Doing the same things consistently in your B2B marketing can produce steady results, but what about trying new things? New channels? New strategies?
Trying new things out in a B2B marketing strategy does come with certain risks, but often, is worth it.
In this post, we take a look at three ways to innovate your B2B marketing, while preserving the results you are already getting.
Do Research
Where do you start when looking to innovate in marketing?
The best place to start is with a bit of research. You likely follow industry publications or thought leaders, either in marketing or your industry, so poke around and see what people are talking about.
Another avenue is to look at your competitors, vendors, and/or clients to see what they are doing. We don’t suggest copying your competitors, but it gets your mind thinking and considering strategies and methods you may not have tried before.
Read more: Metrics you should be tracking in B2B marketing.
Attend a Conference or Virtual Event
For B2B marketing strategies and ideas, a great place to turn to is an industry conference or a virtual event. Even a webinar that is specific to your industry or to B2B marketing will provide interesting perspectives and/or other avenues you may not have considered.
When looking at potential conferences or events, take a close look at who is hosting the event and who is speaking or presenting at the event. Review the topics to get an idea of how relevant they are to your industry. For example, while Bop Design is a B2B marketing and web design agency, an event focusing primarily on ecommerce marketing won’t be the right fit as we don’t work within the ecommerce space. The same holds true if an event is primarily focused on products if you only offer services and vice versa. Lastly, be sure to see what past attendees say. Is this primarily a networking opportunity, a sales avenue, or a true learning experience?
Most conferences now have a virtual pass or even a pass just for recorded presentations, making them affordable regardless of the budget you have available for professional development.
Discover more: B2B marketing stats.
Talk to an Experienced B2B Agency
Now, this isn’t a shameless plug for our B2B agency. In fact, we often encourage potential clients to speak with other agencies to make sure it’s the right fit. Even within marketing, many agencies specialize in different types of B2B marketing – whether it’s digital, paid advertising, email marketing, inbound marketing, etc. Talking to a handful of agencies provides perspectives and ideas that might be new to you.
B2B marketing agencies are a great resource/partner because they work with a variety of clients and are on top of the latest approaches, ideas, and trends in marketing. They also have good insight into what works and what doesn’t work.
Read more: Tips to audit your current B2B marketing strategy.
