What if we told you there could be a silver lining for your B2B company coming out of the pandemic? That your service-based business has a window right now to grow wider, farther and faster than ever before? That you could be doing “local” business outside of your locale for years to follow?
It’s all true. COVID has essentially erased service areas and replaced them with virtual meetings. In turn, companies are now considering service providers from all over. Instead of marketing based on proximity, use the following channels to focus your efforts on your value and capabilities.
1) Referrals
A client referral is arguably more effective than any marketing you could ever do. It’s what makes “word of mouth” so important for a service provider. When speaking to your satisfied clients about a recent project you have completed, make sure you ask if there is anyone they know who could also benefit from your services. Trade organizations, in particular, are goldmines for national referrals.
2) Reviews
Without an in-person meeting and handshake, decision-makers are reading online reviews when researching prospective vendors for their projects. Ask your current and previous clients to leave reviews on your Google or Yelp business listings and repurpose those reviews as testimonials on your website. To streamline the request, send a direct email with a link to your Google My Business listing and a description of the project you recently completed. When asking clients to leave a review, remind them to be specific about the work and what they appreciated most.
3) Case Studies
Organize examples of your best work into case studies, which you can present in videoconferences, webinars, or simply send to a prospect by email. Explain the success you’ve had with a client and share the story with similar businesses. Again, think outside of your service area and expand your reach digitally. A couple of ways to organize case studies are by business type or service offering. Having multiple examples on one webpage will help prospective clients gain a good understanding of your capabilities.
4) Social Media
You know your business needs to be on social media, and maybe you’re making an honest effort to post on your business pages—but are you consistently generating enough content to be seen? Businesses not only need to be extremely active to gain followers, but they also need to be providing valuable content that visitors will want to receive before clicking that like or follow button. One of the most powerful tools with social media is the ability to quickly share content with other connections who may be interested. Take advantage of this opportunity by explaining how your company provides solutions to your customers. Another great use for social media is to respond to frequently asked questions you receive when speaking to new prospects. For example:
- Do you offer this service?
- Can you fix this problem?
- How long does the average project take?
- What information is needed to begin?
By giving guidance and advice to prospective customers, you are positioning yourself as an expert in your industry. The reward is a strong brand and no boundaries, with the ability to tap into other community groups outside of your geographical area.
5) Digital Advertising
Trade publications have moved mostly online, where people working from home spend most of their time. While we all love an old-fashioned industry magazine, the benefit of the digital shift is that advertising is now more targeted and value-based compared to the costs of print advertising. Social media opens up a world of affordable advertising as well. Not sure what to do for digital ads? Your case studies make great lead bait when backed by thoughtful targeting with a compelling call to action and a well-designed landing page.
6) Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Your search rankings on Google are crucial to keeping your pipeline full with prospects. Now, instead of focusing only on local SEO, you can broaden your strategy to industry- or service-related keywords and bring in leads wherever they may be. This isn’t in place of local SEO, but in addition to it—no pivot necessary, just expansion.
COVID forced you to adapt your business remotely. It wasn’t easy and the world remains uncertain…but recognize that you have made it through the worst. Now, it’s time to change your mindset from simply keeping your business going to getting it back to growing. Contact Netwave for creative marketing and advertising to promote your business near, far, now, and for the future.
