If marketing were just a matter of finding the right words to say to the right people at the right time, every campaign would break sales records. It’s not quite that simple; how do you know who the right people are, for instance, or know the right time to contact them? With marketing automation and a marketing team that goes beyond simplistic solutions, you can come far closer to that ideal than conventional methods can take you.
Here’s a rundown on some of the biggest hurdles every marketplace faces and innovative ways to leap over them.
Marketing Fatigue
Too many irrelevant emails, too much in-box clutter, too much noise – the constant barrage of marketing your audience sees daily can leave little room for meaningful messages and lead to a certain amount of cynicism among the people whose trust you most want to earn.
The solution here is to illustrate that what you have to say isn’t the same slick patter others deliver; you have a relevant, tailored message to give them, and you’re doing more than selling. With timely, engaging content and real-time support backed up with marketing automation technology, you’re actively helping them make decisions and solve problems. Your goal is to become a valuable ally in the search for a solution, not just another bid for their business.
Invalid Data
If you can’t reach your leads, you can’t market to them. Practicing good data hygiene is fundamental to being able to connect with your customers. Maintaining your business mailing lists well through merge/purge operations, verification via larger registries such as the National Change of Address database, and data enhancement to fill in any blanks in your customer files make sure your message reaches its intended recipient. It’s also important to ensure overall deliverability by earning you trusted status with email service providers.
Information Overload
B2B buyers can spend months accumulating and poring over information before making a buying decision, and they need to know they can rely on what they’re reading. Not all of that information is equally valuable, but how do you demonstrate to your audience that they can trust your knowledge and prioritize it over less useful sources? We stress the need to build your authority through solid content marketing because right now, it’s one of the most effective ways to showcase your organization as a trusted leader. Competitors can make plenty of noise, but if your signal is giving prospects what they need to know, yours is the one they’ll tune in to hear.
Crowded Channels
Elbowing your way into a prospect’s already stuffed in-box is a challenge. Having an appealing, on-target message helps, but you can also amplify your signal with a well-coordinated multi-channel marketing effort that meets your leads where they may not be looking for you. Email will be a staple of digital marketing for the foreseeable future, but instead of relying on it alone, combine it with SEO/SEM, direct mail, and content marketing.
Conventional Ad Filtering
Buyers are increasingly aware that their data and their attention have real, measurable value. They’re also increasingly willing to barter with that currency, white-listing sites that bring them a steady stream of useful information in exchange for their time. Serving relevant advertising on information-rich sites, including trade journals and newsletters, gives you the most value for your advertising spend and encourages leads to pay the price of admission to the site with their data.
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