How Is the Internet Transforming
B2B Marketing?
The Internet is revolutionizing the way business-to-business marketing is
conducted in the United States and throughout the world. According to Bill
Furlong of the American Marketing Association, these changes are destined
to radically re-shape almost every business process and create new ways of
conducting business. The Web is transforming inter-corporate relationships
by making it easier for companies to form partnerships and strike Web-facilitated
alliances.
In today's hyper-competitive marketplace, leading companies are taking
advantage of new technologies to streamline and improve the efficiency and
effectiveness of their business and marketing operations. The following emerging
trends are largely driven by new technologies and mounting competition.
Contextual Marketing Messages
When online, business users usually have a specific task to complete or
specific information to gather. They prefer relevant marketing messages that
allow them to complete the task at hand. And like the rest of us, they're
annoyed by marketing that doesn't apply to their objectives. The most
successful marketing efforts involve knowing your target audience and providing
useful, task-specific information that's just a click away.
Pervasive Touch-Points
Today's business professionals spend much of their time online. With
breathtaking speed, the Internet is becoming the environment in which virtually
all kinds of business activity take place. This translates into a dramatic
increase in the number of potential touch-points. Through email, Web sites,
and online forums, the Internet provides powerful tools for ongoing interactions — allowing
business to communicate virtually throughout the day, every day.
Branding and Deliberate Purchases
Because the B2B arena is largely void of impulse buys, it's crucial
that companies keep their brand messages in front of prospects via the Web.
The bulk of the B2B marketplace consists of "buyers in waiting." These
future purchasers are continually scanning the Web for solutions and exchanging
information with suppliers and colleagues. In fact, most B2B Web experiences
begin with content pursuit and evolve into a purchase.
Web-based Marketing Enables ROI Measurement
The Internet gives companies the ability to gather user-behavior data and
develop quantifiable return-on-investment connections between online marketing
activities and key metrics. These analyses are possible because of the increased
data-gathering capabilities of Web-based marketing as well as powerful database
marketing tools. Today's marketing executives must possess extensive
data-analysis skills, enabling them to take advantage of the ever-increasing
flood of information to effectively allocate resources and increase profits.
For more information about enhancing your eMarketing efforts, contact Proven
Systems at (970) 223-6565 or visit www.provensystems.com. |
