14 June 2017

So, you think B2B doesn’t need digital marketing?

Submitted by: CubicICE (PTY) Ltd
So, you think B2B doesn’t need digital marketing?

“Southern Africa’s big businesses are losing business opportunities!” This statement was made by CubicICE Managing Director, Megan Stark, at this year’s Markex held at the Sandton Convention Centre on 7 and 8 June.

Speaking at an early morning seminar attended by over 100 marketing professionals, Stark dissected how a scientific approach to business-to-business (B2B) digital marketing generates million-Rand leads for industrial clients, yet remains under-utilised for many companies within the South African B2B and industrial context.

With over 30 years’ experience in dealing with B2B clients, Stark explained that when pitching industrial-sector clients, she is often faced with similar responses:

1. “my product is too specialised for internet search…” or

2. “our customers know who we are and they know where to find us…”

This, in a time where 89% of B2B buyers use the internet during the research process of a sales cycle! By having a properly thought out, researched digital strategy in place, B2B and industrial companies can take full advantage of the lead generation potential of digital marketing.

So, what is a proper digital strategy then?

“When optimised to reach your clients, the internet is a cost-effective, efficient tool for any business,” Stark continues. “It is the only platform of its kind that can target people in real time based on their defined interests or search terms.”

 According to Stark, a properly defined digital strategy should:

  •  align marketing objectives to business objectives
  •  integrate search marketing; online advertising; creative web design; and technical web analytics, reporting and management
  • research lead and engagement potential before embarking on campaigns
  • optimise websites for findability, usability and conversion
  • account for audiences coming from different countries, using different devices and speaking different languages
  • understand the role social media has to play for B2B and industrial companies

 “The potential for B2B and industrial companies now is that a lot of their competitors aren’t doing digital marketing yet. So, with a clearly defined digital marketing strategy, they can dominate online – and that’s clearly where they need to be,” Stark concluded.

Start small if you have doubts, but start!

Looking for a successful digital strategy?

CubicICE has over 30 years’ experience in delivering innovative, results-driven marketing solutions to southern Africa’s industrial companies to maximise market exposure for their businesses. View more on our approach to digital marketing or chat to us about formalising your website or digital strategy.

We’d love to hear from you! Megan Stark is the Managing Director of CubicICE, a leading B2B integrated marketing agency based in Fourways, Johannesburg.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | +27 11 705 2545 | www.cubicice.com

CubicICE offers you the full range of digital marketing, public relations and creative design services to execute marketing strategies tailored to your business requirements. Our speciality is in producing content that engages engineers, manufacturers, procurement officials and distributors through effective marketing channels; in transforming the unique technical details of your products and services into compelling, powerful marketing campaigns. Our team combines innovation, creativity, knowledge and production skill with a strong customer focus to ensure maximum ROI from your marketing spend. Automotive, mining, construction, manufacturing, energy, plant and factory automation, material handling, petrochemical, oil and gas, ICT, warehousing and logistics, packaging, electronics, engineering and water treatment - these are just some of the many industries we've been involved in over a marketing legacy that spans more than 30 years and over 200 clients. Get in touch with us today to see how we can help you grow your business!