The era of “Mad Men” advertising has long since disappeared. Emotional marketing that assumed the audience was both naïve and easily persuaded has been replaced by a savvy audience that is up on social media and down with personal branding. 

In fact, research shows that more than 85% of all business-to-business purchasing decisions are made from online sources, before a prospect ever makes contact or sends out an RFP. So how do you maximize your marketing activities to organically attract these prospects? By understanding how each gender and generation responds to different marketing techniques, learning how to ‘play the game,’ overcoming search engines’ bias against B2B marketers and leveraging social media wisely. 

For example, while older business people understand the value of constant communication, they tend to dismiss social media as both clutter and insubstantial. Whereas, the incoming generation of business folks value both the immediacy and the engagement level that social media offers and see it as a customer service tool, a sales tactic, a business development effort and branding approach.  

Regardless of age or gender, websites are king in today’s marketing world. But where websites used to be able to stagnate for five or more years, now it’s rare for a site not to undergo a major overhaul annually. And that’s because everything is constantly changing. Browsing paradigms, usability, technology, dynamic and static content expectations, social media feeds and design are all constantly evolving. And, if you want to be found by Google, SEO matters. Having a Twitter feed on your website gives you SEO credit for dynamic content while at the same time leveraging the values of the younger generation.  

B2B marketers also benefit from having a keyword rich blog on their website which showcases knowledge. Remember, people no longer need to speak with a salesperson to learn about product differences; they are going to do their own research and then decide which company to buy from. Organizationally, this means a shift in sales strategies from a focus on outbound sales to an emphasis on inbound sales. And, a blog offers enhanced expertise for validators and boosts your SEO rankings. 

There’s so much more that B2B marketers need to know about the shifting sands of today’s marketing trends. On April 28, our Kevin Maynard will be sharing progressive tactics to help you fine-tune your marketing plans and grow your business.