To Meet your Customers you Need to be Online

The internet has provided customers with new methods for finding and researching companies as well as new methods for finding, researching, and products.

 

The internet has empowered customers and has changed marketing from a one way street to a two way street.

Traditional methods (outbound methods) of marketing such as direct mail, email, and banner ads are viewed as too intrusive; the customers of today want to find you

 

A study conducted by the Corporate Executive Board’s (CEB) Marketing Leadership Council found that the average customer progresses nearly 60% of the way through the purchase decision-making process before engaging with a sales rep. Customers are able to do this by going online and using websites, blogs, and social media.

 

To attract and engage customers you need to change your marketing strategy. You need to meet your customers and prospects where they are, with the information for which they are looking, and at the right moment. 

 

Strategies include:

  • Social media marketing
  • Blogging and content marketing
  • Podcasts
  • White papers
  • Ebooks
  • Infographics
  • Search engine optimization (SEO)
  • Case studies

 

Companies within the supply chain and logistics industries tend to disregard digital and content marketing. The reason being they do not think it will prove successful.  The common objection is that prospects and customers for these industries are not online. The reality, however, is that digital and content marketing can prove very successful for companies within the supply chain and logistics industries.

 

Here are 3 reasons why companies in the logistics and supply chain industries should use digital and content marketing:

 

1.  Customers are online

93% of B2B buyers report that they use search engines to research purchase decisions.  These buyers go online for a number of reasons including to:

  • Learn about new market developments and industry practices;
  • Discover new solutions to address a specific problem;
  • Address a project or a program being undertaken by their company.

 

2.  The sales process is taking place without your sales rep

The average customer progresses nearly 60% of the way through the purchase decision-making process before engaging with a sales rep.

Before engaging with a sales rep, customers are turning to the internet and to social media for information. The 2014 UPS B2B Buyers Insight Study found that 68% percent of buyers research supply purchases via supplier website, and 52% use search engines.

 

3.  It works

Freight logistics company Cerasis decided to make the switch from outbound marketing to digital and content marketing.  Within 25 months the company gained 98 new customers and increased revenue by 14%.

Research backs up these results.  Research has shown that digital and content marketing is more effective than outbound marketing.  Specifically, digital and content marketing has been found to increase top line revenue by 15%; have a 200% average ROI; and to have a62% lower cost head than outbound marketing.

 

comments powered by Disqus