One of the challenges of B2B marketing is that vendors have a small window of opportunity to influence potential buyers. Gartner estimates that B2B buyers spend nearly 30 per cent of their time researching independently online and almost 20 per cent offline.
That means almost half of the buyer’s journey is spent before reaching out to a vendor! Even then when buyers are weighing different vendors, the amount of time spent with an individual sales representative will only account for about 5 per cent.
B2B conversational marketing can help you expand that window and engage with potential buyers much earlier in the buyer’s journey.
What Is Conversational Marketing?
Put simply, B2B conversational marketing has grown out of the evolution of live chat tools seen initially most prominently in the B2C world, particularly chatbots, live chat, and apps like Slack or WhatsApp. These tools enable vendors to have one-on-one conversations with leads at scale across multiple channels seamlessly.
Customers like conversational marketing because it allows them to ask a question quickly without having to dig through a company’s website for the relevant information. As a result more companies engaging with conversational marketing report being able to respond to customers faster and authentically.
How Can it Work for B2B?
B2B conversational marketing is different than B2C because decision processes are longer and you’re often dealing with multiple people.
One of the advantages of conversational marketing is that it can help prospects better understand your offerings and pricing models. Instead of passively waiting while your prospects try to figure it out for themselves on your website, a chatbot could intervene. The prospect asks their question and now you’re giving them a much more personalized marketing experience.
To take this a step further, the chatbot may then offers to connect the prospect with a live sales rep. Now you’ve shortened the sales cycle as discussed previously and gotten in touch with a prospect at a crucial time in the buyer’s journey.
As a relevant case study, a B2B software company that implemented conversational marketing saw:
- A projected ROI of up to 300 per cent
- A 20 per cent increase in traffic volume to the buy page
- More than 20 per cent increase in e-commerce revenue
- And an increase in self-service customer support
Traditional B2B lead generation like web forms, emails, etc. are still relevant, but now you’ve added a new tool to your kit.
We Can Help
If you’re ready to expand your B2B marketing, we offer a suite of digital tools at your disposal. As a growth marketing agency, we are data-driven and customer-centric. Because we understand your business and your buyer persona, we can leverage the right tools to get your solution in front of the right prospect.
If you would like to learn how we can help you generate more qualified leads, call 1-866-554-1465 or visit our website.