Many myths surround B2B digital marketing. In addition to often being inaccurate, these preconceived ideas are detrimental to the effectiveness of marketing strategies. Here are the 5 most common B2B myths identified by our specialists, starting with the one that’s most damaging to your campaigns.
The more precise the targeting, the better
Digital advertising makes it possible to create very precise audiences. The temptation is to use too many targeting criteria. Problem: hyper-targeting is not synonymous with effectiveness!
B2B buying cycles are too complex to target niches. With a small audience, you often won’t reach your objectives. Also, algorithms need enough data to optimize properly. So beware of the hyper-targeting trap! Broaden your audiences gradually, and refine them as you go along. Your content acts as a filter!
Targeting must focus on existing demand
According to The B2B Institute, on average, only 5% of B2B buyers are currently actively searching. Of this 5%, competition is strong and the audience limited. Growth is unlikely to come from this segment alone. It’s time to invest more in the part of the market that isn’t actively searching. How can we do this? By targeting this audience with valuable content, for example. Inbound marketing is very effective with these audiences.
Sources: Advertising effectiveness and the 95-5 rule: most B2B buyers are not in the market right now, Pr John Dawes, The B2B Institute
The B2B buying cycle is very long
This depends on many factors, such as the size of the company. Indeed, a start-up or SME will generally make up its mind more quickly than a large group.
According to a Google study of business decision-makers, 1 in 4 B2B buyers make up their minds within a few hours! While this may not be the case for your target, keep in mind that B2B decisions can be made faster than most people think.
Source: Google B2B Marketing Surveys, August 2020
Purchasing decisions come from CEOs
According to the same study, 75% of decision-makers are not C-level. So not all decisions come from the top. People at lower hierarchical levels also play an important role. In fact, needs are often passed on to management by operational teams, who are themselves users of the solutions you propose. So don’t overlook these prescribers!
Source: Google B2B Marketing Surveys, August 2020
Costs per click on LinkedIn are too high
Think ROI, not CPC! Admittedly, costs per click on LinkedIn are often very high, but it’s a Premium platform. On LinkedIn, you’re addressing an audience that carries twice as much weight in a purchasing decision as the average audience. As a result, your campaigns will generally generate higher-quality leads. Calculate your ROI and use it as your main KPI.
Source: LinkedIn 360 audience study; Salesforce Index report (2016)
In B2B as in everything else, beware of myths and preconceived ideas! Thanks to its unique expertise in B2B digital marketing, Knewledge can help you avoid these pitfalls.
