Blogging is one of the most effective ways of building customer confidence for anyone with a B2B business. Having a blog that is regularly updated is an important addition to any website. It creates repeat traffic to the site as people return to check in on the blog. It helps to identify you as an industry expert. It builds brand recognition. In addition, blog posts often get picked up in search engine rankings and can therefore be used as a form of article marketing, especially when SEO (search engine optimization) techniques are employed in the writing.  

Your blog can also be used to help in your demand marketing. You can send short emails to your email marketing list with a link to your blog whenever you add a new blog that has some teachable aspect to it. This is a good way to maximize the use you get from your blog. In addition, RSS feed can constantly update those who subscribe to it with the latest installment of your blog. This is a great tool to use in lead nurturing also. It ensures that you keep in touch with your client and give them information they can use. 

It is important to remember to keep things fresh in your blog. Do not simply repeat the same information over and over. Never copy and paste anything on your blog as this is plagiarism. Update your blog as regularly as possibly, at least a couple of times a week. If visitors come to your blog and see that it has not been updated recently they will assume that it has been abandoned, as happens with many blogs.  

Remember that your blog is an important marketing tool for your B2B business. In today’s market, more and more companies are relying on relationships when it comes to deciding where they spend their money rather than traditional advertising. Blogging is one type of social media marketing that allows you to share information with those you are hoping to transform from prospect to client. While there is limited opportunity for feedback on a blog, your readers can send comments. Be sure to respond to them to enhance the relationship. A blog is what every B2B business needs on its website to help grow as solid base of potential new clients.

Direct mail postcard marketing is a very effective form of demand marketing. Using this technique, you can create demand for and interest in your product or service. Direct mail marketing using postcards is extremely targeted and typically reaches the person it is intended for. You can even purchase mailing lists of local or global businesses that meet the criteria you set.

The postcard format of this type of direct mail actually gives the company a real chance to catch the reader’s interest, instead of going directly into the trash, like much unsolicited mail in envelopes does. Use photos on the card when possible to create visual interest. Send postcards often in order to maintain interest in your products or services. A postcard is easy to read and when used in the proper way, it can reap tremendous benefits. It not only creates awareness and brand recognition but it also helps to get sales headed your way.

For B2B advertising, direct mail postcards are the most effective way to make first contact with companies. Individuals whose work email addresses are published are likely to be the recipients of several hundred emails daily. These people are in the habit of not opening emails from people they don’t know. For this reason email solicitations are not reaching the right people. Direct mail postcards do not have this stumbling block.
You can even tip your hand a little more by using eye-catching color and design on the postcard. Limit the text you include, so individuals are more likely to read it. However, if you offer something free or incite the reader to act on something for a limited time, you can also increase the impact of the direct mail campaign. The rate of return on direct mail postcards is much higher than many other types of marketing. Expect sales increases from these types of marketing endeavors.

To get your business’s name into the hands of the people who make the decisions, opt for direct mail postcard marketing. Be sure you have the correct name, spelling and title for that person and send your postcard directly to him or her. Follow up is required, however, you will have gotten your foot in the door with the use of an eye-catching postcard made to peak the interest of B2B buyers.

The use of case studies to prove the efficacy of a product or service is priceless to marketing any B2B business. Now, more than ever, purchasing decisions are weighed very carefully and companies want to make sure they use their resources wisely on proven, solid investments. A well-done case study will help customers see exactly how what they are considering investing in has reaped profitability increases for other businesses and how it can benefit them.

A complete case study will include a variety of information on one customer’s use of a product or service. It should start with a thorough description of the problem the company was facing that prompted the purchase. The next part of the case study should follow the implementation process and its use for a period of time. At least a month is recommended though more is better. The case study should include quantifiable results that came directly from the use of your company’s product or service. Measurements that show true results are what you need to prove the worth of what you are selling. Finally, include a summary of how the investment has improved the business at the center of the case study.

Any company looking to use case studies as a part of their information marketing plan needs to know where to publish them. You can publish a real time case study on a blog or even on a video blog. Completed case studies can have their own page on your website. You can also offer free reports containing case studies to interested buyers. In addition, trade journals are an excellent place to submit case studies. Such journals are constantly looking for reporting that contains quantifiable information that is relevant to the industry they serve.

Case studies are particularly important with B2B sales. They are a very useful tool as often it is quite easy to see measurable results such as profitability increases, higher sales volume and less loss following the use of a new product or service. Such results are real life proof of what your company can do. They speak much louder than any brochure or flyer ever could. Case studies can provide the catalyst that will make your clients choose you over the competitor.

Any business looking to build its online presence needs to be absolutely sure that they are included in local search listings. A growing majority of your potential customers will start their search for goods and services with an online search. Search engines are more and more sensitive to location and will filter out results, giving local information first. In fact whenever you do a search, typically local results are listed at the top of the page before all others. Because often people prefer to do business with those closest to them, it makes sense to be at the top of the local search listings in your area.  

Some of the most common and recognizable of the local search tools are Googlelocal, yahoo local and Bing local. Most of them have a map feature included showing where local businesses are geographically located. This enables clients to get an idea of where you are physically and in many cases, physical proximity and neighborhood will factor into the decision of whether or not to use a particular local business. If you are in an industry with a lot of competition, it is even more important to be listed on local searches as customers will often make their purchases within a couple of miles of their home or workplace.  

It is very important to check the local search listings for the search engines that are most prominent. You should be listed there free of charge if your company has appeared in the print Yellow Pages. However, occasionally omissions happen. Make sure your information is correct in all the local search listings, as it can hurt your bottom line if it is not. Most search engines build their local search listings based on information found in one of two different business directories. If your company information is inaccurate with one firm, it will also likely be inaccurate with others. Remember to update online local search listings with new contact information on a timely basis. You can make changes and request to be included on local listings by using the contact form found on the search engine page.  

As online searches for practically everything, even local goods and services, are making directories and phone books a thing of the past, having an accurate representation there is critical. If you want local customers to find you, local search listings are the place to be. Take the time to be sure you are listed accurately, so those looking for what you sell can find you fast.

Your core marketing message goes beyond your unique value proposition, which states to your prospect the primary benefit offered by your company’s product or service. Rather, the core marketing message serves as the foundation for your entire marketing strategy by making it easier for you to talk about your business, and for decision makers to remember and spread the word.

A core marketing message encompasses your complete marketing message including your target market, their problems or needs, your solution, and proof that your solution works — and that you have the experience and talent to make it work. Without a core marketing message, it becomes much more difficult to quickly answer the question “So, what does your company do?” 

Memorable marketing is particularly important in B2B sales, where sales cycles are longer and more than one individual may be involved in making a decision as to whether or not to use your service. 

To develop a core marketing message for your business, here are a few subjects to ponder. 

• Target prospects. Which businesses do you serve? Are they small entrepreneurial businesses or large corporations? Where are they located? Describe your company’s ideal B2B client.

• Benefits. To make your marketing more effective, evaluate your target’s key problems. What problem does your business solve? What are the specific benefits offered to your prospective clients?

• The solution. Explain how your company can solve the problems of your target prospect. What results will you produce?

• Proof. Back up your claims with testimonials and references from satisfied customers. Business owners will be especially interested in success stories about companies you have helped which are similar to theirs.

Once you have established a well-defined marketing message, it should be incorporated in one form or another in all of your marketing materials, including articles, white papers, press releases and your website.

Take a look at your marketing materials, and consider your sales presentations. Is there a consistent, easily identified core marketing message shared by all these marketing tools? Prospective business clients don’t have time to spend figuring out just what it is that you do. Your message must be simple, well-crafted, and delivered quickly and clearly to achieve the maximum result.

Google Maps includes all the latest information about maps around the world. For bigger areas, like major cities, a local business locating option is offered that plots the location of both big and small businesses on the Google Map. The locations are easily found because of large red pins Google uses to identify them. This makes it easy for local customers for find the businesses that they need. It is completely free for the public to use and is increasing in popularity, as more and more people shun traditional maps, phone books and other such resources in favor of online information. Web-enabled phones and easy online access almost everywhere is contributing to steady increase of online searches for local businesses.  

Most businesses in select countries, including the United States, have a basic amount of information already available on Google Maps. Google has garnered this information from the Yellow Pages and other resources. However, Google encourages business owners to get their own customized free listing set up in the Google Local Business Center, in order to have the information that Google makes available reflect what you want it to. If your listing already exists you have the option to easily access and edit it so it works for you. 

Google Maps is a free service that does not have a pay-per-click or other system in place whereby you can pay for better ranking. Therefore your company is ranked based on relevance as determined by Google. For this reason, it is imperative that you use Search Engine Optimization (SEO) techniques and do keyword research when creating your company description for the Google Local Business Center. This will be your absolute best tool to help you get listed at the top of local searches for businesses of your type in your geographic area.

In social media marketing individuals are using their relationship-based media forms to educate potential clients about their products or services. It is not typically an overt form of marketing that requires closing the sale right away. Social media marketing is more about building and maintaining a relationship, while sharing information that will make your firm the logical choice should your prospect need to purchase what you sell. Ideally potential customers opt in to your RSS feed if you have a blog or bookmark your site and visit it regularly. They may also become a follower of yours on Twitter or your fan on Facebook. 

If you are interested in using social media in your marketing plan for your business, and you should, be prepared to spend time using a variety of different social media. Considering the fact that most social media is free of charge, it is a great way to do some cost effective marketing. It will allow you to connect with prospective clients and develop a relationship involving communication and sharing of information. Once your prospect is connected and interested in your products or service, he or she will begin to follow your updates. This is the next step towards purchasing what you are selling.

When social media is used correctly, it can help direct traffic to your B2B business web site. Focus on being a part of online communities that include many of your possible clients. Create a blog that shares good information and do guest blog spots on other blogs to increase visitors to your site. Make sure you track the progress of your social media marketing campaign, so you can see what works and what doesn’t. Use your social media outlets to build and maintain relationships with the prospects you want to turn into clients.

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It would be a mistake not to regard your website as one of your most important sales tools — if not the most important. This holds true even if you market in the B2B world. Purchase decisions in a Web 2.0 world have transformed marketing into an interactive process driven by the customer, not the vendor. Your next customer will likely research and evaluate your products and services through your website long before your salespeople get involved. In fact, a call to your salesperson may be the last step in the buyer’s journey.

If you have never considered enlisting the help of a professional website critique, now is the time to get serious about it. Even if your existing site generates results and appears to be functioning well, a website critique can greatly enhance those results by pointing out ways to increase page views and enhance the overall visitor experience. An objective third-party opinion is especially important if you sell your product from your site. 

A good website critique will examine the following areas of your site: 

• Navigation. Is your site easy to understand? Do all links work and go to an appropriate page?

• Design. Does the look and feel of your site relate to your company’s branding? Is the design appealing and consistent throughout the site?

• Usability. Is contact information complete and prominently located? Does the site offer quality information and images? Does the site direct the visitor to make a purchase?

• Search engine marketing. Does your site indicate main keywords to propel it to the top of search engine rankings? Does each page include unique page titles and meta descriptions?

• Content. Is the content of your site persuasive?

• Technology. Does your site utilize Cascading Style Sheets, text navigation and other up-to-date technologies? Do pages download quickly?

Often business owners spend months or even years tinkering with a site that just doesn’t produce the results it should. They may rely on the opinions of friends or employees who lack the professional knowledge to make suggestions that will really make an impact on your target market. Avoid this trap. Get a professional website critique to find out how your site can be improved and boost your company’s bottom line.

Direct mail postcard marketing is a very effective form of demand marketing. Using this technique, you can create demand for and interest in your product or service. Direct mail marketing using postcards is extremely targeted and typically reaches the person it is intended for. You can even purchase mailing lists of local or global businesses that meet the criteria you set.

The postcard format of this type of direct mail actually gives the company a real chance to catch the reader’s interest, instead of going directly into the trash, like much unsolicited mail in envelopes does. Use photos on the card when possible to create visual interest. Send postcards often in order to maintain interest in your products or services. A postcard is easy to read and when used in the proper way, it can reap tremendous benefits. It not only creates awareness and brand recognition but it also helps to get sales headed your way.

For B2B advertising, direct mail postcards are the most effective way to make first contact with companies. Individuals whose work email addresses are published are likely to be the recipients of several hundred emails daily. These people are in the habit of not opening emails from people they don’t know. For this reason email solicitations are not reaching the right people. Direct mail postcards do not have this stumbling block. 

You can even tip your hand a little more by using eye-catching color and design on the postcard. Limit the text you include, so individuals are more likely to read it. However, if you offer something free or incite the reader to act on something for a limited time, you can also increase the impact of the direct mail campaign. The rate of return on direct mail postcards is much higher than many other types of marketing. Expect sales increases from these types of marketing endeavors.

To get your business’s name into the hands of the people who make the decisions, opt for direct mail postcard marketing. Be sure you have the correct name, spelling and title for that person and send your postcard directly to him or her. Follow up is required, however, you will have gotten your foot in the door with the use of an eye-catching postcard made to peak the interest of B2B buyers.

Article marketing is an effective, inexpensive method of information marketing. Through informative, unique articles potential customers learn about a variety of different topics that are directly related to your business. Using links, typically in the resource box at the end of an article, such customers can access your site for more information or to make a purchase.

Article marketing is much more than a cost effective way to market and augment sales, especially when compared to many other methods. It brings truly qualified buyers to your site. Professionals who take the time to read an article and click through to the site are sufficiently interested in the topic and are more likely to buy than other visitors to your web site.

Establishing yourself as an expert in your field and offering quality articles, that are informative and interesting, on a regular basis are key components to article marketing. Articles should be submitted to online magazines regularly and should cover a variety of topics related to your business. Use keywords in your articles that potential customers would use if searching for information on the product or service you are selling. Originality is critical to the success of your article marketing efforts as most sites that publish articles will check for plagiarism and will reject articles and even ban authors because of it. Be sure to also use titles that catch the attention of your readers.

Businesspeople typically do research before making purchases. With article marketing your business will be presented to such individuals as a solutions provider. Not only will you have offered valuable information that the person is looking for, you will also provide a link to your site in the resource box at the end of the article, so the potential customer will know where to go to complete the sale. The confidence you build by sharing your knowledge will pay for itself with increased sales.

Article marketing can be added to any marketing budget. Articles are fairly short, as little as 400 words, and can be written by anyone who is skilled at writing. Alternatively, article marketing can be outsourced for very reasonable rates. The best part is that you don’t have to pay for every individual lead you get. The sales increase in exchange for a relatively low investment can be immeasurable.