial schedule, you’ll be able to map out a plan for content marketing that will lay the groundwork for your overall strategy. Not only will this help you plan out your content strategy, but it will also provide you with a roadmap for the year

There are various tools that can help you establish and grow your personal brand, watch-owned personalities, and even gain credibility with customers, influencers, and other stakeholders. The most effective way to establish and grow a brand is through content creation.