As we all know, B2B enterprises may face the following difficulties when engaging in China marketing:
A small target audience with a high customer unit price.
A sales-driven business model where offline visits are challenging and inefficient.
Marketing departments that lean towards traditional methods, primarily focusing on offline exhibitions and activities, resulting in high costs.
A complex procurement process with multiple roles involved in procurement decision-making and extended procurement timelines.
An immature market for customer acquisition chains.
Digital Communication vs. Digital Marketing:
In addition, what most B2B companies do is digital communication instead of digital marketing.
Digital communication involves disseminating marketing materials (content, activities, live broadcasts, etc.) on official websites, WeChat, and other platforms.
Digital marketing involves using digital technologies (such as advertisements, official websites, WeChat, search engines, SMS, emails, etc.) in conjunction with marketing materials to sell or promote products and services.
In general, digital marketing pursues clear objectives, such as generating sales leads, selling products, or enhancing exposure.
In this article, we will summarize four major marketing tools for international B2B companies, combined with the characteristics of local Chinese channel communication, to assist B2B companies' marketing departments in acquiring more high-quality sales leads in China.
01. Based on High-Value Content:
The products sold by B2B enterprises are highly specialized, and the audience is limited. Therefore, sharing high-value information forms the foundation of customer acquisition.
With the industry's ongoing development, B2B enterprises have transitioned from the previous era of "product manufacturing" to a new paradigm emphasizing "product + service + supply chain" as their primary competitive capability. Before making purchasing decisions, many customers search and investigate online (via search engines, WeChat, and other major platforms) to compare products from different manufacturers.
As a result, B2B enterprises need to deliver superior value information to their target customers to gain a competitive edge in this new landscape. The definition of quality information and the type of information that drives customer acquisition largely depend on content professionalism and content marketing objectives.
Compared to traditional telemarketing, providing customers with informative and valuable content is more likely to be well-received, and this concept of "providing value to customers" forms the foundation and core of efficiently reaching the customer base.
02 Build a Content Marketing Matrix:
As mentioned above, providing customers with high-value content is essential. But how can this be achieved?
Firstly, we need to consider content direction from two major perspectives:
What information your audience wants to see.
What information is challenging for your audience to access.
Secondly, we can break down the B2B customer buying journey into three major stages: the intention stage, the consideration stage, and the decision-making stage. For each of these stages, different combinations of content can be created.
At the intention stage, graphics, official websites, and short videos are among the most intuitive forms of content for displaying products. Graphics can provide a comprehensive product introduction, aiding customer understanding. Official websites help customers understand the product and delve deeper into corporate strengths and qualifications. Short videos convey concrete information in a user-friendly manner.
During the consideration stage, white papers and webinars are effective in converting sales leads. After customers gain a basic understanding of the company and its products, white papers and webinars help deepen their understanding of product features and highlights. Through consistent engagement, customers develop a profound product knowledge.
At the purchase stage, case studies and offline activities are ideal forms of content. Sharing specific product application results and showcasing the comprehensive support offered by the product through offline services can sway customers towards choosing our products during their decision-making process.
With these considerations in mind, we can construct the enterprise content marketing matrix.
03 Build Content and Channel Mix to Enhance Readability:
Different customer buying stages necessitate different types of content. The most effective approach is to create a content mix by combining various forms of content to engage the target audience holistically. For example, short videos are more likely to pique user interest and drive customer intent, followed by graphic presentations for in-depth program analysis, case studies, and other interactive content.
Moreover, B2B enterprises should strive to establish a presence on all platforms that can reach their target audience. In China, B2B companies can centralize their efforts on the official website and WeChat, while also collaborating with other channels (such as Douyin, industry-specific vertical media, Bilibili, etc.) to create an N+1 model. This expands the company's exposure and broadens the marketing customer acquisition funnel, laying a strong foundation for future traffic conversion.
Users encounter a unified and comprehensive content experience when engaging through any contact point, gradually establishing an omnichannel marketing system.
04 Online and Offline Globalization:
Let's take traditional offline exhibitions as an Example:
Traditional offline exhibitions remain crucial channels for global B2B enterprises to acquire customers. However, these exhibitions have limited durations and high associated costs, necessitating marketers to maximize their value.
Before the exhibition commences, marketers can utilize channels like WeChat Official Accounts and the official website to disseminate materials such as exhibition information, product details, and solutions. This attracts potential customers to visit the booth in person and enables those unable to attend in person to participate online, accessing comprehensive professional information.
During the exhibition, as thousands of industry peers gather, marketing personnel can employ small gifts and interactive methods to redirect potential customers to the company's official accounts (WeChat Official account, private WeChat groups, WeChat Video, Douyin video platform, etc.).
Following the exhibition, marketers can continue to engage the audience by sharing exhibition reviews and other corporate information via WeChat and video platforms, ensuring sustained reach and stimulation for lead conversion.
In recent years, an increasing number of B2B companies have pursued digital transformation, with marketing departments leveraging various online platforms to enhance visibility and product exposure in China. But how can European and American B2Bs select the right channels for precise customer acquisition in the Chinese market?
Click here to discover how we assist overseas companies in utilizing Chinese online marketing platforms for precise customer acquisition!