The B2B Outlook on Multichannel Marketing

The average consumer today uses an average of two to three platforms to get information about any product or service. These platforms have become the fabric of most B2B organizations. Marketers must track consumers across channels and invest resources judiciously to get the most of their digital demand generation campaigns. However, orchestrating a seamless, unified B2B multichannel strategy requires a specialized skillset and understanding along with cross-channel integration to overarching business goals.

Multichannel marketing in the B2B landscape marked the beginning of a customer-oriented era. It is all about leveraging the right channels to resonate and connect with ideal buyers. However, merely having a presence on multiple channels is not enough. Digitally-native customers demand more personalized experiences and frictionless buying journeys.

The new ‘rule of thirds’ for multichannel B2B marketing

B2B marketers are now embracing the new parameters of omnichannel marketing. Modern self-servicing customers leverage multiple channels to gather information, for example, websites, social media platforms, emails, video content, and more, at different stages of their buying journey. The ‘rule of thirds’ depicts that every customer employs a roughly even mix of traditional and self-service platforms at each stage of the sales process.

Part of the reason why buyers are engaging in a wider array of marketing channels is that suppliers are ultimately catching up to the rising demand. Multichannel marketing allows enterprises to intelligently coordinate and support every individual within a given buying group. From problem identification to solution exploration and supplier selection, customers make concurrent connections across channels to fulfil the task they are trying to accomplish.

Experimentation is key for multichannel marketing to evaluate the success rating of each channel and how strategic they are with the customer base. It is advisable to start modest and small and make it grow from there. Enterprises must become data divas to track consumer behaviour and campaign outcomes for continued optimization. Data is also critical to eliminating silos across channels and building a single source of truth.

The three keys to multichannel success: momentum, expertise, and transparency

Omnichannel success relies on the digital marketing hattrick of speed, transparency, and expertise. Speed involves providing customers immediate access to information when, how, and where they want. It also involves staying connected with them through video, voice, and text support along all the points in their buying journey. Plus of course seamless connectivity between digital and traditional channels needs focus while delivering personalized customer outreach for increased trust and convenience.

Transparency allows customers to understand all their options and the total value of a product, including the cost and the benefits. Transparency can be as simple as providing product comparison information or providing additional information about parts, supplies, or solutions. Lastly, expertise entails resolving technical queries of the customers through a well-rounded content marketing approach. Also, providing immediate support using website chatbots can go a long way in establishing their thought-leadership in the market.

The popular adage within a B2B multichannel marketing strategy, “content is king,” certainly rings true. Savvy marketers must consider content as a cornerstone to building thought leadership as potential buyers want to educate themselves before requesting a demo or making a purchase. It is also critical to vary content from channel to channel based on different audience parameters. Additionally, the B2B content strategy should follow the 80/20 rule, i.e., 80% of the time is levied on informing and educating the buyer and 20% of the time promoting the business.

Conclusion

Multichannel engagement is a buyer-centric marketing strategy that aims to engage buyers when, where, and how they choose. Sustained by digital interactions and technology, multichannel strategy choreographs the engagement of distributed buyers through intelligent coordination. Harmonizing messaging and anticipating the requirements of individuals means each stakeholder receives personalized support. This helps businesses validate and advance opportunities while reducing the impact of iterative steps. With the advancements made in analytics, technology, and marketing competencies, multichannel marketing is now the alchemical elixir for B2B businesses to grow market visibility, drive customer engagements, and maximize sales in the long run.