B2B Marketing Best Practices: From Bland to Viral Brand Campaigns

B2B marketing is completely different ball game than B2C marketing. B2B marketing needs sophistication, accuracy, and credibility – you’re dealing with businesses audiences where “adjectives” mean nothing without evidence.  

However, does the accuracy and professionalism of the marketing campaigns make them helpful? The reality is: no. 48% of customers have described B2B marketing as boring. And boring does not sell. So, how do marketers expect to win the game of B2B marketing?  

Let’s tell you how you can transform your core components and drive the engagement out of the ballpark. And we have exhibits to show you! 

Why does B2B marketing suck? 

B2B marketing sucks. It’s boring. We can all accept that. But why?

Well – it’s all in the packaging. Really cool concepts, products, and services get boiled down into a ‘beige package’ loaded with information but virtually no humanity or fun. Alan, a London-based, full-service B2B marketing agency, reported that 82 percent of leaders accepted that B2B ads were boring and repetitive.  

Quest for leads rules the center stage in the B2B landscape. Sure, eventually sellers care about things like UX, brand awareness, and ad perception. But the first move is always toward immediate sales drive rather than investing in brand-building through integrated (read: cool, unique, fun) campaigns. 

There’s a better way, and some brands are on the journey to figure out what that way is. Without harming the health of the business funnel, marketers are finding new ways to add fun to brand image and design packaging. Here’s some winners.

Good B2B marketing best practices (with examples!) 

Set a brand narrative

B2B marketing is not about coloring the sales department and creating content but about creating tedious eBooks to support the hand-to-mouth routine. Marketers analyze buyer behavior and curate customer persona as well as long-term and short-term plans to set the narrative and persona of the brand.  

Shopify: Let’s Make You A Business Campaign 

Shopify had a clear goal when it launched the campaign. The brand wanted to be the first name in every online retailer’s mind whenever they thought of starting their new venture. Their multi-pronged approach utilized every channel to disseminate the message to their core customers in over twelve critical markets in the US and Canada.  

With this omnichannel campaign, Shopify created its persona and narrative for its audience through digital TV, radio, and Billboard ads.  

Going beyond to carve the human message 

Brand awareness is essential, but engagement is the top priority. One-sided communication does not bring your customer’s feelings about your brand and its services. Active campaigning and producing downloadable content for buyers does not excite them much.  

Reaching out and engaging with your audience is a must-step for B2B brands. The first impression is the last, but the best impression is making every impression everlasting.  

Formal, complex, professional — that’s how B2B or Business-to-Business marketing happens. But a human is going to see and view these marketing campaigns. There should be something humane in these tactics. Maintaining a balance between professionalism and humanization is a must for every brand.  

LinkedIn: In It Together  

Being a social media platform for professionals, LinkedIn gave itself a humanizing aspect, which was the genuine approach of the brand. It floated the campaign video on YouTube and told triumphant tales of people from all walks of life who benefitted from the platform. It simply made its customers heroes.  

The campaign aimed to celebrate, demonstrate, and expand the brand’s territory. Brands can fully engage their customers in their marketing campaigns to get added reach and potential customers.  

Harnessing the power of storytelling  

Storytelling holds power in marketing, be it B2C or B2B. Telling the tale through words, pictures, and art — connects customers to the brand emotionally, builds credibility, and infuses trust. The ultimate sales drive takes off when your message hits the right chord.  

Squarespace: Make Your Next Move 

Squarespace teamed up with Academy Award-nominated actor John Malkovich and gave life to their campaign. The 9-minute video of John’s fashion-designing entrepreneurial journey resonated emotionally with business entrepreneurs awaiting to make the next move.  

The aftermath of the campaign video led to the launch of 100,000 new businesses in the brand’s domain.  

Digging data, making big, inspiring all   

In today’s world, data has emerged as a top resource for most brands. Brands can leverage significant data insights to enhance their market position and attract potential partners. Showcasing these insights demonstrates your expertise and highlights your competitive edge, making your company an appealing choice for business collaborations.  

Spotify: Wrapped (For Advertisers)

Wrapped videos for streaming apps are standard. However, Spotify turned the tables when it launched its wrapped video for advertisers in 2020. Containing snackable data insights of the music-streaming platform, it targeted advertisers and partners with its lucrative analytics.  

The 2-minute video aimed to present the brand’s analytics to the world where they mattered the most. 

Cut to the chase 

A B2B marketing campaign is not about creating ‘art’ but combining creativity with science to get the pitch-perfect strategy to drive brand value and sales engagement in the market.