Does your B2B company have a well-defined marketing plan?
Aiming to stay ahead? It doesn’t matter whether you’re a startup or an established company. There’s always something to learn from companies who are doing it right.
In this post, you’ll dive into 10 different B2B marketing plans from leading companies, exploring the strategies that set them apart and the lessons you can apply to your own marketing efforts.
By the end of this article, you’ll have a clear understanding of:
- Key elements that make a B2B marketing plan effective
- Innovative tactics used by industry leaders
- How these strategies may positively impact business goals
10 Companies With Exemplary B2B Marketing Plans
1. BambooHR
BambooHR is a leading provider of online human resources software for small and medium-sized businesses, offering solutions for hiring, onboarding, employee records, and performance management.
Strategy Overview
BambooHR’s B2B marketing plan focuses on creating content to simplify HR processes for businesses, helping them manage their workforce effectively. They focus on providing educational resources and tools that empower HR professionals to make informed decisions and enhance employee experience. They position themselves as the leading expert for HR pros and deliver a product that solves common problems they face.
Key Tactics Within Their Strategy:
- Helpful Blog Content – BambooHR maintains a well-structured blog that covers topics their audience finds valuable like “The Benefits of Employee Onboarding” and “How to Create an Inclusive Workplace.”
- Free Tool Promotion – BambooHR also provides free tools and resources for HR professionals to use and test-drive before (or without) using their software including employee satisfaction surveys & applicant tracking templates. This gives users immediate value while building brand awareness.
- Social Media Engagement & Events – BambooHR actively posts engaging content on social media including infographics on HR statistics, motivational quotes for HR professionals, and fun behind-the-scenes looks at company culture. HR pros get content that is relatable, relevant, and drives community engagement.
Results
BambooHR has established itself as a trusted partner for HR professionals, attracting thousands of customers with its intuitive platform and commitment to enhancing workplace culture and productivity.
2. Podium
Podium is a customer communication platform designed to help businesses manage their online reputation, customer interactions, and local marketing efforts. It focuses on improving customer engagement through messaging, reviews, and feedback.
Strategy Overview
Podium’s B2B marketing plan centers on empowering businesses to connect with their customers more effectively. They prioritize providing solutions that enhance customer experiences and streamline communication processes.
Key Tactics:
- Custom Content For Specific Audience Segments: Podium strategically creates content for different audience segments including Medical Spas, Dental Offices, HVAC, and more. This allows them to customize their messaging for specific audiences.
- Management Templates: Podium offers downloadable templates for managing and responding to customer reviews, helping businesses maintain a positive online reputation.
- Case Studies: They showcase success stories of businesses that have improved their customer engagement through Podium, detailing the strategies used and the results achieved.
Results
Podium has become a go-to solution for businesses looking to enhance their online presence and customer relationships. They attract thousands of clients and significantly improving their overall communication strategies. With content built for specific audience segments, they can customize messaging across multiple industries and use cases.
3. Follow Up Boss
Follow Up Boss is a customer relationship management (CRM) platform for real estate professionals. It helps agents manage leads, streamline communication, and optimize their sales processes.
Strategy Overview
Follow Up Boss’s B2B marketing plan focuses on providing real estate agents with the tools they need to convert leads into clients. One key component of their strategy is to emphasize personalized communication and effective follow-up strategies to enhance sales performance.
Key Tactics:
- Training Webinars – Follow Up Boss hosts regular webinars, such as “Becoming A Boss Webinar,” offering on-demand learning and interaction with industry experts.
- Customer Marketing Content: Follow Up Boss is committed to providing their customers with tools and resources to increase product adoption and reduce churn. They provide and share helpful resources to set up their customers for success with their product.
- Facebook Community: Follow Up Boss created a Follow Up Boss Facebook Group to engage with their customers. It provides users a space to announce new product updates, share success stories, and share best practices. They know their audience – real estate agents – are highly active on social media, which makes it a no-brainer to connect with them where they’re already spending time.
Results
Follow Up Boss has positioned itself as an essential tool for real estate professionals, gaining a loyal and engaged customer base and significantly improving agents’ lead conversion rates.
4. Adobe
Adobe is a global leader in digital media and marketing solutions, renowned for its creative software (such as Photoshop and Illustrator) and its comprehensive Adobe Experience Cloud, which helps businesses manage and optimize their digital content and customer experiences.
Strategy Overview
Adobe’s strategy focuses on empowering businesses to create exceptional digital experiences by providing an integrated suite of tools that combine creativity with data-driven marketing insights. They aim to be at the forefront of digital transformation across industries.
Key Tactics:
- Content Marketing through CMO.com: Adobe leverages its CMO.com platform to share valuable insights, trends, and thought leadership in digital marketing, helping marketers stay informed and inspired. This helps them specifically target one of their core audiences – CMOs.
- Adobe Summit: Their annual digital experience conference showcases the latest innovations, offers workshops, and brings together industry leaders to discuss best practices in digital marketing and customer engagement.
- Personalized Marketing Campaigns: Adobe utilizes its own tools to run highly personalized marketing campaigns, demonstrating the effectiveness of their solutions and enhancing customer engagement.
Results
Adobe has successfully transitioned from a software company to a cloud-based services provider, growing its B2B customer base significantly.
5. LinkedIn
LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking platform, connecting over 700 million users globally. It serves as a key resource for professionals to network, share knowledge, and explore job opportunities while also offering robust tools for businesses to engage with their audiences.
Strategy Overview
LinkedIn’s strategy focuses on enhancing professional networking and leveraging user data to deliver targeted marketing solutions. They aim to provide businesses with the tools necessary to reach decision-makers and foster meaningful professional relationships.
Key Tactics:
- LinkedIn Marketing Solutions Platform: A comprehensive suite of advertising tools designed for B2B marketers to create targeted ads, manage campaigns, and analyze performance.
- Leadership Content on LinkedIn Pulse: A platform for industry experts to publish articles and insights, establishing authority and encouraging engagement among professionals.
- LinkedIn Learning for Professional Development: An educational platform offering courses and training programs that help users develop skills relevant to their careers, enhancing user engagement and loyalty.
Results
LinkedIn has become the go-to platform for B2B marketers, boasting over 700 million users and a growing suite of marketing tools that enhance brand visibility and professional engagement.
6. Slack
Slack is a collaboration platform designed to facilitate communication and teamwork within organizations. It allows users to create channels for different projects, share files, and integrate various tools, making it a central hub for workplace collaboration.
Strategy Overview
Slack’s strategy focuses on enhancing workplace communication and collaboration. By creating a user-friendly platform that integrates seamlessly with other business tools, Slack aims to improve productivity and streamline workflows for teams of all sizes.
Key Tactics:
- Marketing through a Freemium Model: Slack offers a free version of its platform, encouraging teams to try it out and experience its benefits, leading to organic growth through referrals.
- Integration Partnerships with Other Business Tools: Slack integrates with a wide range of applications (like Google Drive, Trello, and Zoom), allowing users to customize their workflows and improve efficiency.
- Customer Case Studies Highlighting Productivity Gains: By showcasing success stories from various organizations, Slack demonstrates its impact on team productivity and collaboration, attracting new users.
Results
Slack has grown rapidly, becoming an essential tool for many businesses and recently being acquired by Salesforce for $27.7 billion, underscoring its significant impact in the collaboration software market.
7. Mailchimp
Mailchimp is a leading email marketing and automation platform that helps businesses manage their marketing campaigns, reach their audiences, and analyze performance. Known for its user-friendly interface, it caters primarily to small and medium-sized businesses.
Strategy Overview
Mailchimp’s strategy focuses on democratizing marketing tools, making them accessible and effective for businesses of all sizes. By combining email marketing with a suite of additional marketing services, Mailchimp aims to be an all-in-one solution for its users.
Key Tactics:
- Educational Tutorials: Mailchimp offers a comprehensive library of tutorials on topics like email design, audience segmentation, and campaign optimization. For instance, their “Getting Started with Mailchimp” guide provides step-by-step instructions for new users.
- Quirky Branding and Memorable Ad Campaigns: Their distinctive and playful branding, combined with creative advertising, helps Mailchimp stand out in a crowded market and fosters brand loyalty.
- Strategic Partnerships with E-Commerce Platforms: Mailchimp partners with popular e-commerce platforms (like Shopify and WooCommerce) to provide integrated solutions that enhance the marketing capabilities of online retailers.
Results
Mailchimp has grown to serve millions of customers worldwide, maintaining a strong position in the email marketing space while successfully expanding into broader marketing services.
8. Zoom
Zoom is a leading video conferencing platform that enables virtual meetings, webinars, and online collaboration for individuals and businesses. Known for its reliability and high-quality video, Zoom has become a preferred tool for remote communication.
Strategy Overview
Zoom’s strategy focuses on providing a user-friendly and scalable video communication solution that meets the needs of diverse users, from individuals to large enterprises. Their goal is to enhance connectivity and collaboration in an increasingly remote world.
Key Tactics:
- Freemium Model to Encourage Adoption: Zoom offers a free plan with essential features, making it easy for users to try the platform and encouraging widespread adoption.
- Zoom Rooms: Collaborations with hardware manufacturers enable the creation of Zoom Rooms, which are fully integrated meeting spaces equipped with cameras, microphones, and screens optimized for Zoom meetings. These setups enhance the user experience for professional environments.
- Joint Marketing Initiatives: Partnerships often include co-branded marketing efforts that highlight the benefits of using Zoom with compatible hardware, demonstrating real-world applications and increasing visibility.
Results
Zoom experienced explosive growth, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, becoming a household name and an essential tool for businesses worldwide.
9. Shopify
Shopify is a leading e-commerce platform that enables businesses of all sizes to create and manage their online stores. With a user-friendly interface and a variety of tools, Shopify supports merchants in selling products across multiple channels, including web, mobile, and social media.
Strategy Overview
Shopify’s strategy focuses on empowering entrepreneurs and small to medium-sized businesses by providing a comprehensive and accessible e-commerce solution. They aim to simplify the complexities of online selling, allowing merchants to focus on growing their businesses.
Key Tactics:
- Educational Content through Shopify Learn: Shopify offers a wealth of educational resources, including tutorials and guides, to help users understand e-commerce best practices and effectively utilize the platform.
- Shopify Partner Program for Developers and Agencies: This program incentivizes developers and agencies to build apps and services for Shopify, expanding the platform’s capabilities and fostering a robust ecosystem.
- Shopify Unite, Their Annual Partner and Developer Conference: This event brings together partners, developers, and merchants to share insights, network, and discuss the future of e-commerce, reinforcing Shopify’s commitment to its community.
Results
Shopify has become one of the leading e-commerce platforms globally, with over 1.7 million businesses in approximately 175 countries using their platform.
10. Canva
Canva is a graphic design platform that allows users to create a wide range of visual content, including social media graphics, presentations, posters, and more. With its intuitive drag-and-drop interface, Canva caters to both individual users and businesses looking to enhance their design capabilities.
Strategy Overview
At its core, Canva’s strategy focuses on making design accessible to everyone, regardless of skill level. By providing powerful tools and resources, they aim to empower users to create professional-quality designs easily.
Key Tactics:
- Freemium Model with Canva Pro for Businesses: Canva offers a free version of its platform while providing premium features through Canva Pro, targeting both individual users and businesses seeking enhanced functionality.
- Design School with Tutorials and Resources: Canva provides educational resources and tutorials through its Design School, helping users improve their design skills and effectively utilize the platform.
- User-Generated Content and Community Building: Canva encourages users to share their designs and engage with others. They foster a vibrant community that drives brand loyalty and creativity.
Results
Canva has grown to 60 million+ monthly active users across 190 countries. They’re known for their strong presence in both B2C and B2B markets.
