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You have been executing your marketing plan for some time now but they haven’t been as effective as you thought it would. If this sounds familiar, then carry on reading this post. In this blog post, we'll explore the top five reasons why your B2B marketing might not be working for your business and what to do about it. Let’s start with going back to basics for your startup growth.
You Don't Understand Your Target Audience
One of the most common mistakes that companies make is not understanding their target audience when it comes to startup growth. You need to identify who your ideal customer is and what they need from your business.
Steps you can take:
Conduct research to understand your target audience's pain points, needs, and preferences.
Develop buyer personas to create a clear picture of your target audience and their characteristics. Get in touch with us and we will send you a workbook.
Create digital media content that addresses your target audience's challenges and provides solutions.
Use customer feedback to refine your marketing messages and strategies.
You're Not Creating Engaging Content
Another reason why your B2B marketing might not be working is that your content is not engaging. Your audience is bombarded with information every day and you have seconds to grab their attention, so you need to create content that stands out and provides value.
Steps you can take:
Identify the types of content that resonate with your target audiences, such as blog posts, e-books, infographics, videos, or webinars.
Develop a content calendar to ensure a consistent flow of content.
Use storytelling, visuals and videos to make your content more engaging.
Incorporate customer stories and case studies to demonstrate the value of your products or services.
HubSpot, a CRM platform company offer tons of free resources such as e-books, templates, and guides that provide value to their target audience of marketers and sales professionals. By providing useful information, they build trust with their audience and generate leads for their software products.
Your Marketing Channels Aren't Aligned
In this digital age, we have many channels at our disposal and another common mistake in marketing is not aligning your marketing channels. You need to ensure that your message is consistent across all channels, including your website, social media, email marketing, offline channels and advertising.
Steps you can take:
Develop a marketing strategy that aligns with your business goals and target audience.
Ensure a consistent brand voice and message across all channels.
Use data and analytics to measure the performance of each channel.
Use cross-channel campaigns to reinforce your message and increase conversions.
TransferWise for example has a clear and consistent message across all its channels, highlighting the benefits of its service and positioning itself as a trustworthy and affordable option for its target audience of businesses and individuals who need to transfer money internationally.
You're Not Tracking Your Results
If you're not tracking your marketing results, you won't know what's working and what's not. Marketing is all about learning and adopting strategies till you hit the silver bullet. You need to have clear KPIs and metrics in place to measure your success and adjust your strategy accordingly.
Steps you can take:
Set clear goals and KPIs for each marketing campaign. Keep it detailed but also easy to monitor.
Use analytics tools to track website traffic, conversions, and customer behavior.
Test, optimise, and repeat your campaigns based on the data you collect.
Share your results with your team and stakeholders to improve transparency and accountability.
Your Sales and Marketing Functions Are Not Aligned
A common issue that we keep noticing and can hinder marketing success is the lack of alignment between your sales and marketing functions. Sales and marketing need to work together to generate leads, nurture prospects, and close deals. If these functions are not aligned, you may be experiencing a gap in communication and leads leaking through the funnel.
Steps you can take:
Create a shared definition of a lead between your sales and marketing teams. Make the team work towards one common goal.
Develop a lead scoring system to prioritise leads and improve follow-up.
Use a CRM system to track leads and communicate between teams.
Encourage regular meetings and collaboration between sales and marketing teams to share insights and feedback.
Companies like Sage have implemented a sales and marketing alignment program. This program includes regular meetings between sales and marketing teams, shared metrics, and a shared definition of leads.
In conclusion, effective marketing can be challenging when put in place, but by avoiding these common mistakes and taking simple steps, you will start seeing a shift in results.
At Growth Squad, our mission is to help startups grow by focusing on the full funnel. We are a full-stack marketing agency along with sales experts helping implement the right sales processes and CRM systems. Want to discuss your strategies or challenges? Send us an email at hello@thegrowthsquad.co.uk.