B2B Marketing: 8 Ideas For Brand-Building And Designing A Compelling Story and Communication Strategy

A few weeks ago, we already wrote an article on boosting your competitive edge and with B2B brand awareness and standing out among industrial companies. Today, we will dive deeper into brand building as a B2B company.

So why Is Building an Irresistible Brand a Must for B2B Companies (especially in 2024)?

“The opposite to success is not failure but mediocrity” (unknown source, but may be attribute to a zillion self-help gurus)

Have you ever wondered what separates the successful B2B companies from the mediocre ones?

Products? Probably. Technology and marketing? Most likely. A likable, irresistible brand? Definitely.

Your brand is much more than just a logo or a tagline — it’s a critical asset that differentiates your business, builds trust, and increases your revenue in the long run.

Any strong brand has the following 4 primary features:

• Formulates Trust and Credibility: A well-defined brand fosters confidence among potential clients and partners. According to a study by Edelman, 71% of B2B purchasers say that trusting a brand to do what is right is a deciding factor in their purchase decisions.
• Bolsters Premium Pricing: Strong brands can command higher prices by offering perceived value and reliability. Research by McKinsey shows that strong B2B brands can command a price premium of up to 20% compared to weaker brands in the same category.
• Facilitates Recognition: Consistent branding makes your company more recognizable and memorable among business partners and purchasing stakeholders. Consistent branding across all platforms can increase B2B companies’ revenue by up to 23% according to Forbes.
• Reduces Employee Attrition: A strong brand attracts top talent, gives them an additional reason to stay, and can even instill pride in them. A study conducted by LinkedIn during the pandemic found that companies with strong employer brands see a 28% reduction in turnover and a 50% increase in qualified applicants.

As you can see, the power of a strong brand stretches significantly beyond marketing and encompasses all areas of business, including pricing, employee turnover, and PR.

Let’s get into the trenches now, and double down on 8 easy-to-implement, tested ways to (further) build your brand in late 2024:

1. Design a Compelling Story and Communication Strategy

Define Your USP (Unique Selling Proposition)

Identify what sets you apart from your competitors. This unique edge should be clear in all of your communications. A great example we like to bring up whenever we discuss USP’s is that of our client Euchner, a safety engineering company. For instance, Euchner’s USP is uncompromisingly safe system solutions for complex manufacturing concepts.

Craft Your Vision and Mission

These statements should reflect your company’s core values and long-term goals. Vision is about a future state of the world your company will bring about, whereas mission is the levers you will use to reach your vision. Take our client Hexagon, an industrial technology company, for example. Their vision is a future where data is fully and autonomously leveraged so that business, industry, and humanity can thrive sustainably. Meanwhile, Hexagon’s mission is to put data to work to enable autonomous, connected ecosystems that boost efficiency, productivity, and quality for their customers.

Create a Cohesive Story

Weave your USP, vision, and mission into a compelling narrative that resonates with your target audience. GE’s story of inspiration and innovation, originating from its founder, famous inventor Thomas Edison, illustrates this well.

Formulate Marketing Personas

Understand your ideal clients’ needs, pain points, and behaviors to tailor your strategies effectively. For example, HubSpot’s use of detailed marketing personas helps it effectively tailor its content and product offerings to different segments.

2. Establish Coherent Visual Elements

Consistency is King

Ensure your social graphics, case study templates, business cards, email signatures, web design, and other marketing materials are consistent with your brand strategy. Consistency in a B2B brand’s presentation can increase brand recognition by 80% according to Lucidpress’ research.

Visual Identity

It is not enough if your visual elements are consistent; they should be appealing to your target audience too. A coherent visual identity strengthens brand recognition and ensures a professional appearance across all platforms. Slack’s playful and clean design approach is a perfect example of effective visual branding in the B2B segments.

3. Optimize Your Website

User Experience (UX)

Design your website with user experience in mind, making it easy to navigate and engaging. According to Forrester, a well-designed user interface could increase your website’s conversion rate by up to 200%.

Content Hub

Use your website as a central hub for content, showcasing blogs, case studies, whitepapers, and more. IBM’s website, for example, serves as a comprehensive resource center for its B2B clients.

4. Construct a Content Strategy

Consistent and Coherent Content (The Magic “C” Trifecta)

Just like when it comes to your company’s visual elements, such as its logo, your content marketing strategy should be consistent and aligned with your brand message. According to the Content Marketing Institute, 91% of B2B companies that use coherent content marketing strategies reach their customers more effectively.

Platform-Specific Content

Tailor your content to the platforms where your audience spends their time (e.g., blog, webinars, LinkedIn, YouTube). Above all, we here at Blackhole recommend focusing on LinkedIn, which is used by 97% of B2B marketers as the most effective social media platform.

Diverse Formats

Utilize both video and written formats to engage your audience effectively. Video, in particular, has huge untapped potential as most B2B brands have yet to realize its prominence in bringing in new business. Demand Metric reports that video marketing can boost conversion rates by 86% .

5. Build Personal Brands for Key Leaders

Leadership Presence

Empower your executives and sales teams to build their personal brands through thought leadership and active participation in industry discussions. For example, Patrick Collison’s strong personal brand enhances Stripe’s corporate brand significantly. (Or think of Elon Musk and SpaceX for instance…)

Authenticity

Authentic and relatable personal brands can enhance trust and humanize your company. According to Edelman, 63% of people trust what a thought-leader says about a brand more than what the brand says about itself.

6. Organize and Participate in Events

Trade Shows and Events

Host and attend relevant industry events to network and showcase your expertise. According to Bizzabo, 41% of marketers believe that events are the second most effective marketing channel for B2B companies after digital advertising, email marketing, and content marketing.

Collaborative Events

Partner with other organizations to expand your reach and influence. Collaborative events can lead to significant increases in brand exposure and business opportunities.

7. Leverage PR and Podcasts

Media Coverage

Secure PR articles and guest appearances on industry podcasts to enhance visibility and credibility. According to Nielsen, 87% of B2B customers trust earned media, such as PR, more than any other form of advertising.

Thought Leadership

Share insights and trends to position your company as an industry leader. B2B companies that invest in thought leadership can see up to 20% growth in lead generation and sales as highlighted by LinkedIn and Edelman.

8. Run Advertising and Brand Awareness Campaigns

Targeted Campaigns

Run targeted advertising campaigns to increase brand awareness among your ideal clients. The ROI from PPC (Pay-Per-Click) campaigns can be as high as 200% according to WordStream’s PPC statistics.

Consistent Campaign Messaging

Ensure your campaign messages are consistent with your overall brand strategy to maximize creating brand awareness among your target audience with each and every single campaign. Think of Adobe communicating its fostering of artists’ creativity and of raising awareness about the importance of sustainability with the company’s paid ad campaigns.

Check out our CAD service case study to see how we successfully enhanced their branding. By following the same steps, you can build a B2B brand that stands out, builds trust, and ultimately increases your revenue.

If you need assistance with crafting a strong B2B brand, we are here to help.

Don’t wait to reach out to us if you have any questions or need further clarification of the steps we discussed today.