B2B Software Marketing: 9 Strategies to Build Brand Recognition

In the last few years, the B2B Technology market has grown tremendously. It seems like new competitors are popping up all the time. According to a record by EvaluateMedTech, the clinical and wellness technology market is poised to reach $522 billion by 2022. Your potential customers are out there doing their homework, checking out which product or service is best for them. Who has the best ranking in search? Which company has the best website? Does one company have better clients than another? It seems crazy, but all of these things add up to whether or not you’ll gain another customer. And if you want to keep your sales cycle moving, it’s important to take note. So how does a B2B Software Marketing company stay in the game and guarantee their brand stays in a prospective customer’s mind? By enhancing their brand name recognition, of course. If you don’t have brand recognition, you won’t be able to keep up with the competition. If you’re able to effectively get your name out there, you can increase the reputation of your company and build better trust and loyalty with your customers. Done right, brand recognition means focusing on increasing visibility, showing yourself as a thought leader, increasing the traffic to your site, and, of course, bringing in more revenue. It’s helpful to remember that brand awareness can look a few different ways. You don’t just want people to know your name. You want them to know what you do. This means customers have a good idea what your company is known for. Or if you post something on social media, they can predict the tone of your message. It means they will go with your option, even if the price is a little more than your competitors. It means they type your name into search. We’ve put together a list of tips as a part of an Inbound Marketing Strategy that will help you boost your brand name recognition of your B2B Software Marketing service:

1. Create quality content

If you want people to know about you, they have to be able to find you. Help them find you by producing quality content that positions you as a leader in the industry. There are many ways to do this. Logistically, with more content comes a higher ranking in search. If people can find you in Google, they’ll be more likely to want to learn more. If you’re an experienced B2B marketer, you’re probably well aware of the value of content marketing for generating leads and driving sales; you may even have a strategy in place. But are you aware of content marketing’s potential impact on brand awareness? On a technical level, creating original content related to your audience’s questions and needs gives you the opportunity to rank in search results for the keywords they search on Google+ and other search engines. In some cases, this will be their first introduction to your brand. Make sure your content is about offering solutions to the consumer’s challenges. It should not be all about you. Produce content that appeals to different types of learners, from those who enjoy more visual pieces to those who like to read more. For those who like graphics, consider making an ebook or an infographic. For those who want more dense information, think about a white-paper. Research by Demand Gen Report found that 51% of B2B buyers look for informational content before making a buying decision. In addition to releasing blog posts on your site, it’s a good idea to guest post on other sites in your sector. This allows you to reach a new target market and advertise your brand name at a low cost. A lot of sites that allow guest posts also give space for a writer biography where you can share your contact information and a website link. This allows you to develop recognition of your brand name and bring in more followers. The comment section at the end of the blog will help you better engage with visitors. You will be able to build an even bigger audience in a shorter amount of time if you guest on sites and publications that are already established. In addition to guest posting, consider posting thought leadership pieces to LinkedIn. If the piece is popular enough, it could be positioned on the homepage for LinkedIn. If not, you’ll still have additional content on your LinkedIn account to further place you as an expert in the industry.

2. Optimize your website

Any old website just won’t do these days. Consumers are increasingly tech-savvy and expect quality online experiences. If not, they are likely to look elsewhere. This means load times have to be short and your website must work effectively. Make sure the website is customized and professional looking. It should be interactive and responsive– make it look just as good on a desktop as it does on a mobile device. Remember to make it optimized for search. When you’re optimizing your site, don’t forget about your blog posts. Doing this will help them rank higher in search and drive even more traffic to your page. Make sure blogs are long enough– more than 750, but even better if closer to 2,000. Include interactive elements like videos, infographics, and surveys. Make the posts visually appealing. And remember: use search engine optimization when you are writing content for your site. Even the most beautiful site is useless if no one sees it. Do some research on the right keyword phrases that people are searching and put them into your content. Add them to meta summaries, blogs, URLs, and photo tags. Be sure to link to other pages on your site to increase SEO even more.

3. Host informative webinars regularly

Holding an informative webinar is a good strategy for engaging leads and advertising your brand name. After all, you can share a lot of content via your website and on social, but adding the video component will up the connection between you and the audience. It’s not just about showing you know you’re stuff. It’s about showing the people that you care and want to engage with them directly. Webinars are great for real-time relationship building. Even more, they can help you accomplish many of your b2b software marketing goals. They are educational and informative. They can talk about the biggest issues your customers deal with. They show that you are experts. And, they build your online presence. A current study of online marketers found that at least 20% of webinar participants turn into qualified leads. You can use webinars to talk about relevant topics that your target market would want to know more about. After the webinar, be sure to have a Q&A session to resolve any issues that came up. Connecting with your target market in this way will develop you as a leader in the industry and plant your name in their mind and is a critical component of any b2b software marketing strategy. If your webinar is successful, it can mean the difference in turning an audience members into a lead. It will also help build opportunities for connection with your consumers. With other content types, interactions are mostly one-sided. With webinars, you can engage in more of a conversation. Webinars are also great for customer retention, which everyone wants. Giving current customers content that has extra value is an awesome way to keep them engaged and give them more of an opportunity to be cheerleaders for your brand. Webinars can also showcase new features of your company that customers might not have been aware of. Learning more about what you do can lead to diversified sales. And, they’re cheap! Webinars are great for brand recognition because they are low cost. You can also repurpose other content (blogs, whitepapers, etc) to use for your webinar topics.

4. Engage and advertise critical content on social media

According to Kissmetrics, brand names that are more involved on social media have a greater chance of being discovered by new potential customers. Leveraging social media will not just increase your brand name, but will also boost your trustworthiness with potential customers and customers. Take time to advertise important content with your leads and make sure to reply to comments. You can also look at other accounts and leave comments on their posts. To produce event more engagement, consider holding a contest where comments or shares are awarded. Sponsoring ads will further allow you to place your thought leadership content in front of the customers’ eyes. This could include webinars, blogs, and reports to help them learn more about your business and what you can offer. Even for those prospects who aren’t ready to buy, this is an important way to increase brand recognition and make you a big player in the game. Remember that it’s unlikely that your posts will be organically seen by your full audience. Ads are still pretty cheap and a prudent investment for companies wanting to have more visibility and build brand recognition. In addition to advertising, just be social! It’s important to have an active presence on social media. Engage with your followers. Answer their questions. Take part in discussions. Post relevant content. And do it now: a Social Media Marketing Industry report from 2018 found that noreferrer nofollow”>83% of marketers who take advantage of social media marketing for a year or more have brought in increased visibility to their business. A recent Business2Community study discovered that many consumers get their information about a company from social media. Prioritizing your participation on social will help you connect with more potential customers and will improve your chances of turning them into clients. Share quality content that is more likely to get shared: photos, videos, and even blogs from your site.

5. Encourage consumers to share favorable testimonials

Research by BrightLocal found that 88% of customers trust online reviews as much as individual suggestions. You can probably relate. It’s likely that if you’re in the market for a product, you’ve done some research to find out what other people are saying about it. From the reviews, you will either decide you want to move forward with the purchase, or you don’t. Testimonials from customers show an authentic representation of what your product or service can provide. They can promote the credibility of your brand and will help to build trust in your company. They are good for driving traffic to your site and boosting conversion rates. Ask several of your satisfied clients to share their experience with your firm or product. These evaluations will not just make you more noticeable, but will also improve your brand name in the market. Nevertheless, it is unavoidable that some people will leave bad reviews. A quick search on Google or social media sites will provide you an idea of what people are saying. Make sure to take care of bad reviews to keep your name from being tarnished. Add positive testimonials to your social media pages. You can also encourage customers to turn their testimonials into videos, which are great for sharing. Post testimonials to your website and be sure to include them on high-traffic pages. Include relevant testimonials next to the appropriate products they discuss.

6. Use influencer marketing

Know of a big name in your industry? A trusted source who knows a lot about your products and services? They can be another avenue to build brand recognition in your b2b software marketing plan. Look for influencers in your industry to collaborate with. You can leverage their already robust network to bring in more potential customers. A recent LinkedIn study found that opinions from experts are the second most important factor for b2b consumers before they connect with a company. Consumers want to see other people talk about your product or service to be sure it’s a good fit. To make this work, you need to find the right person, or “influencer.” They should have a strong demonstration of expertise in your industry and they should have a very healthy following. This will make their opinion even more meaningful to those who already follow them. Make sure that their values and mission lines up with your company’s. You can use influencers to review your product or service. Because people already trust them, a strong, positive opinion from them on your company will go a long way. It will help promote more traffic to your site, and, hopefully, sales. Include influencers in your webinars or invite them to guest post on your blog.

7. Get listed in local directory sites

Getting your site listed in local directories will help improve your brand name exposure to potential customers, and will improve your search engine position. Having your company included in local directories will help you remain competitive. Luckily, there are many business directories for each niche and industry. You’re sure to find the ones right for you. And, the more places you’re listed, the more people will be able to find you. Google My Business is the best place to get your company listed. It is free and allows you to include information like company hours, phone numbers, and payment options. You could also post your logo and photos of your service or products. Google My Business also includes Google Maps, letting customers know where you are located. Other online directories include Citysearch, Merchant Circle, and Yelp. Remember to look for regional lists as well as professional publications. Getting listed in local directory sites is a great software marketing technique because it will also help your SEO, as most listings will use backlinks to your page. They will also help to generate additional Google listings, which will bring even more people to your site. Additional listings will also help enhance your reputation. As consumers see you in more places, they will understand that you are a reliable business. And, they will help your visibility at the local level– bonus!

8. Include video content

HubSpot found that 93% of all human interaction is done through visual content. This means that people will more likely get in contact with your brand name after seeing a video rather than written content. Start by creating an “About Us” video to give leads a better idea of what your company is about. You can put the video on your website’s homepage, and your social media accounts. “How to” videos are also great ways to enhance your brand name recognition. Videos are powerful when it comes to telling stories about your brand. You can put them together in a variety of different ways and use them for different stages of the buyer’s journey. Use them on social media pages, on your website, or in emails. A great way to use videos is by giving customers a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the company. Customers want to know the real people behind the brand, so show them just how you operate. This could be a day-in-the-life of the CEO or a start-to-finish production montage of your product. Consider explainer videos for new leads. These are good for those who might have questions or want to learn more about a product or service. They can increase brand awareness and also engage a variety of buyers.

9. Use branded keywords in your content

One of the best software marketing techniques to produce brand name recognition is by regularly integrating your name in the content. This could be through blogs, infographics, videos, photo captions, and e-newsletters. Don’t forget to use top hashtags in your social media posts. This also applies to YouTube. For example, adding hashtags to YouTube videos can increase their discoverability, attract a broader audience, and drive more engagement. This will help enhance your search engine positions and make your brand name more noticeable on social media. Any keyword phrase with your name in it is branded. If a consumer searches using your name are showing clear interest in what you’re providing. It is also a sign that they already know a bit about you. Branded keywords also have higher click-through rates, attracting more qualified leads who typically know what they are looking for. A good way to come up with relevant branded keywords is to simply type your name into Google. Follow it up with various letters to see what comes up. For instance, “Software Firm a” or “Software Firm b.” These Google suggestions will pop up because people have looked for them already!

The bottom line

Boosting your brand name recognition is an essential component of staying competitive and scaling your service effectively. You want your leads to know exactly how your brand is different from others in the market, and for them to trust your business. It is therefore necessary to tailor your marketing approach, resources, and tools in the direction of enhancing your B2B Software Marketing company’s brand name recognition. If you want your business to succeed, it’s imperative that you focus on increasing your brand recognition and standing out from all the rest! Unfortunately, increasing brand recognition isn’t always top of mind with b2b marketers. But, the return on putting some time into a b2b software marketing plan to increase brand recognition can be significant. Be sure to take strategic steps to enhance your brand name with your audience. It can be hard to do this all alone. Responsify works with B2B Software marketing experts to offer strategy, support, and help in carrying out these tasks, so they can broaden their name recognition. If you want an assessment of your company’s brand name recognition, we are here to help! Don’t hesitate to ask for a free strategy session to help you evaluate your current methods and take them to the next level!