No one ever said B2B marketing was easy.
Selling to businesses has long been considered less creative and more complex compared to B2C marketing. And that’s without having to navigate the difficult few years we have all been through.
But knowledge is power. And being aware of and addressing challenges head-on can help businesses to focus their B2B marketing strategy in areas which might otherwise be overlooked.
Read on to educate yourselves on 10 challenges facing B2B marketers, so you can plan ahead for success.
1. Strategic direction
We’ve had a lot thrown at us over the past few years.
B2B marketers have bounced between fighting fires and accommodating overwhelming interest. Meaning that their strategy has had to be built on being agile and reactive.
However, now that things are (dare we say it) almost back to normal, this leaves many B2B marketers with a lack of direction, comparative data, and KPIs.
Many businesses feel they are starting from scratch when understanding what their audience now wants, budgets they can confidently secure, and even what success actually looks like.
2. Lack of resource
60% of marketing leaders report that a lack of talent capacity is their number one marketing challenge.
Recruitment has long been an issue for marketers. However, in 2022 further challenges such as the Great Resignation, alongside the need for ‘soft’ creative skill sets and hard technological knowledge, are proving a problematic mix for employers.
And even when businesses manage to secure top talent, there is still the challenge of training and resource management.
The fast pace of B2B marketing coupled with a lack of talent means that marketing managers will struggle to find the capacity to fully train their new recruits. Which has a knock-on effect on productivity and resource capacity for the entire team.
3. Choosing the right agency
An obvious resolution to a lack of resource is outsourcing to agencies.
But with so many B2B marketing agencies available, how do you choose the right one?
Begin with identifying the particular channel that you need support in so that you can choose an agency that specialises in this area. These agencies will boast the in-depth knowledge, skills, and technology to get you the best possible results.
Secondly, look for an agency that you can grow with and learn from, long term. It is important for agencies to be communicative and offer insight alongside numbers. So that your business can understand activity and results, and implement learnings along the way.
4. Sales and marketing alignment
Sales and marketing alignment has long been a controversial topic between both departments. And that often comes from a lack of understanding of one another’s approaches to business.
From the start, sales and marketing processes and technology are often misaligned. Data is entered and pulled from disparate systems leading to inaccuracies and a lack of insight for both departments.
Additionally, both departments are focusing on different stages within the buying journey. This results in separate strategies, goals, and priorities.
5. Technology overload
With the vast array of exciting, innovative, and increasingly essential technology available to B2B marketers, technology overload can quickly become a challenge.
For many B2B businesses, their technology stack is failing to link together. Meaning their CRM, CMS, SEO, email, social, and automation aren’t integrated, which results in a lack of connectivity when it comes to sending out communications.
Integrations aside, this influx in technology also results in an increased need for training, implementation, support, and short-term budget. And the more overcomplicated the technology, the more challenges can arise.
6. Data management
We live in the era of big data.
However, many B2B businesses are still struggling with data collation, management, and usage.
In fact, 40% of B2B businesses report that their data management strategy is only somewhat successful to unsuccessful.
Not having the correct systems or skills in place to make the most of data can have a significant effect on marketing activity. It will negatively impact automation, segmentation, and personalisation capabilities.
Leaving B2B businesses with a lack of insight. And their marketing campaigns and communications lacking.
7. Audience understanding
Creating buyer personas and ideal customer profiles are powerful strategies within marketing. They help to inform messaging, targeting, and campaign planning.
However, in B2B marketing, understanding your audience in this depth is challenging.
With businesses marketing to businesses, it is difficult to pinpoint the attributes required to fully understand them. After all, there are often multiple employees involved in the purchasing decision. All with their own challenges, goals, buyer journeys, and personalities.
8. Complex buying journey
The B2B buying journey is ever-evolving. Gone are the days of a simple, linear process. Instead, the B2B buying journey is becoming increasingly complex.
To begin with, the initial research stages alone can be intensive. And to make this even more challenging for B2B marketers, 70% of the B2B buying process is completed before customers even reach out to a business.
Once a customer does reach a business the amount of information required, and stakeholders involved, further increases the complexity. B2B marketers require readily available information in various formats, delivered at the right time, via the right channels.
9. Lead generation
Lead generation is one of the most significant differences when it comes to B2C and B2B marketing.
B2B purchases are not only complex, they can often be costly and resource-intensive. Particularly when it comes to making large hardware, software, and system purchases.
The chances of customers impulse buying B2B purchases are slim. Meaning that extra effort is required in the marketing and sales process to educate, convince, and convert these customers.
Add to this advances in data privacy, identity, and cookies. And many B2B marketers are having to rethink their traditional data and lead generation strategies.
10. Demonstrable ROI
Marketers report proving ROI as their second biggest challenge.
Attribution is a key contribution to the ROI challenge. B2B marketers may be able to cite the percentage of conversions from website traffic, and where this traffic came from, but understanding how that traffic initially heard about the brand becomes problematic.
And post-conversion attribution becomes even more of a challenge. For instance, how significant a part did nurturing activity play compared to sales activity?
The complicated nature of making a B2B purchase requires different departments and tactics to engage throughout this process. And without clear attribution, absolute ROI becomes almost impossible.
Are you experiencing any of these B2B marketing challenges?
If these challenges sound familiar, or you’re feeling overwhelmed by your B2B marketing activity, then we can help.
We’d love to hear what you’re up to, and tell you a little more about how we could offer support. So why not get in touch with our friendly team for a chat?
