- Your marketing plan and strategy are only as effective
as the tactics you implement.
In marketing, a tactic is the specific action
to achieve a strategy.
There are many B2B marketing tactics,
but here are some common examples.
Content marketing.
This is the strategic creation
and online distribution of relevant information
and points of view,
such as in videos, blogs, or social media posts.
Now, this content does not specifically promote a brand
like in advertising.
It creates interest by building an audience
who will read and share.
You can create new content,
repost previous content you provided, or curate content.
Curated content is when you pull together
a variety of content out there
and present it in an organized way.
Here are a few examples of effective content marketing.
American Express has been a leader in content marketing
through its open forum for small businesses.
iQ Intel is a great resource for relevant insights.
And National Association of Realtors House Logic
provides great ideas for real estate brokers.
Thought leadership.
This originates from a person or company
that's recognized as an authority and expert
in a specific field.
This does not promote a product or service
like in advertising.
The goal is to become a trusted, credible,
go-to authority who inspires customers and peers
with innovative ideas to grow their business.
Now this might surprise you,
but thought leadership is underutilized.
48% of executives are influenced by thought leadership,
but only 20% of marketers think it creates sales.
So you see, thought leadership is an effective tactic
to build trust early on in the customer relationship
by providing relevant information
and answers in an objective way.
I think Sallie Krawcheck is a wonderful example
of an influential thought leader for women and finance.
Social selling is when salespeople use social media
to engage directly with prospects.
They can answer questions and offer ideas to build trust.
And believe it or not,
the best approach in social selling
is not to come off as directly selling
your product or service.
Start a conversation with a prospect
with an off-topic conversation, or ask a question.
Now, a lot of marketers ask me if traditional tactics
like direct mail are obsolete.
There's no generic right or wrong answer.
You need to determine which tactics are most effective
in your situation.
But as an example,
some really well-known brands that were born online
still use traditional direct mail.
Here's a checklist
to assess your proposed marketing tactics.
Make sure your tactics will deliver your objectives.
Review your competitive analysis
and the strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities
you identified to make sure your tactics
address these insights.
Review your buyer persona or target market.
Be clear about who you need to engage and influence
with your marketing tactics.
Be realistic about what you can afford within your budget.
Remember, objectives are only as effective
as their execution.
Use relevant tactics that align with your objectives
and strategies to influence customers.