While most B2B marketers are familiar with email, content syndication, and programmatic display, buyer behavior today demands an ability to connect on new and emerging channels, while also dealing with the reality that some of the older dependable channels are now almost redundant or greatly reduced in efficiency.
These emerging channels and formats offer powerful opportunities to connect with prospects who are increasingly spending work hours there by researching, learning and engaging with peers, brands, and subject matter experts. Ignoring these channels or using them sub optimally may be missed opportunities to connect, engage, and even convert.
Here are three channels gaining popularity with B2B buyers that could be a great opportunity to leverage your painstakingly created content and achieve your ABM goals more efficiently:
1. Video: While the growing popularity of video content for a range of purposes is proof that the investment may be worth it, the fact remains that video has been a difficult ‘nut to crack’ for B2B marketers and salespeople. Not just because it needs technical finesse, a different kind of search optimization, or additional effort of uploading content across various platforms, but also because it’s evolving so fast that B2B marketers haven’t quite been able to get a grasp on what formats, tools, or metrics to work with for video as part of their ABM content strategy. In our view, waiting and watching is as much of a missed opportunity as investing in the wrong kind of video.
The real opportunity with video is to think of it as a ‘format’, adapt your great content to this format and hyper-personalize as much as possible. The content could range from client testimonials, how-to explainers, and even self-introductions, a series of video blogs (vlogs) by salespersons donning their ‘subject matter expert’ hats or interviews with clients and influencers tackling subjects relevant through the funnel. Salespeople unable to get personal appointments can share a short video of themselves talking ‘to’ their prospect, to be viewed at their convenience. Video links can be shared via email (avoiding the need for a wordy email), or across a variety of channels, from social media to community chats, and give salespersons something more personal to share than links to corporate marketing collateral.
Salespeople could also explore the increasing use of video via LinkedIn and Facebook Live features. While making a self-video is inexpensive, quick, and a personal way to connect with prospects, it’s important to keep access and distribution in mind by choosing hosting platforms that are user friendly and allow easy access over mobile devices. Make the videos as natural, relatable, and authentic as possible. A simple background, decent lighting, and clear sound is enough, as long as the content is arresting. Videos – especially the personal ones – like all content must be about adding value, and not selling. Invest your time and effort in getting the script and messaging right, rather than seeking budgets and resources for expensive video making software tools or slick post-production services.
2. Interactive channels: this opportunity spans a range of options to help with prospect engagement through each stage of the buying journey. From video calls – which are usually one-on-one and the best replacement for in-person meetings – to virtual events such as webinars and online meetups, and conversational marketing tools such as chatbots and virtual assistants at early stages of the engagement, a range of options can be leveraged to achieve ABM goals. In this Spiceworks polls of IT decision makers, we found that video conferencing use had shot through the roof during the pandemic lockdowns and the move to remote work.
These IT decision makers, key members of most B2B tech buying collectives, are spending an increasing number of working hours using these modes of communication. A quarter of respondents also reported an increased willingness to attend a virtual event, conference, or webinar for work. The increasing familiarity and usage of these channels is a real opportunity for B2B salespeople who were highly dependent on in-person meetings or industry events to engage with prospects. While these channels need a good amount of planning and execution finesse, the good news is that existing content can be easily adapted by salespeople who, as hosts, can make the session more relevant and personal by adding familiar and relatable reference points that attendees can relate to.
Another aspect that professionals most miss about in-person events is the networking possibilities that format offered – meeting and learning from peers. This too offers a good opportunity for salespersons – developing small-group, exclusive virtual meetups, power breakfasts or roundtables with a few invite-only professionals is a good way to help your prospects connect with peers in a virtual setting, while getting high-quality face time around a relevant theme. In all virtual events – especially one to few sessions – selecting attendees is an important process. When based on solid intent data, it’s possible to gather a group of buyers at a similar stage in the buying journey and tailor content to address the needs of that stage of the journey. With the permission of the attendees, these sessions can also be repackaged for on-demand viewing or to share with other prospects seeking similar conversations or information.
As lockdowns relax, there will be the possibility of what is increasingly being referred to as ‘hybrid events’– a combination of in-person and virtual events. This involves a small in-person gathering which can be accessed virtually and in real-time by a larger group of attendees.
Invite-only exclusive events with tailored content, exclusive masterclasses by subject-matter experts, and AMA sessions with sales and technical people in attendance to answer prospect questions are all innovative ways to structure these events as you go deeper into the buying journey of your most valuable prospects.
3. Communities such as Spiceworks, Reddit, LinkedIn, and even Slack groups created by practitioners are an increasingly popular and credible space for buyers to get information, reviews, and feedback from peers and experts. These communities are first and foremost a great forum for B2B marketers and salespeople to get a sense of what is important to buyers right now, especially in the absence of in-person events.
Beyond listening to the voice of their customers and getting a sense of what the dominant concerns and themes are about, these communities and forums offer real opportunities to engage with buyers in a neutral, knowledge-sharing manner. By engaging in community conversations, it’s possible to open doors, offer suggestions and link to relevant content that could add value. Many Slack and Facebook forums also offer special days or channels for vendors to share vendor messages, as members also look to these forums for product discovery.
Working with data partners that have access to ‘behind-the-firewall’ buyer intent signals adds an additional layer of intelligence that can take intent data from good to great. With Slack and Teams seeing a huge uptick in usage since the shift to remote work, and the recent acquisition of Slack by Salesforce presents some real opportunities for salespersons to engage in one-on-one conversations with key audiences in the work – and buying – mindset.
While the last few years have seen a proliferation of new channels on which B2B marketers can engage with members of the buying collective, it’s important that B2B marketers be present, visible, and relevant on the channels their buyers prefer. However, it’s important to note that omnichannel is not about being present on ‘all of the channels, all of the time’ – it is about being able to deliver the right message, on the right channels, at the right time. That ultimately needs powerful data to help make the best decisions.
No matter which channels you decide to invest in, best-in-class intent data, combined with powerful advanced tools such as predictive insights and AI-powered decision engines will help drive the best value from every ABM interaction. ABM practitioners in 2021 will seek to leverage innovative ways of connecting one-to-one, one-to-few, or one-to-many, as they execute content-driven campaigns across established and emerging channels. When supported with strong marketing for awareness and brand building, these efforts will not only drive credible and consistent brand experiences, they will also enable purposeful engagement, and ultimately more compelling conversions.