In today’s complex marketing environment, companies in the business to business (B2B) marketing space must evaluate a multitude of alternatives before deciding how to invest their marketing budget for the upcoming year.
Branding, trade shows and direct mail campaigns are only part of the picture now. Digital channels continue to grow exponentially and B2B companies are struggling to make cohesive, informed decisions as to which of these new marketing channels offer the best return on investment.
A B2B marketing agency can help firms evaluate marketing channel alternatives and create a comprehensive plan for approaching the B2B market on multiple fronts. These agencies can help your company develop an integrated marketing strategy that encompasses branding, search marketing, social media, marketing automation and business intelligence.
Considerations when selecting a marketing agency
When you are selecting a B2B marketing agency, location is not as important as it used to be. Your agency doesn’t have to be in the same city or even the same country as your business. Skype, online meeting software and advances in presentation and file sharing allow your agency to be located anywhere.
What is important is that you find a B2B marketing agency that understands your business and marketing goals and offers innovative, creative solutions that will help your business prosper. Ideally your agency should have experience within your vertical, and should also be a good fit with your company culture.
The agency evaluation process should include a detailed review of prior work done by the agency. In addition to assessing the quality of work you should make sure that the personnel who produced that work are still with the marketing agency. It’s also very important to evaluate the vendor’s responsiveness to emails and phone calls, as this relationship will require extensive collaboration and interaction.
Services offered by a B2B marketing agency
A full-service B2B marketing agency can offer clients a comprehensive package of guidance and assistance across many marketing areas, from branding to business intelligence. Branding services typically include developing marketing strategy and corporate identity, public relations and online reputation management. Business intelligence offerings may include conversion rate and sales funnel analysis as well as other services.
For the B2B marketer, the marketing agency can prepare a comprehensive inbound marketing plan and provide critical guidance on lead generation and lead nurturing. On the digital front your agency can provide Search Engine Optimization, Search Engine Marketing, Local Marketing and Link Building services.
Creative services may range from Web and Graphics design to copywriting, content marketing and even video production. Increasingly clients are finding that YouTube provides an excellent lead generation channel that is often overlooked by other marketers. All sites designed by the marketing agency should be fully optimized for mobile, as Google is increasingly factoring mobile into its ranking algorithms.
One of the most important services that can be provided by your marketing agency is social media management. Smart business marketers are investing in social media activities on LinkedIn, and are also finding that social media calls to action and Facebook newsletter signups can generate leads.
To make the most effective use of your marketing dollars it helps to partner with a visionary, creative B2B marketing agency that understands your business. Their portfolio of services will help your company meet and exceed its goals and will accelerate your company’s success.
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