B2B marketing in the digital era, when "just being" is no longer an option
The concept of social media is not new... in fact some platforms have been around since the beginning of this decade. However, companies with B2B business models have been slow to visualize the opportunities to reach their different audiences
By Kristal Piccolo, Marketing Director, Ricoh Latin America
The concept of social media is not new... in fact some platforms have been around since the beginning of this decade. However, companies with B2B business models have been slow to visualize the opportunities to reach their different audiences using the available channels such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, until now…
It is important to mention that according to a study by Edelman and LinkedIn[1], 97% of B2B professionals use social networks to do business. Therefore, "to be digital or not to be digital" is no longer an option for companies.
Customers, for example, have changed the way they buy your products and services. They now go through a digital process that involves getting recommendations, reading forums, comments, etc. Social networks and digital channels in general are no longer just a platform to promote products or services as a company, it is about taking advantage of digital spaces to achieve a real interaction with communities, knowing firsthand their preferences, questions, suggestions and challenges.
Knowing the current and growing opportunities of the digital era, and specifically applied to marketing and communication for B2B companies and professionals, in Ricoh Latin America, as a digital services company, we are betting heavily and constantly to innovate and apply trends in digital communication, and this involves involving processes, changing the mindset of executives to agents of change and above all ... a lot of creativity and collaboration.
How are we doing it?
We are focusing on different pillars based on the type of audience we want to reach, and not only reach, but impact them as a "love brand" with the ultimate goal of increasing interaction with different digital communities through social networks:
Brand Positioning: Creation of relevant and valuable content for audiences, moving away from the "virtual catalog" scheme”.
Thought Leadership: Ricoh Latin America engages and collaborates with key executives to turn them into KOL'S (Key Opinion Leaders) in their industry in order to increase their professional brand and recognition in their respective markets.
Leadership visibility: Generation of creative campaigns according to the current challenges and needs of companies and positioning ourselves as a digital services company.
Leads capture: At Ricoh Latin America we generate interest in audiences to accelerate digital adoption in their companies across the entire portfolio of products, solutions and services.
It is important to mention that, in all cases, valuable content (visually appealing and with trendy, less commercial messages) helps us to increase our traffic to our website and e-commerce.
B2B marketing in the digital era requires strategic vision, creativity and agility, and must be managed qualitatively and quantitatively through the interaction of technology, processes, tools and people as change agents.
For more information, visit: https://www.ricoh-americalatina.com/en
[1] Fuente: How Thought Leadership impact B2B Demand Generation, 2017
