Making a deal

Business to business (B2B) is like chess in many ways, easy to learn, difficult to master. A campaign of incremental choices and decisions to ultimately lead you and your business to a winning position. With digital continuing to evolve and integrate with our daily lives, it’s hard to know whether there is still a place for printed advertising in the world. However, we’re here to assure you that print is here to stay. In this article, we’ll be looking at why customers, both businesses and consumers, keep coming back to print. And, how you can ensure your campaign sets you apart from the competition; like the Bobby Fischer of print advertising.

Trust is Crucial

The expiry date of digital media is becoming shorter and shorter, making it easier than ever to pick up and put down news stories, reviews and blog articles, without a second thought. Print cuts through this fleeting experience with something that is physical, tangible and ‘hold-in-your-handable’. With digital media, it’s hard to feel ownership of something, much the reason vinyl sales continue to surge, whereas print allows you to feel the glossy texture and leaf through the pages.

Print also implies a level of luxury while showing your intentions as a business. It’s easy to set up a Facebook page, much harder to compile quality editorials and beautiful imagery into a readable format. These are the reasons we trust print; whether it’s newspapers, industry journals or company magazines, it signals clearly the intention of being seen and respected.

Selection of Magazines

With all that said, let’s take a look at how you can take your B2B print advertising to the next level.

Choose Your Focus Carefully

Think about exhibitions, pitch meetings and god-awful business brunches, they all have the same thing in common: people clamouring to tell you about themselves and their business. Instead, flip the script, focus on the customer, ask them about their business, their problems, and offer useful and relevant solutions. Show them that you want to work with them, but only when it works FOR them.

This should run through your print advertising too. Don’t make it about you; make it about them. Avoid words such as ‘we’ and ‘our’, instead, use ‘you’ and ‘your’. Make it clear the benefits that the customer can receive and show that you understand their problems, illustrating how they can be solved. Additionally, avoid complicated jargon. People hate being made to feel stupid and defences go up as soon as the industry talk comes out. Keep your copy simple and clear, so that anyone can pick it up and understand what you do.

Design

Selection of print colours

Although there are no strict limitations on ad design, there are some considerations we suggest you take into account. For those who have grown up reading books, magazines and newspapers, it will be instinctual to look at the top left-hand corner of a page, as that’s where stories begin. With this in mind, consider the flow of the advert; from left to right and top to bottom.

Also, you should take the time to create a bank of images for your products or service, to be used for advertising and media. Stock photography is everywhere, with the ease and accessibility of services like Shutterstock, brands have gotten lazy when it comes to imagery for their brand. Authentic images will make your brand stand out, signalling it as a worthy investment. Remember to always adhere to your brand guidelines throughout.

Placement and Purpose

billboards in American city

B2B ads, unlike B2C, are a little more refined when it comes to placement. It’s unlikely you’ll see an ad for business services on a billboard or on TV, as those are typically viewed by the general public. In this sense, consider where you’ll be placing your ad and the type of audience you look to target. Trade magazines are a fantastic place to be seen, as often other businesses in the sector will have subscriptions. Additionally, business newspapers can have a great effect, depending on the budget and the size of your business. You could also look at creating engaging B2B promotional material for events and exhibitions. Nearly all companies have budgets set aside for these materials; therefore, it’s essential to make sure they hit the mark.

In the same vein, promotional material can often be a missed trick by businesses who don’t harness the full opportunity. Events and exhibitions are one of a small selection of scenarios when people will be ready and willing to learn about your business and take away your materials. We’re all guilty of sounding keen and then chucking these in the recycling bin when we’re back in the office, so make sure yours stand out. Instead of waffling about what your business does, create something useful that offers an independent source of information and insight. People will be much more likely to refer back to this if it offers them something they want or need to know.

Measurement

Measuring tape
Closeup of Measuring tape on red background

All too often, B2B ads are measured by the number of clicks, which as a metric, simply doesn’t work. How many times have you seen a printed ad with a QR code or website URL and actually bothered to scan or search it? Very few, we’re guessing. Print advertising is about initiating and maintaining a relationship, rather than driving sales there and then.

When designing metrics and objectives for your campaign, think carefully of what you want from the person on the receiving end. Do you really expect them to get out their phone and type in a link, or is there a simpler take away? Maybe that your brand is trustworthy? Perhaps you’re doing something different to everyone else? Perchance you’re a family business that emphasises customer service? None of these can be measured in clicks.

Whether you’re designing a standout B2B advert or want to print some exceptional promotional booklets, Brightsea is here to help. Let us take away your printing pain, and in return, we’ll deliver some excellent looking materials for your business. Get in touch with us to use our Exeter printing services, and why not check out our blog too?