Did you know that around 57% of the B2B buying process is done even before the customer contacts the company? Additionally, a McKinsey & Company study found that around 66% of the marketing touchpoints are based outside the brand communications, through word of mouth, social media, and customer driven content. These figures reveal how important brand messaging is for B2B companies.
What Makes B2B Marketing Unique
Before we look at how to create impactful B2B brand messaging, it is vital to understand how B2B marketing is different from B2C marketing. The first difference is the decision-making process. While B2C customers are looking to make a purchase for themselves, B2B buyers are making purchases for their organization.
This means that they would have to consider the needs of a wider range of people. There is also a wider chain of people that need to approve the purchase. So, the purchase may take longer in case of B2B companies and be of a much higher value than most B2C purchases. This makes B2B buying decisions mostly being based on the ROI. This is different from B2C, where emotions play a major role. Therefore, B2B customers are driven mostly by financial incentives and logic.
This leads to the next point. The B2B audience wants to be educated. To make the right decisions, they want helpful information from your end. This minimizes the possibility of making a decision they might regret later.
Creating Impactful B2B Brand Messaging
Here are some key tips to reach out to B2B customers through impactful B2B brand messaging:
The Right Company Overview
- The goal is to provide a company overview that talks about the realities and vision of your company. It is important to be aspirational but credible. By creating the right balance between the two, you can come as across as a visionary and strategic partner, who can bring value to the B2B customer.
Creating Taglines of Value
- The tagline should not just describe what your service or product does. It should focus on WIIFM or “What’s in it for me.” You should put yourself in the shoes of your clients and think about what they need. Understand their pain points and try to address them in your taglines.
Offering a Unique Value Proposition
- A unique value proposition is not about the specs or a glowing description of your brand. A value proposition defines your unique value, your competitive advantage, and why customers should choose you instead of your competitors. It should tell your audience how they can benefit from your unique products or services.
Know Your Target Audience
- For the right messaging, it is key to understand your target audience. You should know what they think and know of your brand, product, company, or the issues you are communicating about. Also, know what their concerns are and the problems they want solved.
Proof of Your Positioning
- You should be able to tell the specific ways in which the buyer’s pain points will be resolved through your products and services. The information should be conveyed in a manner that is meaningful to the customers.
When creating a brand message, one of the most important things is to keep it customer centric. It should be provided in a manner that is easily understandable and without any clutter.
