Suggestions on Engaging B2B Clients Online: Deepen client relationships while increasing your online brand awareness

Given the choice between deepening an existing client relationship and looking to new clients to increase sales, I’ll typically choose the former.

First, it is almost always less expensive. Second, you know your prospect (your existing client) is interested in your services at some level. You’re fishing where the fish are – not wasting time prospecting for those that may need your services.

There are some interesting ways that “new marketing,” a catch-all term for Internet, or online marketing, can help deepen your existing client relationships.

First, to strengthen client relationships online you must offer your clients something of value. This is the classic “what’s in it for me” question – and it’s a good one. The benefit of the additional products or services you are offering is not enough. And prior to deepening the relationship, you shouldn’t even be considering discussing increased sales with your client. You should be thinking along the lines of “what else can our company contribute to this client?”

For example, a social media campaign in which you feature client success stories on a monthly/quarterly basis. A company blog would be the perfect platform for this.

The value to your client is positive brand exposure through the blog pieces and any other marketing you do around it (PR, online or traditional). Use client quotes throughout the blog piece and perhaps link to your client’s own site or blog.

The key is to use your companies brand image and marketing reach to offer value to your client. If you provided new or innovative services to your client that helped them get better, more efficient or save money, these are great topics to highlight.

But go one step further and put yourself in their shoes. Don’t focus on your successes, but instead take the angle that your client’s company wanted to get better at serving their customers. Put the focus on the improvement your client initiated.

The social media campaign might have many pieces that build a narrative around the project or projects your company performed for your client. Create an ongoing narrative that has weekly or monthly installments. Include “How to” tips in the postings that offer the reader valuable content and a reason to come back to your blog.

Once the online campaign is finished, blog entries can be converted to case histories to post on your site or use in traditional marketing collateral.

Be sure to contact and get sign-off from the client prior to blogging on specific projects you’ve done for them. A better idea than simply getting sign-off is to include the client in an ongoing campaign. If the client is interested in actively participating, great. If not, but they give you approval to move forward, you have another reason to stay in touch with them on a regular basis.

Increased communication often leads to increased sales.

One of the nice benefits of the above for your company is that the campaign does double-duty. First, you are initiating an ongoing relationship with your client in which you provide them with value outside of the traditional “buy this from me” sales model. Second, even though the aim of your campaign is to highlight your client’s successes, your company’s contribution to that success will not be lost on your readers.

So you achieve two things here.

1.) Deepening a client relationship that may lead to more sales in the future.

2.) Increasing your brand awareness as an expert solution provider in your field through your social media offerings.

Online presence and brand image is a function of the content you provide and the value you generate. Why not focus some of that content and value on your existing clients?

You may be surprised what you get in return for a little giving up front.

© 2008 Chris Plamann, All rights reserved.

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