My old Dad used to say, with tongue firmly planted in cheek, the three "R"s that underpinned the education system were Reading, 'Riting, and 'Rithmatic. (which is probably why he was a Solicitor not a Comedian!)
In this blog I argue that there are three "C"s, that underpin the B2B marketing function in the modern web enabled, social media savvy world in which we now live. The three "Cs" refer to:
Content
With the explosion of communication devices and platforms threatening to reach atomic proportions, the challenge we all face is, how do we deliver genuine value to our prospects and customers when we communicate with them? It is a crime punishable by death, or at least banishment to the Siberian winter of the spam blocker, to send your leads and customers information they have no use for or have not asked for. Relevant, valuable content delivered to your target audience is the bare acceptable minimum in this time of digital marketing. What, you may ask, constitutes value? In short, talk about them, talk about their problems, challenges, issues and gaps in their knowledge and business. Show them you understand, perhaps contribute an idea or two on how to fix it (and no, "buy my product" doesn't count!) Relevant case studies that showcases a client of yours that had the same problem you are proposing to solve, is an excellent example.
Context
Closely linked to Content is context. Delivering the relevant content at the right point in your prospect's buying journey is exponentially more effective than firing out thousands of brand positioning emails in the hope that some of your message sticks to the wall. Buyers move through a series of steps when they make purchasing decisions (see white paper the buyer's journey on www.g2msolutions.com.au to download a complimentary copy). You must match the content to where the purchaser is on their buying journey. To do this effectively you should investigate the smart marketing software that is out there in the marketplace, such as StrategyMix.
Community
Create a community using social media platforms. Link those platforms together to create a virtual community of interest around the chosen topic, say a common problem you are excellent at solving. As an example, at g2m solutions we specialise in creating blisteringly clear go to market plans, using a methodology we call Funnel Logic from MathMarketing. We have established LinkedIn groups called Funnel Management and a number of us Tweet about the topic and write blogs. We publish lots of (hopefully) helpful complementary content to those sales and marketing professionals who are interested in the problem of not having a blisteringly clear go to market plan. Remember though, that posting content to your chosen community requires a couple of things. It requires you to think carefully about exactly who it is that you ARE targeting (and that requires some good old fashioned strategy work!) and you must be prepared to invest time in maintaining the community, replying to comments and posts as well as posting them initially.
Combine the three Cs, be clear about the audience you are trying to reach, add value to the debate, create a vibrant community and you will find yourself in the Champion's circle.
I would love to hear posts supporting or posing alternative views! Let's get the debate going!