Elevate Your B2B Marketing Game With These Powerful Tactics

Are you looking for ways to connect with business clients? 

If your business sells directly to other businesses (B2B), marketing advice aimed at other businesses won’t work for you. You need special tactics that help you connect directly with your prospects and build the relationships that drive B2B sales.

This post offers an overview of B2B marketing tactics and some specifics on everything from finding industry influencers to launching a B2B email newsletter. These expert strategies will take your B2B marketing to new levels.

Table of Contents

• Introduction to B2B Marketing Tactics

• Top B2B Marketing Tactics

• B2B Marketing Tactics for Growth

• B2B Marketing Tactics Through the Years

• Creative B2B Marketing Tactics

• B2B Marketing Strategy Vs. Tactics

• Implementing Effective B2B Marketing Tactics

Introduction to B2B Marketing Tactics

When most people think of marketing, they think of the tactics and strategies that businesses use to reach individual consumers. Business-to-consumer (B2C) advertising includes classic approaches like television ads, billboards, and internet marketing that are meant to be seen by as many people as possible.

B2B marketing is focused on a more specialized audience than marketing directly to consumers. B2B also has a longer selling cycle and depends more heavily on repeat business. That’s why B2B marketing has to focus on relationships with industry decision-makers and requires a different approach to marketing.

What Are B2B Marketing Tactics?

B2B marketing tactics are the strategic approaches used to attract businesses as clients. These tactics encompass a wide range of marketing activities that are designed to appeal to people who are making professional buying decisions.

From content marketing and social media advertising to email campaigns and webinars, B2B marketers employ various tactics to build brand awareness, establish credibility, generate leads, and ultimately drive business growth.

Top B2B Marketing Tactics

Some of the most popular marketing tactics for targeting businesses include content marketing, inbound marketing, and digital marketing.

These tactics are designed to generate leads, nurture prospects, establish thought leadership, drive conversions, and ultimately contribute to business growth.

B2B Content Marketing Tactics

Content marketing is one of the most powerful ways for a brand to establish thought leadership and build relationships with business leaders. 

The content you create is limited only by your imagination. Blog posts, emails, videos, webinars, books, white papers, social media posts, and infographics are all types of content that can be used in your marketing.

Here are some inspiring tactics to consider:

• Create high-quality blog posts: Share valuable insights, industry trends, and practical tips to position your brand as a trusted thought leader.

• Develop engaging email newsletters: Craft personalized newsletters that deliver relevant content directly to your audience's inbox, nurturing relationships over time.

• Leverage case studies: Highlight success stories of how your products or services have helped businesses overcome challenges and achieve their goals.

• Produce educational videos: Visual content is highly engaging! Create informative videos that explain complex concepts or provide solutions for common business problems.

• Create Infographics: If you create original, helpful ways to represent information in your industry, they will be widely shared with your branding. 

• Host webinars or virtual events: Invite industry experts to share their knowledge in live sessions, creating opportunities for networking and establishing credibility within your niche.

B2B Inbound Marketing Tactics

Inbound marketing is the art of attracting customers so that they find your content organically rather than you reaching out to them individually.

There’s a lot of overlap between content marketing and inbound marketing — creating a blog or sharing a video on social media are examples of both, for instance. You are creating content that showcases your industry expertise and placing it where you hope your potential clients can find it organically.

Here are some tactics that will help your B2B customers find your content:

• Optimize for SEO: Research relevant keywords, optimize meta tags and headings, and incorporate them naturally into your content to improve visibility in search engines.

• Use hashtags: On some social media sites, hashtags are still the best way to make sure that your content reaches a relevant, engaged audience.

• Collaborate with influencers and industry leaders: Partnering with influential figures can expand your reach and lend credibility to your brand's expertise.

• Create viral content: Fun content like quizzes, cartoons, and funny videos is much more likely to be shared than more serious messaging and can still be used to deliver messaging to your target market.

• Build tools for your website: Offering free tools like calculators, apps, and AI prompt generators that are relevant to your industry can help bring B2B traffic to your site.

• Share original research: Compiling statistics, surveys, and studies will establish your brand as a thought leader and generate inbound links from other bloggers in your industry.

B2B Digital Marketing Tactics

Digital marketing refers to marketing that happens online, as opposed to offline options like billboards, magazine ads, direct mail, and attending industry events. 

Blogging, social media, email, and SEO are all examples of digital marketing. Some other examples include video marketing, influencer marketing, affiliate marketing, pay-per-click advertising (PPC), and mobile marketing.

With video marketing, you can captivate your audience with compelling storytelling. Influencer marketing allows you to leverage the influence of popular individuals in your industry. Affiliate marketing enables you to collaborate with partners who will promote your offerings in exchange for a commission.

Pay-per-click advertising lets you display targeted ads online and only pay when someone clicks on them. And with mobile marketing, you can connect with customers directly on their smartphones, reaching them wherever they are.

Why Trust Us? Lauren Haas is an expert who writes about marketing for top brands and also creates social media and content marketing for clients through her agency, Main Street Marketing Mix. 

B2B Marketing Tactics for Growth

To grow your business and stay ahead of the competition, it's important to not only attract potential clients but to nurture existing relationships as well. As your business grows, you also want to manage your brand identity so that your business is instantly recognizable and perceived as likable and knowledgeable in your industry.

B2B Growth Marketing Tactics

One of the key strategies for B2B marketing growth is building a strong online presence. Digital marketing platforms like social media, blogging, and search engine optimization can help you keep your name in front of potential clients and establish your brand identity in their minds.

Another important tactic is to use personalization in your marketing. Your messages and offerings should be tailored to meet the specific needs and pain points of your target customers. This will not only help you stand out from competitors but also build trust and loyalty with your clients.

Collaboration is another powerful tactic for B2B growth. Partnering with complementary businesses can expand your reach and provide access to new markets. By leveraging each other's strengths, you can create mutually beneficial opportunities that drive growth for both parties involved.

Managing your brand identity is another key factor to keep in mind. Creating a recognizable personality for your brand through consistent use of colors, images, logos, and tone of voice will tie all of your marketing together and elevate your brand in your audience’s minds.

B2B Account-Based Marketing Tactics

Account-based marketing (ABM) has emerged as a powerful strategy to drive targeted and personalized campaigns. It focuses on building strong relationships with key accounts, rather than casting a wide net to attract a large number of leads.

There is an old adage in business that says 80% of your business will come from 20% of your customers, so focusing 80% of your attention on those big clients makes sense.

To excel in ABM, you need to employ effective tactics that resonate with your largest target accounts. For example, you’ll want to research the target companies and understand their pain points, challenges, and goals. This allows you to personalize your messaging specifically to their needs.

Keep in mind that other companies will be targeting the same client base, so look for ways to set your service apart from the competition. For example, consider offering loyalty programs or VIP customer tiers with appealing perks like personal shoppers, priority service, and bulk pricing.

B2B Marketing Tactics Through the Years

Over the years, B2B marketing has evolved and transformed, adapting to the changing needs and preferences of businesses.

From traditional tactics such as trade shows and direct mail campaigns to modern practices like social media advertising and influencer partnerships, B2B marketers have embraced new avenues for connecting with potential clients. 

The rise of digital technology has opened up endless possibilities for reaching a wider audience and building meaningful relationships.

As technology continues to advance, B2B marketers must stay ahead of the curve by leveraging data-driven insights, personalization techniques, artificial intelligence, and automation tools. By embracing these changes, they can create more targeted campaigns that resonate with their audience on a deeper level.

Creative B2B Marketing Tactics

By thinking outside of the box and implementing innovative strategies, you can elevate your marketing efforts to new heights. Some creative ways to approach B2B marketing include influencer marketing, creating educational content within your industry, and using email newsletters to build brand relationships.

B2B Influencer Marketing Tactics

One creative tactic that has gained significant traction in recent years is influencer marketing. Collaborating with industry influencers allows you to tap into their established networks and leverage their credibility to promote your brand. This not only increases brand visibility but also builds trust among potential customers.

To find influencers who are a good fit for your business, take a look at who is using the same hashtags as you and look for those with a high number of followers and good engagement with their audience. 

Influencers who are at the top of their industry command high prices, but those who are in the middle of their range are often open to collaboration that doesn’t require as much cash. 

These up-and-coming influencers might be willing to highlight your company in exchange for being profiled on your blog, give reviews in exchange for free merchandise, or collaborate to offer a webinar to potential clients.

Educational Content Marketing Tactics

Offering educational content within your industry, like free webinars and online classes, is a great way to connect with your target audience. 

By sharing valuable insights, tips, and resources related to your niche, you can establish credibility within your target market. This not only attracts potential customers but also nurtures existing relationships by providing ongoing value.

Consider partnering with your vendors or others in your industry who aren’t a direct competition to offer free webinars to their clients. You’ll not only reach a fresh slice of your target audience, but you’ll be with them for an hour or more, building connection and trust.

Email Newsletter Marketing Tactics

Email newsletters are a powerful tool for building strong brand relationships in the B2B space. By delivering relevant content directly to subscribers' inboxes regularly, you can stay top-of-mind and foster engagement with your audience. This helps build trust, loyalty, and ultimately drives conversions.

Email marketing is the ideal way to keep your brand in front of customers regularly, which is vital for B2B marketing. B2B decisions can take time, and you want to make sure that your brand is not forgotten during the deliberation cycle.

Even better, if you use an email platform with built-in growth features, like beehiiv, you can keep expanding your audience and reaching new prospects with each email. For example, beehiiv lets you reward your newsletter readers for referring members of your target market and trade recommendations with other newsletters that have a similar audience.

Plus, with email marketing, you can segment your list and personalize the messaging you send to each audience member, so everyone receives the most compelling and relevant messaging possible.

B2B Marketing Strategy Vs. Tactics

We’ve been discussing marketing tactics, but let’s shift gears for a moment to talk about strategy and how strategy and tactics are connected.

Think of strategy as the big picture, the overarching plan that guides your marketing efforts. It's about defining your goals, understanding your target audience, and identifying how you want to position yourself in the market.

Tactics, on the other hand, are the specific actions that you take to implement your strategy. These are more focused and tangible tasks that help you achieve your strategic objectives. Tactics could include things like content creation, social media campaigns, email marketing, or attending industry events.

Strategy sets the direction, while tactics provide the path to get there. They work hand in hand to create a cohesive and effective marketing plan.

Regularly reassessing your strategy will ensure that your tactics remain aligned with your long-term goals. So keep this in mind: Develop a solid B2B marketing strategy first and then choose tactical actions that support it.

Implementing Effective B2B Marketing Tactics

What’s the best way to get started with implementing a B2B marketing strategy?

The key to success lies in careful planning and a strategic approach. Begin by clearly defining your target audience and understanding their needs, pain points, and motivations. This will help you tailor your messaging and create content that resonates with them.

Next, develop a comprehensive marketing plan that outlines your goals, objectives, and the tactics you will employ to achieve them. This may include creating compelling website content, leveraging social media platforms, utilizing email marketing campaigns, or even exploring partnerships with industry influencers.

One of the best places to begin implementing your tactics is by signing up for beehiiv. Our innovative email platform has tools to help you create beautiful, branded emails, build your list, boost engagement, and track all of the metrics that you need to craft a successful B2B marketing newsletter.