It’s time to prepare your B2B sales team for 2022. Are you ready? I know it feels like 2021 flew by but with the pandemic hitting businesses hard across the country, we are all happy to see it go. The good news is that COVID numbers are going down, and job numbers are below 5%. The holidays are just around the corner, so now is the perfect time to create your 2022 B2B marketing plan.
2022 B2B Goals …
So, why do you need to create a new marketing plan? Won’t last year’s plan work? Well, somewhat, but not really. B2B companies face different challenges and goals than typical business-to-consumer organizations, so first, you should evaluate and narrow down your target audience. Understanding your audience as well as the industries you work with will help you hone in and will significantly impact your B2B marketing strategies.
The truth is that marketing changes fast, and the tools and strategies that you used last year might not help you get ahead next year. Plus, technology has advanced so much. And because of the pandemic, almost everyone has shifted their services, sales, and products online.
Even the go-to tenets of marketing that are tried and true no longer pertain to the B2B sales world we live in. A 2022 marketing plan should incorporate online lead generation tools like SEO, paid advertising, content marketing, social media marketing, and other digital applications. To be successful, your 2022 marketing plan needs to be built on the NEW reality and one that speaks to the times!
Here’s a step-by-step guide:
First, let’s assess and review last year’s plan. What worked from last year and what didn’t. Here are some things to think about:
What was your company’s goal/strategy?
Did you meet those goals?
Was your sales team effective?
Did your email market strategy work?
How did your lead generation tool perform?
How much did you spend on advertising?
Do you need to revamp your website?
How is your SEO?
Did you utilize social media effectively?
And lastly, should you build on your strategy or trash it?
Consider What New Trends Are Coming in 2022:
Around this time of the year, most companies have a pretty good idea of what is coming around the bend and are either onboard or take a wait-and-see approach. Still, there are trends that every business can benefit from. Due to COVID, technology has really catapulted into the forefront. Here are a few: Marketing automation and automated bidding for paid ads; Machine learning and AI have been helping B2B companies pinpoint their customer’s buying trends and tastes. Personalizations allow companies to shift marketing to predict trends. But remember organic web SEO and paid SEO are still the main guiding force to how new customers find you.
New Marketing Tools or B2B Lead Experts?
Consider new marketing tools or hiring a professional B2B sales support company. Kicking starting your sales and trying to figure out why sales are down can be overwhelming. Many times the first step is to find a new marketing tool like MailChimp or Pipedrive. It is important to look at where you failed last year and search for improving your performance. Once again, make a list. Where did you fall short, what took up most of your time, where can you improve, etc. Now that you understand where the company fell short, it’s time to consider some long and short term goals. Calculate how much money you want to spend and what other resources you have.
The Perfect Time To Create Your 2022 B2B Marketing Plan:
Now that you have good idea of what did and didn’t work it’s time to create your 2022 B2B Marketing Plan. Below is a checklist to help guide you. Good luck and CHEERS!
Business details:
Name
Location (if applicable)
Mission statement, etc.
What makes your company stand out?
Previous year analysis:
What worked and what didn’t?
How can you improve this year?
Competitive analysis:
What are your competitors doing?
What can you learn from them?
2022 Marketing Goals:
What are your short-term goals for the year?
What are your long-term goals for the year? (this can be broad)
Buyer persona:
Review your current buyer persona. Is it still valid?
Compare it to your top customers to ensure your targeting is accurate.
Outline the details:
What are your plans for this year?
Make sure to detail what you’ll do, how you’ll measure it, and who is responsible.
Website revamping/updating/technical/SEO updates:
What content needs to be updated and/or added to the site
Review your website’s analytics and performance in search engines
Optimize pages for speed and SEO
Connect and reconnect with search engines.
Content marketing:
Create blogs and other dynamic media to attract visitors.
Improve social media content and audience.
Improve the workflow by utilizing web tools like buffer.com..
Utilize promotion calendars.
Lead generation:
Utilize the latest tools.
Improve lead quality.
Consider hiring a professional B2B lead generation company.
Consider using paid advertising:
Platforms to leverage like Google, Bing, etc.
New ad tools to try.
Create a budget.
Email marketing:
Create a weekly, monthly newsletter.
Build email lists.
Lead nurturing efforts
Email automation.
By utilizing this guideline, you will come into 2022 with a solid formulated game plan to increase sales.
Considering outsourcing your B2B sales support to a professional B2B lead generation company? Call Grindstone 1-888-724-7463.
Interested in finding out more about Grindstone’s Appointment Setting Services with a B2B Telemarketing Company? Contact us here.
To learn more about B2B lead generation techniques, please visit www.b2bleadexperts.com for more industry information.