by Fronetics | Nov 7, 2019 | Blog, Logistics, Marketing, Paid Advertising, Supply Chain
Strategically integrating paid advertising in the buyer’s journey can help influence purchases and repeat sales.
Highlights:
- We advocate a primarily inbound strategy, you can boost the reach of your posts by investing in paid digital advertising.
- Your goal is to continue to engage with prospects and educate buyers as to why your product/service is better than your competitors’.
- 60% of consumers believed customer reviews were either trustworthy or very trustworthy — meaning that businesses that can accumulate positive reviews had a good chance of helping a customer make a purchase decision.
Let’s face it: the internet has completely changed the way B2B buyers are researching and making purchases. It’s becoming more crucial than ever to customize content for a potential customer’s journey through your funnel to help convert leads to sales.
The internet has given buyers the ability to research products and services, as well as compare competitors, without ever leaving the house. To keep up, B2B marketers need to align digital marketing efforts with the buyer’s journey to create and distribute content at the right moment.
While we advocate a primarily inbound strategy, you can boost the reach of your posts, ads, and videos by investing in paid digital advertising. And increased reach isn’t the only benefit. New statistics show that PPC visitors are 50% more likely to purchase something than organic visitors.
The key is to create interesting and informative ads and serve it to potential buyers at the right point in their research. Let’s look at how to integrate paid advertising in the buyer’s journey.
3 stages of the buyer’s journey
To stand out from your competitors, marketers need to know what types of paid ads to create and where to distribute them throughout the buyer’s journey. According to Brandon Stauffer, the typical buyer’s journey breaks into three stages:
- Awareness:A buyer figures out they have a problem and begin researching more about that problem. They are looking for resources to validate or better explain what their problem is.
- Consideration:Now the buyer knows the details of their problem. They begin more research to find a solution to their problem.
- Decision:The buyer has done research into solutions and is now comparing those solutions to make a final decision.
Now that you have the three key stages of the buyer’s journey, digital marketers need to pair specific paid ad campaigns with the right stages.
How to use paid advertising in the buyer’s journey by stage
Awareness stage
This is the very top of the sales funnel. All ads at this stage should focus on educating and engaging with prospects. There are two trains of thought when it comes to the awareness stage of paid ad campaigns:
- Create a campaign for prospects who might not know about your brand, products, or services
- Create an ad campaign that focuses on brand awareness and keeping your company at the top of the mind for those prospects that have heard of your brand
For each of these options, creating ads that appeal to your buyer personas will help get them in front of your targeted audiences.
Recommendation: Google search ads, Facebook and Instagram ads, highly visual content including video
Consideration stage
The second stage, consideration, is just that … Buyers are aware of your brand and are considering your products and services. Your goal is to continue to engage with prospects and educate buyers as to why your product/service is better than your competitors’. Remember, this isn’t the time for a hard sale. You want to bring buyers to the table by demonstrating what you can do for them.
Recommendation: Google Display ads, remarketing through Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter
Decision stage
Your prospect is almost ready to commit to a “conversion” but may need that extra push. Ads in this phase should communicate an incentive to get them to complete the conversion.
And don’t forget: people trust people. Customer testimonials can be a powerful tool in the decision stage of the buyer’s journey. HubSpot research found that 60% of consumers believed customer reviews were either trustworthy or very trustworthy — meaning that businesses that can accumulate positive reviews had a good chance of helping a customer make a purchase decision.
Recommendation: Remarketing on Google and social platforms, create visual customer testimonials
Have you tried integrating paid advertising in the buyer’s journey?
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by Fronetics | Nov 5, 2019 | Blog, Content Marketing, Logistics, Marketing, Social Media, Supply Chain
LinkedIn has released a new guide to using video on its platform. Here’s what supply chain companies need to know to get the most out of video on LinkedIn.
Highlights:
- Effective B2B marketing videos start with an analysis of your prospects’ unique purchasing journey and needs.
- Videos for the awareness stage of the buyer’s journey should be concise and geared to forging an emotional connection.
- Bottom-of-the-funnel video types include product demonstrations, welcome videos, webinars, and FAQ sessions.
Visual content, particularly video, is the future of social media marketing. And video on LinkedIn is no exception. A recent report from Kleiner Perkins indicates that 62% of B2B marketers rate video as an effective content-marketing tactic. Not only that, but, according to internal data from LinkedIn, users are 20 times more likely to share a video on the platform than any other type of content.
Thanks to a recent guide published by the platform, leveraging video on LinkedIn for the supply chain has never been more attainable. The Tech Marketer’s Guide to B2B Video is an invaluable resource. Whether you’re relatively new to B2B video marketing, or a seasoned video creator, the guide contains useful nuggets of information, as well as examples of effective video on LinkedIn, for marketers at any stage.
We’ve pulled out key points for you.
6 steps to approaching video on LinkedIn
It’s worth pointing out that the six steps that LinkedIn identifies to building an effective video strategy are applicable elsewhere as well. Your strategy for video on LinkedIn should likely also apply to your strategy for video content across your digital assets.
1) Analyze your buyer’s journey
Consider the unique buyer’s journey for your company. What content do prospects want to see at each stage, and what actions do you want them to take?
2) Set your marketing strategy
What medium is optimal for delivering content at each stage? Which stages are particularly conducive to video content?
3) Establish metrics and KPIs
Choosing the right key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics will allow you to determine how your content is performing.
4) Create video content
At the stages where video content is the best way to deliver, what type of video is most effective?
5) Target your content
Use your understanding of your target audiences, in combination with the targeting capabilities of LinkedIn, to ensure that your video is reaching the right people at the right times.
6) Optimize your campaign
Keep track of your data. Note what’s working. Adjust what isn’t performing.
Using video on LinkedIn throughout the buyer’s journey
Awareness
The first stage of the buyer’s journey, the awareness stage, is particularly opportune for video on LinkedIn. At this point, your goal is to tell a story, evoke a response, and introduce your brand and products.
Videos at this stage should be concise and geared to connecting with your audience, demonstrating an understanding of their challenges, and how your company is positioned to address those challenges.
LinkedIn’s guide points out a major advantage of video: its measurability. As opposed to text-based marketing, where your knowledge of audience behavior is limited to downloads and time on page, video on LinkedIn comes with richer data. You can tell, for example, when someone has watched your video and when they stopped. This means you can adjust your video length suit the preferences of your audience.
At the awareness stage, important video metrics include how many times your video was viewed, how much of the video was watched, and how many viewers responded to your call to action.
Consideration
Using video on LinkedIn for the second stage of the buyer’s journey, the consideration stage, is about introducing your products and their features, as well as giving a sense of what it’s like to work with your business. Ideal video formats at this stage include explainers, case studies, webinars, how-to videos, and virtual tours. Your foremost goal is to be authentic and to represent your business and the solutions it offers.
Key metrics at this stage are about engagement. Keep track of the number of interactions your videos get (comments, likes, clicks, shares, etc.), compared to the number of views. Also keep an eye on your estimated cost per view (eCPV) to track the efficacy of your video budget.
Decision
Because the decision phase of the buyer’s journey is all about personalization, video has traditionally been used less here. But that’s starting to change. Authentic, trust-building videos can be a powerful asset for the decision stage, reassuring your prospects that they’re making the right decision, using testimonials from existing customers. Welcome videos, FAQ sessions, and webinars are also effective in the decision phase, as well as full-length product demonstrations.
If you’re using lead-generation forms with your video on LinkedIn, keep track of which generate the most leads, as well as the quality of those leads. Otherwise, track click-through rates to gain insights into your estimated cost per click (eCPC).
Metrics for video on LinkedIn
LinkedIn offers a robust set of metrics for videos on its platforms:
- Views: At least one second of playback while the video is at least 50% on screen on desktop, or 300 milliseconds on mobile
- Views at 25%: The number of times your video was watched at 25% of its length, including watches that skipped to this point
- Views at 50%: The number of times your video was watched at 50% of its length, including watches that skipped to this point
- Views at 75%: The number of times your video was watched at 75% of its length, including watches that skipped to this point
- Completions: The number of times your video was watched at 97-100% of its length, including watches that skipped to this point
- Completion Rate: Completions divided by views as a percentage
- View Rate: Number of views divided by impressions, multiplied by 100
- eCPV: Estimated cost per view
- Full Screen Plays: Total number of clicks to view video in full screen
Do you use video on LinkedIn for your business? Let us know your experience in the comments.
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by Fronetics | Oct 24, 2019 | Blog, Marketing, Social Media
Facebook Messenger is the latest trend in chatbots for the supply chain. Here are powerful numbers to prove why your brand needs to be active on the messaging platform.
Patience is a virtue of the past. Today’s buyers want (and expect) marketers to actively engage with them throughout the purchasing journey. And offering them generic information won’t work — they want personalized communications based on who they are, what they have purchased in the past, and what they are interested in buying. Businesses can no longer afford a one-size-fits-all communication strategy.
The focus has shifted from passive marketing to engagement, which has marketers scrambling to be everywhere, at all times, to ensure a positive customer experience. In response, we’ve seen an increase in chatbot usage in the supply chain and logistics industries. Chatbots help improve the customer experience through automated systems that emulate human conversation.
Chatbots rely on the popularity of messaging apps. And, luckily for marketers, messaging app usage is on the rise:
- There were 2.18 billion messaging app users globally in 2019. (Statista)
- At the end of 2018, 78% of the world’s smartphone users were messaging every month. (Facebook)
- By 2021, it’s predicted that the global user base for mobile messaging apps will have risen by a further 23%. (Facebook)
- People share more than 17 billion photos on messaging apps every month. (Mobile Monkey)
And though WhatsApp has the highest percentage of users worldwide, Facebook Messenger has taken over as the most popular messaging app in the U.S. With over 1.3 billion monthly users, this powerful messaging platform holds a lot of potential for marketers.
[bctt tweet=”20 billion messages are sent between people and businesses every month.” username=”Fronetics”]
Even though marketers know that Facebook Messenger is a platform they can no longer ignore, supply chain and logistics brands have been slower to jump on board. But if you’re questioning if you should be using Facebook Messenger to engage with audiences, the answer is yes.
Supply chain businesses can use this platform to deliver content, engage with customers one on one, and offer superior personalized customer service, all of which result in high-quality relationships and leads.
Here are some staggering numbers to back up our point.
(Made with Canva)
Final thoughts
What was once thought of a teen social app, Facebook Messenger is now dominating the business world with increasing popularity and no sign of slowing down. In fact, we as a brand have found huge success using Messenger to engage with new leads. In the first 24 hours of using the platform, we were able to set up a meeting with a new prospect. That was just in the first 24 hours. This prospect turned out to be our next client, and the initial connection was all made through Facebook Messenger.
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by Fronetics | Oct 17, 2019 | Blog, Marketing, SEO
Search intent looks at the ‘why’ behind a search. If you’re looking to improve your website ranking, here’s how search intent affects SEO.
Highlights:
- If you truly want to rank at the top of search results, you’ve got to shift your thinking in terms of topic clusters.
- Think about your buyer personas. What kinds of queries they’re typing into Google – not just the actual words but the intent behind the keywords?
- Then start creating content to answer those questions in different formats like video, blog, and infographics.
Video transcript:
I’m Elizabeth Hines from Fronetics, and today’s topic is search intent and how it affects SEO.
I keep saying that trying to rank for certain keywords is a really outdated method of SEO. If you truly want to rank at the top of search results, you’ve got to shift your thinking in terms of topic clusters. And you should develop those topic clusters based on something called search intent.
Now search intent is the why behind a search query. What that means is why did the person conduct this search in the first place. There are 4 types:
- Informational: when a user is searching for specific information.
- Navigational: when a user is looking for a specific website
- Transactional: when a user is looking to make a purchase.
- Commercial investigation: when a user is researching products or services but they’re not yet ready to make a purchase. They might be looking for reviews and comparisons.
So, how can you optimize your website to better serve search intent?
Think about your buyer personas. What kinds of queries they’re typing into Google – not just the actual words but the intent behind the keywords? Are they trying to solve a problem, like, how can I extend battery life on my forklifts? Are they trying to understand how new federal regulations or mandates might impact their business? Or, are they trying to budget for a new solution and researching pricing?
The next step is creating content to answer those questions. Try answering the question in several different formats — long-form content, blogs, video, infographics. Creating this like of content with search intent in mind is more likely to get you ranking higher in Google search results than thinking about individual keywords and phrases.
For more information, visit us at our website at fronetics.com.
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by Fronetics | Oct 15, 2019 | Blog, Content Marketing, Manufacturing & Distribution, Marketing, Supply Chain
The analog supply chain model is outmoded and inefficient. Here’s how digital transformation is reinventing manufacturing.
Highlights:
- Manufacturers are increasingly adopting artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies.
- The traditional analog supply chain model is unable to compete with digital disruptors in a volatile market.
- Digital transformation empowers manufacturers to create sought-after personalized experiences for buyers.
Digital transformation isn’t just the latest buzzword in supply chain circles. It’s an ongoing trend that’s revolutionizing manufacturing and supply chain efficiency. According to a recent report from Accenture, 78% of CFOs are spearheading initiatives to improve efficiency through adoption of digital technology.
Digital transformation empowers manufacturers to meet the evolving demands of a customer base with rising expectations for customer service. The digital technologies that are emerging today offer analytics that are vital for forecasting and understanding how to shift the balance of supply and demand.
3 ways that the analog supply chain model is outdated
Supply chain management expert Frank Meerkamp writes, “The traditional supply chain is a tapestry built on an outdated analog network – yet it exists in a digital world.” The difficult truth is that in today’s climate of rapidly shifting market demands and an increasingly interconnected world, manufacturers must embrace digital transformation or be left behind.
Before we look at how digital transformation can benefit manufacturers, let’s take a moment to examine the challenges presented by an outdated analog supply chain.
1) Market volatility
Today’s markets move at a breakneck pace. Thanks to a constantly shifting geopolitical landscape, changing regulations and sanctions, and the unpredictability of cost and supply, manufacturers face market volatility, uncertainty, and a high level of risk. The analog supply chain model leaves companies without the agility to respond and pivot quickly and to operate efficiently on a global or regional scale.
2) Competition from digital disruptors
Perhaps the most powerful example of the way in which digital disruptors are challenging legacy leaders is the Amazon effect. Amazon has effectively situated itself as an innovator and easily has outpaced rivals in multiple sectors. Companies that continue to embrace an analog supply chain model simply cannot compete with those that have fully embraced digital transformation.
3) Rising customer expectations
While it can be tempting for B2B companies to bury their heads in the sand, believing that digital marketing is purely a B2C necessity, the reality is that supply chain companies must embrace digital marketing as part of their digital transformation. Buyers expect hyper-personalized experiences, as well as customized products, and the kind of execution that’s impossible for manufactures to deliver within the analog supply chain framework.
4 ways digital transformation addresses today’s challenges for manufacturers
As the complexity of the supply chain increases, embracing digital transformation is the clearest path to success for manufacturers. While companies that cling to an outdated analogue model struggle with eroding margins and an inability to compete, those that establish “a data-driven supply chain,” writes Meerkamp, “can gain advantages in increased forecasting accuracy, identifying and resolving issues in real time, creating new segmentations, and delivering on consumer requirements with speed, specificity, and scale.”
In short, digital transformation uses data to drive visibility and agility for manufacturers, allowing them to operate efficiently and profitably.
1) Establishing visibility and centralized control
The AI and machine-learning technologies available today enable manufacturers to meet the challenges presented by an increasingly complex supply chain. Massive sets of data can be captured and processed, providing invaluable real-time visibility. Not only that, but manufacturers can leverage this visibility to centralize data and decision-making.
2) Creating new performance engines
Thanks to the ability of AI technologies to process enormous quantities of data, digital transformation enables “powerful resolution engines, based on real-time root-cause analyses, to automate the execution of supply chain functions, and optimize transactions to meet strategic objectives,” says Meerkamp. These technologies facilitate the forecasting and immediate decision-making necessary for manufacturers to operate efficiently.
3) Facilitating agility
Today’s marketplace moves faster than ever, and market forces are constantly shifting. Agility has never been more important for companies to compete. Intelligent technologies allow supply chain companies to establish a management model that is collaborative, data-driven, and platform-based. Digital transformation enables the sharing of qualitative information as well as real-time data and implications. This in turns enables agile management, ready to meet the shifting demands of the marketplace.
4) Developing personalization and flexibility
One of the biggest challenges manufacturers face today is the increasing buyer expectations of personalized experiences. AI technology enables the creation of segmentation strategies, addressing buyers’ personalized needs based on various factors, including channel, location, and service level. Real-time visibility into market data also leads to greater insight into buyers’ needs and how to meet them.
Organizations that embrace digital transformation are empowered to create personalized experiences for their customers and operate with the agility, visibility, and centralization necessary to compete in today’s marketplace.
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