Imagine having a website that anticipates your customers’ needs and offers exactly what they’re looking for — before they even ask. It isn’t a super power. It’s the power of B2B personalization: a strategic, data-driven approach that builds a stronger customer experience and drives business success.
Like B2C consumers, B2B customers in today's digital world expect individualized experiences. They want a frictionless online experience, personalized solutions, and relevant content. Keep reading to learn how to use data and personalization to create impactful customer experiences.
What Is B2B Personalization?
B2B personalization is more than just adding a customer’s name to an email. It's about showing you understand your customers by providing them with experiences that are customized to meet their needs. It is an opportunity to build one-to-one relationships with your customers while helping to guide them through every stage of their buyer’s journey.
Why Is B2B Personalization Important?
Personalization is no longer a "nice to have" in B2B marketing; it's essential. According to Forrester, 82% of global B2B marketing decision-makers agree that buyers expect an experience personalized to their needs and preferences across marketing and sales. Here are a few more reasons why personalization is important:
Improved customer experience: Personalized touchpoints can increase satisfaction and loyalty.
Increased revenue: Engagement and conversions are boosted by personalized content.
Enhanced brand loyalty: Repeat business is more likely to come from customers who believe a company understands them and their needs.
Consistent cross-channel experience: Ensuring that every touchpoint has a consistent, personalized brand experience strengthens your message.
Influencing purchase behavior: Relevant content can impact purchase decisions.
Data Is the Foundation of Personalization
Effective personalization relies on understanding your audience in order to make data-informed decisions. As important as data is, data alone will not help you establish an actionable personalization strategy. You will need to analyze all of the information available to draw insights and create a plan that is right for you. As you build your plan, be sure to define goals and KPIs to measure the success of your personalization strategy. You can gather real-time customer data and insights from:
Website analytics: Resources like Google Analytics help you track visitor behavior to identify trends and opportunities.
Marketing automation platforms: Marketing automation tools like Salesforce Marketing Cloud can track email, SMS, and social engagement. Some even leverage AI like Salesforce Einstein to make real-time decisions on dynamic content.
Behavior analytics: Platforms like Hotjar identify engagement hotspots.
Zero- and first-party data: Get data directly from the source with surveys, progressive profiling, and preference centers or your own CRM.
Third-party data: Combine third-party data with your own first-party data to create a more complete picture of your B2B audience through sources like Dun & Bradstreet or UCC filings.
Research: Use industry reports and customer interviews for additional context.
SEO tools: Resources like SEMrush reveal the search behaviors driving traffic.
Social listening: Such solutions as Meltwater monitor brand conversations.
Sentiment analysis: Tools like MonkeyLearn evaluate customer attitudes.
It is important to be transparent with customers about how their data is collected, used, and stored. Be sure to obtain explicit consent for data collection to be used in personalization efforts. Keep in mind that personalization is meant to build trust, so avoid using data for personalization that might feel invasive to your customers.
Getting Started With B2B Personalization
There are a wide range of strategies to leverage your data and insights for personalized customer experiences across channels. The good news is that you don’t have to do it all at once. Identify a channel or two that make the most sense for your goals, and begin by testing and learning. Here are a few ways to get started:
Account-based marketing (ABM): Target high-value accounts with personalized campaigns. This could include dedicated landing pages and tailored messaging.
Email marketing: Use dynamic content to deliver emails based on customer actions, like downloading a white paper.
Website personalization: Create website and landing page experiences with dynamic recommendations, CTAs, and custom content based on behavior. Provide real-time, relevant assistance via a chatbot.
Social media and advertising: Use targeting and retargeting to engage prospects who interact with your website or ads.
Loyalty programs: Reward customers with exclusive offers and personalized communications.
Mobile and SMS marketing: Share time-sensitive offers or location-based updates.
Ready To Personalize Your B2B Marketing?
Utilizing personalization in your B2B marketing might feel overwhelming at first, but we are here to help. Whether you’re just getting started or you’re refining your existing strategy, we can help you create a data-driven personalization plan to meet your goals. From gathering insights to implementing the latest technology, we’ll guide you every step of the way. Ready to take your personalization efforts to the next level? Contact us to get started!
By Hillary Ferry
By Patrick McGill
By Two Rivers Marketing