Posts Tagged ‘b2b’
Mobile Marketing for B2B Companies
Business-to-business marketers always seem to be taking a backseat to consumer marketers. From their lag in adopting the latest marketing technologies, to just lacking that cool and creative element. But why does this have to be the case? Isn’t good marketing, good marketing…as long as it supports the overall corporate strategy (and I guess it probably should get results and be measurable too, right?)
Take mobile marketing for example. Are B2B marketers going to wait years to catch on to what consumer marketers are now just starting to tap into? Or did we forget that B2B targets are consumers too…equipped with the latest smartphones that they use continuously?
A recent article in B toB Magazine, B-to-B marketers cautiously explore mobile marketing, indicated that total mobile marketing spending was up 43% in 2009 from the year before. Further, the research anticipates a 27% compound annual growth rate through 2014. This sounds like a huge opportunity that no marketer – be consumer or business-to-business – can afford to ignore.
Mobile marketing, where do you start?
I suggest starting off small. Setting up a simple, yet effective texting campaign can be a springboard to achieving increased sales. For example, if you sell products to customers who to install them in the field, I’m certain those installers, from time-to-time, have forgotten to bring your product to the job site with them or didn’t order enough product to fulfill the order.
If you want to demonstrate great customer service, while also selling some incremental product, why not allow installers to text you the part number they are looking for and you kick back a message that includes the closest dealer and pricing. In fact, you can take it a step further and deliver the product right to him/her on the job site.
Return on Investment
Quantifying return on investment in mobile marketing can sometimes be unclear, but in the above example, your ROI gets a little closer to measuring purchase decisions. And if you don’t have mobile numbers in your database, use your other marketing tools to promote and drive an opt-in for customers to receive mobile messages from you.
The bottom line is this: just get in the mobile marketing game. Start small, but get started. There are several low risk options to get your mobile marketing off the ground, such as iPhone applications, display advertising, texting, tradeshow tie-ins and conference registrations. Just remember to be relevant to your audience.