B2B: How can you use digital marketing to build your B2B brand in China?
Considering the B2B user journey
To more intuitively understand the role of digital marketing for B2B businesses in China, it is useful to work through the user journey of a prospective B2B customer, or prospect in China.
1. Your prospect may have been introduced to your brand and its products by a salesperson or distributor, and they may be asking why they should switch to your offer, and away from the product or service they have been using until this point.
2. Your salesperson or distributor will respond to their concerns with your USP and product benefits – highlighting key points such as your reputation and brand strength, via channels such as third-party portals and media websites. If the prospect needs further persuasion to consider a shift, the distributor may provide feedback to the sales force for further analysis and response.
3. The prospect will ideally now carry out further online research about your product offer and find extra forms of positive feedback as well as recommendations from third-party websites, and ads on Baidu. These channels will help them to feel positive, secure and trusting about your brand – and convinced about the quality of your overall offer, from its physical attributes through to the ongoing service and relationship that business markets value.
4. At this point, the salesperson or distributor will follow up with the prospect, in the hope of securing a conversion.
5. The prospect will now make a decision based on their own research and their understanding and feelings towards your brand and its products.
As you can see, once the salesperson or distributor has engaged with the prospect with the initial key messages and USPs, it is essential that the potential customer can find plenty of information about your brand in China using the digital marketing channels that you have developed to their full potential.
Recommended digital marketing activities
1. Your B2B Chinese Website
2. Chinese online PR
3. Baidu PPC
4. WeChat marketing
Make full use of your WeChat official branded account for your business and host a manned customer service channel via the platform. Business customers will value the legitimacy of the account and the ability to rapidly speak to someone from your business who is informed and able to provide them with necessary information about your products and brand. Make sure the account is manned, that queries are responded to rapidly and that your customer service function is trained and able to fully use WeChat in a way that offers real value to prospective Chinese B2B customers.
Other digital marketing activities may also be appropriate for your B2B marketing in China, and we can support you with the development of a full marketing strategy as required, focusing on initial quick-wins through activities such as PPC through to longer-term gains in areas such as SEO and sponsorships.
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