The inaugural episode of our Growth Lab webinar series B2B Buying Trends and How to Advise Advertisers in 2024 was a success! Leverage Lab CEO AnnMarie Wills and industry powerhouse John French provided invaluable insights into the evolving landscape of B2B media and advertising.
The discussion highlighted key strategies for media companies to leverage their audience data and effectively guide advertisers in reaching their target market. Here are some highlights:
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- Empowered B2B Media: B2B media companies once again possess control and influence. Brands are increasingly relying on these platforms to identify, track, and engage with their target audience.
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- Understanding the Buyer’s Collective: Rather than focusing solely on individual decision-makers, it’s crucial to recognize the concept of the “buyer’s collective.” This collective comprises various stakeholders involved in the purchasing process, and its size typically increases with the scale of the deal.
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- Shift from Traditional Funnel to Flipped Funnel: The traditional marketing funnel model is being replaced by a more dynamic approach, often referred to as the “flipped funnel.” This strategy involves targeting the right audience using first-party data, delivering personalized messages, and nurturing engagement until conversion.
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- Importance of First-Party Data: First-party data, meticulously organized and readily available, is a goldmine for media companies. By harnessing this data effectively, publishers can offer valuable insights to advertisers and enhance their advertising packages.
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- Diversification of Advertising Platforms: While LinkedIn remains a popular choice for advertisers, other platforms like Facebook and Instagram offer broader reach and potentially better margins. It’s essential to educate advertisers about the effectiveness of these alternative platforms and encourage experimentation.
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- Sales and Content Training: Both sales teams and content writers need to be trained on understanding and communicating the value proposition of B2B media effectively. Sales enablement and messaging play a crucial role in positioning media offerings to advertisers.
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- Audience Expansion Strategies: To broaden the audience and attract more members of the buyer’s collective, media companies should focus on targeted content, multi-channel engagement, and leveraging high-value data lists.
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- Content Alignment with Buyer’s Journey: Aligning content with the various stages of the buyer’s journey is essential for driving engagement and conversions. Editorial teams should focus on creating content that addresses the problems, solutions, and unique requirements of potential buyers.
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- Mapping Content to Media Channels: Tailoring content formats to suit different stages of the buyer’s journey and preferences across various media channels is essential. Short-form content, videos, and top 10 lists may be more suitable for early-stage exploration, while newsletters could cater to the middle stage.
B2B media companies, it’s time to stand in your power!! You are generating rich and valuable data you can leverage for advertisers. Productize it to become indispensable partners in the advertising ecosystem, driving mutual success for everyone.
