B2B Marketing Playbook

The Ultimate B2B Campaign Playbook

Table of Contents

Overview

An overview of the Ultimate B2B Campaing playbook.

Play #2: The Content Power Matrix

A more aggressive and requires a follow-up content that packs a punch!

The Critical Role of Content in Marketing

Understanding the importance of utilising high-quality content to engage potential clients, maintain relevance, and drive growth and success in a competitive market.

Play #3: The Kayo

Keep your brand top of mind with a 3...2...1...knockout. Utilising a th ultimate combination of strategies.

Play #1: The Digital Shadow

A sophisticated strategy maintaining brand exposure and engagement with all leads through high-value content through media platforms.

The Next Steps

Stress less with these tools provided for you and engage in a highly skilled agency to execute your campaigns. 18

Contact Us

Contact us for an obligation-free chat to see how we can help you grow your business.

Overview

Marketing and selling to businesses requires a vastly different approach compared to marketing and selling to consumers - and understanding the nuances between B2B (Business-to-Business) and B2C (Business-to-Consumer) strategies is pivotal for any organisation determined to succeed. B2B marketing is distinguished by its focus on logical decision-making processes, longer sales cycles, and the involvement of multiple stakeholders, as opposed to the often emotion-driven, and sometimes impulsive purchasing behaviours seen in B2C contexts. This distinction demands a tailored approach to B2B marketing, where the emphasis is on building relationships, demonstrating value, and addressing specific business needs.

To minimise complexity and save on time and investment, we’ve put together this campaign playbook, specifically designed for B2B companies.

In the pages that follow, this Playbook unfolds a treasure trove of three complete campaign strategies, each designed to address the unique challenges and opportunities within B2B marketing. From leveraging digital platforms for lead generation to crafting powerful content sequences that nurture prospects toward a sale, the Playbook offers detailed, actionable insights. It covers the essentials of creating compelling gated content, executing targeted advertising campaigns, and organising engaging in-person events to solidify relationships with leads.

The Ultimate B2B Campaign

The Critical Role of Content in Marketing

The complexity of B2B transactions, combined with typically higher stakes and longer decision-making processes, means that staying front-of-mind for potential clients is critical. An “alwayson” approach ensures that your brand continually engages with its audience, nurturing leads even outside of traditional buying cycles. This approach is crucial for maintaining relevance and competitiveness in a market where decision timelines can extend over months or even years.

As such, content stands at the heart of many effective B2B marketing strategies. It’s the vehicle through which companies can educate, inform, and engage their target audiences, establishing trust and authority in their industry. High-quality, relevant content is vital for attracting potential customers and guiding them through the customer journey. It serves as a foundation for demonstrating expertise, sharing insights, and ultimately, convincing businesses that your solutions meet their needs.

This Playbook provides a comprehensive framework for not just attracting prospects but converting them. By implementing the strategies outlined within, marketers can develop a robust, integrated approach to B2B marketing that drives growth, fosters meaningful connections, and ensures sustained success in an increasingly competitive landscape.

Understanding the Customer Journey

The customer journey in B2B marketing—Awareness, Consideration, Conversion, Loyalty, Advocacy—outlines the path potential customers take from discovering your brand to becoming a referral channel and brand champion. At each stage, the needs and behaviours of prospects evolve, requiring content that is specifically curated to address these changes. By aligning content strategies with each phase of the journey, businesses can effectively guide prospects closer to a decision, fostering a sense of loyalty and encouraging advocacy along the way.

01 Play #1: The Digital Shadow

In a crowd, just because someone looks, it doesn’t mean that they’ve seen. This means you must fight harder, for longer, across more touch points and more frequently to get recognition.

The Digital Shadow Play is designed to capture and nurture leads by offering a high impact gated asset that provides significant value to the target audience. The campaign leverages LinkedIn and Meta (Facebook and Instagram) for targeted traffic acquisition, guiding potential leads to a dedicated landing page to access the asset. The “Shadow” aspect involves a sophisticated retargeting strategy, ensuring that both converted leads and those who did not initially convert are continually exposed to brand messaging, reinforcing brand recognition and encouraging return visits.

Gated Asset Creation:

Decide on the type of asset (eBook, Market Report, Calculator, etc.) that would be most valuable to your target audience.

Develop high-quality content for the asset.

Design the asset with professional layout and branding.

Landing Page:

A dedicated landing page that highlights the benefits of the gated asset and includes a form to capture lead information.

Integration with your CRM for direct lead capture.

Retargeting pixels from your platform/s of choice (e.g. LinkedIn and AdRoll, the latter which includes Meta) for tracking visitors and conversions.

and Optimisation Tools:

Targeted Traffic Acquisition:

LinkedIn and Meta advertising accounts.

Budget for paid advertising campaigns.

Ad creatives (images, videos, and copy) tailored to the platform and audience.

Setup for retargeting campaigns on your platform/s of choice.

Creative assets for retargeting ads that focus on brand reinforcement.

Tools for measuring the performance of landing pages, ads, and retargeting campaigns.

CRM and email marketing tools for follow-up communication.

The decision to leverage LinkedIn in our campaigns stems from its job and company-based targeting capabilities, allowing us to precisely reach professionals and decision-makers within specific industries. LinkedIn’s environment is uniquely aimed at B2B interactions, making it an ideal platform for engaging with our target audience in a professional context. On the other hand, we incorporate Meta (Facebook and Instagram) due to its widespread usage; most people

use either Facebook, Instagram, or both, providing a broad reach and the ability to engage with audiences in a more informal, personal setting. However, it’s crucial to remember that platform choice should be dictated by where your target audience is most active. If research indicates they frequent a different platform, your efforts should be adjusted accordingly to maximise engagement and effectiveness.

How to Guide: 1 2 3

Gated Asset Creation:

Content Creation: Research and produce the gated asset. Ensure it addresses a pain point or provides unique insights valuable to your target audience.

Design: Make the asset visually appealing and in line with your brand identity.

Landing Page:

Design a Conversion-focused Page: The page should clearly articulate the value of the gated asset and include a form that’s simple to fill out.

Integrate Tracking Tools: Ensure retargeting pixels are installed for audience tracking.

Targeted Traffic Acquisition:

Audience Targeting: Use demographic, interest-based, and behavioural targeting options to reach your ideal audience on both platforms.

Ad Creation: Develop engaging ad creatives with clear calls-to-action (CTAs) that encourage clicks to the landing page.

Budget Allocation: Start with a test budget, then allocate more to the best-performing ads.

Targeted Traffic Acquisition:

Segment Audiences: Create separate retargeting audiences for those who visited the landing page but did not convert and for those who downloaded the asset.

Retargeting Ads: Design ads that remind non-converters about the asset’s value and introduce additional branding elements to both groups. For converters, consider ads that promote further engagement with your brand, such as signing up for a demo or free trial.

Monitor and Optimise: Regularly review the performance of your retargeting ads and adjust your strategy based on which messages and creative perform best.

Analytics and Optimisation:

Track Everything: Use analytics tools to monitor traffic, conversion rates, and retargeting effectiveness. Key metrics include click-through rates (CTR), conversion rates on the landing page, and return on ad spend (ROAS).

Iterate and Improve: Use data insights to refine your ad creatives, landing page design, and retargeting strategy. A/B testing can be particularly effective in optimising your campaign’s performance.

The “Digital Shadow” campaign play is a comprehensive approach to B2B lead generation, leveraging valuable content to attract leads while implementing a strategic retargeting approach to reinforce brand recognition and encourage conversions. Through careful planning, execution, and ongoing optimisation, this campaign can significantly enhance your lead generation efforts and nurture a strong connection with your target audience.

02 Play #2: The Content Power Matrix

The Content Power Matrix Play is a lot more aggressive and requires a whole lot more content that packs a punch.

This campaign strategy is designed to not only capture leads through gated content but also to nurture these leads through a carefully crafted sequence of follow-up content. This automated journey aims to guide prospects from initial interest to a readiness to purchase, leveraging additional assets, case studies, and video testimonials to build trust and demonstrate value. The campaign focuses on delivering the right content at the right time, ensuring minimal human interaction is needed until the prospect is sales ready.

Initial Gated Asset:

High-value content (e.g., industry report, eBook) to attract initial leads.

Professional design and branding.

Paid Traffic Strategy:

Budget for LinkedIn, Meta, and potentially other platforms like Google Ads if budget allows.

Targeted ad creatives and campaigns.

Gated Landing Page:

A conversion-optimised page for collecting lead information.

CRM integration for lead capture.

Retargeting (optional) and analytics setup.

Analytics and Automation Tools: Follow-Up Content Sequence:

Email marketing automation software.

CRM for lead tracking and segmentation.

Analytics tools for measuring engagement and conversion.

The Essence of Content-Led Campaigns

At the heart of any successful content-led campaign is the quality of the asset coupled with precise targeting. The asset you create must offer real value to your audience, addressing their needs and providing solutions to their problems. Sales-oriented content often falls flat in engagement because the audience seeks to gain insights and answers, not a sales pitch. It’s essential to

A series of additional assets (e.g., webinars, whitepapers, how-to guides).

Case studies relevant to different industries or use cases.

Video testimonials from satisfied customers. Automated email sequences to deliver this content.

tailor your content to the specific stage of the customer journey you’re targeting, ensuring relevance and utility. This approach fosters a deeper connection with your audience, positioning your brand as a valuable resource and thought leader in your industry.

How to Guide: 1 2 3

Develop the Initial Gated

Asset:

Content Creation: Identify a topic of significant interest to your target audience and produce a high-quality gated asset.

Design and Branding: Ensure the asset aligns visually with your brand for a cohesive user experience.

Create a Gated Landing Page:

Conversion Focus: Design the landing page to highlight the benefits of the initial gated asset, with a clear CTA.

Integration: Implement tracking and CRM integration for immediate lead capture and follow-up.

Plan the Follow-Up Content Sequence:

Asset Development: Create or repurpose content for each stage of the buyer’s journey. This might include educational webinars, detailed guides, and solution-focused whitepapers.

Case Studies and Testimonials: Compile case studies and video testimonials that showcase the success of your clients, ideally reflecting a range of industries and challenges.

Email Automation: Set up an automated email sequence that introduces new leads to this content over time, designed to nurture and educate.

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Execute a Targeted Paid Traffic Campaign:

Audience Segmentation: Utilise detailed targeting on chosen platforms to reach your ideal audience with ads for the initial gated asset.

Ad Creatives: Design engaging ads that speak directly to the needs and interests of your target audience, encouraging them to download the gated content.

5

Execute a Targeted Paid Traffic Campaign:

Lead Segmentation: Use your CRM to segment leads based on their actions, industry, and engagement level.

Content Delivery: Automate the delivery of follow-up content based on lead segmentation, ensuring personalised and relevant communication.

Measure and Optimise: Use analytics to track engagement with follow-up content, optimising the sequence and content based on performance data.

The Content Power Matrix is a sophisticated lead nurturing campaign that relies on a strategic sequence of content delivery to move leads through the sales funnel with minimal direct interaction. By providing valuable insights, demonstrating success through case studies and testimonials, and leveraging targeted paid traffic, this campaign play can significantly increase the conversion rate from lead to sale. The key to success lies in the quality of content, the personalisation of the follow-up sequence, and the ability to measure and optimise based on real-time data.

If you’re hungry for even more, you can retarget your leads and your other website traffic for enhanced and expanded brand awareness.

03 Play #3: The Kayo

“The Kayo” campaign is the ultimate combination play, integrating the strengths of “The Digital Shadow” and “The Content Power Matrix” with the added dimension of an in-person event to solidify relationships and directly engage with leads. This campaign is designed to attract leads with a gated asset, nurture them through a strategic email sequence, keep the brand top-of-mind with retargeting, and ultimately convert these leads into customers through personal connections made at an engaging, memorable event. Bam!

Gated Asset Development:

High-quality content that appeals to your target audience.

Professional design and branding for consistency.

Retargeting Campaigns:

Setup on platforms like LinkedIn, Meta, and Google to keep engaged leads aware of your brand and event.

Landing Page and CRM Integration:

A conversion-optimized landing page.

CRM integration for efficient lead capture and segmentation.

In-Person Event Planning:

Venue booking and event logistics.

Interactive and engaging activities to drive attendance and participation.

Promotional materials to market the event.

B2B Marketing: A Strategic, Long-term Approach

B2B marketing differs significantly from B2C due to the complex nature of business purchasing processes. Companies operate within strict budget cycles, and purchasing decisions typically involve multiple stakeholders, each accountable for the outcomes of their decisions. This complexity necessitates a strategic, long-term approach to B2B marketing. Success lies in building and maintaining trust in your brand, requiring consistent, “always-on” efforts to create awareness.

Email Nurture Sequence:

A series of automated emails that provide additional value, nurture leads, and introduce the upcoming event.

Analytics and Optimisation Tools:

Tools to measure the success of digital campaigns and email engagement.

Event management software to track registrations and feedback.

The goal is to remain top-of-mind so that when the sales cycle reaches its point of conversion readiness, your brand is the preferred choice. This approach emphasises the importance of nurturing relationships over time, gradually building the confidence that your solutions are the best fit for the customer’s needs.

How to Guide:

1 2 3

Develop and Promote the Gated Asset:

Content Creation: Identify a compelling topic that resonates with your target audience and create an engaging gated asset.

Promotion: Utilise LinkedIn, Meta, and other relevant platforms to advertise the asset, driving traffic to your landing page.

Create a Strategic Email Nurture Sequence: Implement Retargeting:

Automated Emails: Develop a series of emails that educates, nurtures, and gradually introduces the concept and value of the upcoming event.

Segmentation: Use CRM data to personalise the email content based on the recipient’s interactions and interests.

Brand Awareness: Set up retargeting ads that focus on leads who have interacted with your content but have not yet registered for the event.

Event Promotion: Use these ads to highlight the unique aspects and benefits of attending the event.

Venue and Logistics: Choose a venue that aligns with your event’s theme and audience size. Ensure it has the facilities needed for your activities.

Engaging Activities: Incorporate interactive elements to make the event memorable, for example:

Wine or Beer Tastings: Offer a selection of wines or craft beers for tasting, possibly with a sommelier or brewmaster to educate guests.

Live Demonstrations or Workshops: Related to your industry, these could provide practical value and engagement.

Tech Demos: Showcase the latest technology or software in your field in an interactive way.

Networking Activities: Facilitate networking with icebreakers, speed networking sessions, or networking bingo.

Panel Discussions: Include industry experts to discuss relevant topics, encouraging audience interaction.

Promotion: Market the event through your email sequence, retargeting ads, and social media to ensure a good turnout.

Execute and Follow-Up:

Event Execution: Ensure the event runs smoothly with a clear schedule, engaging speakers or activities, and opportunities for personal interaction.

Post-Event Follow-Up: Send thank-you emails to attendees with a survey for feedback, follow-up content related to the event, and personalised outreach from the sales team to hot leads.

The Kayo is a comprehensive strategy designed to engage leads at every stage of the buyer’s journey, culminating in an in-person event that solidifies relationships and accelerates the sales process. By combining digital marketing tactics with the personal touch of a live event, this campaign leverages the best of both worlds to create a powerful, memorable experience for leads. The success of “The Kayo” relies on seamless

integration between digital content, strategic followup, and an unforgettable event that brings the digital journey into the real world, paving the way for stronger connections and sales opportunities.

The Next Steps 3 campaigns to launch your B2B marketing

By choosing one of these powerful, ready-to-execute campaigns, B2B businesses can get to market much faster, with less stress or the need for complex planning.

The only thing left to decide on is the topic of each piece of content – ensuring they will resonate with key stakeholders within the purchasing decision cycle. This is where you will need a marketing service provider like LimeHub – with experience working agency and clientside and with in-depth knowledge of B2B marketing.

Our highly skilled team will help to create powerful content that cuts through the noise, and promote it to the right audience, in the right place, and at the right time.