Author: Carla Sager
When it comes to B2B marketing there are a few factors that clearly distinguish B2B markets from consumer markets: the complexity of B2B products, the involvement of a sophisticated and highly rational decision making process and the need of proven product expertise knowledge among others.
B2B International, a B2B market research agency that claims to be the world leading one, summarizes the ten key factors that differentiate both markets. The complexity of B2B international marketing really takes off when it comes to the international approach since it requires overcoming financial, cultural, political, educative, technological and legislative barriers.
How do marketers manage to successfully overcome all this challenges in a world dominated by borderless online interaction? Which are the most popular and effective tactics? Which one is the most popular social media channel? There is a brilliant B2B Content Marketing: 2012 Benchmarks, Budgets & Trends report that provides lots of answers to these questions.
At the end all boils down to the marketer ability to create clever intercultural content marketing even when using the most popular tactic, social media.
Julien Christ (www.pixelio.de)
I enjoyed your blog entry on International Marketing for B2B and absolutely agree on the content marketing. The essence is the belief that if we deliver consistent valuable information to buyers, they ultimately reward us with their business and loyalty. Content is King and Consistence is Queen!
Hi, thanks for your comment, I agree!
Few days ago I had the pleasure to attend an interesting lecture given by Achim Schäpper, Siemens Global Head Operational Marketing, who taught us the most popular tactic for marketers in USA is currently article positing with 79%, followed by social media (excluding blogs) with 74%.
Until today the sources I consulted, including Content Marketing Institute: http://de.slideshare.net/CMI/b2b-content-marketing-2013-benchmarks-budgets-and-trendsnorth-america-14855770 (see page 5) claim social media to be the tactic number 1 in B2B Marketing.
Can somenone else share further information to bring more light into this subject?
I agree on Natanja’s comment. Content is king! However, in a highly competitive and demanding market there is one more feature which is important in B2B: Personal relationships! Personal relationsips are key when it comes to develop trust and establish loyal customers who are committed for many years. Social media can be used as a supporting instrument for maintaining those relationships.
Achim Schäpper’s lecture on B2B marketing was very enlightening, indeed. @Carla: It seems like a contradiction at first sight but in fact it is not: I think it depends on how you define “article posting” and if the two categories are overlapping or not. Meaning: the results depend on the methodology used when gathering the data. The same article could be posted through different channels, Social Media being just one of them. Maybe in Achim Schäpper’s source such an article is counted twice whereas in the Content Marketing’s it isn’t. @Daniela: I totally agree, even if Content Marketing is what everyone is talking about right now: nothing can substitute personal relationships in B2B.