B2B marketing is evolving at an unprecedented rate. Customer expectations are at an all-time high, competition is on the rise, the marketing mix is changing and marketers are drowning in data. With so many audiences, mediums and technologies, it’s easy to take a wrong turn along the way. By looking ahead and identifying obstacles in advance, marketers can be proactive and avoid some common bumps in the road. Here are four universal roadblocks to marketing success and how to avoid them:
Marketing Roadblock #1: You Don’t Have a Written Plan
One of the most common mistakes you can make is failing to put a marketing plan into writing. Successful marketing doesn’t happen on its own. To get results, you need a written plan. Without one, companies fall prey to trial-and-error or reactive marketing. This guarantees companies will spend more time, money and energy than necessary.
For many marketers, creating the plan itself presents the biggest roadblock. We understand the struggle many companies experience when developing a marketing plan. To make the process easier, we developed an easy-to-follow marketing plan template that we use ourselves and with our clients.
Marketing Roadblock #2: You Are Missing Your Target
Is your marketing campaign targeting the right audience? If not, you will miss the mark completely. Without a clear picture and detailed understanding of your ideal customer, you could be losing business to competitors and missing out on opportunities to increase sales.
To avoid wasting valuable time and resources, do your research. Look at your existing customer database and identify common characteristics of the people who are already buying from you. What industries do they represent? How large are the companies? Where are they located? Who are the decision makers? In addition, make a list of your ideal customers’ needs, priorities, challenges, values and beliefs and tailor marketing materials to address these topics.
Marketing Roadblock #3: You Are Focused on Self-Promotion
There is a fine line between telling prospects what you do and being self-promotional. If you are promoting your products and services without addressing their value, you will be ignored. Worse yet, without an emotional connection, your target market won’t trust you.
Instead of telling prospects you are an expert in your field, prove it by sharing knowledge, stories, examples and testimonials. Focus on providing meaningful information and relevant solutions to your target market’s problems. Use thought leadership to present expert and original solutions in an engaging and informative format. This can take the form of bylined articles, white papers, case studies, blogs, newsletters and webinars. Save product and corporate information for advertising and brochure copy.
Marketing Roadblock #4: You’re Not Measuring Your Success
Not tracking the results of your marketing campaigns can present a huge roadblock for future planning and budgeting. When you don’t measure ROI, it is impossible to quantify the marketing department’s contributions to the bottom line.
Your marketing plan should outline the metrics by which each campaign will be measured. These may include consumption (number of views, followers and downloads), sharing, lead generation, engagement and sales. In addition, ask yourself which parts of the campaign were most successful, how it compared to others and what you can do differently in the future to ensure greater success.
Finding Your Way
Roadblocks only block the road if you let them. Too often, when marketers approach a roadblock, their instinct is to turn around. The road may seem treacherous, the mountain too high or the path uncharted. By assessing your successes and failures, creating a plan and putting it into action, marketers can navigate today’s uber-competitive marketplace. If you feel like you are hitting a roadblock (or two) with your marketing, contact Trade Press Services today.
