If you hadn’t noticed, marketing is changing. Gone are the days of big budget advertising campaigns yelling one message to everyone as loud as possible.
It was like the English abroad. Shout load enough and with lots of arm waving and they’re bound to understand you in the end.
Well now everything is changing. We’re having to understand prospects’ challenges and learn their language. They don’t want to be sold to, they want to buy, when they’re ready and on their terms.
Understanding what prospects’ pain points are and providing them valuable information to help them move towards a solution that’s right for them as individuals, not as sheep in a flock.
The nature of the buying journey has changed. According to research, prospects are already between 70 to 90% down the buying path before they make contact with a short list of potential suppliers.
Known as ‘self-directing,’ this has occurred due to the technology available at everyone’s fingertips. The internet, mobile devices, websites, Google and many other tools make it easy for us to find detailed information about products and services.
Along the way, these potential customers also get a feel for the brand’s personality and values. This enables them to make buying decisions throughout the buying journey, casting aside those companies who don’t match their own values and beliefs.
This has major implications for your marketing. You need to be talking to prospects continuously to provide them with great experiences at every touch point in the buying journey.
You also need to be talking to them wherever they are, via blogs, social, email, mobile, trade press and, in fact, any communication channels they use. To achieve this you need to understand the different buyer personas for your product or service and you need to talk to your prospects as individuals based on what they do.
Traditional marketing is by no means dead, but success in today’s B2B markets requires a balanced approach of engagement supported by traditional marketing.
At Leapfrog, we have developed engagement marketing packages designed to achieve results for clients. If you’d like to learn more call Alan Myers on 0116 278 7788 or email ideas@leapfrog.uk.com