As a publicist, some of my most productive conversations with the media have involved B2B products. Whether it’s pitching a client’s story to business editors or making sure a client’s product is included in a relevant trade article, it’s rewarding to feed the momentum as we help their products become celebrities. Marketing a B2B product has unique challenges. We’re fortunate to use the Strategically Aimed Marketing (SAM 6®) process which guides our creative efforts and keeps our messaging on point. Here are three important B2B product marketing considerations I’d like to share with you.
- Take your audience size into account. Unlike consumer marketing, you are probably trying to convince a finite group of decision makers to buy your product. Your messaging should be highly targeted and very consistent. To make this happen, Media Relations uses Code Sheets to define and document such variables as a B2B product’s market profile, and to create primary message themes based on the top reasons someone would choose this product over the competition’s. Lonny Kocina devotes several pages to the Code Sheet concept in his best-selling, award-winning book, “The CEO’s Guide to Marketing.”
- Keep your messaging simple. Over-complicating your message can confuse your audience and weaken retention. Focus first on teaching prospects about your strongest value points. Use the promotional mix channels that will give you the best return, such as publicity. Repeat and reinforce. Come at the same message from different angles. Once you’re confident that your audience understands your key points, then you can build on your messaging with value points that might only be attractive to a smaller portion of your market.
- Plan an ongoing B2B marketing strategy. We give our B2B clients the star treatment by getting them media coverage. Think of it this way: If you keep showing up in the media, you become special in your buyers’ minds because the media thinks you are special enough to talk about you. You’ll want to showcase that media coverage in a lot of ways to maximize its reach. That’s the concept behind our Newsies: They help you earn celebrity status. Each Newsie is one media story which is then showcased through several promotional mix channels including email, website, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Because B2C marketers tend to be a little better at showcasing media coverage than B2B marketers, Newsies may give you an advantage over your competition.
Media Relations is recognized for helping our clients’ businesses grow. Our Newsies may help you make your product a celebrity within your industry. Call us at 952-697-5269 or complete our form.
