By Daniel King
What kind of digital marketing strategies and techniques have you seen “move the needle” for energy service businesses looking to increase leads & sales growth in 2022?
The first place to start is having a marketing strategy with digital being a centerpiece. I’d suggest everyone work hard to develop a 2022 strategic marketing plan in the next 2 to 3 weeks. The plan should be simple, focused, make people accountable, use your team (delegate) and take advantage of technology (marketing & sales cloud based websites & apps).
If you need support, hire a 3rd party (marketing agency or expert) to support you with this critical exercise or contact [email protected] for some guidance & ideas. 80% of Energy B2B companies do not have a complete digital strategy (polled 250 companies in 2021) or marketing calendar that clearly defines what they are going to do and when.
Seven B2B Digital Marketing Strategies & Techniques
- Bridge the Digital Gaps – 90% of B2B marketers believe there is no longer a meaningful distribution between online & offline marketing practices. Ownership & Management of energy companies need to reassess their budgets and strategies to put digital tactics above all else. The buyers are getting younger and responding to new content & new forms of distribution. Digital content, online ads, video, email marketing, etc.
- Take the Reins on Data – More than half of digital initiatives fail due to a lack of customer data. In the energy B2B landscape, marketers & owners need to have a reliable method of collecting, managing, analyzing & using client data & information to set them apart.
- Ramp up your Custom Content – Branded content is a hit across B2B industries. In the US it’s estimated that branded content will go up 60% in 2022. North American service companies need to take the time to research, create, develop & publish their own content. My rule of thumb – spend up to 50% of your budget on content development.
- Shore Up Social Media – The growing trend is the build up of company LinkedIn pages, YouTube channels & other social media channels to tell your story. It’s time to be consistent, be bold & take some social media risks.
- Master Mobile ASAP – an estimated 55% of energy buyers access content on smartphones & tablets daily. All custom & branded materials and call to actions must be optimized for the on-the-go discovery.
- Don’t Forget Email – The long standing staple of digital marketing still plays a key role. 86% of digital strategies still rely on email as a primary channel of communications. Service companies need to step up with frequent, personalized messages – Deliver new content, ideas & activities.
Embrace & Upgrade Virtual Events, Presentations & Meetings – companies need to upgrade their equipment, background/location, content, visual tools & be more professional in their delivery. It is quickly becoming the GOOD (professional events, equipment & presenters – 20%) and the BAD (poor presentations, lousy video/audio experience – 80%). It’s time to take virtual more seriously for 2022.
What are the trends in energy services digital marketing? Which trends do you think will explode or continue to grow – and why?
- Video – Video, live streaming video and more video. This will grow exponentially for B2B companies on LinkedIn, YouTube & other channels.
- Social Media Marketing – this will evolve for sure, but stay consistent to build ongoing engagement. You need to be creative and interesting, don’t just post a photo of your equipment. You need to “Show & Tell”, become a storyteller.
- Customer Centric Approach – upselling to current customers, marketing to other contacts at a current client, marketing to partners & alliances with the use of digital tools. Another name for this is called “Account Based Marketing” Know as much as you can about each of your clients – in-depth knowledge is critical.
- Marketing & Sales Automation (Marketing & Sales Funnels) – Landing Pages, Auto responder emails, sign-up forms, online ads, analytics. Lead identification software, code content & tools. These tools & platforms are growing quickly in the B2B marketing revolution.
Share This: