After 8 Years of B2B Marketing, Here’s What I’ve Learned
Last week, I was scrolling through Instagram when I saw an AD for a new soap bar.
It promised cleanliness, a creamy after-wash, and a pampering experience.
Looking at that AD reminded me of David Ogilvy’s Dove “Darling” AD.
It made me wonder how many marketers must have read the same AD, studied it, and attempted to replicate it.
Everyone in marketing may have gotten the basic knowledge from the same source, but application and real-life experiences differ.
Despite the thousands of soap bars available right now, businesses will continue making and marketing new soap bars even in the next 5 years.
And that’s just one example of many…
Marketing is never going to stop and so after 8 years of B2B Marketing, here’s what I’ve learned:
1. Don’t Believe Every Marketing Tool
The first thing I learned from B2B marketing is that relying 100% on audience information from tools will set you up for failure.
Let me explain myself.
My friend created a Facebook account when she was 9, despite their age requirement of 13.
She lied about her date of birth on the app to create an account.
So, according to Facebook, she was 13 years old, when she was actually 9!
How many times has a tool told you that your audience is 54% female and between the ages of 18–25?
I also believe it’s common knowledge that people create fake accounts with false details all the time!
So, you see — most of the information from online tools isn’t 100% accurate…
Since I learned this, I’ve started talking to our customers and potential customers face-to-face.
It’s given me more data than I ever needed, and the sales we’ve made have been crazy!
Stop relying heavily on marketing tools, start talking to your customers!
2. You Can Make $10k Without a Marketing Budget
At the beginning of 2023, I set a goal for my client company to reach $10,000 in monthly recurring revenue (MRR) without spending a single dollar on marketing. It sounded ambitious, but I knew it was possible with the right approach and mindset.
Fast forward to today, and I’ve not only hit that target but exceeded it, all while keeping my marketing budget at zero.
Don’t fret if you don’t have a marketing budget. Just look at it like an exciting challenge.
3. Sales Do Happen Overnight
The third thing I’ve learned is that sales do happen overnight, but the process leading up to that can be hard, especially if you’re a startup.
I used to have performance anxiety. Always felt like I needed to make some kind of marketing magic happen overnight.
But after some time, I realized that’s not the way things work.
I realized that I could work for weeks, and then one day make a ton of sales.
That’s the fruit of weeks of marketing.
Good things take time and if you’re looking to make long-lasting results, you’ll need to be patient.
4. Being Flexible Will Keep You Sane
A few years ago, my client company had an unexpected technical issue during a major launch.
This delayed our website updates and caused us to shift the campaign timeline.
We were on the verge of losing customers and money!
The stakeholders would’ve had our heads on a stake! LoL
But luckily and skillfully, my team and I got things under control. We were able to shift our campaign launch without losing much.
I can talk about it happily because it was a success, but this is one of the many “unexpected” issues that happen in marketing. And they won’t stop, no matter how many years you’ve been in the game.
If you’re too rigid, you’ll experience many difficulties.
5. Marketing Strategies are Wonky
Did you know that running an SMS campaign in country A could work, but running an email campaign in the same country would fail woefully?
Marketing strategies are wonky. And even after successfully pulling them off year after year, it’s never really a straight line.
It’s not black or white and you just have to try and try until you figure out what works.
6. Everything Becomes a Marketing Tactic
Another thing I’ve learned is that your mindset changes in a way you don’t realize.
You begin to see everything as a marketing tactic.
You walk into a grocery store and you see a can of beans for $5.99 and you think, “Ah! Marketing psychology.”
Or you notice that junk foods are kept right next to sodas.
Or how about when you see ads about things you’ve only ever thought about?
And my personal favorite — seeing a discount and wanting to pay immediately before it goes back to the original price.
After 8 years, it’s become easy to spot marketing strategies everywhere.
Sometimes, as an individual, I don’t want to give in just because I know it’s a game. LoL.
But as a B2B marketer, it gives my clients an edge they won’t get elsewhere.
7. Product Over Marketing
I’ve worked with a client who didn’t have the best product.
At the time, I thought I could still market it and get some sales. But boy, was I wrong!
I got our product to our customer’s faces but my marketing efforts and tactics could only go so far.
We made a few sales but nobody returned!
It took a while but eventually, I summoned the strength to talk to my client about the product.
Marketing campaigns can only do so much.
Now, I’m not afraid to offer constructive feedback about products and services. And as a business owner, you shouldn’t be afraid to hear it.
8. Every B2B Startup Needs an Experienced B2B Marketer
B2B marketing for established companies is so different from marketing for B2B startups.
Established companies have the data already. They’re getting good results.
You publish a blog today and it gets 10k reads and 30 sign-ups within 48 hours.
But for a startup, you definitely won’t get those kinds of numbers.
Working with an experienced B2B startup marketer who understands this reality and its challenges is the best thing you can do for your business.
Think about it like an investment that will yield returns over time.
So, if you’re struggling to increase your ROI, or have any B2B marketing challenges at all, then hi, 🙋♀️
I’m Shamal Badhe, the B2B startup marketer you need.
You can read all about me on LinkedIn and then feel free to send me a text, let’s talk about how I can help your business thrive.
