It’s no exaggeration that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed how businesses not only operate but also communicate. With a shift to remote working, B2B businesses have found themselves having to pivot their strategies to best reach their audiences, with many of them experiencing years of transformation in just a few short months.
But, all is not lost. When handled correctly, these changes offer B2B businesses the opportunity to reposition their propositions and how they communicate in the long term. The question is, what exactly will these changes look like? And how can businesses keep up? We share our thoughts on how B2B communications will change after restrictions ease, and the steps companies can take to best meet customer needs.
Customer touchpoints have changed, and B2B communications need to keep up
As many businesses were forced to close their doors, the majority have turned to digital services to keep communication channels open. It shouldn’t come as any surprise that a huge number of businesses will continue to operate flexibly and remotely, even after restrictions ease.
However, this does pose a challenge to B2B businesses in particular as, pre-pandemic, the majority of communication generally took place in-person. It’s all about understanding that, while the business landscape has changed, so have the lives of your customers. The days of ignoring the digital marketing space are gone.
Therefore, to keep up B2B brands are investing in digital communication channels to remain competitive. One example is Business SMS, enabling businesses to send and receive a vast range of messages. From demo or sample requests to meeting reminders and content downloads, there are so many different ways you can connect with your customers. With statistics showing that B2B buyers are 4.5x more likely to reply to an SMS than an email, and SMS boasting a 95% open rate, there’s never been a better time to invest.
Data intelligence is the future
Businesses have found themselves turning to tools and tech in order to understand exactly what’s going on in the market, and how they can adjust their marketing and communication offerings to deliver the right message and the right content at the right time to the right customers.
Customer experience is now a key priority, and B2B companies are placing much more emphasis on using data to justify decision-making while also ensuring they’re providing exactly what customers want. There are plenty of ways you can capture this data, from feedback forms to SMS Shortcodes services, that make it simple for customers to get in touch with you to share their thoughts.
It’s all about creating authentic connections
The difficulty in nailing a B2B comms strategy lies in getting the right balance between professionalism and a personal touch. That hasn’t changed despite the uncertainty of the past 18 months. Authentic marketing is so important right now – providing value, solving customer challenges, and essentially strengthening your market position as a trusted thought leader. This notion of a ‘human touch’ might seem cliched, but it’s essential as B2B brands shift from hard-hitting sales-focused comms to offering customers a much more personal experience.
Our top tips to make the most of your B2B communications in 2021 and beyond:
It’s no longer enough to keep on the same path. Instead, businesses need to throw out the rulebook and embrace the ‘new normal’. Here are our top tips:
- Rethink your communications channels: we now live and work in a multichannel world.With the seismic shift in both the business landscape and consumer behaviour,many B2B brands need to reach a wider audience. 85% of adults now consume content on multiple devices simultaneously, brands need to be open to communication with customers no matter the channel.
- Don’t be afraid to adjust your messaging: businesses are adapting as the world changes, so sticking with the same messaging is no longer an option. Instead, when it comes to B2B communications, it’s important to switch up how you’re communicating to best meet customer needs.
- The simpler the strategy, the better: the pandemic has hit a lot of businesses hard and caused many to struggle and feel overwhelmed, so customers are now looking for simple and more personal communications they can relate to.
Want to find out how you can improve your B2B communications? Get in touch with us for more information by calling our Customer Service team on 08451 221 302.