Everyone knows that the B2B industry is one of the most difficult categories when it comes to reaching the intended target audience. Imagine trying to reach 18-35 year old adults that work in the Plumbing industry in the Greater Toronto Area, or trying to reach adults that work at Media Planning & Buying agencies across Canada? Now there are data pools and contextually relevant publications you could use to reach your target audience, but it’s definitely not an easy task since people don’t tend to only consume content from their line of work. So what’s the next best thing to ensure the most relevant audience is seeing your ads? Tailored Creative, of course!
To help you get the most out of your B2B advertising efforts, here are the top 5 most effective creative strategies for B2B ads:
1) Design ads for people who scroll — but don’t click. Most B2B buyers scroll through ads without clicking on them, so you need to capture their attention and deliver your message quickly. Use eye-catching visuals, clear headlines, and concise copy that highlight your value proposition and call to action.
2) Invest in creative and do things that stand out. B2B ads don’t have to be boring or generic. You can use humor, storytelling, animation, or interactive elements to make your ads more engaging and memorable.
3) Answer questions, problems, and jobs to be done for different ICP segments. B2B buyers are looking for solutions to their pain points and goals, so you need to show them how your product or service can help them. Segment your ideal customer profile (ICP) by industry, role, company size, or other criteria, and tailor your ads to address their specific needs and interests. For example, Drift (a Conversational Marketing Platform) used employee advocacy campaigns that featured real people and their stories, such as “How I booked 25% more meetings with Drift” or “How I increased conversions by 10x with Drift”.
4) Use a content matrix to find ad topics that resonate. A content matrix is a tool that helps you map out your content ideas based on the buyer’s journey and the level of awareness. You can use it to generate relevant and compelling topics for your ads, such as educational, inspirational, or promotional content. For example, HubSpot (a CRM Platform) used a content matrix to create ads that ranged from “How to write a blog post” to “Why you need HubSpot CRM” to “Start your free trial today”.
5) Personalize your ads with data and dynamic content. Personalization is not only for B2C ads, but also for B2B ads. You can use data and dynamic content to customize your ads based on the user’s behavior, location, industry, company name, or other attributes. This can increase your click-through rate, conversion rate, and customer loyalty. For example, Hawksem (an SEM Agency) used personalized ads that included the user’s company name, such as “Hey, Netflix. Want to grow your revenue with Facebook ads?” or “Hey, Shopify. Want to optimize your landing pages with Google ads?”.
These are just some creative strategies you should consider when developing creative assets for your next B2B ad campaign.
If you’d like us to help you with your B2B Creative Strategy for your business, fill out the form below or contact us directly at hello@coastaldigitalgroup.com