Promoting a brand, product or service requires implementing the type of marketing initiatives that work the best to attract consumers. By understanding the purpose of different marketing initiatives, businesses can choose the strategies that appropriately suit their budgeting, advertising and informational needs. Whether building a client base by creating an advertising buzz through trending social media posts or disseminating important information through innovative visual content, figuring out how which marketing initiatives draw in consumers most effectively can be a critical business decision.
B2B and B2C Marketers
Two basic marketing groups determine the type of marketing initiatives that work best: B2B, meaning business to business, and B2C, meaning business to consumer. B2B groups sell goods or services to other businesses, according to the Houston Chronicle. Examples could include industrial manufacturers, general advertisers, web hosting and graphic design agencies, or rental agents who lease retail and office space. On the other hand, B2C groups interface directly with consumers. They encompass enterprises such as restaurants, retail stores, lodging facilities, commercial websites or repair businesses. While marketing purposes can be different for each group, both can depend on similar marketing initiatives to achieve their goals.
Content Marketing Trends for B2B Marketers
According to the Content Marketing Institute and Marketing Profs 2015 survey about marketing practices, 86 percent of respondents indicated they used content marketing to promote products and services. Out of 28 possible marketing initiatives, the following 10 were the ones most used to meet marketing goals by B2B marketers:
- Creating higher quality, more engaging content
- More effectively converting visitors to websites
- Greater understanding about what makes effective content
- Finding more effective ways to re-purpose content
- Creating innovative visual content
- Better understanding the target audience
- Optimizing content with improved SEO practices
- Organizing content efficiently and attractively on websites
- Measuring content marketing return on investment (ROI)
- Creating a greater variety of content across multiple platforms
Content Marketing Strategies for B2C Marketers
Interestingly, in a similar 2015 survey for B2C marketers by the same research group, only one difference emerged on the top 10 list for the type of marketing initiatives that work the best. It turns out that B2C groups prefer “developing an email strategy” in place of “measuring content marketing ROI.” This makes sense when considering that consumer sales often rely on being able to effectively contact and communicate with potential customers.
Evolving Marketing Initiatives
As consumer demands, technology innovation and economies change, so do marketing initiatives. Practices that are anticipated to expand further in the foreseeable future include:
- Creating more efficient and eye-catching digital and mobile strategies to reach customers
- Improving understanding about content marketing technology
- Converting user- or fan-generated content into promotional tools
- Using more real-time marketing approaches
- Creating better content personalization
- Developing innovative social media marketing plans
- Using smarter SEO choices in website content
- Increasing use of inbound marketing practices
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Implementing the right marketing strategies can make huge impacts on bringing corporate and social programs to the next level and increasing return on investment. Start the process now by aligning business and production goals with the type of marketing initiatives that work best for your clientele.
