Small Business & Graphic Design News

Survey: Brochures are vital to B2B marketing

Business-to-business marketing is dramatically different from traditional business-to-customer promotion campaigns. Whereas B2C companies generally try to appeal to a broad audience, B2B companies often take a more specialized approach.

Despite these inherent differences, a new survey conducted by Target Marketing Magazine has found that brochures are integral to the campaigns of many B2B firms. According to the survey, 90 percent of the respondents still actively use brochures to varying degrees in their marketing campaigns, while only 10 percent claimed that brochures were antiquated marketing materials.

Of the respondents that used brochures, 73 percent use traditional printed materials to promote their products and services, while 6 percent offer customers downloadable brochures as well. Eleven percent use white papers instead of brochures.

The survey consisted of firms that are involved in B2B marketing, 53 percent of which focus on B2B only. Forty-one percent participated in both B2C and B2B marketing.

These findings stress the importance of having a brochure available as a marketing tool. Brochures have many advantages that can’t be matched by emerging digital channels. Whereas digital content can only be accessed by a web-enabled device, brochures can exist anywhere – whether it’s hanging on potential customers’ refrigerators or sitting on their desks.

With 90 percent of companies using brochures, that also means a business owner’s competitors are likely using brochures to fulfill customer inquiries. "Without a solid brochure for your company, product or service, you are at a disadvantage in your inquiry fulfillment and sales efforts," says Target Marketing Magazine.

The text written on these brochures was cited as being critical to a successful campaign. When polled on the most valuable aspect of direct marketing, more than half of the respondents indicated that copywriting was critical to their campaigns.

The survey found that, in general, B2B companies tend to rely on digital marketing channels less than B2C firms. Whereas social media is gaining popularity among consumer-based businesses, 57 percent of B2B companies don’t operate blogs. Further, only 18 percent used social networking sites like Facebook for marketing purposes.

Many companies find that brochures are most effective when paired with other marketing initiatives. Business owners need to be careful, though, when planning multichannel campaigns. According to recent reports from the Aberdeen Group, disjointed marketing messages can confuse and frustrate customers.

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