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    Home > News > Importance of Trust In Digital Marketing Campaigns For B2B Companies

31 March 2011 | Author: Stephen Smith

Importance Of Trust In Digital Marketing Campaigns For B2B Companies

In February 2011, the CEO of Chinese e-commerce website Alibaba.com resigned after it was reported that customers had been defrauded by more than 2,000 suppliers. In a B2B setup like Alibaba, this was the right action to take in such a situation, to ensure that users continue to have confidence in the company.

When compared to B2C firms, companies that cater to other businesses (B2B) have a very special feature: trust. The decision-making process to purchase a particular product is usually made by a group of people, which takes more time. Hence, trust is vital to develop user confidence and cement partnerships over the years. B2B is also more concerned about profits than B2C. Consequently, digital marketing activities for B2B companies are usually concerned only with generating, cultivating and converting leads.

Social media can be a good source to generate leads. There are three main variables that could affect the success of digital marketing strategies for B2B companies, on social networking websites. They are:

. Time: Crucial for all types of digital marketing activities, good timing can help in implementing a marketing plan effectively. For most B2B companies, timing may be seasonal, and can differ according to the product/market. If a B2B company wishes to collect leads through social networking websites, they need to carry out digital marketing activities in a timely manner. For example, if a company is participating in an exhibition, they should create a Facebook community, months in advance, to get online fans to visit their stall at the event.

. Community: This refers to the target audience that shares common needs and goals. It presents a collective interest, and members usually influence each other. If a B2B company wishes to win over a community of buyers, it is important to develop conversation to create positive sentiment. One of the easiest ways to do this is through digital marketing channels like Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter.

. Trust: According to Marty Neumeier, the author of the bestseller 'Brand Gap', trust is defined as "reliability + delight". One of the most fundamental business values, trust can only be cultivated over time. Digital marketing activities to improve the 'trustiness' of a brand, include activities like creating positive comments to underline the reliability quotient of a company. Channels such as corporate blogs and Facebook business pages are considered to be valuable digital marketing platforms, for capturing leads from user queries and comments.

As positive information about a particular company spreads over social networks, the reliability of a company increases, improving confidence levels, and generating more sales. If the digital marketing plan of a B2B company includes the above three variables in their strategy, they are sure to taste success.

Qudos Digital is a leading digital marketing agency and can be contacted on 020 8891 2077 or info@qudosdigital.co.uk.

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