Digital media is gaining a significant share of B2B budgets

As an international media agency, we already support a number of clients in mechanical engineering and automation, IT, automotive and e-mobility, construction and housing with their global marketing activities. Since the beginning of the year, we have seen a remarkable increase in enquiries and assignments from companies seeking to generate greater visibility for their brand and business as quickly as possible or to communicate products and innovative technologies.

At its core, digital B2B media planning focuses on industry-specific media and channels, business networks and, of course, search engine advertising. How can I increase my online visibility? Where do I need to be present in the media to reach my target audiences?

LinkedIn currently plays the leading role as a global business platform, particularly through sponsored posts and advertisements. Additional networking through specialist portals helps improve B2B rankings. Google Ads, in turn, support organic Google search. Depending on the strategy, display advertising on Google can also be effective. This requires a sophisticated content and SEO strategy to achieve and maintain top positions in search results.

Another trend in digital media planning is the move away from traditional media planning towards the use of AI, commonly referred to as programmatic advertising. Campaigns are continuously optimized across several waves with the support of artificial intelligence. This can be highly efficient and significantly increase click-through rates.

Digital channels can make a substantial contribution to lead generation, particularly in international markets. Users have a strong need for information. Regions such as North Africa and the Middle East have so far been underserved compared with core markets, with relatively few traditional media outlets available.

Regions that have become more difficult to reach due to reduced business travel also respond very positively to high-quality digital content. One of our clients in the packaging industry has been running a highly successful, sophisticated LinkedIn campaign since the beginning of the year. Another client in mechanical and plant engineering is already implementing its second focused e-mobility campaign using LinkedIn, Google Search and Google Ads.

The sales team must then follow up on the leads and enquiries generated. Close cooperation between marketing and sales is essential.

Other sectors, such as real estate and construction, are still somewhat more hesitant about shifting budgets towards digital media, although they are also aware that future success depends on it. One of our clients targeting planners and decision-makers invested 95 per cent of its budget in print media and only five per cent in digital channels in 2021. By 2022, the share allocated to digital media had already risen to one-third, with a strong upward trend.

For architects and civil engineers, however, the tactile quality of communication materials remains an important indicator of quality. We therefore recommend a combination of strong digital advertising and a high-quality print medium, such as a brochure.

Newsletters, once a highly popular communications tool, have faced some difficulties in recent years, as many companies continue to struggle with their databases and the need to comply with GDPR requirements.

Success rates, particularly open rates, also vary considerably from country to country. While a good open rate in Europe is around 20 per cent, significantly fewer newsletters are opened in the United States, where the average is approximately 10 to 13 per cent.

In B2B marketing in particular, various newsletter options offered by reputable trade media have now become well established. There is a broad range of possibilities, but also considerable differences in quality and reach. One of the leading industry publications, packaging journal, for example, reaches more than 12,000 recipients with its regular monthly newsletter and is correspondingly highly regarded.

We support our clients on an interdisciplinary and comprehensive basis, providing integrated communications solutions for campaign management with a strong focus on client objectives and cost efficiency.

These are the steps we take together during the consulting process:

• Evaluation of current digital activities and the status quo
• Definition of objectives and target audiences, aligned with media frameworks
• Recommendation of an industry-specific media mix combining digital and print
• Coordination with the content strategy, including products and topics