Oh my, we are on episode 50! I can’t believe it. How do I celebrate this epic milestone? I can’t possibly give you 50 things – that’s a challenge even for me, and you have my back catalogue to work through for that already…:) So I thought I would summarise the heart of this show, which is about creating the right approach for your B2B comms.
So today, I share 5, not 50, things to create a B2B comms impact.
You see, a good comms plan involves a number of elements working together as part of a strategy.
You don’t want to set off and say, ‘we’re going to hold an event’ without thinking about who that is for and what you want the end result to be for your business.
When I put a strategy together I follow a process. I look at your purpose, what success looks like, who your customers are, how to get in front of them, what to say to them, and what tactics to use.
Let’s dive in!
Further listening – my entire back catalogue of 50 episodes!
But in particular, this one: Ep 02. Are you a goal digger? https://henbe.co.uk/2020/12/01/ep-02-are-you-a-goal-digger-why-you-need-to-set-communication-goals/
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PS – Did you know? Communication Strategy That Works is in the top 90 UK Small Business Podcasts you must listen to in 2021, by Feedspot.
Full transcript (unedited)
- Your message needs to be consistent
You need to make sure there’s a consistent message about you and your product over a sustained period of time. Using your comms in this way takes strategic thinking. It’s no good just putting content out there. You need to think about how it fits together and what people will be learning from it.
This also means that everyone in the business needs to talk about the product in the same way. Selling and telling are inextricably linked. It’s no good if the sales team is explaining something to your customers in a completely different way to how it is being presented through your business messaging.
- You need a plan of action
What actions and activities do you need to take at this point to help the customers step onto the ‘know, like, trust’ pathway? What do you need to provide as they move along it?
For example, do they have questions about your product? Do they want to see examples of how it works? Do they want to know about how it is different from other products out there? What are their concerns and how can you address these? Do you need to bust some myths?
Talk to people and find out what they want to know. Then make a plan for how you are going to share that information and how you can build relationships which turn your warm leads into paying customers.
If you’re wondering who to talk to, what questions to ask, and how to use those to develop a strategy, then get in touch with me and let’s talk about your business.
- Address what’s stopping people buying from you – work with the rest of the business
Just like the media, your buyers want to know what’s in it for them. Why should they pay attention to you?
Start by speaking to people and find out what it is that they don’t understand about your product. What are the barriers? Are they financial or operational? Do they think the transition to using your product is harder than it is in reality? What do they need to know about how your product fits in with their existing processes?
When you start talking to people you might find that they have preconceived ideas about your product and how it works. You might need to bust some myths about what you’re offering and what your customers’ perception of it is.
You want to move them from having not heard of you, to knowing who you are and how your product will benefit them. This is all part of PR.
- Create B2B content that builds trust
Once you have identified the barriers, you need to think about how you are going to overcome them and build trust in you and your product. No-one is going to buy your product if they don’t believe it’s going to work for them.
You could create a series of videos walking people through how it works and showcasing different benefits. You could use case studies so people can see how your product has been used elsewhere.
I have created events and conferences for clients so that they can bring people together to share knowledge. I’ve also put together white papers which showcase information in an engaging way that can be shared with decision makers.
There are lots of different things you can do. The important part is making sure you are addressing any issues with the content and it is in a format your audience wants to digest. Spoiler alert, not everyone wants to read a white paper!
- Create a strategy that brings it all together
An effective and impactful comms plan involves a number of elements working together as part of a strategy. You don’t want to set off and say, ‘we’re going to hold an event’ without thinking about who that is for and what you want the end result to be for your business.
When I put a strategy together I follow a process. I look at your purpose, what success looks like, who your customers are, how to get in front of them, what to say to them, and what tactics to use. I also decide how we are going to review and measure the results. This means you know you are embarking on a course of action with a clear goal in mind which is going to appeal to your buyers. You also know how you will measure success. This enables you to see if you are on track and to refine your approach if necessary.
Finally,
By finding out what people want to know about your product and delivering that in a way that interests them, you can develop a strategy that leads to sales.
If you would like me to help you do this, book a call with me.