Customize your B2B approach

Why is it that some marketers think B2B marketing doesn’t need to be personal? It’s because this is a business decision they’re making, right? But, what we need to remember is that on the other end of this business decision, there is a person. Have you considered how you might better gain that person’s attention?

We’ve come so far in B2C marketing – we know so many things about consumers. And marketers use this data in their campaigns to create personalized experiences and custom journeys. We also know, and have proven time and again, that this works – responses increase when personalization is served. Knowing this, it makes sense that B2B marketing may also be able to gain from a more one-to-one, personalized conversation.

There have been obstacles in personalizing B2B marketing campaigns. First, there’s the obstacle of knowing who the decision maker is you are trying to persuade. You really can’t personalize much if you don’t know who this person is. Second, there could be a cost. To get personal on the B2B side, you’re probably going to need to invest in third-party data. The personal information you need to make an impact and build a relationship is most likely not going to be readily available in your current database.

When it comes time to create a personalized B2B campaign, you need to throw the standard B2B marketing rules out the window. Instead of focusing on making the sale, you need to shift the focus to building a relationship. Tell a story, communicate information that shows you “know them” and help the decision maker understand how your products/services can help them – “what’s in it for me?”

In order to do this well, you’re going to need data to back you up. Data can help you determine the right time and the right conversation to have, because even though they are representing a business, they are still just a person whose attention you must gain. If you’re interested in learning how data can supplement your customized B2B marketing approach, contact us at B2E!