Having a mobile-first mindset is no longer just a strategy for B2C marketers, as a new generation of digitally savvy B2B buyers engages with content on their mobile devices. During this year’s B2B Marketing Exchange, Paul Peterman will present a session titled B2P: The Rise of Business To People, where he will share insights around business decision makers’ mobile and media consumption behavior. The session will also share case studies on B2B brands that have successfully reached their buyers in a mobile channel.
Peterman is the U.S. Head of Industry, Technology & Connectivity at Facebook, Inc., where he helps develop and deliver marketing solutions that drive business impact for tech and telco marketers.
Read on to get a sneak peek of Peterman’s session with Microsoft’s Ada Agrait.
What new realities are B2B marketers facing, and how have you noticed it impact your vertical in particular?
Mobile has disrupted the way people consume content and make business decisions; it puts personally relevant information in the palm of our hands 24/7, changing how all of us are reached and influenced. The result is an increasingly influential tool in the path to purchase, creating tremendous advantages for marketers who think mobile-first.
As B2B marketers look to reach people who make or influence purchase decisions for their company, they must rethink their strategies to engage audiences where they are spending meaningful time today, not where they were five or 10 years ago. This industry shift has disrupted B2B tech companies and raises the bar for B2B marketers. We’re in the age of the self-educated buyer, with two-thirds of purchase decision making happening before someone connects directly with your sales team. This makes staying relevant a business imperative for any company offering business products and services.
How does your session topic impact the above realities, and what advice would you give marketers who are just beginning to learn more about it?
I will address trends in how mobile is driving consumer behavior and will share insights on how business decision makers are engaging with business content on our platforms.
Business decision makers spend almost twice as much time on Facebook as the average person, and mobile is a big part of that. Whether you’re an experienced marketer or just starting out, I think the biggest piece of advice I can offer is the need to transform your marketing for the mobile era. Companies who do not make this pivot will not be relevant in the future. I’ll explain what this reinvention can look like for all stages of the customer journey — from building brand equity to capturing leads and driving sales. Plus, I’m honored to be joined on stage by Ada Agrait, General Manager of Marketing at Microsoft, to discuss how Microsoft has been successful in using Facebook to effectively target business decision makers.
What real actionable takeaways can attendees expect from your session at B2BMX?
I aim to inspire B2B marketers to break from the confines of traditional marketing and adopt a mobile-first strategy. To step-change your marketing results, you have to adopt a challenger mindset and not be afraid to force your own disruption.
It is also time to start engaging with customers like people and not companies. For example, in a recent Messenger study, we found that more than 60% of Millennials, Gen-Xers and Boomers preferred messaging with a business, rather than communicating by phone or email. Mobile messaging is more convenient for most people. B2B buyers want the same convenience in their professional lives that they have in their personal lives.
What are you looking forward to the most about the event?
I’m looking forward to hearing perspectives from other marketers on how they are managing the shift to mobile and where they are finding success. I’m also interested in learning about new themes or challenges that our Facebook family of apps and services can solve as we build new solutions and enhance our current suite of offerings.
