As brands step into 2022, it is time to embrace flexibility and uncertainty while letting go of the traditional practices that they dearly hold on to.
2022 seems to be the year for B2B marketers. With brands expected to witness a surge in investment, B2B marketers can be hopeful of advancing their practices. However, an increased allocation to their marketing budget will not solve their problems if B2B marketers do not abandon their traditional methodologies.
Also Read: CRM Solutions to Keep Pace with Industry Needs in 2022
As per Gartner’s 2020 “5 Ways the Future of B2B Buying Will Rewrite the Rules of Effective Selling” report, 77% of B2B buyers stated that their latest purchase was very complex and challenging. This highlights that even with advancements in martech, many B2B marketers still struggle to create a seamless buying experience that their customers’ desire. Hence, going forward, B2B marketers should let go of their traditional B2B marketing approaches that fail to deliver the expected results and adopt new and flexible practices that will enable them to meet their business goals.
Here are four traditional fundamental B2B marketing mistakes that B2B marketers should avoid in 2022 and beyond:
-
Not prioritizing positioning
B2B marketing often prioritizes competitive analysis when trying to understand the competitive positioning of the organization. While this approach does provide some valuable insights, they do not consider its long-term effects. Moreover, since this approach is one-dimensional and often subjective, the insights obtained from it are on the shelf and lie dormant while everyone else moves on.
By investing in genuine market insights, B2B marketers can understand how they are viewed in the marketplace when compared to their competitors. It also empowers them to understand what is important to their market niche and what aspects they should focus their efforts on that will make their organization use in the eyes of their prospective customers.
-
Following the crowd
Also Read: Digital Marketing trends in 2022
B2B marketers try to emulate what others, especially their competitors in their ecosystem. As per industry experts, if two market leaders are already doing it, then it must be right, which often hurts their marketing operations.
B2B marketers should know what probably works for their competitors will often not work for them. Being a challenger to the already established brands gives them the upper hand in the marketplace. They should strive for being authentic, which will increase the trust of B2B buyers but will also lay the groundwork to forge strong relationships with the customers.
-
Not involving key stakeholders in the beginning
Before undertaking a project such as re-branding, CRM installation, or a new website, it is crucial that B2B involve the key stakeholders from the early stage. If not, the limited understanding and minimal buy-in from the key decision-makers will hinder projects at some point during the journey.
In most of the technical as well as industrial B2B sectors, most of the C-suite decision-makers are highly skilled in their field of technical expertise, but unfortunately not in marketing. Hence, B2B marketers should begin their project by first educating the key stakeholders and keeping them throughout the journey.
While this approach may seem obvious in hindsight, it will prevent issues down the line when those who are hesitant to move forward want to have their say. Since doing it alone is impossible, brands should begin for early engagement.
For more such updates follow us on Google News TalkCMO News.
