These 10 Examples Prove That B2B Branding Really Matters
Many people don’t believe that branding really matters in the B2B digital marketing space. They argue that the relationship building is based on professional standards, and purchasing processes in B2B are too focused on logic and policy for branding to make a big difference. This could not be further from the truth. Emotional connection, loyalty, familiarity and trust are all things that impact relationships and ultimately sales, no matter what space you are in. Considering that all of these things are driven by good branding efforts, there is no doubt that B2B branding really does matter.
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B2B Branding Influences Purchasing Decisions
Before we delve into anything else, it is important to establish that without a doubt, branding influences purchasing decisions. This is because, the same emotions and thought processes that go into the consumer purchasing process also go into the business purchasing process. The remaining points will illustrate how this is so.
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Good Branding Creates Evangelists
Forget about sales and marketing for a minute, and think about purchasing instead. More specifically, think about the purchases that your IT department makes. If you speak to your CIO, chances are they are very brand loyal to certain brands. Some are diehard MAC people, others are Windows loyalists to the end. The same goes for networking providers, ISP, and a variety of other service or product providers.
Do they develop these preferences because the pricing or quality varies all that much? Of course not. They have their go to companies because they have developed a sense of brand loyalty. In some ways, that may even go beyond loyalty into evangelism. Brand evangelists are people who are so loyal to a particular brand that not only do they use the products and services, they actively recommend them to others. Pricing and product quality are wonderful, but it takes branding to build evangelism.
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People Form Emotional Connections to Business Brands as Well as Consumer
Many people believe that emotional factor simply disappears when the process of building customer relationships and making purchasing decisions involves to business, instead of a business and a consumer. As long as there are human beings involved in the process, emotions will also be involved in the process. This means that branding, one way of fostering the desired emotions, isn’t just important in B2B, it works very well.
A good branding strategy means that you can give B2B buyers an extra incentive to work with your company. After all, not only do they receive a good deal, they also get something emotionally from working with your brand. In fact, emotion is impactful in the b2b process that it can influence the procedures that people follow to research the best options for their company. Hasn’t everybody talked themselves into making a purchase?
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Brand Loyalty Makes People Less Sensitive to Increasing Prices
If your branding has helped you to establish your business as stable, trustworthy, and your customers associate your brand with high quality, they are going to be more accepting of price increases. Just like you are willing to pay more for products that have earned your brand loyalty if you must, B2B customers are often willing to pay more if you have earned their brand loyalty. In fact, if you are successful enough with your branding efforts, you might even be able to leverage some control over pricing in your niche.
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Good Branding Results in Shorter Purchasing Decision Times
Branding equals familiarity. This means that when your company name comes up when it is time for a buyer to explore their options, there is less time and discussion spent on figuring out who you are, and whether or not you are trustworthy. This means that at a bare minimum, your potential customer begins the process by exploring what you can do for them, rather than letting you out. The result of this is that it takes less time for them to reach a purchasing decision. Remember that good content is part of good branding. Find some great tips from writers here.
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Branding Builds Strength Against Competitors
There are three situations in which you need to concern yourself with competitors. The first is when you are first establishing a relationship with a business. The second is when a competitor is vying for a contract against you. The third is when you have already established the business relationship and need to maintain it. The good news is that in all three of these situations, branding can be a huge help to you. If you are competing to establish a relationship, your brand will help you do that. Your stronger branding will also give you an edge when you are competing for those important contracts. Finally, if you have earned somebody’s business, the combination of good branding and good business practices can go a long way towards getting your customers to turn away offers that competitors claim will beat yours.
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Branding Increases The Likelihood That Buyers Will Receive P.O. Approval
If you’ve ever been in the position of getting a purchase order approved, you know that it can be complex. The longer the contract, the more money in question, the more hoops that you have to jump through to get approval. It gets worse if the approval process has to reach into upper management. Once again, this is where good branding can help. If you are familiar and trustworthy to those in upper management, those approvals tend to come more quickly.
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Strongly Branded Companies Define Their Own Identities
Even if you choose not to create a brand identity for your business, your business will still have a brand identity. The issue is that this identity will come from what others have to say about your business, instead of what you have to say. Of course, the people talking about your business will also include your competition. Wouldn’t you prefer that the customers you pursue get their ideas about your company’s values, commitment to quality, and ethics from you?
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People Are More Likely to Try New Products And Services From Strong Brands
Even if a company has never used your products and services before, they will be more likely to use a new product or service of yours, if they are familiar with and trust your brand. As mentioned earlier, there are some more formalities in B2B, but much of the thought process behind buying is the same as it is in the consumer sector. Consider this. You can drive for decades without ever needing to hire the services of an auto body repair shop. However, when you do, you are going to start your research with companies that are familiar to you due to good branding.
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Branding Gets You Put on The Short List
The last, and most important point is that your business to business branding efforts are what will help your business to earn a spot on the short list when other companies are beginning to look into purchasing the products or services that you sell. When potential customers are in a conference room discussing who to contact for a demo or more information, it is your branding efforts that are going to make somebody in that room ask, “what about XYZ company?”.
Diana Beyer
Latest posts by Diana Beyer (see all)
- B2B Branding: The Importance of a Great Value Proposition - August 9, 2016
- How to Encourage Your Customers to Provide Real Feedback - May 24, 2016
- These 10 Examples Prove That B2B Branding Really Matters - May 3, 2016
