Here’s an interesting data point: 82% of adults in the U.S. claim loyalty to a product brand. That loyalty can translate to market share pretty darn quickly. So how can a B2B company capture that kind of loyalty/market share selling such non-sexy items as laminate, conveyors or even paper? Build a great brand.

The fact is that these same people buy B2B products almost exactly the way they buy personal products. https://hbr.org/2018/03/the-b2b-elements-of-value

True, B2B buying is team-based in most companies, so a loyal buyer has to use data, content and follow company procedures to convince their peers that their recommendation is the right one. Today, meeting those criteria are the ante’s of doing business. According to this Harvard Business Review article, ease of doing business, relationships and the brand value of the company are the elements of ‘value’ to a B2B buyer.

So, how do we determine brand value? Most marketers agree it’s a combination of content (what’s important to your customers), reputation (delivering on your promises), and peer review (trusted advisors). And as marketers we know that if you increase your customer engagement, then you increase brand loyalty, which increases sales. Customer engagement isn’t a magic bullet – it’s a hard slog of research, creating content, and P.O.P.E (produce once, publish everywhere) – but for those companies willing to invest the time, the rewards can last a very long time.