Creating an effective B2B marketing strategy is a question many business leaders find themselves asking, often out of frustration. Perhaps your current marketing efforts aren’t yielding results, or maybe you’ve worked with an agency that promised a strategy but delivered something far from effective. Or it could be that your company has grown by word of mouth, and marketing has never been a proactive part of your growth plan—until now.
The reality is that the marketing landscape is incredibly complex, and it’s only getting more complicated with advances like AI. So, where do you even begin?
In this blog post, I’ll walk you through how to create a B2B marketing strategy that addresses these challenges head-on, ensuring your marketing efforts drive real, measurable results.
Why Your Marketing Isn’t Working
Before diving into how to create a B2B marketing strategy, it’s crucial to understand why your current approach might not be delivering. Many B2B and service-based companies fall into one of three scenarios:
- Agency Strategy Gaps: You’ve worked with an agency that provided some form of a strategy, but it wasn’t comprehensive or aligned with your business goals. And it didn’t deliver measurable results.
- In-House Efforts: You’ve hired someone with marketing experience, but the results aren’t coming because there’s no overarching strategy or framework directing the activities. There’s activity but not sustained growth.
- Reactive Marketing: Marketing has never been a deliberate part of your growth plan. Instead, your growth has relied on word of mouth, reputation, or a good salesperson. And this won’t be enough to scale your company.
Whatever the case, if your marketing isn’t working, it’s likely because a comprehensive strategy and framework weren’t in place from the beginning, so there’s no predictable, marketing-driven growth.
Setting Clear, Revenue-Driven Goals
The first step in how to create a B2B marketing strategy is defining measurable and attainable goals. But let’s be clear—your goals shouldn’t be about gaining a thousand LinkedIn followers or getting a specific number of likes on your posts. While these metrics have their place, they’re vanity metrics that don’t directly correlate with your marketing spend or ROI.
Instead, think about your goals in terms of net new revenue. Ask yourself: where are you now, and where do you want to be in twelve months? How many new customers does that represent? Don’t forget to account for churn. If your goal is to grow from $5 million to $6 million in revenue, make sure you’re also considering the revenue you might lose due to natural customer turnover.
Once you’ve established your revenue goals, work backward. How many proposals do you need to send out to win those new customers? How many sales meetings or discovery calls are required to reach that number? And how many leads do you need to generate to fuel those sales meetings?
This process allows you to set key performance indicators (KPIs) that guide your marketing activities, broken down into quarterly and monthly goals. By planning in 90-day increments, you can adjust your tactics as needed and stay on track toward achieving your goals.
Read More: How Much Do Marketing Agencies Charge?
Defining Your Target Audience
Now that you have your goals, the next step in how to create a B2B marketing strategy is defining your target audience. Many companies make the mistake of assuming they know their audience without putting it down on paper. This leads to a lack of clarity and focus in your marketing efforts.
Start by narrowing down your ideal clients. Consider factors like industry, company size, revenue, location, and any other attributes that help you filter down to a more specific target audience. Remember, if you try to market to everyone, you’ll end up reaching no one.
Once you’ve narrowed down the companies you want to target, think about the individuals within those companies. Who are the decision-makers, influencers, and researchers? What are their roles, and what does the buying process look like from their perspective? Understanding these dynamics is essential for tailoring your marketing messages effectively.
Crafting Clear and Compelling Messaging
One of the biggest mistakes companies make when creating their messaging is focusing too much on themselves. Your messaging should be about your customers, not your brand or product. A simple way to test this is by searching your website for words like “we,” “our,” and “us” versus “you” and “your.” If your messaging focuses heavily on your brand, it’s time to make a change.
A story-based approach is incredibly effective for B2B marketing. The story isn’t about your company—it’s about your customer and how you help them solve their problems. This shift in focus makes your messaging more relevant and engaging for your audience.
A framework we love and recommend is StoryBrand by Donald Miller. This approach simplifies the process of creating clear, compelling messaging that communicates what you do, the value it brings, and why someone should choose your company over the competition.
Read More: An Effective B2B Marketing Strategy: Why Messaging and Audience Matter
Understanding the Buyer’s Journey
The next crucial element in how to create a B2B marketing strategy is understanding the buyer’s journey. Think of it like dating—it’s a process that happens in stages. You wouldn’t propose marriage on the first date, and you shouldn’t ask your prospects to commit to a purchase before they’re ready.
The buyer’s journey typically involves three stages:
- Problem Aware: The buyer recognizes they have a problem that needs solving.
- Solution Aware: The buyer researches different solutions and compares options.
- Decision-Making: The buyer decides which solution is the best fit for their needs.
At each stage, your buyers are asking specific questions. As they become solution-aware, they’ll start asking more comparative questions. Business owners searching for marketing strategy services may ask questions like ‘What’s the difference between a marketing agency and a fractional CMO?
When they’re just becoming aware of their problem, they might ask, “What is B2B marketing?” or “How do I create a marketing strategy?” As they move into solution exploration, they’ll ask more comparative questions, like “What’s the difference between a marketing agency and a fractional CMO?”
Your content should address these questions at each stage of the buyer’s journey, helping them move smoothly from one stage to the next. But remember, if you ask for a commitment too early—like scheduling a sales call when they’re still researching solutions—you risk scaring them off.
Tactical Execution: 90-Day Increments
Once you have your goals, audience, and messaging in place, it’s time to think about tactics. The best way to approach this is by focusing on 90-day increments. This keeps your team motivated and allows for flexibility in adjusting your strategy as needed.
The specific tactics you choose will depend on your unique situation, but there are some foundational elements every B2B marketing strategy should include:
- Website Content: Your website should be an always-on salesperson, providing answers to the most common questions your prospects have. Make sure your service pages include FAQs that address these questions directly.
- Content Creation: Regularly publishing content is essential for driving traffic and generating leads. Aim for at least one article per week, ideally two to three. Focus on topics that your sales team can use in their conversations with prospects, such as pricing, common problems, comparisons, and best-of lists.
- Video and Multimedia: Videos are incredibly effective for B2B marketing. Create videos that answer common questions and share them on your website, YouTube, and social media.
- SEO and Social Media: Write SEO-friendly blog posts to ensure your content is discoverable by search engines. In the B2B space, LinkedIn is a powerful platform for connecting with your target audience and sharing valuable content.
By breaking down your strategy into these manageable 90-day sprints, you can maintain momentum and quickly pivot if needed. This approach ensures that your marketing efforts remain focused, agile, and aligned with your overall business objectives.
Read More: SEO for Small Businesses: What It Means and How to Get Results
Measuring Success and Adjusting Your Strategy
Finally, an essential part of how to create a B2B marketing strategy is regularly measuring your success and adjusting your tactics. Every 90 days, assess where you are relative to your goals. Did you achieve your priorities for the quarter? If not, what needs to change?
One tool we use with our clients is a scorecard that tracks progress toward their goals. This helps ensure that their marketing strategy continuously aligns with their business objectives.
Bonus Tip: Optimize Your Website as a Sales Tool
Your website has the potential to be your most powerful salesperson—available 24/7 to answer questions and guide prospects through the buyer’s journey. Make sure your website is easy to navigate, tells a clear story, and is focused on addressing your audience’s needs.
Incorporate testimonials, case studies, and other proof points to demonstrate your expertise and credibility. And most importantly, make sure your website content answers the questions your buyers are asking at every stage of their journey.
Read More: Transform Your B2B Website into a 24/7 Sales Machine
Taking the Next Step in Your B2B Marketing Strategy
Creating an effective B2B marketing strategy doesn’t have to be painful, but it does require intentionality. You can build a strategy that drives real results by setting clear goals, defining your audience, crafting compelling messaging, understanding the buyer’s journey, and executing tactics in 90-day increments.
If you have questions or need help creating your B2B marketing strategy, start by taking our free B2B Marketing Assessment. This quick, insightful tool will help you identify gaps and opportunities in your current marketing strategy. Plus, you’ll receive a personalized marketing playbook with actionable steps to grow your business. Take the first step today!
B2B Marketing Strategy FAQs
1. What are the essential steps in creating a B2B marketing strategy?
Creating a B2B marketing strategy involves several key steps, including setting clear revenue-driven goals, defining your target audience, crafting compelling messaging, understanding the buyer’s journey, and executing your plan in 90-day increments. This process ensures that your marketing efforts are aligned with your business objectives and effectively reach your ideal customers.
2. How do I know if my B2B marketing strategy is working?
To determine if your B2B marketing strategy is effective, you should track key performance indicators (KPIs) such as lead generation, conversion rates, customer acquisition cost, and return on investment (ROI). Regularly reviewing these metrics will help you understand what’s working and where adjustments may be needed.
3. What are some common mistakes to avoid when developing a B2B marketing strategy?
Common mistakes in B2B marketing strategy include failing to set clear goals, neglecting to define your target audience, focusing too much on your brand instead of your customers, and not aligning sales and marketing efforts. Avoiding these pitfalls can significantly improve the effectiveness of your strategy.
4. How important is content marketing in a B2B marketing strategy?
Content marketing is a critical component of a successful B2B marketing strategy. By creating valuable content that addresses your audience’s questions and pain points, you can establish your brand as an authority in your industry, build trust with potential clients, and guide them through the buyer’s journey.
5. How can I use LinkedIn effectively as part of my B2B marketing strategy?
LinkedIn is an essential platform for B2B marketing, allowing you to connect with decision-makers, share valuable content, and engage with your target audience. To use LinkedIn effectively, focus on building a strong professional profile, posting regularly about industry-relevant topics, and leveraging LinkedIn’s networking and advertising tools to reach potential clients.
