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Personalized B2B Buying Journeys – Part II

Frank Thompson
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Putting Personalization into Action

Following our Personalized B2B Buying Journeys – Part I article where you learned innovative strategies manufacturers can employ to personalize buying experiences – in Part II we’ll dive into some more concrete examples of how these practices can be implemented.

There is a bit of art mixed in with the science and the software that support B2B personalization efforts. Every business and eCommerce application is different but with the right data and tools merchants can create and manage customer journeys that are more relevant, personal and profitable.

Mindset: Continuous Refinement Based on Behavioral Data

The beauty of a data-driven approach is that it allows for continuous refinement. As you collect more data on how these micro-segments interact with your content, products, and sales team, you can further refine your understanding of their needs and preferences. This might involve tracking:

  • Content engagement patterns
  • Product page views
  • Quote requests
  • Sales call outcomes
  • Post-purchase feedback

You ensure that your personalization efforts remain relevant and effective over time by continuously updating your micro-segments based on this behavioral data.

Experience B2B Personalization Platforms

There are a variety of platforms that specialize in refining B2B personalization, such as BigCommerce, Adobe Commerce, and Bloomreach. BigCommerce and Adobe Commerce can both be used to create personalized B2B buying journeys. Here are three examples of how this can be done:

  • Tailored Product Recommendations: Both platforms offer robust product recommendation engines that can be used to suggest products based on a variety of factors, including past purchase history, browsing behavior, and demographics. This can be especially useful for B2B buyers who may be looking for specific products or solutions to meet their business needs. For example, if a customer has previously purchased industrial equipment from a manufacturer, the website could recommend complementary products, such as replacement parts or maintenance services.
  • Customized Pricing and Promotions: BigCommerce and Adobe Commerce also allow businesses to offer customized pricing and promotions to different customer segments. This could involve offering volume discounts to customers who purchase in bulk, or providing special promotions to customers in specific industries. For example, a manufacturer could offer a discount on a new product line to customers in the healthcare industry.
  • Adobe Target: Is a personalization engine within the Adobe Experience Cloud, can be used to dynamically display tailored product recommendations on an e-commerce website. For instance, if a customer is browsing power tools on a hardware store’s website and has previously purchased a specific brand of drill, Adobe Target can analyze this behavior and present recommendations for complementary products from that same brand, such as drill bit sets or batteries. This level of personalization not only enhances the customer’s shopping experience but also increases the likelihood of additional purchases.

Bloomreach: The Future of Personalization

Bloomreach has become popular in creating one of the highest functioning and in-depth platforms when it comes to personalization. They do the following:

  1. Personalized Search: Bloomreach Discovery offers a sophisticated personalized search feature for B2B distribution websites. This tool analyzes buyer behavior and product data to ensure that search results are tailored to the specific needs and preferences of each buyer. For example, if an electrical contractor is searching for switches, the results would be different based on whether they’re working on a hospital wing or a dairy plant. This level of personalization helps B2B buyers find exactly what they need more efficiently.
  2. AI-Powered Email Personalization: Bloomreach uses artificial intelligence to create highly personalized email marketing campaigns for B2B customers. Some key features include:
    1. Price drop alerts: The system can automatically send notifications to customers who have shown interest in specific products when prices change, helping to re-engage them and drive conversions.
    2. Real-time data utilization: The platform personalizes email content, subject lines, and even send times based on individual customer data and behavior.
  3. Personalized Content and Product Recommendations: Bloomreach’s platform can generate tailored content and product recommendations based on a customer’s behavior and purchase history. This capability is particularly valuable in B2B contexts where:
    1. Cross-selling and upselling opportunities can be more complex due to the nature of B2B products and services.
    2. The customer journey is often longer and involves multiple decision-makers.
    3. Personalized recommendations can significantly improve the customer experience and drive revenue growth.

These examples demonstrate how Bloomreach leverages advanced technologies like AI and machine learning to create highly personalized experiences in B2B environments. By tailoring search results, email communications, and product recommendations to the specific needs and behaviors of B2B customers, Bloomreach helps businesses improve customer engagement, streamline the buying process, and ultimately drive more sales.

This approach to personalization is particularly valuable in B2B contexts where purchases are often more complex, involve larger transactions, and require more specialized knowledge compared to B2C environments. By providing such targeted experiences, Bloomreach helps B2B companies create more meaningful interactions with their customers, fostering loyalty and long-term business relationships. Examples include:

Tailored Product Recommendations

With a deep understanding of each micro-segment, manufacturers can provide highly relevant product recommendations. This goes beyond simple “customers who bought X also bought Y” logic. Instead, consider recommending:

  • Complementary products based on the buyer’s specific industry challenges
  • Upgrades or new models based on the age of their current equipment
  • Maintenance supplies based on their typical usage patterns

For example a merchant that sells wire and cable to electrical contractors should be offering the bulk amounts of cable that make sense for the size of the contractor that is buying.

Customized Pricing and Promotions

Pricing and promotions can also be tailored to each micro-segment. This might involve:

  • Volume discounts for segments with high purchasing frequency
  • Bundle deals that address specific industry pain points
  • Loyalty programs designed around the buying patterns of different segments

Remember, the goal is to offer discounts and create value propositions that resonate with each buyer group.

Personalized Content Journeys

Content plays a crucial role in the B2B buying journey. By leveraging your micro-segment data, you can create highly relevant content journeys:

  1. Awareness Stage: Provide industry-specific thought leadership content that addresses the challenges faced by each micro-segment.
  2. Consideration Stage: Offer detailed product comparisons and case studies demonstrating value in the buyer’s industry and company size.
  3. Decision Stage: Provide ROI calculators, implementation guides, and customer testimonials that address the concerns of each micro-segment.
Consistent Cross-Channel Messaging

It’s important that your personalized messaging remains consistent across all touchpoints. This includes:

  • Website content
  • Email campaigns
  • Social media interactions
  • Sales team communications
  • Customer support interactions

Maintaining consistency across these channels reinforces your understanding of the buyer’s needs and builds trust in your brand.

Remember to Balance Personalization and Privacy

The Importance of Data Protection

As manufacturers explore personalization further, it’s crucial to maintain a strong focus on data protection and privacy. With regulations like GDPR and CCPA in place, companies must be transparent about their data collection and usage practices.

Implementing Privacy-First Personalization

Privacy-first personalization involves:

  1. Obtaining explicit consent for data collection and usage
  2. Providing clear opt-out options
  3. Ensuring data security through robust cybersecurity measures
  4. Being transparent about how personalization works

By adopting these practices, manufacturers can build customer trust while delivering highly personalized experiences.

The Role of First-Party Data

First-party data is becoming increasingly valuable in light of increasing privacy concerns and the phasing out of third-party cookies. Manufacturers should focus on:

  • Developing strategies to collect first-party data ethically
  • Creating value exchanges that incentivize customers to share their data
  • Leveraging customer data platforms (CDPs) to unify and activate first-party data

Measuring the Impact of Personalization

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Tracking relevant KPIs is essential to understand the impact of your personalization efforts. Some important metrics to consider include:

  1. Conversion Rate: Are personalized experiences leading to more sales?
  2. Average Order Value: Are customers purchasing more when presented with personalized recommendations?
  3. Customer Lifetime Value: Personalization leads to longer, more valuable customer relationships?
  4. Net Promoter Score (NPS): Are personalized experiences improving customer satisfaction and loyalty?
A/B Testing and Continuous Improvement

Implementing a robust A/B testing program is crucial for optimizing your personalization strategies. This involves:

  1. Testing different personalization approaches against control groups
  2. Analyzing the results to identify what works best for each micro-segment
  3. Continuously refining your strategy based on these insights

Personalization is not a “set it and forget it” strategy. It requires ongoing optimization to remain effective.

The Future of B2B Personalization

Emerging Technologies

As we look to the future, several emerging technologies promise to take B2B personalization to new heights:

  1. Augmented Reality (AR): Allowing customers to visualize products in their environments
  2. Voice Commerce: Enabling hands-free, personalized ordering experiences
  3. Internet of Things (IoT): Providing real-time data for predictive maintenance and automated reordering
The Role of Human Touch

While technology plays a crucial role in personalization, it’s important to maintain sight of the human element. The most successful manufacturers will find ways to blend AI-driven personalization with human expertise and relationship-building.

These are just a few ways in which B2B companies can stay ahead of the curve and cater to their customers. If you’re interested in implementing some of these techniques, reach out to us and we’d be happy to help facilitate growing your B2B business.

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