B2B Word on the Street: Repetition

This Week’s B2B Word on the Street is: REPETITION

There are different schools of thought on just how many times something needs to be repeated for it to sink in. Just ask my wife. But in advertising and marketing,– especially B2B marketing,– it pays to repeat yourself.

Conventional “outbound marketing” media are often measured by reach and frequency.

Sometimes it takes at least 12 repetitions for a message to be effectively delivered. I say it doesn’’t stop there.

In most business-to-business marketing scenarios, the relationship between a client and vendor is based on a purchasing cycle. For example, architects, builders and installers will, if satisfied, opt to use a construction product beyond their first trial. Car dealerships will purchase pre-owned inventory from a wholesaler week after week if they’’re pleased with the selection and service. Whether you manufacture widgets or sell creative marketing ideas, repeat customers are a wonderful thing.

So how do you keep your messaging meaningful and memorable without getting mundane?

Start by listening, and encourage every representative of your product or service who is in contact with your customers to do the same. Even if it takes a prompt, such as a brief satisfaction survey, or even a simple question, this feedback is invaluable. Customer commentary, both positive and negative, is a gauge of your performance, and preventive medicine for collapsing relationships.

There are many ways to repeat yourself without being redundant. First of all, make sure your message is “music to the ears” of your target audience. Keeping any conversation about your products and services focused around their needs is the best way to grow your business with them. Never before have so many great CRM technologies and one-on-one marketing tactics been available for marketers to mine, manage and craft personalized messaging from this valuable information.

Speaking of repetition, now there are more ways than ever to achieve multiple contacts with your customers and prospects without blowing your budget. Develop an “inbound marketing” strategy to complement your conventional outreach tactics. This is also based on listening. And leading. It’’s called “thought leadership,” and it can include anything from making your website a more engaging resource for your customers to blogs, e-newsletters, social media (such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, etc.). Share insights through speaking engagements, articles and whitepapers. Ask questions and spotlight success stories via case studies and testimonials.

At the risk of repeating myself, repetition is a great way to build “win-win” business relationships.