2 B2B marketing channels with untapped potential + new smart ways to update your existing channels

When people think about B2B marketing, they usually have a pretty standard understanding of the possible marketing strategies at play. 

I bet your favorite B2B funnel looks something like this: 

1. Write an SEO blog post to generate organic traffic
2. Publish an ebook on a similar topic to serve as a lead magnet
3. Launch a PPC campaign to promote the ebook wherever imaginable 
4. Process the leads via marketing automation software into a contact list
5. Send email drip campaigns to engaged contacts trying to convert them

Or like this: 

1. Place a booth at one of the industry-leading events (they have to be industry-leading, even if you’re just 20 people hanging out in the local park) 
2. Send out your biz devs scouting 
3. Whip up a freebie (an infographic, a presentation, or – if you’re feeling bold – a sticker) to give out to people who were generous enough to share their data with you
4. Send email drip campaigns to engaged contacts trying to convert them 

In the meantime, you task your social media team with posting how awesome your work culture is, how professional your professionals are, and how unique your product is. 

Because it is! The only issue is that there are likely 10+ more unique products like yours, optimizing their content for Google, advertising their ebooks, and sending their business developers to conferences. 

This process is so common because it works. In 2023, the top B2B marketing channels are social media, company websites, and email marketing. 

Most brands will be present on these channels, demanding infinitely more creative power, time, and resources for you to stand out because competition is fierce. 

But then, there are B2B brands like Semrush, who shamelessly post memes on LinkedIn and thrive as a result. 

And so, as the divide between B2B and B2C marketing is gradually reducing, why not look at some of the strategies that have proven to work for the typical B2C brands for B2B inspiration? 

New marketing channels for B2B brands to experiment with

Reach more prospects with influencer marketing

Influencers are typically associated with B2C. After all, you’re much more likely to purchase a clothing item or fresh cosmetics from your favorite social media influencer than invest in a new SaaS product or commit to an annual subscription to a service, right? 

Wrong! Think Neil Patel, Ann Handley, Jeff Bullas, or Gary Vaynerchuk. Wouldn’t you trust a company if they told you they are worth partnering with? It doesn’t mean you should, but influencers are a great entry point for top-of-funnel product reviews. 

Identify a figure of authority in your niche (the ones I’ve listed are perfect for marketing-driven products) and think of a campaign you could put together with them.

A case in point: Cisco Champions

You must be familiar with Cisco - a global hardware and software manufacturing leader. In their B2B marketing campaign with the catchy hashtag #CiscoChampions, the campaign brings together recognized technical experts and professionals to share their knowledge. The program encompasses people with broad interests and transversal technological lines, from Cisco's networking hardware to security, cloud, collaboration tools, and IoT.

This campaign fosters the tech community around Cisco and helps its target audience connect and learn from the industry’s top minds. 

Keep your audience engaged with push notifications

Another tool that B2C brands leverage to the fullest while it remains a rare element of B2B campaigns is push notifications. Here, you need to keep your audience's favorite hardware in mind. 

Don’t forget that at the end of the day, you’re reaching out to people, not faceless brands. So even though they are likely to spend 8 hours a day in front of their computers, they are still living and breathing human beings who occasionally check their socials or play their favorite games on their mobile phones. 

B2C companies tend to rely on mobile push notifications because it’s the most convenient way for the user: if a flash sale is happening, you would want to be the first to know wherever you are, and as often the case with most ecommerce stores, you’d be able to instantly buy the item from your phone. 

In B2B, things are a little different. First of all, we rarely have flash sales, which is a shame. And people are less likely to commit to the next breakthrough tool for their business while commuting or lying in bed. Instead, they’d want to research your offer, analyze the competitors, and consult with the top management. Here, less intrusive web push notifications can become game-changing! 

Of course, you won’t be using web pushes only to notify of your annual 15% sale. Instead, you can leverage them to notify subscribers of product updates and important company initiatives (e.g., social causes and community events) or ask for customer feedback.

Experiment with web push notifications with GetResponse MAX – try it firsthand!

Update your existing multi-channel strategies

But adapting new channels doesn’t mean forgetting the existing ones. Remember that you want your brand to appear authentic, and the days when pushing the “#1 reliable partner” message across every channel are far behind us. 

• Use social media. But do it to build community, not just to brag about your product. 
• Send emails. But make sure each adds value to the recipient, not just distracts. 
• Run webinars. But do it to educate the viewers, not just to promote your brand.
• Attend events. But think of what you get given, not just what you can get as a business. 
• Write SEO blog posts. But optimize for readers, not just for Google bots. 

Imagine B2B marketing, where you think of people as people, not faceless decision-makers. Think of how you would like a brand to approach you next time you’re in the market for email marketing automation software. And do better. 

Anna Kvasnevska,

Senior Content Marketing Specialist