The subject of B2B direct marketing for lead generation and opportunities was suggested to me by one of my LinkedIn connections who works in the area of experiential events and brand activations.
Direct marketing is communication with a customer or lead that is not through a mass media platform such as advertising. Email, social media, texting, and LinkedIn messaging are common platforms for B2B marketers.
When it comes to B2B direct marketing advice for branding experts I’m always going to suggest they check out branding experts like Chris Do at the Futur or Daniel Priestley at Key Person Of Influence. Both of them are required reading. But within the context of my experience, here’s my advice!
As I presume my branding connection was talking about cold messages, then the quick answer to the question of what you say after you’ve said hello is that you talk about them and not you. Their problems, their outcomes, their concerns, their obstacles, however you want to phrase it. As your messages interrupt their day, it’s the least you can do.
What they don’t care about is how long you’ve been offering branding services, who you’ve worked with, or your latest package deal. This is valuable information, for sure, but at the right stage in the sales funnel.
Here are some more pointers when you’re struggling to create authentic and effective direct messages.
Avoid the generic
AI has proliferated lines that are so incredibly generic as to make them redundant. How many times do I read the phrases “In this ever-changing world”, or” in this digital world”, or “in this ever-evolving world”? An American IT recruitment client pointed out to me that these phrases bear a striking resemblance to the phrase ‘In conclusion…’ marking the end of every high school essay.
Don’t make them think
There’s a fine line between the subtle and the abstruse ( yes I had to look that up). Direct marketing/direct messaging is selling so just get over it and stop being so vague that your recipient cannot work out what you want. If I read a vague opening line (see above) then I know this vagueness will continue throughout the message.
Don’t explain your process
It’s too early in the relationship and they don’t care anyway. When I’m feeling particularly bolshie about B2B sales I will tell clients that no one cares about your process. Even if you were faced with a B2B buyer who is technically qualified to understand your processes they still don’t care. I call it ‘what’s in the box’. Inside a box is your process. The client doesn’t have to open the box and so long as the box keeps working the client won’t open the box. What’s inside is irrelevant to them. So why try and show them the contents of the box? I’m being facetious
Do be specific
Super specific. Specificity and relevancy are two core pillars of marketing content when instilling sector expertise. In contrast, here’s an example of B2B direct marketing I received recently that is typical:
“ I specialize in website design and logo branding with a track record of 15+ sites and 40+ logos. Connect with me if in case you need to outsource your work.”
Grim. If you’re a B2B service provider and do not see the problems within this message then you need to hire me.
Stick to a template
Although these are individually written direct messages it doesn’t mean they can’t come from one two or three frameworks that you are comfortable sending out again and again. Keep each template short and stick to one point. Templates are a more efficient way of creating new messages but also they allow you to test the effectiveness of one message’s approach.
Have a suggestion for me for the next newsletter? Whether you are branding services, web dev, SaaS, data engineering, or recruitment services, simply connect, subscribe to my newsletter and drop me a direct message with your question. I’ll try to address it in my next available newsletter.