OFF-MUTE 🔈
🤫 Most people avoid talking about generational differences in the workplace (as they should).
👇 BUT there is an important one we must point out.
✨ Did you know that 60% of today’s B2B buyers are Millennials? Unlike their Boomer and Gen X predecessors, they prefer:
🚫 Little-to-no interaction with sales;
🔎 Independent research (conducting at least 12 online searches);
💬 Referrals from their peers and industry community before making a purchase.
💥 Even though B2B sales can be complicated, with most transactions involving six to 10 other decision makers, today’s Millennial buyers want a personalized experience with no nonsense.
🖼️ This is changing the entire landscape of how marketers are positioning their brands and communicating who they are and what they do.
🛒 B2B buyers are still consumers. And digital content is the opportunity to reach (and convert) them.
📖 Here are three moves from the B2C playbook to take your B2B marketing comms game to the next level:
👩🏫 Create human content. B2B audiences are annoyed by jargon—it’s time to drop the buzzwords. Podcasts, videos, newsletters and social media posts need to sound human and be authentic. Start with the basic goal of connecting with your audience and finding relevant ways to inform, entertain, educate and help. Make every touchpoint count.
🤸♀️Give them a reason to stay (without a sales pitch). Don’t just push promotional posts to drive website traffic—find creative ways to keep them interested in exploring your content. Consider running a contest or jumping on timely trends to invite new people into your social community and interact with those that are already there. Pro tip: turn on social listening to find the right moments to engage with your audience.
📱Expand your reach. Try experimenting with channels new to you. For example, should your company start a TikTok or have a presence on Reddit? Maybe — it all depends on your goals, audiences and content resources. And now, lots of B2B companies are working with influencers to build followings because they can create a bridge between awareness and trust. They aren’t celebrities and YouTube or Instagram stars; they are people with smaller, but more engaged audiences that have the ability to shape brand perception and purchasing decisions. Remember, there’s nothing better than a word-of-mouth recommendation regardless if it comes from an online or offline source. It might be time to add peer reviews, customer advocacy and community forums into your channel mix.
