We’ve learned by now that B2B marketing often involves targeting a market-savvy and knowledgeable audience. However, usually the selling business is full of knowledgeable experts as well, and quite often they rely on their experience and instinct to make marketing decisions “on a whim.” While there is no denying that industry experience is a powerful resource, B2B companies that rely on instinct rather than data run the risk of generating ineffective or even damaging, marketing strategies and campaigns.
Remember the difference between B2B and B2C consumer buying habits. Do B2B consumers generally make purchases on a whim? Most likely no. Therefore, should your marketing be done on a whim?
Here are some examples of how to conduct data driven marketing and apply it to your marketing strategy.
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Start with secondary market research
Doing some simple online research or reading industry reports can get you started on your data driven marketing. Be careful with simple online searches as Internet information can be out of date and/or incorrect, therefore be sure you are using credible sites. Invest in industry reports that outline market trends and statistics as well as consumer behavior. This can give you a start on where to position your marketing campaigns, generate ideas for your content marketing pieces and even understand what the competition may be doing.
