What Is Enterprise Marketing? [Complete Guide]

Is your business looking to target enterprise-level companies? Then, read this guide to learn about common challenges and the most effective strategies.

KEY POINTS

• Learn what is enterprise marketing and the typical challenges you’ll confront to do it well.
• Check out enterprise marketing strategies you can apply today.
• Explore the tools you need for an enterprise marketing campaign.

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What is enterprise marketing? It’s a question that many people in the marketing and sales industries are asking these days. The answer, however, is not always so clear-cut. Enterprise marketing can be defined as the process of targeting and selling to enterprise-level companies. But what makes an enterprise company? And how is enterprise marketing different from other types of marketing? In this blog post, we will explore those questions and more.

We will also discuss the most common challenges faced by large organizations when it comes to enterprise marketing, as well as the most effective strategies for reaching this lucrative market segment. Finally, we will take a look at some of the tools you’ll need to execute an effective enterprise marketing campaign.

What is enterprise marketing?

To answer this question, we first have to define an enterprise business. An Enterprise business is generally defined as a company with over 500 employees. However, there are other factors that can contribute to a company being considered an enterprise, such as annual revenue, number of locations, or the type of product or service they offer.

As smaller companies experience growth and find themselves emerging as enterprise businesses, it only makes sense that their marketing efforts will need to expand and grow as well. Traditional marketing efforts help to build and establish a loyal customer base for small businesses, but enterprise marketing takes things to the next level.

Enterprise marketing is defined by the following characteristics:

• It is geared towards larger businesses, usually with 500+ employees.
• It focuses on building relationships with other businesses, rather than consumers.
• Enterprise marketing incorporates a mix of techniques aimed at development and expansion.
• Enterprise marketing campaigns are often more complex and require more resources than traditional marketing efforts.
• Enterprise marketers typically have a higher budget to work with than other marketing campaigns.

What are the challenges with enterprise marketing?

Every marketing campaign will hit its speed bumps, but the key is to try and anticipate the challenges ahead of time and plan accordingly. Let’s look at some of the unique challenges in enterprise marketing management and how to overcome them.

Resistance to change from decision makers within the company

Doing a serious overhaul of your marketing strategy will require significant time and effort, not to mention an open mind. Change can be difficult for those who are company veterans and are used to doing things a certain way (their way). Ease tension and build excitement by preparing accordingly:

• Carefully consider how you’ll roll out the announcement to your important decision-makers.
• Outline the major benefits and win them over before you launch the campaign.
• Clearly define who will be responsible for which tasks and how different stakeholders will collaborate.

Ineffective communication between sales and marketing teams

Effective communication is one of the most common problems faced by large enterprises. Sales teams need to understand the goals and objectives of marketing campaigns in order to provide feedback that will be useful in shaping future campaigns. Marketing teams must be able to take feedback from sales teams and use it to improve their targeting and messaging.

Don’t let a lack of integration between channels sabotage your new enterprise marketing strategy!

• The chief marketing officer should get everyone on the same page and keep communication seamless by using a single platform like HubSpot Salesforce, Marketo, or Pardot. Keep an eye on which channels are performing well and where you need to make adjustments in your content strategy.
• Schedule regular check-ins between marketing and sales leaders to ensure that everyone is on track, completing their role, and that any changes in product strategy are communicated effectively.
• Don’t silo data! Data should be shared across departments so that everyone has access to the information they need to make informed decisions.
• Marketing, sales, and customer success should all have access to the same data in order to avoid duplication of effort and to ensure that campaigns are aligned with company goals.

Budget Constraints

You’ll need to be able to allocate a large budget because enterprise marketing campaigns are notoriously expensive. To get large companies to buy in, you’ll need to have a solid plan in place for where your money is going and how it will be spent.

You’ll also need to be able to show different departments a clear return on investment (ROI) for your enterprise marketing campaigns. Otherwise, it will be difficult to secure the budget you need to continue running successful campaigns in the future.

Long sales cycles

Enterprise marketing campaigns do not have the quick return or short sales cycle associated with other marketing campaigns. You’ll need to be patient and prepared for a long, drawn-out process. Don’t worry, when done right, the ROI will be worth the wait!

In order to succeed in enterprise marketing, you’ll need to have a solid understanding of your target market, what motivates them, and what their buying process looks like. Targeting a large, diverse audience presents a unique challenge. One common pitfall is losing focus on the customer.

• You’ll need to focus on creating targeted content that speaks to the needs of new leads.
• It’s also important to have a clear understanding of what sets your product or service apart from the competition.
• Differentiation is key when selling to enterprise-level companies, so focus on the right channels with enterprise marketing tools.

Lack of personalization and customization options when targeting businesses is another facet of this complex challenge. The best solution is to craft direct sending campaigns to stay top of mind and create personal connections with companies. Learn more about how Sendoso can help you overcome this enterprise marketing challenge.

How is enterprise marketing different?

As mentioned before, enterprise marketing is geared towards a broader target audience, usually larger businesses. These businesses typically have 1000 or more employees, are taking in over $1 billion in annual revenue, and are interested in building relationships with other businesses rather than individual customers.

The enterprise marketing process differs from small or midsize marketing campaigns in several key ways:

• In order to avoid growth plateaus, enterprise marketing casts a broad net that extends well beyond a company’s existing target market
• An integrated multi-channel approach is used in an enterprise marketing
• The process reaches outside of the business’ internal marketing team to leverage product developers, IT managers, and others that can collaborate to develop multi-channel marketing strategies
• Enterprise marketing requires access to a large budget and a wide array of resources and data

Let’s get into details on three core characteristics that set enterprise marketing apart: multi-channel marketing, brand awareness, and brand diversity.

Multi-channel marketing

Small scale marketing campaigns traditionally utilize one or two channels, but multi-channel marketing is the process of using an array of channels to create brand presence and conveys cohesive messaging to interact with and convert leads. This could include a combination of online and offline channels, such as email, social media, direct mail, print advertising, events, and more.

The key is to use the channels that will be most effective for reaching your target audience. Implementing a multi-channel marketing campaign is no easy feat, but data shows that when implemented effectively it can generate major benefits:

• Companies with a streamlined multi-channel marketing strategy in place are able to retain 89% of customers.
• Consumers have observed a 23x increase in customer satisfaction after implementing a multi-channel marketing strategy.
• Businesses with a strong multi-channel marketing strategy have the ability to retain 89% of customers.

Brand awareness

Multi-channel marketing strategies are not only beneficial for businesses, but they’re also necessary in order to keep up with the competition. In today’s digital world, customers have more access to information than ever before and they’re no longer attracted to a brand that only uses one channel.

Brand awareness is a pillar of enterprise marketing. Creating a strong and recognizable brand is essential for any business, but it’s especially important for businesses targeting enterprise-level companies. In this type of marketing campaign, brand awareness is achieved through social engagement. Best practices include:

• Targeted social media presence
• Partnering with influencers
• Providing human customer support instead of chatbots
• Utilizing engagement analytics

Brand Diversity

The third important aspect of enterprise marketing is brand diversity and localization. When targeting a global market, it’s important to have a brand that can be easily recognized in different cultures. Businesses need to adapt their branding strategy to meet the needs of their target market. This includes everything from the colors used in the logo to the type of language used in ads.

Enterprise Marketing Strategies

There are a number of enterprise marketing strategies that have been proven to be effective in reaching and engaging enterprise-level customers. Some of the most common and effective enterprise marketing strategies include:

Developing targeted content

When it comes to enterprise marketing, developing targeted content is key. This type of content is designed to speak directly to the needs and interests of your target enterprise customer. This could include blog posts, articles, infographics, eBooks, and more.

Creating a strong social media presence

Enterprise customers are increasingly turning to social media to research potential vendors and purchase decisions. As such, it’s important for enterprise marketers to have a strong social media presence on the platforms their target market is most active on.

Engaging with your potential customers on a regular basis through social media also makes it easier than ever for companies to build relationships with consumers.

Investing in a personalization strategy

A personalization strategy is an essential part of getting your enterprise marketing campaign to launch successfully. With so much competition in the market, it’s important to find ways to make your company stand out from the rest. One way to do this is by personalizing your marketing content and messages to speak directly to the needs and wants of your target market.

What tools do you need for an enterprise marketing campaign?

In order to run an effective enterprise marketing campaign, you will need a number of tools and resources. Here are some of the most essential programs to consider adding to your toolbox:

• A CRM system: A CRM (customer relationship management) system is a must-have for any enterprise marketing team. A CRM system will help you keep track of your leads and customers, manage your sales pipeline, and automate tasks such as email marketing and lead nurturing.
• A marketing automation tool: Marketing automation is another essential tool for enterprise marketers. A good marketing automation tool will help you automate tasks such as email marketing, social media publishing, and lead nurturing.
• A content management system: A CMS (content management system)  is a must-have for any enterprise marketing team. A CMS will help you create and manage your website, blog, and social media accounts.
• A project management tool: A project management tool is essential for enterprise marketers. A good project management tool such as Asana or Slack will help you keep track of your projects, deadlines, and tasks.
• An APM: An application performance management tool helps organizations see the performance patterns within the bigger data picture, allowing them to make changes that will improve the end user experience.

Get a better return on your marketing investment with Sendoso

Enterprise marketing is all about limitless potential. Take your campaign to the next level with Sendoso, the leading send-time optimization platform. Direct mail is still delivering the highest average ROI of 112%, compared to other methods such as email and social media marketing. Find out how to leading B2B companies use Sendoso to fuel revenue by removing obstacles to reaching leads and closing deals.

Sendoso provides revenue-driving physical impressions that personalize the sales experience, inspire client action, and can be strategically placed throughout the entire customer journey.

Here’s how a successful direct sending campaign can positively impact the three most important goals of enterprise marketing:

• Personalization: One of the advantages of direct mail is that it can be highly personalized. With Sendoso, you can include a handwritten note, a video message, or even a branded gift.
• Nurture leads: Give your highest-ranked leads a little extra TLC with a direct mail campaign. Include a personalized gift box or virtual experience to show them how much you value their business. It’ll be the extra nudge they need to seal the deal!
• Build brand awareness: With Sendoso, you can send out branded gifts, like t-shirts or coffee mugs, to help increase brand awareness and top-of-mind with your best customers.

Schedule a demo today to see how Sendoso can help you achieve your enterprise marketing goals!