You know WHAT message you want to say. You know WHO you want to say it to. But you’re still unsure on HOW to get the message across to them.

With so many marketing channels that have different purposes, it’s important you understand how to choose the best B2B marketing channels. For example, some channels are great for lead generation but not so good for communicating with customers, so it’s good to know which channels will help achieve your objectives.

If you’re unsure of the best channels to use to communicate with your customers or prospects, you’re in the right place! Let’s explore our top 5 channels for B2B marketing communication.

1.     Email

Perhaps the most obvious B2B channel, but also the most powerful, is email. When asked how important each channel was to their organisation’s marketing success, a survey from the Content Marketing Institute found that 91% of B2B marketers said email. However, this doesn’t mean just putting together a simple generic email and hoping for the best. It requires a well thought out email strategy, including segmentation and personalisation. Having full control over what you send and to who means you can get personal and targeted, resulting in higher engagement (and better statistics such as open rate and click-through rate.)

2.     Customer loyalty programme

The beauty of customer loyalty programmes is you already have a highly engaged audience who are interacting and interested in your brand. As they’re being rewarded for their loyalty and there’s something in it for them, they’re more likely to engage with the communications you share from this channel.

You can use the platform to not only communicate about the programme itself but also share important company and product updates. Whether this is in the form of landing pages, banners, bespoke emails, news stories or even direct mail, having a customer loyalty programme will open the door to even more channels and improve communication with your loyal customers.

3.     LinkedIn

The stats speak for themselves!

• 92% of B2B marketers use LinkedIn over all other social media platforms.
  
  
• LinkedIn drives 46% of social traffic to B2B sites and is considered the most credible source of content.
  
  

LinkedIn is a great free channel that you can use to not only share updates with your company network but also on a personal level to connect with your customers and prospects and build those #RewardingRelationships.

It also offers advertising opportunities to communicate and reach a wider audience. You can segment your targeted audience in granular detail such as company name, job function, seniority level, function and even by interests and traits.

To get the most out of your business LinkedIn posts, consider sharing images or videos as visual assets gain more attention, likes and comments. To improve your engagement rates, it’s worth being aware of LinkedIn’s algorithms as this determines what a user’s feed may look like and what posts appear. After all, there are 30 million companies on LinkedIn so you need to make sure your content and message are unique and stand out!

4.     Direct Mail

Many people think direct mail is somewhat “old school”, especially as new digital trends emerge, but if done right, it can be greatly successful.

Sending a long text-heavy letter to “whom it may concern” just isn’t going to cut it. You’ll need to think out of the box. Get those creative juices flowing! 70% of consumers say direct mail is more personal than online interactions and simply adding a name to your direct mail piece can increase response rates by 135%!

Ask yourself, what would make you stop and read something that lands on your desk? Chances are it’s either something with an eye-catching design, personal to you or a freebie… Everyone loves a freebie… Particularly food. (Disclaimer: This is a personal opinion and we have no facts to back this up.)

Direct mail isn’t like email where, at the click of a button, it lands in your rubbish bin. It’s tangible meaning the recipient has to see or physically touch it before they consider using their energy to dump it. A recent study revealed that 98% of consumers bring their mail in the day it is delivered, and 77% rummage through it immediately. Direct mail allows you to avoid those annoying spam filters and get right into the hands of the individual.

5.     Events

Last but not least, events are a great channel for B2B marketing communication. Why? Because you can physically stand in front of people and talk! Nothing beats that face-to-face interaction, especially after COVID limited us on this channel for several years. Sure, having a stand or doing a talk at an event is a great way to get your message out to a large audience but also consider using the event to host 1:1 meetings. If you have a group of your customers in one building, make the most of this!

There are many other B2B marketing channels out there, but these top 5 will help improve communication with your customers and prospects. Improving communication will help develop those rewarding relationships and before you know it, you’ll have a bunch of fans raving about your business and products!