B2B decision-makers scrutinize new digital communication tools with curiosity, sometimes suspicious and always full of questions about their use for their own business. Should we go on TikTok? How can the podcast be useful for your visibility? Increasing your visibility, generating new leads thanks to these levers sometimes assigned to B2C, can sometimes be a game-changer. We make you discover some of them to take action effectively.
Influencer marketing: partnership 2.0
In a context of B2B influence strategy, decision-makers trust their peers more than direct commercial prospecting to obtain information on professionals, competitors or future partners. For this, the opinions of experts, found on the first page of the Google search engine, are, for them, very valuable. Hence the importance of influencers to help them promote their business. Unlike B2C, B2B influencers rely more on their authority in the matter rather than their popularity. On the front line, journalists are the most in demand, surely for their role of relaying official information via press releases (another traditional media that is still relevant elsewhere). Carrying out your influence strategy well therefore requires the support of expert personalities: consultants, analysts, senior executives or representatives of an institution. By giving an external and supported opinion, they ensure the reliability of a product or a service of your company. Filmed interview, blog article, white paper, the important thing is to give qualitative content rather than a repeated presence. It’s up to you to find the rare pearl who will be able to accompany you on a subject that is close to your heart. This close and sincere collaboration contributes to a more transparent communication of your speech. From there, to involving influencers already integrated into your company, there is only one step to take.
LinkedIn Podcast Network: LinkedIn’s new audio offering
LinkedIn: the essential professional network
It’s not for nothing that LinkedIn has become the first professional social network. Nearly 1 in 2 decision-makers have already started a conversation with a company or with one of its employees following published content, according to the Social Selling Barometer, published in 2020. Employees therefore represent a precious windfall for disseminating a good image of your company. Involving them in your LinkedIn publications would thus generate 4 times more subscribers to the company page. How? ‘Or’ What ? By creating a community of employees who are willing and motivated to automatically share the company’s recommended content (go to the “My company” tab). This employee advocacy approach (employee ambassador) transforms employees into trusted interlocutors. Messages posted by employees on social networks thus gain credibility. Easy and inexpensive to implement, this targeted strategy can quickly expand your community while empowering your employees.
How about TikTok?
Teens, Millennials, politicians are also there, so why not companies? With more than a billion users in October 2021, TikTok stands out among the major social networks and this platform (like Instagram where 25,000 companies are found today) questions communication managers: go there? In the form of #hashtag challenges or short videos that are more creative and informal than a corporate film to present its products or brand, the TikTok social network is also an effective way to help companies recruit, especially among young adults. SNCF has thus deployed several videos of job testimonials which have generated more than 1.5 million views and discussions for those most interested. Are you hesitating? Being a pioneer on a new tool can also be beneficial for increasing your audience. The Washington Post was the first American newspaper to successfully open an account there. He created a character who illustrates the news with humor and shift. Result: he managed to reach a younger audience than he would have ever reached without this network (more than half a million users in almost a year). And to get started, you don’t need to create an account!
WhatsApp: phone voice notes
Who really still calls today? Is your client not in the office or is he on the other side of the planet? No more impromptu calls in the middle of a meeting or jet lag, the free WhatsApp Business application allows the recording of voice messages by supplementing them with images, explanatory videos on a product, etc. Your interlocutor will have plenty of time to view them later. Company identity card, groups of contacts, after-sales service, product catalogues, automated messages, the use of this local communication channel is a godsend, especially for small and medium-sized companies that want to generate business with their customers and their partners: 70% of messages sent are read! A record rate compared to e-mailings (spam, incorrect addresses). It is also ideal for international business because there is no additional cost of communication costs abroad. Its version compatible for PC via WhatsApp for web brings the comfort of a computer screen in addition.
The podcast or the revival of radio
According to the recent Observatoire de l’oralité en entreprise, 63% of employees listen to sound content offered by companies. In addition to the training content that is acclaimed internally by employees, there is strong demand for speaking content, interviews, debates or portraits. And for good reason. The strength of this medium lies in its chronological shift: a podcast can be listened to whenever you want, wherever you want, while doing something completely different. More than with the radio, the reading of a podcast is done in a thoughtful and attentive way: 90% of people listen to the recording until the end. It is therefore a good way to ask yourself to talk about a subject in depth. Freed from the image, it also generates more confidence. Develop your employer brand through the creation of an in-house web radio station, build the loyalty of your listeners or increase your authority through interviews in the form of advice (for athletes at Decathlon) or in the form of expert opinions (within the GRDF energy group): it is possible to honor your employees and enhance your activity with a little imagination and prepared editorial content. Setting up a podcast is simpler than creating a video: a good recorder, quality content and inspired interlocutors. And it can be easily shared by other social networks.
Webinar: the interactive and traced event
Having become the penchant of the conference of trade fairs and congresses, the webinar is part of a digitalized vision of hybrid events. As decision makers, organizing a webinar has the advantage of generating more qualified leads for your business than a traditional trade show. It’s even the best way for 75% of B2B marketers and sales managers, according to GoToWebinar, to grow their customer base. When registering for your webinar, participants leave a very sought-after piece of data: their contact details. You can then invite this target group interested in your activity to consult the content of your website, download a white paper for example, or, more directly, give them a thank you gift. Because, despite everything, the webinar takes place remotely and remains virtual. To strengthen the human side and create a more personalized bond, put the dishes in the big ones by offering a box of goodies that will make your relationship a reality. Whether sent before or at the end of the event, this box of gifts in your company colors will be a new springboard for future professional relationships. Think of pens, notebooks, helmets, mugs: these products will accompany the viewing of your webinar in good conditions. And your interlocutors will remember it.
Google My Business GMB: optimized natural engagement
If Google is your everyday friend, don’t neglect this tool specially designed for professionals. For those who do not know it well yet, know that it holds 25% of the weight of the natural referencing of a website. Identity card of the company displayed on the right of the search engine results, it is a showcase of the company and its activity. GMB gives a display and simple access to your contact details, your schedules, your Twitter, Instagram or Facebook feed, customer reviews, etc. This highlighted information contributes to better visibility and credibility vis-à-vis your customers and partners. So remember to improve your Business page by adding photos of your premises for example, your teams and the products you sell in order to give a concrete and quick idea of your activity. Note that online reviews are the data most consulted by consumers and monitored by your competitors: therefore allow time to respond to them, even and especially to negative comments. Your reputation and customer engagement are at stake.
Reading this action plan, it seems quite easy to add some of these tools to your B2B strategy without too much technicality. Multiplying the levers to broadcast your presence to an audience won over to your cause even seems to be a good solution. Provided they are in line with your editorial line and your target. In this, content marketing is the key to your success.