3 tips for growing B2B businesses

There is a great deal of attention devoted to marketing strategies for small businesses trying to attract consumers, but there is a relative dearth of information for companies hoping to market their products and services to other businesses. This is surprising, as business-to-business (B2B) marketing is an important part of the modern commercial landscape.

In particular, there is a lack of information for small B2B companies hoping to take those all-important first steps toward developing a loyal and reliable customer base. With the new year upon us, this is the perfect opportunity to provide some B2B marketing tips.

Events
Although the internet has emerged as the go-to place for the majority of marketing efforts, live gatherings still retain much of their effectiveness. In fact, when used in conjunction with online marketing strategies, events can be an instrumental way to find those vital first clients.

This doesn’t mean you have to host your own events – although, if you have the resources, this can be a great strategy – but it does mean you should keep your ear to the ground for events in your particular industry.

When you do attend an event, it is important that you are prepared. You should have a demonstration ready that can educate other attendees about your company as well as business cards, fliers and promotional giveaways to help you build a relationship with them.

Establish objectives
Instigating a promotional campaign to blindly attract as many customers as possible is bound to lead to disappointment. Instead, you should focus your efforts as much as possible and create a multi-staged approach. It is also crucial to know your limits and stay within them. It can be tempting to dive right in and form as many business relationships as you can, but this could ultimately hold you back as you struggle to meet your increasingly unrealizable objectives. Decide how many businesses you can realistically form relationships with and stop there. As you become more comfortable, you will be able grow more reasonably.

Obtain endorsements
Regardless of how much time and energy you invest in finding new clients, nothing is likely to be more effective than positive recommendations from your current customers. If you put a great deal of effort into meeting – or exceeding – the expectations of your current partners, it is more likely that they will help you reach a new audience by spreading your gospel for you.

How do you find new B2B customers? Share your favorite techniques in the comments below!

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