How COVID is Transforming Sales and B2B Marketing Content

The COVID pandemic has caused a dramatic shift in how B2B businesses operate.

Employees across job functions are working remotely, for example, working from home for the first time in my life; we will see how this works out, it could be another blog. At least for the near future, people will be working from home, and every new purchase will be met with scrutiny—and, often, a large purchasing committee.

The pandemic has also significantly changed how B2B buyers and sellers do business. In-person meetings and events—once hallmarks of B2B sales—are now things of the past, hopefully for the short term.

At the same time, marketers are under pressure to break through the digital overload to reach the right audiences with the right messages in the right places.

Whereas some of those challenges are temporary, others will last longer.

In fact, some things—including remote work and digital selling—may never go back to "business as usual." Mary Shea of Forrester forecasts that in the future, 80% or more of the sales cycle will happen in digital or remote settings.

Sellers and marketers must indeed overcome challenges they've never faced before, but it's still possible to effectively engage with B2B buyers. However, doing so requires sellers and marketers to think differently and to adopt strategies that enable them to deliver the seamless experiences B2B buyers have come to expect.

Five strategies that I am currently using with the lockdowns going on and the world in its change.

1. Deliver relevant content personalized to the modern buyer

Content Marketing plays an essential role in the path to purchase for B2B buyers. That's nothing new. But today's remote buyers are bombarded with content everywhere they look, and because B2B buyers continue to behave more like consumers, both the content that sellers share and how it's delivered need to keep pace.

All too often, buyers are faced with content that is generic and irrelevant. That's terrible news because the top reason B2B buyers disengage from brands is irrelevant content, according to a report from CMO council.

Today's marketers must always be ready to deliver content that's personalized and perfectly mapped to a prospect's specific pain points.

That doesn't mean sellers should create materials from scratch for every deal. That can be disastrous. Instead, it's crucial to ensure that sellers can access and personalize all approved, branded content from a centralized location.

Some B2B companies are also using artificial intelligence (AI) tools that suggest sales and marketing content proven to be effective in selling scenarios like the one the company is facing.

The adage that the medium is as important as the message also applies here: Just as your content must be relevant, how you deliver it and how buyers experience it must be engaging.

2. Use video and interactivity to engage B2B buyers

Video is a great way for sellers to deliver excellent experiences when they're not in the same room as their prospects. In fact, video can be an effective sales tool for various parts of the buying journey.

For starters, sellers can use videoconferencing software when in-person meetings aren't possible. Video calls can be more engaging for buyers than traditional conference calls. Plus, video calls allow sellers to access verbal and nonverbal cues (think facial expressions and tone), which can help inform the next steps.

Most people (90%) say watching product videos helps them make purchase decisions, according to an infographic from Vidyard. In addition, more than half (59%) of company decision-makers say video is their preferred way to learn.

At the same time, it's essential to acknowledge that Zoom fatigue is real. To drive meaningful interactions and capture critical information from prospects, explore more ways you can create B2B content marking experiences that are interactive and engaging.

3. Digitally track buyer interest

When a seller is in the same room as a buyer, it's easier to gauge reactions to the information and content being shared. That's not possible when the selling experience is remote. Sometimes, it can seem sellers are throwing content and information into a black hole, hoping something sticks.

Today, successful businesses use analytics tools that allow sellers to understand which content resonates (and which doesn't) with buyers. Those tools get granular: They can track things such as email opens, page-by-page content views, downloads, and shares.

Such powerful insights allow sellers to personalize their follow-up efforts and keep deals moving forward.

4. Consider virtual events

Pre-COVID, in-person events were one of the most extensive line items for B2B marketing teams. On average, 12% of B2B marketing teams' budget was allocated to events, according to a survey from Forrester.

And it seems that was money well spent: The same research also tells us that nearly half (45%) of B2B buyers indicated that event materials (presentations, keynotes, booth materials, etc.) were the second most important source of content.

Since then, marketers have scrambled to reimagine their events digitally. Although that seemed an inconvenience initially, marketers have quickly discovered that digital-only events—when well executed and engaging—can be even more valuable than in-person ones.

Virtual events allow marketers to reach a wider audience. Unlike in-person events, virtual events aren't limited to those with the time and budget to travel to a live event location.

What's more, B2B marketers can more easily track the engagement of participants at virtual events, which can help them understand which types of events are driving sales. For example, they can see that a prospect attended a specific live-streamed keynote and then eventually went on to make a purchase, and if they notice trends, they can draw conclusions accordingly.

5. Engage in social-selling

Social Media - especially LinkedIn—is an excellent tool for networking and sharing the occasional industry think piece.

LinkedIn can also be an excellent tool for initiating, nurturing, and even closing sales, especially now that in-person meetings are not feasible. After all, a whopping 40 million B2B decision-makers use the platform.

That doesn't mean you should send random connection requests with the intent of diving right into your sales pitch. Instead, focus on building a network, posting relevant content, and engaging with other users' content.

You might also consider using some of LinkedIn's paid services, such as Sponsored Content, InMail, or paid ads.

When you're authentic and valuable to your LinkedIn audience right from the start, they'll be a lot more receptive to your sales messages down the road.

This pandemic has changed the face of B2B business—perhaps forever. The most successful sellers and marketers will be those who adapt quickly and adopt new strategies to effectively reach buyers regardless of physical location or stage of the buyer journey.

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In closing…

People, if I can do this, so can you. I am now in charge of the Baker Hughes digital customer experience, I am doing webinars and customer digital engagements two to three times a week, I am teaching vice presidents and directors how to properly use LinkedIn, whereas I was only a few months ago in charge of a global tradeshow program with more than 76 conferences and in-person events with a team of five.

Last, don’t be scared; we are all in this together. If you fail, you can edit, delete, or start over. If you should need assistance, please feel free to contact me.