Channels To Increase B2B Sales: Unlocked With Digital
Accessing channels to increase B2B sales is crucial in today’s fast-paced business landscape. As a result, B2B companies are constantly discussing and identifying innovative ways to boost their sales and stay ahead of the competition.
I have seen this particular door left open before for competitors, digital. Utilising new technology can give competitors in your industry a cost efficient platform to be loud, look impressive and create reach to meet customers.
While traditional sales methods may still have their place in B2B sales, the digital world, by contrast, offers significant opportunities for growth and engagement. Moreover, companies that embrace digital strategies can potentially outpace their competitors in reaching and converting potential clients.
Importantly, B2B buyers increasingly turn to digital platforms to gather the information they need, as 75% now prefer a sales experience without a representative.
I want you to be able to leverage digital channels, with a special focus on the B2B platform LinkedIn. All in all LinkedIn delivers an opportunity So you can increase sales and build lasting relationships with potential clients.
In short LinkedIn delivers opportunity to increase sales and build lasting relationships with potential clients.
LinkedIn Channel to Increase B2B Sales
Crafting a Compelling Company Page
LinkedIn is an important channel to increase your B2B sales. As an illustration your LinkedIn page serves as your business’s digital storefront. It’s often the first reference point for potential clients searching for solutions in your industry.
Although I quickly add that is if you have done strong B2B digital marketing. Comparatively without digitial marketing those potential clients may not have awareness to make your business front of mind.
Quick tips to start curating your impression:
- Ensure your page is complete with an engaging “About” section.
- Use high-quality visuals that reflect your brand identity (and no that doesn’t mean basic stock images).
- Become uber regular at updating your page with relevant content and industry news. And use this as outbound to engage your clients and customers.
Harnessing the Power of LinkedIn Articles
When we consider channels to increase B2B Sales LinkedLn and particularly LinkedIn Articles provide a unique opportunity to share in-depth insights. Enabling you to build reputation based on your industry knowledge and experience.
As I said above we now know buyers are developing a preference for rep-free sales. Therefore shared insights and knowledge posted where customers and prospects ‘live’ digitally has become significantly more important.
Here are three methods to become a thought leader through LinkedIn Articles:
- Share Industry Insights: Use Articles to discuss current trends, challenges, and opportunities in your industry. You have the knowledge (and importantly insights) on what bugs your buyers, whether that relates to logistics, global commodity prices or how to get local shoppers into a community store.
- Showcase Behind-the-Scenes Benefits: Highlight the often-overlooked aspects of your business that set you apart from competitors. Never ignore the value of what you do as normal but is actually the extra mile. Whether this is a unique on-boarding strategy, superb after sales support or innovative production teams that leverage technology efficiencies.
- Offer Free Value: Share knowledge or services that you provide without charge. For example your knowledge in set up or involvement to actually help set up hardware. Furthermore it could be your businesses commitment to meet every new prospect to curate the optimal solution for them. This builds trust and positions your company as a generous industry leader.
Peer to Peer Relationships
Building relationships is at the heart of B2B sales. Importantly these connections can still be created and leveraged online. Even if buyers want a rep-free sales process. LinkedIn offers various ways to engage with your network:
- Participate in Group Discussions: Join relevant industry groups and actively contribute to discussions. This helps increase your visibility and establishes your credibility among peers and potential clients.
- Comment on and Share Others’ Content: Engage with content shared by your connections. Thoughtful comments can spark conversations and lead to valuable business relationships.
- Utilise LinkedIn’s Messaging Features: Use InMail and connection requests strategically to reach out to potential leads. Personalise your messages to show that you’ve done your research and understand their specific needs.
Frequent and consistent involvement in your network and industry will elevate your visibility. As I have said providing thoughtful comments and insights will position you in a unique position versus other businesses.
Diversifying Digital Channels To Increase B2B Sales Growth
While LinkedIn is a powerhouse for B2B interactions, it’s important to maintain a presence across other digital channels to maximise your reach and engagement.
Careful consideration around the style and delivery of content is essential. Ultimately, building a connection, even in the real world, requires adapting to different situations. Similarly, view different platforms as different situations: LinkedIn is the office, Facebook is a community center, and Instagram is a friend’s house.
You would be different in each of the above situations. Given that use this as your strength to make content that engages in these different environments.
Content Marketing for Thought Leadership
Developing a robust content marketing strategy can significantly boost your visibility, establish your expertise, and attract potential clients. Consider the following approaches:
- Industry Trend Analysis: Regularly publish in-depth analyses of current trends and future predictions in your industry. This demonstrates your company’s forward-thinking approach and helps position you as a thought leader.
- Behind-the-Scenes Content: Create content that gives potential clients a glimpse into your company’s culture, processes, and innovations. This type of content humanises your brand and can set you apart from competitors.
- Client Success Stories: Develop detailed case studies that showcase how your solutions have helped other businesses overcome specific challenges. These stories provide social proof and help potential clients envision how you could assist them.
- Interactive Content: Create quizzes, polls, or calculators that provide personalised insights to your audience. This type of content engages potential clients while also gathering valuable data about their needs and pain points.
- Practical Guides and Tutorials: Develop comprehensive how-to guides that address common challenges in your industry. This positions your company as a helpful resource and demonstrates your expertise in solving real-world problems.
Marketing Channels To Increase B2B Sales: Email
Despite the rise of social media, email remains one of the most effective channels to increase B2B sales and communication.
Email can often be overlooked, primarily due to the high volume of low-quality messages we receive as individuals. Moreover, email data can be misunderstood because the responses often come from your existing email contact list.
However that is what is most important you have a direct line of communication with your contact list. It isn’t followers via a shared media platform. It is a list of engaged and relevant customers and prospects.
Here are 3 useful methods that are required in thoughtful and engaging email campaigns:
- Segmented Campaigns: Tailor your email content to your specific industries niches and buyer personas for maximum relevance.
- Nurture Campaigns: Develop a series of emails that guide leads through the sales funnel, providing valuable information at each stage.
- Personalisation: Use data-driven insights to personalise your email communications, increasing engagement and conversion rates.
Video Marketing
Video content is increasingly popular in the B2B space. Comparatively in B2C consumer content it is highly engaging, relatable and people can form a connection quickly with people in the video.
This content type in B2B is following the overall trend of social media from written only platforms like X (formally Twitter). Through to photos on Instagram and Facebook and now videos (typically short form), found on TikTok, YouTube and increasingly all the other platforms.
Here are several content types you can use to start the most engaging type of content:
- Explainer Videos: Create short videos that succinctly explain your products or services.
- Webinars: Host online seminars to showcase your expertise and engage with potential clients in real-time.
- Customer Testimonials: Film satisfied customers discussing their experiences with your company.
Uncovering Hidden Value: The Key to Standout B2B Marketing
One of the most powerful ways to set your B2B company apart in a crowded market is by highlighting the hidden value and unique insights your business offers. To that end, here’s how to uncover and capitalise on this often-overlooked asset:
Conduct Internal Focus Groups
Before creating content for external consumption, it’s crucial to tap into the wealth of knowledge within your organisation:
- Assemble Cross-Functional Teams: Bring together employees from different departments to share their perspectives on industry challenges and opportunities.
- Encourage Open Dialogue: Create an environment where team members feel comfortable sharing unconventional ideas or observations about your industry.
- Document Unique Processes: Identify and articulate the innovative approaches your company uses to solve problems or deliver services.
Transform Insights into Valuable Content
Once you’ve gathered these internal insights, the next step is to package them into compelling content:
- Create Thought Leadership Pieces: Use the knowledge gained from internal focus groups to write authoritative articles and short form video clips on industry trends and challenges.
- Develop Case Studies: Showcase in video form, written or infographic how your unique approaches have led to exceptional results for clients.
- Produce How-To Guides: Share practical advice that demonstrates your company’s expertise and adds value for potential clients.
Shine a Spotlight on Services Offered Without Charge
Many B2B companies provide valuable services or resources at no cost, often as part of their sales process or customer support. Bringing these to the forefront can significantly enhance your value proposition beyond the product or service:
- Free Consultations: If you offer initial consultations at no charge, make sure this is prominently featured in your marketing materials. Guiding customers and prospects towards beneficial solutions is highly valued in competitive markets.
- Complementary Resources: Highlight any tools, templates, or guides you provide for free. As speeding up implementation and efficiencies will speed up the ROI for your customer.
- Knowledge Sharing: Emphasise your willingness to share industry insights and advice, even before a formal business relationship is established. Showing openness and knowledge to offer your customer is well received and should show them their opportunities.
Marketing Channels to Increase B2B Sales Require Measurement
To ensure your digital B2B sales strategies are effective, it’s crucial to track key metrics and continuously refine your approach:
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Monitor these important metrics to gauge the success of your digital efforts:
- Engagement Rates: Track likes, comments, and shares on your social media posts and articles.
- Lead Generation: Measure the number of leads generated through various digital channels.
- Conversion Rates: Monitor how many leads turn into actual sales opportunities.
- Return on Investment (ROI): Calculate the revenue generated from your digital marketing efforts compared to the resources invested.
These 4 are the starting blocks. With the different platform and content types tracking data is nuanced to end user behaviour. E.g. if the platforms algorithm shows you content you like automatically then there is a reduced need to follow that content, as you will see it.
It is also taking these KPI’s but attaching them to specific content types i.e. long videos, short videos, long text posts, short text posts, colourful backgrounds, monochromatic backgrounds, number of images…
By acquiring knowledge at scale and understanding which specific content performs well, you can subsequently create more content. In doing so, you build from a strong foundation that consistently delivers results.
Continuous Improvement
As I have said use the insights gained from your KPIs to create more and better content and refine your strategies:
- A/B Testing: Experiment with different types of content, posting times, and messaging to see what resonates best with your audience.
- Feedback Loop: Regularly solicit feedback from your sales team and customers to identify areas for improvement in your digital approach.
- Stay Updated: Keep abreast of the latest trends and best practices in digital B2B marketing to ensure your strategies remain cutting-edge.
Conclusion: Embracing Channels to Increase B2B Sales
As the B2B landscape continues to evolve, companies that embrace digital channels and leverage their unique insights will, without a doubt, be best positioned for success. To begin with, reassess your current digital strategy and focus on platforms like LinkedIn. By creating valuable content and showcasing the hidden benefits of your business, you can build strong relationships, establish thought leadership, and ultimately drive long-term sales growth.
Equally important, the key to successful B2B digital marketing lies in providing genuine value to your audience. Start by crafting a plan to share your industry expertise, offering insights into your unique processes, and generously providing free resources. In doing so, you’ll build trust and credibility that can translate into long-term business relationships.
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James Ambel
With over a decade of B2B expertise across multiple industries and a passion for integrating new technology to elevate his ROI James’ writing allows all of this to come together. His belief is many B2B businesses could maximise their time, focus and ROI to an even higher level.
Experiment with different messaging, content formats, and communication channels to determine what resonates most effectively with your target audience. Use A/B testing and data-driven insights to refine your approach and maximize results over time.