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The Importance of Building Direct Audience Relationships in B2B Marketing

In the realm of B2B marketing, a significant number of companies still depend heavily on external platforms to reach potential customers. This reliance can create a precarious situation for businesses, as they often find themselves at the mercy of the algorithms and policies of these platforms. According to a survey by the Content Marketing Institute, 84% of B2B marketers are using paid distribution channels, including social media ads and promoted posts, to capture audience attention. However, this approach, while effective for visibility in the short term, raises critical questions about long-term audience engagement and relationship building.

The Costs of Rented Attention

Ben Billups, the CEO and founder of Breaker, asserts that the central challenge for B2B marketers is that true value in audience engagement lies not in sheer subscriber numbers, but in the quality of their audience connections. Relying on rented audiences through ads means that visibility fizzles out once the campaign ends. Brands must continually invest in paid promotions to maintain visibility, which can lead to an unsustainable cycle of spending without building genuine connections.

Building your own audience through owned media is crucial. A branded newsletter, for instance, can foster a reliable channel of communication that allows companies to educate potential buyers, shape their perceptions, and continuously remain in their minds during protracted sales cycles. This relationship is organic and nurtured through consistent engagement, rather than relying on intermittent paid advertisements.

Redefining Paid Media's Role

Even as many brands embrace extensive paid media campaigns—like The Hershey Company’s initiatives linked to major events—there’s a notable shift toward a more integrated approach known as the PESO model, incorporating Paid, Earned, Shared, and Owned media. This model emphasizes the importance of maintaining robust direct audience channels, which resonate across various platforms. As Vinny Rinaldi, Hershey's VP of consumer connections, indicates, it’s essential to recognize that not everything hinges on paid media.

Billups echoes this sentiment. He contends that while paid media plays a crucial role in customer acquisition, it should enable brands to create lasting audience relationships. The objective should be to cultivate an audience asset that allows for continuous engagement, rather than having a marketing strategy predominantly reliant on external platforms.

The Value of Controlling the Audience Narrative

Acquiring an established audience is often faster than building one from scratch, but Billups highlights that possessing control over that audience relationship is paramount. For larger corporations, this can mean acquiring media properties, as demonstrated by HubSpot’s acquisition of The Hustle, allowing HubSpot to reach millions while tailoring their engagement to fit their business goals. Conversely, smaller companies can prioritize organic growth, gradually shaping their audience and creating lasting engagement channels.

Consider a hypothetical scenario: a newsletter targeting 1,000 commercial real estate executives could be profoundly more valuable for businesses in high-value property management than a more extensive audience not aligned with their niche. In the B2B sector, the quality of audience engagement often outweighs mere quantity.

Building Long-Term Relationships Through Newsletters

Email marketing remains a prevalent strategy, with 71% of B2B marketers reporting its use. However, there’s an emerging recognition that newsletters are not merely distribution channels but strategic media properties with significant value. A well-crafted newsletter serves as an ongoing touchpoint, educating readers and nurturing relationships over time. Unlike the episodic nature of campaigns, newsletters create a recurring channel for engagement, which can compound in value over time.

Ultimately, integrating newsletters into a company’s outreach strategy offers a sustainable way to keep the brand present in the minds of potential clients through market fluctuations and long sales cycles. This consistent presence aids in ensuring that when an opportunity arises, the company name is not just recognized but remembered.

Conclusion

To thrive in a complex B2B landscape, brands need to innovate how they engage with audiences. Breaker advocates for a paradigm shift from renting audience attention to cultivating and owning direct relationships. By doing so, brands can unlock meaningful connections that foster long-term growth and success in the B2B environment.

For more insights into building effective relationships and owning your audience, visit Breaker.