subject: Business Marketing Solutions 101 For Business To Business [print this page] This article will discuss the anatomy of a successful business to business marketing campaign, with specific focus on developing goals and metrics and developing creative and copy by segments. This article will expand on these topics to provide a framework for business marketing solutions.
Developing Goals & Metrics
Before starting a Business-to-Business, or B2B, marketing campaign, it is critical to clearly define the goals and metrics that will end up driving the success of that campaign. Initial goals must be reasonable to achieve and their methods must contain quantifiable factors that can be measured to determine the rate of success. In addition, achievement of the initial goals should serve as a foundation for achieving larger, long-term goals and future desired outcomes.
In most cases, goals can be defined by answering a series of questions that help to identify some of the issues that may arise during the course of the campaign. The following questions are an example of those that may be asked to help develop reasonable goals:
- What kinds of resources are available to help us reach our goal?
- How long do we have to accomplish our goals and achieve our objective?
- What constraints might affect us?
- Is each goal vital to achieving the objective?
By developing and utilizing metrics, marketers give themselves the ability to review data that will help them track progress and improve the likelihood of success in achieving the goals of the B2B marketing campaign. Data collected from the quantifiable factors can also be used to identify effective techniques and improve or remove ineffective processes.
The following scenario presents an example of a B2B marketing campaign objective, complete with goals and metrics:
Sample Objective: To increase brand identity and business relationships among the 131 organizations that match the target market criteria for new client acquisition in the Northeast US region over the next 12 months.
First Quarter Goals: Delegate direct marketing and customer support responsibilities for region to a multi-person team and create sales goals for each member. Initiate contact with all 131 organizations through combined e-marketing, direct mail, business networking and cold-calling. Create interactive files on each organization and develop customized marketing plan based on data acquired.
Metrics: Monthly and quarterly reports on number of target organizations aware of brand and those which have responded to marketing efforts. Number of new clients acquired, tracking of growth in region and participation rate increases (or decreases) from quarter to quarter. Identify common factors among organizations who responded to marketing campaign and those that did not.
Developing Creative & Copy by Segments
After the campaign goals are determined, the next step in the process is to develop a creative way to grab and hold the attention of business prospects in the campaign's target market. The creative aspect of your B2B marketing campaign should stimulate interest in learning more about your organization, which is where the copy provides detailed information.
The copy should complement the creative segment by providing compelling information that excites and further sells potential clients. It communicates the benefits received by businesses that enter into a relationship with your organization. Your persuasive copy should convince your target market that it is a "no-brainer" to respond to the marketing campaign and compel them to contact your organization.
In some cases, market research should be conducted to determine how different marketing segments respond to creative and copy. For instance, some business prospects may respond to creative/copy that is playful or funny; others only to creative that is professional and poignant. Segmenting prospects also gives marketers the opportunity to test different markets to see which types of creative and copy work best.
The ultimate goal, of course, is to capture business prospects, attain their contact information and segment them into narrower channels that will support future marketing efforts.
by: Ted Raymond
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