Top B2B marketers know that there are a couple primary objectives: Building new business and becoming a thought leader.
According a recent Economics Intelligence Unit study, 56% of B2B marketing execs state that “positioning our company as a thought leader is a top objective”. 1/3 of those who responded also stated that they felt thought leadership was the key to marketing their services over the next 5 years.
So why is thought leadership becoming so popular to the point of domination in B2B Marketing? Some cite that it’s more important to focus on lead generation and nurturing of those leads, however many take the position that thought leadership does just that. If you’re swaying between the two, here are some things to keep in mind:
1) In B2B marketing, you’re no longer the one that is hunting, but instead you’re being hunted. In the past, the marketer had to go out and actively engage, or market to, CEO’s and other company reps in order to make business contacts and generate leads. A recent study by Forbes and Google actually reveals that over 60% of senior executives are clicking “search” as much as 1/2 dozen times each day while looking for business related information. Thanks to the web, marketers are now having those leads come to them. This puts a lot of emphasis on being a thought leader and proving authority, credibility and knowledge.
2) There’s a marriage going on between social media and thought leadership. B2B social media marketing is in place to build brands, and create momentum for awareness as well as loyalty and credibility – all of which strengthen lead generation efforts. Since prospects within social media are always on the prowl for good information, this makes social media an excellent channel for thought leadership. Couple that with the fact that over 70% of B2B buyers utilize social networks for either personal or businesses communication (or both) and you have opportunity for massive lead generation over the long-term.
If social media is becoming the dominant channel for B2B marketing, then thought leadership is dominating B2B marketing.
3) Customers also want to know “how” among other things. Before social media exploded as a means of disseminating information to the mass markets, public information about a company was centered on what the company did best price cialis and little else. Now, people involved with or connected to that company through networking also want to know how they’re doing it and why. Not only that, people want to see personality and they want to know what sets each company apart.
Companies are no longer untouchable brands, out of arms reach like a red carpet celebrity. They are living breathing things, and people want to interact. This is a point where a brand has to prove they are “sentient” and capable of thoughtful, engaging interaction. Otherwise they’re just another hamster in the cage.
Thought leadership should be the focus of every company that is engaging in B2B marketing, especially through social media. It is through that process and marketing strategy that business will generate more leads and connect with those leads on a deeper and more meaningful level.
