ABOUT US
BLOG
CONTACT US

B2B Inc. | Minneapolis | St. Paul
A Full-Service Business-to-Business
Marketing and Advertising Agency

• HOME
• |
• BRANDING
• |
• STRATEGY
• |
• ONLINE PRESENCE

651-905-1400

Business-to-business branding, advertising, marketing and search engine optimization

Developing Your B2B Web Marketing Plan

Developing your online strategy, in theory, is not much different than putting together a traditional marketing plan: establish your objectives; develop strategies to address each objective; choose the tactics that support the implementation of the strategies.

However, what differentiates b2b web marketing planning from traditional marketing is that you're opening an all-new toolbox.

Planning is similar, in theory, to traditional marketing. But your toolbox is very different.

It's essential, therefore, to get up to speed on what b2b web marketing is all about, and on what online tools are available - and which ones are best for you and how to use them.

Tools and tactics for b2b web marketing range from SEO (search engine optimization) and SEM (search engine marketing) to PPC (pay per click), continual content management, contextual ads, social media, analytics and more. (See components.)

A competitive analysis is also important. If you're not aware of what your competition is doing in the online space, it's difficult for you to develop a competitive b2b web marketing strategy.

Essentials of the b2b web marketing toolbox.

Although the business to business online-presence toolbox is constantly evolving, there are several basic tools which form the "must have" components of a successful online presence.

Note that we emphasize the phrase, "successful online presence" rather than simply "good website". Having a presence, whether personally or professionally or as a business, implies a process, not a one-time effort.

And since b2b web marketing is fairly new (websites are not new but online strategy is), marketers have to "unlearn" the old rules and tactics, and pick up a new toolbox - and it might seem kind of heavy at first.

The toolbox you need to have with you includes not just actual, tangible tools, but a skill set as well; basically, going back to school (or, retain a b2b advertising agency that can bring the knowledge and tools to you.)

Above, we stated that the planning for online presence is similar to the business marketing planning you're used to; it's just a different space. Here are the b2b web marketing techniques and tools to pay attention to; the ones that will help you in your planning:

The top 3 b2b web marketing components.

1. SEO, or search engine optimization

SEO is your first step in developing an online presence - and without it, you don't have a chance against the thousands of other pages that will be competing with you for "organic" (non paid" search results. Most business marketers' sites are not optimized. B2b SEO involves tactics such as: link building; technical fixes; many non-technical enhancements; and ongoing work to ensure that you stay on top. Learn more about b2b SEO here.

2. SEM, or search engine marketing

You know what search engines are, and you know what marketing is. Now, you need to figure out how to market your products and services by using the power of search engines. Search engines are your friends. Embrace them. SEM may mean many things to many people, but a solid b2b web marketing effort must include the basic b2b search tools and tactics such as:

• pay-per-click ads in the "search" space
• contextual ads in the "content" space
• social media
• analytics
• "alerts", which help you learn about customer persona and your competitors, point you to relevant dialogues and help you fine-tune your b2b marketing strategy

Learn more about components of online presence here.

3. Content management

Forget the corporate brochure content mentality. In the online space, your content can't be static. It has to be just the opposite: dynamic, always evolving. There are many reasons to manage content effectively in your b2b web marketing plan:

search engines are always looking for new, relevant content so they can compete with each other in delivering searchers to new and better pages

content management helps your SEO effort; search engines like sites that change and expand

visitors appreciate new content and tend to re-visit your site

content management as a web marketing strategy forces you to pay more attention to relevant news, information and social media conversations about your industry and your brand

See more content management tips here.

You simply have to "be there". Online.

Developing objectives, strategies and tactics for your b2b web marketing is a critical step in a successful marketing plan. You simply have to be in the online space - as one who is found, as an observer, an advertiser and a participant.

The online space is moving and changing fast. If you're struggling to develop your plan, or if you find it hard to get up to speed on tactics and tools, or if you need to outsource some of your online work, give us a call.