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In the ever-evolving world of digital advertising, B2B companies are constantly seeking the most effective strategies to generate leads and drive sales. A recent case study conducted by WebStrategies Inc. sheds light on the performance of Google's Performance Max (PMAX) campaigns compared to traditional Search and Display campaigns for two B2B clients. Let's dive into the findings and explore what they mean for your advertising strategy.

Conexus, a building automation system provider, partnered with WebStrategies in March of 2020, a time when businesses were turning more to digital marketing as a means to attract leads. The company had previously gotten leads from referrals and sales cold calls but hadn't implemented any digital tactics. WebStrategies strategized and executed a multi-pronged digital approach to bring qualified leads in for the company as quickly as possible.

In general, manufacturers have been slower to embrace digital marketing compared to some of their B2B counterparts in other industries. As they do shift their marketing budgets gradually towards digital, they often see impressive results and are then eager to try more inbound marketing tactics. When this manufacturing client began working with WebStrategies in 2016, they quickly realized the importance of developing a digital marketing strategy. In turn, they have broadened their opportunities to generate leads in very niche target markets and generated impressive results from their digital strategy.

When our client, a manufacturer of custom mining equipment and replacement parts, found themselves struggling to promote their high quality products and superior customer service, we were excited to help. Even large manufacturers are often challenged when it comes to marketing, especially transitioning to a more digital focus. Our client found themselves with a surplus of replacement parts and lacking the expertise to advertise them effectively.

Manufacturers, and many B2B companies in general, have traditionally relied heavily on word of mouth and sales people to maintain a steady flow of revenue. However, the landscape has changed and potential customers, B2B customers included, are doing most of their research online before making a purchase. Our client, an established manufacturing company that provides equipment to international businesses in a variety of industries recognized that their overall marketing strategy was not complete without a digital marketing plan that would generate more leads and help them to maintain a healthier sales pipeline.

When we partnered with a 15 branch credit union in May 2018, their primary goals were to run successful digital ad campaigns and set up reliable results tracking. While their initial priorities were to accurately measure the effectiveness of their marketing, and increase auto loans, mortgages, and new checking account inquiries, in a short amount of time they've seen those goals realized as well as some impressive results they weren't necessarily expecting.

The ability to measure the results of marketing efforts continues to be a challenge for many credit unions. In fact, it was one of the biggest pain points in our 2018 credit union marketing survey. Credit unions without a system for accurately measuring marketing results struggle to prove ROI and to justify their marketing budgets, only putting them further behind other credit unions and banks who are more digitally savvy.

Community Banks are beginning to shift their marketing focus to digital, albeit at a slower pace than many industries. These banks face tough competition from larger banks and from credit unions, and trying to break through to potential customers is proving to be increasingly difficult. Without reaching them online, it's even harder. Here we'll spotlight the digital marketing approach that helped a locally owned and operated Community Bank generate new loan applications and new accounts.

While well-established in their local market before partnering with us, our HVAC client had not been consistent with digital marketing efforts and found themselves lagging behind their competitors online. As a result, they were not generating the amount of online leads needed to meet their growth goals, and did not have a process in place for effectively maintaining contact with their customer base.

When we began working with a rural, family owned security alarm company, they were a well-established provider of residential and commercial security. They wanted to improve their reach and visibility to their target market, and with our specialty in marketing for security companies, we have seen impressive results that have compounded over time.