How to Utilize B2B Online Marketing to Promote New Solutions

Oftentimes, B2B marketers need to focus on promoting what they already have to gain new customers and strengthen a loyal following. However, when the B2B organization is is rolling out new products or services, some of the most successful aspects of B2B marketing should be leveraged to aid in exposure and acquire new customers.

Below are some of the channels and mechanisms B2B online marketers can promote a new product or service to target audiences.

App Notifications

If B2B organization has a mobile app, most users need to agree to a set of permissions when they downloaded it (regardless of if it is free or not). Most of these allow app developers to send “notifications” to users via the app, which is a “pop-up” on their phone that appears on the status bar (much like how a new text message notification would look).

When launching a major new product or service, the app notification tactic may aid in gaining interest quickly. This is especially the case when running a sale or deal for new customers that are among the first to sample offerings. In the app notification, offer them an exclusive promo code or unique link that will give them a discount for a set amount of time (or on a set number of products).

Note that this feature should be used sparingly so it doesn’t cause user fatigue, which could threaten app deletion or the removal of notification permission by the user.

Email Blasts / Newsletters

If the B2B organization is already building or currently have a robust email marketing or newsletter list, crafting an eye-catching and engagement email campaign could help gauge and increase user interest for new solutions and offerings.

Similar to app notifications, consider offering an exclusive discount, or give a few statistics as to why the new product was created and what problem it can help the target audience solve.

Custom Social Media Graphics

For B2B marketers with an active social media presence, consider having the graphic design department create a custom cover photo for Twitter, Facebook, Google+, or LinkedIn advertising the new product or service. Additionally, creating a “suite” of related images optimized for each network’s best photo size could be a great visual way to share the news.

Social media posts with images get more interaction because the human eye is trained to notice images first. In fact, it’s been found that Facebook posts with images generate 100% more engagement, so when you are announcing big news that needs to stand out from the crowd’s barrage of content they consume online each day, a visual representation is much more likely to get more attention and engagement.

PPC

Whether paid search is already an channel invested in or not, consider create new campaigns around the audience’s searches and interests through Google AdWords and / or Bing AdCenter. While B2B marketers can instantly showcase new functionality through PPC, remember that the B2B purchasing process is often longer than in the consumer space. Ensure PPC campaigns have funnels and UTM tracking in place in order to measure success throughout the duration of the B2B buying process.

In addition, PPC research can also help with product development: as the ongoing B2B campaign optimized, share the data with other departments to help them understand what users are expecting from the new product or service.

Content Marketing

Finally, remember that the core mechanism for communicating to a target audience is through content development. Consider how a content marketing campaign will aid in identify components of the buyer problem, and how this new solution helps solve it..

As example, a case study blog post series, data study ebook, or white paper may all be great ways to let an audience know the B2B organization have been listening to what they need, as well as provide results that have come from implementation. Ultimately, these assets can be showcased through all of the communication channels listed previously in this post.

Final Thoughts

All of the above areas of B2B marketing can be employed at the same time, if B2B marketing depeartment have enough resources to nurture them. Just remember that if that is the case, proper organization and cross-channel messaging are key, so it’s important to stay in constant communication with all involved departments, from Sales to Research & Development.

With a consistent message on how a new solution or product offering can help a target audience, delivered across multiple channels, B2B marketers can hope for increased engagement and ultimately greater buy-in and acceptance.