SEO, PPC and Social Media Buying Journeys
Search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click advertising (PPC) and social media branding are B2B content marketers’ main tactics in our digital marketing age. In this third and final article in a series, find out how each tactic applies to the phases of a typical B2B buying journey.
In our last two editions of this newsletter, we’ve been discussing the three main digital marketing tactics available to B2B content marketers. These include search engine optimization (SEO) pay-per-click advertising (PPC) and social media branding.
We’ve considered the advantages and disadvantages of each tactic and how they contribute to B2B content strategies. In this final edition in the series, we’ll be relating each digital marketing method to the phases of the buying journey.
Buying Journey Phases
There are several models of the buying journey’s phases, but I’m partial to the following breakdown.
We’ll work through each of these phases and discuss how to apply SEO, PPC and social media branding to them.
Awareness
During the awareness phase, your team’s goal is to make your B2B brand more visible to potential customers in search of relevant information. Since, according to LinkedIn research, 75% of B2B buyers use social media to make buying decisions, social media branding has become vital for attracting potential clients’ attention at the beginning of the buying journey.
Regular posting on LinkedIn, X and YouTube with links to landing pages on your brand’s website helps establish B2B brand awareness. Your team can reinforce that awareness by engaging with followers and sharing helpful information on a regular basis.
Your team should also ensure that your brand website is easy for potential clients to find. Although search rankings are helpful throughout the B2B purchasing process, the awareness phase is where SEO tactics shine.
Your team should optimize its brand website content by researching keywords and incorporating them into every webpage. It’s also important to optimize meta titles and headings to make it easier for web crawlers to find and rank your site’s content.
Interest
Your B2B content marketing team can appeal to buyers who’ve progressed to the interest phase with targeted PPC ads. By carefully choosing keywords that reflect potential customers’ interests and pain points, you can place relevant and engaging ads in search engine results.
At the same time, posting case studies, white papers and webinars on social media demonstrates expertise and thought leadership for your brand. For potential buyers at this phase in the process, your team should emphasize pain points and how your solutions can address them.
Desire
For prospects recognizing their need for your brand’s solutions, your team needs to find ways to differentiate your solutions. Your desire phase content should emphasize your B2B brand’s unique value proposition and distinctive benefits.
Your team can take advantage of social media platforms to share success stories and testimonials. One of the main benefits of social media for B2B brands is the user-generated content it encourages organically.
PPC ads can showcase offers and promotions that make your brand stand out from he competition. They can also expedite purchasing panels to move toward a decision.
Conversion
To close deals, B2B marketing content needs a clearly-expressed call to action. Conversion oriented PPC ads can ask buyers to make a purchase directly, or offer free trials or resources aimed at getting prospects to start using your product or service.
Social media interactions with potential clients provide valuable information your sales team can use to follow up and convert leads into customers. Your team can also use paid social media ads to make the same calls for action included in your PPC ads.
Advocacy
One of the reasons I prefer this buying journey model to some of the others is that the process doesn’t end with a purchase. Most B2B companies would never survive if it weren’t for repeat and referral business.
Your satisfied clients are always your best salespeople. SEO becomes prominent again during this phase, because it’s a way to bring your B2B marketing content to the attention of satisfied customers and thought leaders as they search for related topics.
Existing customers who come across your content are more likely to share it with colleagues. They’re also your team’s source for positive reviews and testimonials.
User-Generated Content
Your team should also tactfully encourage satisfied customers to discuss their experiences on social media. In today’s marketplace, user-generated content is the new word-of-mouth advertising.
The feedback and suggestions your existing customers share on social media are a great information for product improvement. When customers see your company responding to their input, they often become loyal advocates, helping your brand generate repeat and referral business.
Essential B2B Marketing Tactics
SEO, PPC and social media branding are the three essential B2B content marketing tactics in today’s digital world. Over the past three articles, we’ve covered the advantages and disadvantages of each tactic, how to incorporate them into a content strategy and how they apply to the B2B buying journey.
I hope these thoughts I’ve share over the past three additions provide some food for thought for you and your team.
I'm a freelance writer and commercial blogger, creating marketing content for select business-to-business clients in Canada and the United States. Feel free to contact me to discuss your needs.
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