B2B marketing is always changing because business itself is constantly shifting and reinventing itself. It’s a living thing, and living things can’t stay still, so they’re more challenging to pin down. We've been through more of these strategies than we can count, and we’ve found that if you want to partner with another organization, you need to appeal to all the decision-makers therein. That’s right, we’re talking Role-Based Journeys.
“Is that when you create different campaigns based on individual titles?”
You’re not far off, but there are some key differences between role-based journeys and title-based journeys.
Title-Based does utilize the targeting of key people within an organization, but titles can be fickle in the business world! People with the same titles can have completely different roles within their respective organizations. Strictly speaking, the duties of a CTO aren’t strictly definable and can encompass a wide variety of responsibilities, so sending out CTO-specific messaging won’t necessarily hit the mark.
With a role-based approach, you’re casting a slightly wider net, but you’re also much more likely to appeal to the recipient of your marketing materials. You may not know what the CTO is responsible for, but you know there are Salesforce developers on the team, so there’s your role, ripe for the targeting!
“Is this kind of like ABM?”
Good eye! When we’re talking about role-based journeys, it goes hand-in-hand with Account Based Marketing (ABM). This means that when you set your sights on a specific organization that you want to sell to, you go through (perhaps using general research or Linkedin) and find the decision-makers in that org.
Influential personnel will get a separate journey specific to their roles, different follow-up emails designed to speak directly to them, and there’s dynamic content being used to personalize the message, making them far more likely to convert.
“Is All The Extra Work Really Worth It?”
Yes. While it does take time to build multiple campaigns targeting different roles within an organization, it’s also going to be worth the time you’re putting in.
When you target multiple roles within an organization, you’re better able to show that your organization is able to solve the complex problems that their business is facing. You’ll be able to show that your services benefit their different departments in different ways, and that you aren’t just a one-trick pony; you’re an all-around business solution.
With everyone in your target organization talking about the different ways that partnering with you can benefit their goals and bottom line, it makes the decision to partner with you that much easier.
It’s a marketing strategy that works on two fronts: It begins with your various marketing materials landing in the inboxes of people with specific roles, and it continues when those people talk to each other about you. Your name is always on the tip of their tongue when it comes to what you provide. Sure, they’ve heard of your competition, but their marketing is kind of vague, and it’s not clear how their products and services will help their organization as a whole.
Now you have the edge, and you’re that much closer to converting.
