Mistakes You Could Be Doing in Your B2B Inbound Marketing

Have you ever gone through a situation when you realized you have been doing something for a very long time only to realize that whatever it was, you were doing it wrong? This kind of regret is unfathomable because you wish someone would have told you about that a long time ago. It would have saved you a lot of time, keeping aside the fact the said exercise was obsolete or worse, it was just producing negative results for you all this time. 

For example, in some countries, it is okay to wear socks and sandals at the same time, and in some Western countries, if you wear them, you may end up having an extremely embarrassing experience as most people in the West think it is ridiculously weird and funny. To explain it through an example. When it comes to B2B inbound marketing, you or someone in your marketing department could be making a similar mistake 

A Brief Overview - B2B Inbound Marketing

B2B inbound marketing refers to the process of attracting, engaging, and nurturing business customers through various digital marketing channels, such as social media, email marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), and content marketing.

1. The goal of B2B inbound marketing is to create valuable content that answers the questions and concerns of potential customers and educates them about the products or services offered by a business. 

2. This content can take various forms, such as blog posts, whitepapers, eBooks, videos, webinars, podcasts, and case studies.

3. B2B inbound marketing aims to build trust and establish thought leadership by providing useful and relevant information to potential customers. This approach is different from traditional outbound marketing, which interrupts customers with ads or cold calls. 

4. Instead, B2B inbound marketing focuses on attracting potential customers to the business through helpful and informative content, building a relationship with them over time, and ultimately converting them into loyal customers.

5. Effective B2B inbound marketing requires a deep understanding of the target audience and their needs, as well as a well-planned content strategy that aligns with the buyer's journey. 

6. By providing valuable content at every stage of the buyer's journey, from awareness to consideration to decision-making, B2B inbound marketing can help businesses establish a strong online presence, generate high-quality leads, and increase their revenue.

7. It may negatively affect your lead generation, lead nurturing, and conversion rates. In this blog post, I'll highlight eight of the most common B2B inbound marketing errors that companies make and offer suggestions on how to avoid them altogether. 

By steering clear of each mistake correctly, you can avoid the future embarrassment of committing a fashion faux pas or making a business mistake and ensure the growth of your business.

User Persona

A buyer persona refers to a partially fictionalized representation of the ideal customer for your business. This representation is also known as an audience persona, marketing persona, or ideal customer avatar. In marketing, having a clear understanding of your buyer persona is critical as it helps you create effective and personalized marketing messages that resonate with your customer's goals and challenges.

1. When you have a deep understanding of your customer on multiple levels and can speak to them in specific terms about their problems, it helps you build trust and credibility much quicker. 

2. Additionally, it makes it easier to move them further down your sales funnel. However, many B2B businesses make the mistake of having a vague and non-specific idea of their buyer persona. 

3. They often list their target customer's job title and industry, with few other details, creating an incomplete picture of their ideal customer and what they hope to accomplish. This leads to vague and ineffective marketing campaigns.

4. Things that don't connect with anyone because they attempt to speak to everyone. Fortunately, the solution to this common B2B inbound marketing mistake is simple: interview your customers. 

5. Conduct interviews with as many past customers as you can. The objective of these interviews is to learn more about their desires, pain points, and why they sought a solution to their problems. 

Once you have a clear understanding of your ideal customer and their challenges, you'll be able to create marketing materials that will resonate with them, and they'll feel seen and heard by your brand through your messaging. This will bring them one step closer to becoming a customer.

Sending Non-Customer-Centric Messages

Many companies make a mistake in B2B inbound marketing by focusing too much on themselves when they have the opportunity to reach potential customers. They spend valuable time talking about "our product," "our service," "our team," and "our solution." 

However, customers are not really interested in the company, its products, or its team; they are interested in solving their problems. The most effective way to communicate with potential customers is to focus on their problems and pain points and then offer a solution.

To determine if you are talking about yourself too much, you can visit your company's website and count the number of times the words "we" and "our" are used compared to the number of times "you" and "you're" are used. If "we" and "our" appear more frequently, it's time to rewrite some of your copy to make it more customer-centric.

Read More: A Wide Range of Inbound and Outbound Call Center Solutions for Your Business

More Advertising Content than Organic Content

Not all content is advertising, but all advertising is content. It's important to create helpful content that speaks to your audience's questions and problems before promoting a specific product or service. Most companies make the mistake of rushing into sales and marketing pitches before even listening to or tending to the customer’s concerns and requests

Leading with an ask can be pushy or off-putting, so it's better to establish a trusting relationship with your audience by being helpful first. Once trust is established, the gap between content and sale becomes smaller. Creating more helpful organic content can increase the odds that customers will listen and purchase when you ask. 

Inadequate SEO Maneuvers

Most people don't look past the first page of Google search results when searching for something online. That's why ranking on the first page is crucial. You can increase your chances of ranking higher with minimal effort and expense by using proper SEO best practices. Never neglect the best SEO practices in business. 

By using tools like Semrush, you can identify the search terms your target audience is using and include them in your blog articles. SEO is more effective than PPC according to 70% of marketers, which means you can get better results with less money spent. We recommended taking assistance from SEO professionals for lead generation and ranking. 

Poorly Built Sales Funnel 

A sales funnel is the journey your target audience takes to become a customer, with four key stages: awareness, interest, desire, and action. The closer someone gets to the bottom of the funnel, the more committed they are to making a purchase. 

The mistake many businesses make is rushing from awareness to sale without properly nurturing the lead. To build an effective sales funnel, take your time, build assets, and guide your audience toward a purchase.

If you are running your sales funneling process haphazardly or hurriedly, you are going to end up ruining the whole sales operation. See, that is why we call it sales nurturing, where you give customers enough time to sync in so they can be ready to make the purchase. 

Not Using Email Marketing Optimally

Experts say that 81% of B2B marketers consider email as their most used content marketing form. It's no surprise because email is an effective way to build and nurture customer relationships, guide contacts to become leads, and gain deeper insights into their interests. If you're not building an email list, you're making a mistake. 

Email marketing also provides valuable data on open rates, click-through rates, and revenue-driving campaigns. Automating email sequences can increase productivity and provide full-time marketing benefits without additional costs. It's like having a marketer working 24/7 across multiple time zones.

Stop Confusing Your Customers

Do you struggle to find what you're looking for on websites or experience obstacles when trying to make a purchase? This can be frustrating and cause customers to leave in search of a smoother buying experience. Some common B2B marketing mistakes to avoid include unclear messaging, vague CTAs, and difficult website navigation. 

Use clear and concise language, specific CTAs, and simple website menus to make it easier for customers to engage with your brand online. Avoid these mistakes to provide a more enjoyable experience for your customers. At the end of the day, it is all about customers so it is our duty to make their experience a smooth sail.

Read More: How B2B Call Centers Help In Reinforcing Business Bottom Lines

Conclusion

To steer clear of these errors, you'll need to take concrete steps, whether that means remedying current blunders or implementing effective systems to prevent future ones. Be mindful that certain solutions and preventative measures may necessitate an investment of either time or money, but the benefits of avoiding these mistakes are substantial.

[As an added measure, we would like to share some companies that set themselves as the perfect examples for being promisingly well-performing customer-centric companies.

Amazon: Amazon is known for its relentless focus on customer satisfaction. They have built their business on providing an exceptional customer experience through fast delivery, easy returns, and personalized recommendations.

Zappos: Zappos is an online shoe and clothing retailer that has built its brand around delivering exceptional customer service. They offer free shipping and returns and have a 24/7 customer service team that is always available to help.

Apple: Apple is known for its design and innovation, but they are also committed to providing a great customer experience. They offer excellent support for their products and have built a loyal customer base.

Southwest Airlines: Southwest is known for its low fares and no-frills approach but is also focused on delivering a great customer experience. They have friendly and helpful staff, offer free checked bags, and have a generous rewards program.

Nordstrom: Nordstrom is a high-end department store known for its exceptional customer service. They have a reputation for going above and beyond to satisfy their customers, and they offer free shipping and returns on all orders.

By following some of the tactics and foot trails of these companies, you can customize your methodologies and strategies for improving your company’s customer service and overall performance.]

Tested and Proven Tactics of Affluent Call Centers

Certainly, here are some tested and proven tactics for leading a strong call center service:

Hiring Right People: Start by recruiting and hiring the right people with the necessary skills and qualifications to provide excellent customer service. Look for candidates who have strong communication skills, problem-solving abilities, and a positive attitude.

Impactful Training and Development: Once you have hired the right people, provide them with ongoing training and development opportunities to improve their skills and keep them engaged. This could include product training, communication skills, customer service skills, and leadership development.

Establishing Clear Performance Metrics: Set clear performance metrics and goals for your call center team, such as average handle time, first call resolution, customer satisfaction, and more. Use these metrics to track performance and identify areas for improvement.

Monitor and Evaluate Calls: Monitor and evaluate calls on a regular basis to ensure that your team is providing excellent customer service and adhering to best practices. Use call recording and analytics tools to identify areas for improvement and provide targeted feedback and coaching.

Foster A Positive Working Environment: Create a positive work environment that promotes teamwork, collaboration, and open communication. Encourage feedback and suggestions from your team and create a culture of continuous improvement.

Include Agents in Decision-Making Empower your call center agents to make decisions and resolve issues on their own, without having to escalate to a supervisor. This can help to improve efficiency and reduce call handle times.

Leverage the Latest Tools and Technology: Utilize technology tools such as chatbots, self-service portals, and automation to enhance the customer experience and reduce the workload for your call center team.

By implementing these tactics, you can lead a strong call center service that delivers exceptional customer service and meets your business goals. Handling your customers is the topmost priority for every customer-centric company and those who are able to grasp their customers’ pain points and immediately reciprocate to them, are the ones that are able to perform well in their line of business.