In
the HR industry
, there are solutions and services that solve various human resources issues, such as correcting long working hours and improving productivity due to work style reforms, utilizing
HR technology
, and new graduate and mid-career recruitment where a seller’s market has become the norm. are being released daily.
In
marketing strategies
for new solutions and services, in addition to acquiring leads (prospective customer acquisition), the challenge will be to increase awareness of the services and solutions themselves.
Especially for start-up companies, it is necessary to work on marketing strategies to increase awareness of the company.
This time, we will explain in detail a marketing method that combines
branding
and lead acquisition at the same time.
About branding in BtoB
Regarding branding in BtoB, ”
” explains as follows.
While
marketing
is a “total strategy for selling a product,” branding is a “strategy to enhance consumers’ image of a product or company and differentiate it.”
In marketing, we dig deeply into
needs
and strategically create products that sell by capturing market and social trends, such as goods and services that have not yet been commercialized. A distinctive feature of our work is that we focus on formulating plans to expand sales, including new product planning, concepts, pricing, and manufacturing process improvements.
On the other hand, branding is important for differentiating the value of products and companies so that customers recognize them. The main focus is on building a long-term framework to contribute to business, such as by providing visual images, sensory impressions, and reliability.
Branding is characterized by focusing on the value of the product or company itself, as well as creating a presentation and atmosphere that brings out the best, and establishing shared values. We aim to input a good image to the target group, raise awareness of the business, and expand overall.
Marketing method that simultaneously performs branding and lead acquisition
The following are ways to simultaneously generate leads and brand your company to make stakeholders such as HR managers and managers aware of your company’s HR issues and problem-solving potential.
◆Support and sponsorship of HR-related exhibitions and events
Exhibitions and events attract users who are interested in the field or who are aware of the issues.
Thousands or even tens of thousands of people visit the event over the course of a few days, making it the perfect place to raise awareness.
At an exhibition, you can set up a large booth and use various techniques to point out latent needs and demand stimulation, and appeal to industry-wide and market issues.
◆Display advertising
In web marketing, display ads can be used as response ads and branding ads for lead acquisition.
Responsive advertising is “advertising that aims to obtain responses that lead to purchases from potential customers,” and branding advertising is “advertising that aims to increase branding indicators.”
Listing ads target users who searched for keywords specified by the advertiser, but display ads allow you to display ads on a variety of websites, allowing you to reach many users.
Additionally, with DSP advertising, it is delivered to users similar to those who visited your site (expanded users), making it possible to reach a group of people who are likely to become potential customers.
Recent display advertisements include video and audio, and like TV commercials, which are typified by branding advertisements, messages and creatives are needed to raise favorable feelings and expectations.
◆Article advertisement in the form of a conversation with experts and celebrities
You can also brand and acquire leads by posting article advertisements on portal sites with a high number of accesses and UUs (unique users), and on specialized media. Specifically, it is an article advertisement in the form of a conversation with experts and celebrities.
Experts and celebrities will serve as your conversation partners, and by having them share industry trends and wide-ranging knowledge, you will be able to increase your communication power.Furthermore, you will be able to increase awareness by touching on your company’s services and solutions during the conversation.
The format of article advertisements differs depending on the media, but you can obtain leads by showing part of the conversation and turning the entire contents of the article advertisement into a white paper (downloadable material).
There are some formats that show all the article advertisements without providing leads, so you need to check.
Please refer to the example below from HR Pro.
“
Strategies and organizational reforms to change results and win – What is the leadership essential in times of turmoil?
”
Interview article between Mr. Hidekazu Aida, Representative of AIDA LLC (Aida Consulting LLC) and Mr. Fujinori Takemura, Executive Vice President of Franklin Covey Japan Co., Ltd.
“
What is a company’s HR strategy based on talent management using RPA?
”
Conversation article between Mr. Nobuyuki Ohsumi, President and CEO of RPA Technologies, and Mr. Atsushi Furusawa, Marketing Director, SumTotal Systems
There are also other sites that have a collection of verifications regarding article advertisements, so please refer to
them
as well.
◆Entry for awards/grand prizes
Direct lead acquisition is difficult, but a more effective way of branding and lead acquisition is to enter awards and grand prizes.
If you actually win an award, you can increase trust in your company’s technological capabilities, services, and solutions by disseminating the award in a press release and using it for branding.
Below is a website with a list of awards.
“
Contest Open Competition [Gateway to Success] ~Products/Product Planning/Furniture~
”
Things to keep in mind when branding and acquiring leads at the same time
When branding and acquiring leads at the same time, you need to pay attention to the quality of the leads.
By doing recognition, the range of targets will naturally become wider. It is not possible to focus on leads that are desirable for your company, such as those who are decision makers, major companies, and have a high probability of receiving orders, and at the same time increase awareness and acquire many leads.
If you seek both mass and mass, you may end up losing sight of the original goal of marketing.
Lead quality can be fully resolved in the nurturing (customer development) and qualification (selection) phases after lead acquisition.
summary
◆Corporate branding is built so that business partners have expectations that the company is differentiated from other companies when selecting a company.
◆Specific methods include sponsorship of exhibitions and events, display advertisements, and article advertisements in the form of interviews with experts and celebrities.
◆Performing branding and lead acquisition at the same time means approaching a wide range of users, and seeking both lead quality and quantity risks losing sight of the original purpose of marketing.
Lead quality can be fully resolved through nurturing (customer development) and qualification (selection) after lead acquisition.