5 Digital Marketing Tactics for Driving B2B Sales

Seasoned marketers know that every marketing effort is geared towards one thing—driving sales. 

So, it’s really not about employing digital marketing tactics (trust me there are plenty), rather, identifying those that can help drive sales numbers.

We take a closer look at five strategies that may help sales and marketing teams meet their goals.

3. Cold Calling 

According to research by RAIN Group, 27 percent of B2B sellers stated that ringing up new contacts was highly effective. 

Now is not the time to shy away from cold calls. You’ll be leaving all the good stuff to the competition. It’s time to step up and tweak your efforts to make them effective at driving business growth.

How?

1. Track and leverage data. Statistics that contacting leads the moment they are tagged increases the likelihood of conversion by close to 400 percent. Starting with those already interested in your offerings works.
2. Have a plan. Research the customer to identify opportunities you can fill. Determine the purpose of your first call (to introduce yourself, secure a meeting/demo, etc) then structure your script to bring you to your goal.
3. Consider outsourcing to an SDR service company. You state your goals and expectations, and the company provides knowledgeable SDRs who can deliver measurable results faster. 
4. Search Intent Data

Having the right data on hand is crucial to gaining insights into the brands you should target and when to do it. 

It provides a clearer understanding of how customers go through their journey to arrive at the point of making purchases.

Let’s assume you sell hi-tech printing systems and there’s a potential customer who wants to know how they work. If the only information they find on your site are models and prices, won’t they be frustrated?

They will probably go off in search of another brand that provides this information, right?.

Incorporating search intent to your SEO strategy helps you target search terms that align with audience needs. You’ll be creating and sharing information that answers their questions, ultimately leading them down the path to purchase.

There are several sources of intent data, including:

• First-party data. This is the internal data your organization gathers through marketing automation tools and website tracking. As you examine the topics and time spent on the pages, you can determine the visitor’s level of interest and buyer stage.
• Second-party data. This kind is collected by third parties with the prospect’s consent and shared or sold to interested companies.
• Third-party data. Third-party sources (like cookies) gather this data to help businesses have a comprehensive picture of their target customer’s online interests and intent. 

Merging first and third-party data offers a complete picture of what potential customers are exploring, business drivers, challenges, and propensity to buy. 

It provides sufficient ammo for creating targeted messages that answer present and potential questions guiding the customer to your solutions.

5. Video Marketing

Think about this for a minute…

In today’s fast-paced lifestyle, where audiences are inundated with work email, email campaigns, and other promotional materials, what do audiences prefer consuming?. 

What’s the best way to get your message heard? A two-minute video or a 15-minute read for the same information?

Research showed that businesses that invest in video grew their revenues 49 percent faster than those that didn’t. In brands that sell experiences, the number is even higher. For example, researches shows that 66% of potential travellers watched online videos before booking a trip. 

Sixty four percent agreed they watched videos to help them choose a destination. 

Here are to video formats for driving sales numbers:

• Demo videos. As the name suggests, this video shows audiences how something works, including its features and benefits. In the era of self-research, a 2-5 minute video provides information about your products/services to help potential buyers decide. 
• Customer testimonials. Organize interviews with your best customers to highlight their positive experiences with your products/services. These videos are proof that you exist and your solutions are worth investing in.
• Case study videos. Case studies go deeper than customer testimonials. They explore the problem the customer experienced, their journey with your solutions, and the measurable outcome of this partnership. Buyers can visualize what your offerings can do for them and the expected outcomes.

6. Conversion Marketing

Did you know that 79 percent of leads entering the sales funnel don’t convert? 

Considering the resources companies expend on getting new customers, that percentage is huge. And discouraging too.

What can you do to improve your chances?

• Design compelling CTAs. There are plenty of occasions when audiences interested in your brand aren’t sure of what to do after reading or watching your content. Strategically placed CTAs will help steer them in the direction you want them to take.
• Create relevant content. How did Neil Patel rise the ranks to become one of the most successful entrepreneurs? He listened (still does) to the questions (problems) people had and formulated detailed responses to help them understand their situations and possible solutions. Do the same with your content.
• Reward loyal customers. Turn repeat customers into brand ambassadors by offering freebies/upgrades, replying to their comments on social, or asking for their feedback on new offerings. Happy customers are likely to tell others about their experiences, exposing you to new customer brackets.

7. Focus on Customer Retention

Many of us tune our efforts to acquire new customers, we overlook the ones already in our books. We assume that having bagged the client, no more action is needed from us. 

Yet, maintaining strong relationships with existing customers breeds trust and loyalty. The kind that gets customers to make repeat purchases and speak well of you to others. 

Here are steps you can take to boost relationships with existing customers.

• Make follow-ups. Get in touch with your customer via phone call, virtually, or by email to know how your solutions are influencing their work lives. Find out what else you can do to make things even better.
• Practice reciprocity. Surprise your customers with gifts and other incentives to thank them for their business. Find contacts in your network who can benefit from working together and connect them. They will appreciate it.
• Offer VIP level service. Stats show that up to 41 percent of customers with bad experiences begin spending less on the company. Your goal should revolve around creating such wonderful experiences that your customers gladly spend more $—not less.