7 Budget-Friendly B2B Digital Marketing Strategies for Success

When I started my marketing company over twenty years ago, digital marketing was such a new concept that the options for marketing my B2B endeavor were undiscovered.  I would say non-existent but that’s really not the case – these options have been here all along but in the early days, no one really knew about it.  Today there are some very specific things you can do to market your B2B company on a budget.

Here is a list of budget-friendly B2B marketing options and how to use them:

Content marketing

Share your expertise by writing about it!  You can share how your company solves problems which will often naturally include keywords people will use to find your company.  (Side note:  I used the word “people” because no matter what business you are in, people buy from people, not companies – show your human side and write like a person). You can create blog posts, videos, podcasts, infographics, and other types of content that provide value to your audience.

Social media marketing

Using social media platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook can be an effective way to reach potential customers – yes B2B customers – and build relationships with them. You can share the content written above on social media, engage with your followers, and participate in industry discussions.

Email marketing

This may seem like a no-brainer but you would be surprised how many B2B companies don’t use email marketing to share content and cultivate leads.  And with the ability to automate emails, nurturing business relationships is easier than ever.  Building an email list of potential customers and sending them information on a regular basis works toward achieving the number of touches it takes these days to stay top of mind.  Make sure your emails are targeted, and personalized, and provide value to the recipients.

Referral marketing

You may have heard of influencers.  Referral marketing is a way to use your current customers to “influence” others to do business with you.  Encouraging your current customers to refer to your business can be a powerful way to generate new leads.  One way to get started is to ask your customers for feedback about their experience, this will give you testimonials you can use to cultivate referrals.  

Networking

This is a bit of what used to be called “guerilla marketing” and it’s as effective today as it was when I started my business.  In fact, I would argue that networking was the key to building my business in the early days. Attending industry events, conferences, and meetups can be a great way to meet potential customers and partners. Be sure to have a clear elevator pitch and bring business cards or other materials to share with people you meet.

Search engine optimization (SEO)

Back to the digital world, optimizing your website for search engines can help you rank higher in search results and attract more organic traffic. Be sure to read this post (an oldie but still relevant) to give you ideas.  This can be a long-term investment, but it can pay off over time as you build authority and visibility online.

Collaborate with other businesses

One way to partner is to highlight businesses you’ve worked with in social posts and they, in turn, will share your post and help promote your business.  Partnering with other businesses in your industry or complementary industries can be a great way to reach new audiences and build relationships. 

Building a business that sells to other businesses may be challenging, but with solid digital marketing and a little networking, you can give your business the boost you’re looking for.  My business was built to serve other businesses and I built an agency using the tools above and later sold it.  I also get freelance gigs using the B2B tactics above. 

If you need help, contact me!