B2B marketing has always been an intricate subject. It is much different compared to traditional B2C marketing. While B2C is all about focusing attention on the needs of the customer, B2B needs to focus on the needs of the business. And the needs of a business often vary from that of the customers. As the world grapples with the economic impact of the pandemic, marketing trends have shifted quite a bit. This has created new challenges in the process. Here are some of the key challenges of B2B marketing and the best way to overcome them.  Key Challenges of B2B Marketing  Lack of Human Interaction  The global social distancing and lockdowns have put a bar on day-to-day interactions. B2B marketing highly depends on the face-to-face interaction between the seller and the business. The sales pitch has been the proven approach for B2B marketing. However, businesses are forced to take their pitch to the online platform. The lack of human touch in the process may prove costly for many businesses.  The probable solution for this challenge is to go all-in on the online platform. Design sales pitch in an interactive way that can better engage the target businesses. The key here is to get the customer hooked on the idea and the marketing, regardless of the medium.  Read International Courier Services in Bangladesh: An Overview Getting Around with Covid-19  Almost all the countries of the world were hit by the economic impact of the pandemic. The business and the retail sector suffered the most because of the imposed lockdown. The impact of the Covid-19 has forced many businesses to take drastic measures in their spending. This in turn has impacted how the marketer spends on marketing.  The continuous change in adaptation to the pandemic has made every existing strategy uncertain. The factor of budget and spending came to the forefront before every purchasing decision.  Marketers should focus on digital marketing more in these trying times. Digital marketing seems to be the way forward considering the uncertain nature of the other channels.  Read Re-Commerce Startup SWAP Raise $1.25mn in Seed Funding, Promises New Horizon of Growth Lack of Resources  The lack of resources isn’t apparent in the budget justification. There are other tactical heads of marketing that are facing an acute shortage. The most common ones are lack of time, lack of ideas, and talent. Much of it has to do with the next challenge in this list.  With the shortage in effect, it becomes increasingly difficult for businesses to conduct singular marketing. To save time and get around the lack of resources, businesses can shift to marketing agencies. Most of the marketing agencies these days provide a unified marketing approach. This tends to cover everything between ad campaigns, lead generation, and lead conversion.  Saturated Digital Marketing  Every business is looking to jump on the digital marketing bandwagon. As a result, client businesses now have more choices than ever. This ultimately makes the space more competitive for the marketing businesses.  Read B2B Marketing: Effective Strategies in 2021 This is also the leading factor for the lack of talent in the strategy. There is a high demand for a digital marketer but an acute shortage of skilled and qualified marketers. The imbalance in supply and demand has made way for higher marketing costs with low ROI. Brand Awareness  Brand awareness is a key determinant of the success of a business. The more buzz a business creates around itself, the more it stands to capture the market. With the pandemic in effect, more and more businesses are looking to digitize their marketing endeavors as mentioned above. There are two effects to this. Businesses are getting better exposure compared to traditional marketing strategies. There is also the issue of market saturation. As more and more businesses opt for online ads, consumers are left with more choices than ever.  Businesses need to tailor their marketing strategies to stand out from the rest. It’s the impression that will make or break the marketing strategy.  Read GP Accelerator Program 3.0: Paving the Way for Successful Startups Data Accumulation  Data accumulation is another important aspect of the success of any marketing strategy. Firms need to make sure that the user data they are collecting is authentic and accurate.  Every marketing strategy is designed for a targeted customer base. The same is true for B2B marketing as well.  Google Analytics and HubSpot Analytics can be a great starting point to see what's working and what's not. The targeted marketing campaign should be designed based on customer interaction and response.  Read Pickaboo: Story of successful electronics eCommerce platform Ensuring Highest ROI  The goal of every marketing tactic is simple – to ensure the highest amount of ROI. As a result, it becomes important to ensure the correct implementation of the marketing strategy.  There are countless different marketing strategies out there. There are ones that focus on offline ads and there are ones that work on the digital platform. Before choosing any strategy, it's important to understand whether it aligns with the organizational goals as well as the target audience.  Understanding the past marketing metrics, marketing channels, marketing plan, SWOT analysis, and report can all work in favor to maximize the ROI.  Read E-commerce Scams: Ways to Protect Your Investment from Online Frauds Lead Conversion  Marketing strategies involve shelling out money so that people see the ads and click on them. However, there is no indication regarding whether the ad click is converted or not. This creates a two-way problem for the business. Firstly, the business cannot ensure whether its ads are generating enough leads or not. Secondly, whether the generated leads are convertible or not.  Lead conversion is an important aspect of any marketing strategy, both online and offline. The only way to generate effective leads is through a quality targeted client base. Nowadays, different marketing agencies provide marketing services. However, the target generation becomes difficult considering B2B strategies. Invest in a target audience based on their purchasing habits and business profile.  This will not only ensure lead generation but also better lead conversion as well. Read Agro-Tech Startups in Bangladesh: Tech revolution in Agriculture Sector Final Thoughts  B2B marketing strategies always require high precision. With the pandemic and global recession, businesses faced shortcomings from every front. While there are challenges to regain the market value, there are also immense opportunities as more and more people are jumping onto online platforms, both business and clients. As a result, the B2B marketing challenges should be faced meticulously to better serve the business interest.

Today’s world is a fast-paced one. From retail clients to businesses, every stakeholder has access to more information than ever. There is also increased competition with more information. A business client's decision-making is far more intricate than a retail one because of the high-stakes nature of the transaction. Today a buyer’s decision is influenced by both online and offline media. And for that, there is no alternative to omnichannel marketing. Let's look at some of the best ways to integrate the offline and online channels for B2B marketing. Why Should Online and Offline Marketing be Integrated?  There has been a steady disruption in the buyer’s buying ways over the years. Technological advancements have made way for access to information in a matter of few taps. Now businesses use both the online channel and the offline channel to get a holistic idea about a product. A buyer wants both the convenience of accessing information at any time as well as the personalized service of offline channels.  As a result, it has become increasingly important for a business to come up with a solution that includes both opportunities. an integrated buyer experience will make the buying choice easier. This in turn will generate more leads and conversions for businesses.  Read Re-Commerce Startup SWAP Raise $1.25mn in Seed Funding, Promises New Horizon of Growth Steps to Integrate Online and Offline Channel for B2B marketing CTA on Offline Promotion  Include a Call to Action on every offline promotional activity. Offline promotions generally include pamphlets, leaflets, and posters through which a business showcases its products and services.  A call to action can be a link to a landing page that has a detailed outline of the product. This will help businesses to better showcase their product which might not be possible on the offline channel alone.  From there, a business should focus on gaining the email of the buyer through deals, e-books, and value-added content. This will make way for follow-up for future promotions. CTA is an effective way to generate offline leads to an online platform and bring better conversions.  Read B2B Marketing: Effective Strategies in 2021 The “to be continued” Method  Nothing piques the interest of a buyer than a “to be continued” approach. This process requires considerable storytelling on the offline marketing end. A business can devise the approach as a questionnaire or survey for other businesses. In the end, the opinion section can be directed to a specific web address which will double as the business landing page.  From there on, the process is similar to the first point mentioned above. This is an effective way to integrate marketing without going overboard.  Read GP Accelerator Program 3.0: Paving the Way for Successful Startups The Use of AR  Augmented Reality is the new hype. AR has brought about a revolutionary change in the marketing space as well. It has also emerged as a leading solution between online and offline B2B marketing.  A huge part of offline marketing is about giving the buyer a personal touch. A space where the customer can get a hands-on experience with the product. But that is often not possible due to large product size and location.

The market is ever-changing. And the changing market demands newer and innovative strategies. The main aim of any marketing strategy is two things – generate leads and traffic. The aim may remain constant but the means to achieve the aim are always changing. The constantly shifting market dynamics demand the latest strategies for effective marketing. What used to be a completely new strategy 2 years ago is now a standard business practice. Here are some of the effective marketing strategies for B2B clients in light of the recent economic and market state.  What is B2B Marketing?  B2B or Business-to-business marketing strategy is the process of selling certain goods produced by one company to the other.  The strategy is essentially the same as B2C where a business sells the product to the customer. However, there are some added dimensions to the process. B2C exclusively focuses on selling to the individual customer on a retail basis. But a B2B marketing strategy aims to sell to a business on a bulk basis. It can be both services and goods.  Read GP Accelerator Program 3.0: Paving the Way for Successful Startups In hindsight, it may feel like the B2B market is small. Since the number of retail customers is much more compared to the number of businesses. In reality, B2B is the largest market transaction-wise. The sheer volume of products that changes hands makes the market such a large and vital one.  A simple example would make it clearer. IBM, one of the largest electronic manufacturers and service providers in the world spends over 60 million dollars per day to ensure a smooth supply chain and operation of their businesses. The story is the same across all the large to small-scale businesses in different sectors.  Since the transaction volume is large, the marketing strategy requires additional fine-tuning to make sure it’s perfectly tailored for the targeted business.  Read Pickaboo: Story of successful electronics eCommerce platform Effective B2B marketing strategies in 2021  Now let’s look at some of the established and effective B2B marketing trends for 2021. Note that not all marketing strategies are time-dependent. Some highly successful marketing strategies tend to be in action for a long time. Account-Based Marketing Account-Based Marketing or ABM has been around for over 5 years now. This successful strategy has one of the highest conversion rates in the market.  A traditional marketing approach focuses on the number of lead generation to assess success. ABM takes a different approach. Rather than going after volume, ABM focuses on certain targeted accounts.  Read E-commerce Scams: Ways to Protect Your Investment from Online Frauds This is essentially a targeted marketing strategy. The job of the salesperson becomes a bit easier and also difficult depending on how you look at it. ABM isn’t about creating a campaign and using the same one for leads after leads. Rather it’s a specially curated campaign keeping in mind all the requirements of a targeted client. ABM has a high conversion rate because of its targeted marketing strategy.   Live Chat Strategy  Live chat is looked upon as a solution for customer queries. In reality, it can serve a far greater purpose than that. Live chats are designed to ensure customer satisfaction by addressing their issues and queries. A successful deliverance of queries tends to convert a prospective lead to clients.  Webchat reports that the platform has seen 2.8% more conversions than the business that doesn't use live chat support. It has also reported a 60% increment in B2B sales simply because the customer had live support throughout the purchase period.  Read Agro-Tech Startups in Bangladesh: Tech revolution in Agriculture Sector Word of Mouth  Word-of-mouth is probably the oldest marketing strategy still in existence today. Global marketing leader McKinsey and Company reports that over 20-50% of all purchasing decisions are based solely on word of mouth. This is a huge tappable opportunity for any business. In addition to asking for reviews for the service or product, businesses can take other innovative approaches like referral programs to ensure business propagation.  Long Content Pieces  Long-form content has historically generated high leads for businesses compared to other traditional marketing like outbound ones. It also costs less compared to other marketing strategies. However, it’s not about creating content alone. The Long pieces should be engaging and highly curated to target the specific business profile.  Podcast Marketing  Podcast has seen a surge in its listener base during the pandemic. A survey shows that approximately 155 million people listen to Podcasts in the US. This makes for a huge opportunity for curated podcast content. It’s an easy and effective way to reach a broader prospective client base.  Read Bangla QR Payment: The Contactless Payment System of EBL AI Marketing Strategy  Customers don't know that they need a product until they see it. The same holds for B2B sales. The key here is to make effective and curated suggestions to the customer. AI can make the perfect suggestion based on the previous purchasing habit of the customer.  E-mail Marketing Strategy  E-mail marketing is another veteran marketing strategy with some of the highest returns on the market. With over 122% lead generation, email marketing is easily one of the top strategies to leverage. However, the success of the strategy depends on the targeted nature of the marketing. A one for all marketing strategy likely won't work as every business has its own set of preferences.  Influencer Marketing  The boom of video-sharing platforms like TikTok has given rise to a new generation of influencers. Influencer marketing is nothing new. But the recent developments have made influencer marketing more effective thanks to the ability of the platforms to reach a wider client base.  Read Agricultural Loans in Bangladesh: Banks Offering Loans to Farmers and Farms Virtual Events  This strategy can be considered as the direct product of the pandemic. With global lockdown and social distancing, virtual events can be a key player for targeted marketing. It’s easy to conduct and requires minimal logistical support. But it can help to reach a wider base of targeted audience compared to physical events.  Omnichannel Marketing  A targeted marketing strategy works only when there is a unified approach to the target base. Omnichannel marketing helps to target the specific client base through several different channels to bring in a unified marketing campaign. It helps to reduce buyer friction and tends to generate more leads compared to outbound strategies.  Final Thoughts  The marketing landscape is ever-changing. The only way to stay ahead in the mix is through proven and leading marketing strategies. The global pandemic has reshaped marketing strategies across the globe. But the opportunity to tap into new strategies remains open as ever. In this article, we have provided a guideline for B2B marketing stategies. Hope it helps! Read Best Business Ideas Amidst the Pandemic and New Normal

Starting a small business in a country like Bangladesh can be a difficult task. Traveling around the globe to sourcing wholesale products, arguing with shopkeepers over prices, stockpiling products, looking for customers' homes in the city's alleys for delivery, and much more! Now, if you are told that you can get all the solutions from online business sourcing to delivery without any investment by downloading a free app on the phone! Isn't that cool? More than 6 lakh entrepreneurs have already succeeded in their online business using a single platform. There is a platform where you can get a huge collection of more than 1 lakh wholesale products spread across the country sitting at home! ShopUp has accomplished this impossible task. Now, they have raised $75 Million in new funding to reach more people in Bangladesh as well as abroad. Read Vroom App: End-to-End Platform for Car, Automobile Related Services in Bangladesh What is ShopUp? ShopUp works toward bringing different small and medium traders under one roof. In addition, ShopUp connects the manufacturer with the wholesaler, further, the wholesalers are connected with the retailer and the retailer with the buyer. ShopUp offers a variety of online business services, including promotion of products, timely delivery of products, and high-quality packaging. Besides the website, the platform also has three apps in the Google Play Store. Afeef Zaman, Siffat Sarwar, and Ataur Rahim Chowdhury launched the ShopUp in February 2016 with the aim of turning the country's potential entrepreneurs, especially women, into successful entrepreneurs by using various services of Facebook and information technology. Read ToguMogu: One Stop Solution for Bangladeshi Parents Before that, Ataur Rahim Chowdhury, who has passed Computer Science and Engineering from East-West University, started the smashboard, which used to work with query management through social media. During that time Ataur came to know about the various problems of product delivery services of e-commerce companies in Bangladesh. He discussed the matter with his friends Afeef Zaman and Siffat Sarwar, who graduated from the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) of Dhaka University. All three agreed that the solution to the delivery problem would change the face of Bangladesh's e-commerce business. Soon after, they started ShopUp in a small office in Lake Circus, Kalabagan. In the beginning, they used to provide service on managing Facebook pages as well as order and manage products. Later, they added the merchant delivery service. Gradually ShopUp also started giving loans to entrepreneurs for business development. Later, the company also launched a mobile app. That's how today's ShopUp was started. Read 7 Local Startups Get Tk 150m Funds from Startup Bangladesh Limited How ShopUp works? ShopUp works through a few simple steps, but you will need to put some effort into it. However, you can find out whether the product has been delivered or not from the ShopUp app, sitting at home. ShopUp will do all the work for you, which can make your business successful easily and hassle-free. Firstly, you will need to install the app on your phone. Register in a few easy steps and get more than lakhs of wholesale products for boys and girls, including fashionable dresses, cosmetics, gazettes, and accessories. Download pictures of your favorite products and share them on your business page or do online marketing. When the customer places an order, you will need to place the order in the app and enter the delivery address. Fill out the delivery details, selling price, and other relevant information. You can find out the real-time updates and payment details of delivery through the app. Profits on full-week sales will go directly to your bKash account next week. Read Digital Healthcare Startups in Bangladesh: An Overview ShopUp services ShopUp offers different types of services to make the business easier. Services include delivery, shop management, and ShopUp assist. Own delivery service Delivering products on time to buyers is a challenge for any entrepreneur. That is why ShopUp has its own delivery service to provide entrepreneurs the opportunity to deliver products all over the country quickly. Shop management services Entrepreneurs have to update their Facebook pages regularly to make their products attractive to buyers. But everyone cannot do that on their own. Hence, ShopUp has shop management services to solve the problem. The service provides the opportunity to create a business-friendly page on Facebook as well as add up-to-date information. Read An Overview of Shuttle: A Promising Mass Transit Startup in Bangladesh Shop Assist There is no substitute for product promotion to reach online business buyers. But due to a lack of direction, many people cannot promote the product properly. Many also annoy the buyers by promoting the same product over and over, which later becomes a threat to the business. ShopUp Assist can give a solution to that. Through the service, an entrepreneur can post product promotion or page promotion on Facebook. Even if you need a credit card for that, ShopUp offers the opportunity to pay through a bKash account. To accelerate the business, ShopUp has three additional services, Mokam, REDX, and Baki. ShopUp delivers daily necessities to the grocery store in the neighborhood in 24 hours through the B2B business app Moka. For this, the startup has entered into agreements with various product manufacturers, distributors, and wholesalers. Read Top 10 Co-working Spaces in Dhaka Apart from that, the products are delivered to the traders through REDX. Launched last year, RedX is currently serving 493 Upazilas. And small traders can buy products on credit through the Baki service. How did they start raising investment? Over the last 4 years, ShopUp raised investments in several steps. Their investment came from an Angel round in 2017, and they raised $120k. Next, the company proceeded to the seed round in 2018 and received $1.6 million funding from Omidyar Network, USA. After that, ShopUp participated in three more seed rounds in 2019 and raised $4.2 million in total. Their second largest investment came in October 2020 from Flourish Ventures, Sequoia Capital India through Series A, and the company received $22.5 million. Finally, ShopUp raised $75 million last week from the Series B round. Read Angel Investment 101: Is It the Right Track for Your Startup? How did ShopUp raise $75 million from Bangladesh? Basically, when a new venture shows good results in the market with initial capital, they become eligible for Series A investment. After that, they can proceed to Series B investment. ShopUp has proved its ability through footprint in all 64 districts in Bangladesh and Bengaluru, India. As a result, they received $75 million from Series B financing led by Peter Thiel's Valar Ventures. The investment also includes, from "Proses- the investment arm of Naspers, Pierre Omidyar's family office, as well as existing investors Sequoia Capital India, VEON Ventures, and Flourish Ventures." As a Series B, it is the largest investment in any startup based in South Asia. Read The 7 Most Promising Tech Startups in Bangladesh