by Tim Hughes | @Timothy_Hughes | LinkedIn
The problem with “digital marketing” is the relentless pace of change, this year’s “must have” is “last year’s” dinosaur. Now it’s time of the web form.
You know the web form? I want some information on your product or service and I find your website, fill in the form and access what I want. Well it’s on it’s way to the digital marketing dustbin.
Now this isn’t an article on GDPR, as long as you don’t hold and store the data then GDPR does not impact on a web request. The problem is by the time I’ve got to your website as a buyer, I will be a long way down my buying process. In fact, further than you may think.
In the old days, as a buyer I went to google, find your website through your search engine optimisation (SEO) efforts and read your website, then made contact.
Now the buyer is more sophisticated. We ask questions on social, in social groups, in WhatsApp groups. We consume content, read blogs, watch youtube videos and speak to influencers. We do all of this before we know what we want. Our research, will allow us to form a view of our requirements and it is only when we are clear what we want do we start contacting suppliers.
At the point we contact a supplier, we will have either chosen you or will be contacting you as part of a short list.
The Problem
The problem that so many companies have right now is that the website is purely a brochure. It tells people how great they are and for the modern buyer, this is just noise. As an example, when we look at a hotel website, it tells you how great it is, we back that up with a look at trip advisor. While that is a business to consumer (B2C) example, there are ways we can do this in the business to business (B2B) world.
- Content – When we consume content, we will gain a view of what you are like as a business. Obviously if you have no content or are not active on social, we won’t find you so you won’t be evaluated. Again, the mistake companies make is that they need to control the message and pump out more boring corporate content, that us buyers just ignore. Hence why 80% of content is never read.
- Social – As a buyer we are looking for somebody to help and guide us, the larger the size of the deal, the more reason why we need help. Sales people and in fact all employees need to empowered to be on social. Not to become a mouth piece of corporate marketing, but to have personal brands, write content and to be found by buyers as the solution to the buyers problem. Again, if your employees are not on social or empowered to be on there, you are losing business.
- Influencers – Just like if you when you buy a car you ask a friend their opinion on your car choice. People are asking influencers for their opinion for advice on a B2B purchase. And or, they may turn to their own network of people that have made a similar purchase.
The Solution
If you have no content or you employees and salespeople are not present on social and in a positive way, not a corporate marketing way, then you are dark to the modern buyer. Social Selling and employee advice are now critical components not to revenue generation of your business but the marketing mix as well.
In addition, there is intent data. What is Intent? – While in the past marketers have seen the “web form” as the start of they buying process it no longer is. Buyers are on social showing intent and this intent data can be collected and you can dal with it. In fact, the power of intent data now means you are able to engage with a buyer earlier and cutting out the competition. Intent isn’t expensive, for example, Microsoft Dynamics 365 customers have access to the Microsoft Social Engagement (MSE) tool, which allows you, by salesperson territory to search for buyer intent.
Intent also isn’t just at the start of the buying process but in fact all the way through. For example, I may ask my network, “which Supply Chain system do you use?” at the end of they buying process I might ask, “I’m taking business case to the board on a new Human Resources system, anybody have a deck I can use?”.
This is just one of the many factors that we are seeing in the changing pace of marketing, digital marketing and sales.
People who read this article also read these:
http://www.social-experts.net/its-time-for-your-enterprise-to-run-on-social/
http://www.social-experts.net/on-holiday-will-you-phone-home-for-the-football-results/
http://www.social-experts.net/someone-who-is-big-in-the-social-selling-world-has-written-something-that-i-take-exception-to/
