Rethinking your B2B branding strategy

Traditionally, companies have tended to not pay heed to B2B branding. Branding has always been considered as an instrumental part of B2C marketing. Essentially, B2C companies cater to individuals. B2B companies, on the other hand, offer their services on a larger scale. Hence, for the business-to-business industry, experts have long argued that branding is unimportant for the following reasons:

• B2B customers base buying decisions on logic and not emotion.

• Price is more important for B2B customers than something as intangible as brand value.

• B2B buying is more dependent on sales reps than the customer’s equation with the company.

• B2B products are too large-scale and complicate to fit into the definition of a brand.

However, in recent times, the importance of a sound branding strategy in marketing B2B products is slowly being realized. Since the buying decisions are ultimately taken by humans, emotion is a key motivator of such decisions. Hence, it is important to implement of good B2B branding tactic. In 2020, rethinking and revamping your company’s branding strategy is crucial.

Aim at a bigger target audience

The key to any good branding strategy is promoting a good image of the company among the masses. The customer base for B2B products is indeed comparatively narrower than that for B2C products. However, a good branding strategy must be undertaken to make the B2B firm more recognizable and established. For this, social media channels, wide-scale advertising, email marketing, and SEO methods can be adopted. This will enable the company to target a bigger audience and attain higher lead conversion rates.

Highlight the corporate culture

This approach can work wonders in gaining the trust of both customers and employees. Since B2B companies work with specialized industry-specific products, they often have an established corporate presence. Shedding a favorable light on this corporate culture can be a part of a good B2B branding strategy. Firstly, it ensures customers and investors that they are dealing with a reputed and credible organization. Secondly, it encourages prospective employees to choose the organization. The good corporate value translates into effective employer branding.

Tell a story with your brand

Last but not least, it is important to connect with the various stakeholders. Nothing can be more helpful for this purpose than a good brand story. A good B2B brand strategy focuses on projecting the company as a likable entity. This includes building a story around the company characteristics. It can include things like the company’s mission, vision, values, background et cetera. A candid story-telling approach helps stakeholders to form a positive opinion about the brand. This translates to better customer loyalty, employee engagement, and lead conversion rates.

Since marketing is a dynamic field, it is crucial to keep up with the latest trends. Otherwise, a company runs the risk of falling behind its competitors. So, it is apparent that a good branding strategy in marketing B2B companies needs a good deal of thought. A half-baked branding strategy can cause more damage than benefit. 

So, it is important to invest enough thought, money, and effort into coming up with the right branding strategy for your B2B organization. For this purpose, professionals can be hired to analyze the company specifics. Accordingly, an appropriate branding mechanism can be developed suited to the company's needs. This investment can help the organization yield great benefits in the long run.