Today’s description of a marketing job sounds remarkably like customer service and sales jobs. What’s happening here? Are we B2B marketing folks suffering from an identity crisis?
In this article, Glance Network’s VP of Marketing, Holly Chessman, writes about her perspective on the matter.
Marketing as sales
According to this article, B2B marketers need to use a multitude of ways to drive prospects to a sale or a demo. That means:
- Use SEM, social ads, social media posts and events to bring prospects to your offerings.
- Offer discounts, intriguing programs and other hooks to induce visitors to purchase or sign up for a demo today.
- Capture information through gated content and nurture those who are still going through the discovery process.
- Provide access to phone and visual engagement tools to show demos and guide your prospects. Forrester defines visual engagement solutions as including “video, cobrowsing, screen sharing and annotations,” noting that these tools help clarify conversations and increase understanding, as well as give you the means to make an emotional connection with your prospects.
Marketing as customer service
On the customer service side, some tools can be reused but in a different way. For instance:
- Support site/bots. You may put information behind a secure login, but you must make sure there is an adequate amount of self-help and support materials available. Bots are also a great self-service option, providing quick answers on demand.
- Email/social media. These two tools are key for answering quick questions, responding to minor issues, and providing updates.
- Phone/visual engagement tools. Again, these tools are ideal for taking over once self-service is not a viable option, especially when the discussion becomes complex. Whereas these tools were used in the sales process for demos and upsells, they are used in the customer success arena for answering complicated questions, providing onboarding and guidance, and teaching customers how to handle online processes that might otherwise be confusing.
B2B marketing is changing
Ready to learn the full details about the changing role of B2B marketing? Read the full article as it was published in Forbes: Is B2B Marketing Suffering From An Identity Crisis?
About Glance Networks
Glance helps enterprise organizations create the ultimate customer experience with smart, omni-channel visual engagement solutions. We are one of the world’s simplest, most reliable and secure platforms that enable companies to see, show and share anything online, creating a frictionless path to great experiences in sales, support and customer service. The result is improved customer satisfaction and loyalty, increased revenue growth and operational savings. From financial services and healthcare to retail and travel and leisure, even the most advanced technology and SaaS organizations – we transform the customer experience for today’s business. Learn More »
