The secret behind becoming a pioneer in B2B marketing is not just your personal skills and ambition but also having an amazing team by your side.
According to Angela Schwecke, Senior Director of Global Audience Marketing at SAP Success Factors, “Success depends on many factors, but the most important is choosing the right team, not the least of which is your agency.” This is the reason it is highly pertinent to ensure that you choose the right team that will back you.
Partnership Benefits
A truly effective marketing partnership gives a company access to a diverse set of skills that are necessary for success. They provide a diverse array of skills and opinions along with in-depth expertise and thought leadership that helps in innovation and problem solving across industries. Partners also provide access to next-generation resources and solutions. Partners can also provide accountability for goal execution.
Partner Qualities
So as to enjoy the above benefits there are certain qualities that you need to look for in a partner.
- B2B marketing-focused team to build powerful business cases
- Methodical team with a systematic approach to aid in projecting reliable results
- A team dealing with major marketing disciplines so as to use the right tool for the right job
- Internet marketer led team to cater to the 92% B2B buyers who research using online resources
- Tester team to analyze results and progressively boost ROI
When selecting the right B2B marketing consulting company to partner with there are many factors that need to be considered like their overall capabilities, experience in your industry, chemistry with you, etc. But you are most likely looking for a partner who can not only engage buyers and prospects but also drive bottom-line results.
Although it might sound tedious, finding the right agency for marketing partnerships is not an insurmountable task and can be accomplished if your organization has clear goals set. There are a few characteristics you should look for in order to truly be able to enjoy an ideal partnership with a new B2B firm.
Don’t hire a B2B marketing agency on a temporary basis as you need your business to grow and this requires a long-term partnership. The same way, the B2B marketing agency needs to also reciprocate the same level of commitment.
A marketing agency that focuses solely on B2B marketing helps your business in analyzing sales funnel and in boosting efficiency, developing strategies for lead generation, boosting sales through measurable activities and product awareness generation.
An ideal B2B marketing agency should have a non-hierarchical approach and include more than one point of contact. As it needs to be a team effort, you need to be able to have access to everyone that is on the team.
- Sales Enablement Initiatives
The marketing and sales teams of the selected B2B marketing agency should strive to reach the same goal of generating growth in business. They will ensure that each and every sales rep is equipped with the requisite skills needed to enhance every interaction they have with buyers valuing sales and marketing alignment.
The B2B consulting company you decide to partner with should keep you involved in your social media as it will help you realize your target audience and segment them properly.
- Multi-Channel Strategy Proposal
A good marketing partnership should be able to develop a solid multi-channel strategy as this will aid in reaching 100% of your buyers. So the B2B marketing agency needs to be able to maximize the amount spent by delivering a wholesome customer experience across various touchpoints.
The B2B consulting company you partner with needs to deal with measurable results and needs to be as focused as you are on the final ROI. The campaigns they employ need to have clear strategies backed by intense research in order to increase sales.
After receiving assurance from the B2B marketing agency that they will scrutinize every KPI, they need to provide the proof for the same. An efficient B2B agency will be able to execute an in-market campaign at a quick pace and would be able to provide actionable data within the span of 3 months.
There is no one size fits all logic when it comes to the best
B2B marketing agency. They range in approach, skill set, size, and service offerings and so you need to figure out which one is right for you.
Conclusion
According to Emily Miller, Content Strategy Lead at Pantheon.io, “Working with an agency is a two-way street,” she said. “It is important as a client to make sure you’re upholding your end of the agreement. You can’t expect the agency to be successful if you aren’t willing or able to put in the energy to make sure they understand your business. That includes sending timely and constructive feedback, as well as doing your homework before meetings to make sure you’re both getting the most out of the time.”
Every company, at some point, considers partnering with a B2B agency in order to execute a new campaign or to implement a business initiative. Our compiled list is intended to serve as a jumping off point for developing a strong partnership with a B2B marketing firm. Hopefully, it will give you the assurance you need to proceed with a partnership because you will have understood that, provided the correct partner is selected, it offers minimal risk and great return.
