Economists like to say that the “consumer” has sovereignty. It’s a silly way of saying something self-evident – people decide what they buy.
But that’s the consumer market – the end-stage of the market system. It doesn’t apply to all the transactions that occur behind-the-scenes between businesses. Nor does it account for the entire edifice of production and the millions of relationships between suppliers across the chain.
Companies in the B2B sector, therefore, should not market to their audiences the same way that consumer-facing businesses do. Firms are complicated institutions that usually have hierarchical structures. A lowly worker making cups of coffee for their superiors can’t make significant business decisions, such as buying a particular input. That’s up to the executive team – the C-suite.
This fundamental truth has important implications for anyone marketing in this sector. You can’t just spam out Facebook ads and hope that a random executive stumbles across them – that would be a massive waste of money. Instead, you need to target them differently and directly. But how?
Grabbing the attention of executives is notoriously tricky. These people defend their time as though it is more precious than gold. In truth, it is! So what can you do?
Go to Exhibitions with a High Concentration of C-Suite Executives
People in the C-suite like to direct their activities instead of having them dictated by people advertising to them. It sounds bad, but it can actually work in your favor. Instead of fighting it, you can roll with it and even use it to your advantage.
Top business brass has a habit of attending events. They do this for all kinds of reasons, from networking to gathering new ideas. Thus, all you need to do is show up at one of these and make your value proposition clear. You’re much more likely to have an impact than trying to grab their attention over the internet.
Target Advertising Channels That C-Suite Executives Use
People at the top of business tend to consume media differently from the general public. As howtoadvertiseonsiriusxm.com points out, they’re usually older, highly educated, and interested in discovering new ideas. They don’t want to spend their time messing around on social media. They’re on a quest to succeed.
You should, therefore, choose advertising channels that they’re most likely to consume. Talk radio and podcasts are C-suite favorites because they satisfy their yearning for new information. Placing ads here can dramatically increase your chances of communicating with your B2B target audience.
Address Them in Personal Correspondence
Imagine you are sitting down to write a letter, telling someone that you love them. You would do everything that you can to make it personal and not generic. A generic love letter would be worse than a joke – it would be insulting.
You need to take a similar approach when approaching a CEO says business2community.com. Just sending out a random letter won’t impress them. But if you can include essential details about their business and how you can help, they will probably listen.
