A strong business-to-business brand must be managed and expanded through field marketing. By putting into action the proper marketing strategies that complement sales objectives and target the optimal clients, B2B businesses can raise brand awareness and boost sales.
In this article, you will learn more about the fundamentals of field marketing, along with the various tactics and resources used for promoting B2B companies.
- Event Marketing
B2B event marketing has long been viewed as a way for brands to interact with consumers in person in order to increase brand awareness, generate leads, deepen customer relationships, accelerate sales, and achieve other business objectives.
According to research, companies allocate around 31% of their marketing expenditure for events. In addition, 77% of business decision-makers stated that they discovered at least one new supplier at a trade show.
You can take part in a B2B event in one of two ways: either as an attendee or as an exhibitor/host. Traditional B2B events take place in person and include roadshows, user conferences, VIP dinners, and lunch and learn events.
- Virtual Field Marketing
B2B events have changed from being a primarily offline marketing technique to an online one as a result of recent technological advancements and pandemic constraints, but they still connect with other companies on a more personal level than other internet strategies. Some of the greatest methods for providing a great virtual field marketing experience, aside from webinars, include:
- Workshops. Invite subject-matter specialists to assist attendees in finding solutions to their most challenging issues.
- Live stream or live show. To liven up your virtual field marketing event, consider hiring a comedian to make a lasting impression on your attendees.
- Virtual games. Games such as escape rooms and trivia enable participants to cooperate and accomplish a common objective. This will foster a close relationship and create a sense of belonging and trust.
For best results, try to keep your virtual field marketing events brief. Research has shown that more than 90% of event attendees believe that virtual events shouldn’t last longer than an hour. Shorter events enable you to collaborate more intimately with your participants and help you forge natural connections with your audience.
- Customer Stories
Your satisfied customers are your most valuable assets when it comes to demand generation. When your clients are recommending you, it has a considerably greater impact than when you do it yourself. Your potential clients, particularly in B2B markets, want to know how your business added value to their sector. However, even if your business provided value that makes them stand out from the competition, it can still be challenging to get customers to write a success story in B2B markets.
Speaking with your sales team is one approach to solving this. For instance, your sales representatives could negotiate to include a customer review, testimonial, or success story when closing a deal in exchange for a slight reduction in the total contract value.
Don’t restrict yourself to highlighting customer success stories on your website; getting your clients to speak at external events about the experience they have had with your company is an even more effective field marketing tactic.
4. Guerrilla Marketing
Guerrilla marketing in the B2B sector is not difficult, but it does demand more innovation and a focus on surprising and satisfying customers.
For instance, the B2B CRM business Salesforce employed the element of surprise. They employed guerilla marketing tactics by mocking a protest at a conference held by their competitor Oracle Sibel. In order to make transportation easy and free for attendees of the conference, they also chartered a large number of taxis. The taxis were actually created as mobile Salesforce marketing booths and housed their marketing brochures. By using this cutting-edge strategy, Salesforce was able to establish a basic, strong, and straightforward brand positioning and divert attention away from its main competitor.
Final Thoughts
Nothing compares to the value of face-to-face communication, regardless of whether it takes place online or offline. There aren’t many chances for you to interact with and meet your target market. Field marketing is crucial since it helps to assure your constant presence and visibility.
Knowing your events, comprehending foot traffic patterns, and defining goals in advance can help you make the most of every chance. In addition to meeting wonderful people, field marketing tactics like the ones listed here can help you build relationships for long-term engagement.