The reading level for this article is All Levels
Internet marketing isn’t just for consumer marketers or large B2B firms – it’s a powerful vehicle for companies of all sizes. Internet marketing offers B2B marketers an opportunity to reach very broad or very targeted prospects to generate leads, communicate a message and raise visibility.
While a B2B marketer has a smaller universe of prospects than a consumer marketer, the value of each prospect is typically far greater. With a targeted campaign and a good offer, you may only need to generate a handful of highly qualified prospects to generate substantial revenue. You can use campaigns to generate new leads, sell products, or increase your visibility.
What are the benefits of internet marketing?
- Timing: Reach businesspeople when they’re actively looking for information, vendors and solutions.
- Immediacy: You can test and launch very quickly and generate response almost immediately.
- Targeting: You can deliver your message to very specific audiences.
- Lead generation and nurturing: You can capture prospects early, provide valuable information, and nurture them throughout the sales process.
- Cost: You can reach a large audience quickly and at a lower cost than many other media.
- Scalability: You can run campaigns of any size at any budget level.
As with any marketing program, it’s important to develop a good strategy, target your audience, test, measure and improve – especially because it’s easy and inexpensive to test different aspects of your campaigns to generate the best possible results.
Create your online strategy
Before you launch an online campaign, it’s important to have a good website that can measure your traffic and convert visitors to prospects or customers. It’s also helpful to address your online campaigns in your annual marketing plan and budget.
Develop a tangible goal
For example, determine how many click-throughs or leads you need to generate, then estimate your response rates to figure out how many impressions you’ll need. Make sure you know how you’ll measure your campaign as well.
Target your audience
Profile and target your audience. You can reach a large audience with your ad, but that doesn’t mean you should – narrow targeting means you can speak more directly to their needs.
Create a good offer and compelling call-to-action
Your ad needs to generate interest and get people to click through to your website to learn more – give them a reason, a benefit. Keep your message simple and clear.
Focus on conversion
When you run a great ad, continue the message and momentum on your website. Don’t drive prospects to your home page; instead, create unique landing pages that focus on the topic you used to generate their interest. Focus and sell!
Continually test, refine and improve
It’s easy and inexpensive to test your online campaigns. You can test the offer, the design of your ad, the size and location of the ad, or the sites you choose. Start with the element that’s most important – for example, the offer – and create two versions of the ad. Then run them against each other to see which performs best.
When you keep testing in this way, you can greatly increase your response over time – and that can mean a substantial increase in the number of qualified leads and new customers you generate. Email us at info@marketingmo.com or visit us at www.marketingmo.com and we’ll send you a free internet marketing planning tool to help you refine your ideas to plan your campaigns.
