By Cameron Katoozi, Advertising Advisor at Heinz Advertising
Lately, the bow-tie mannequin has emerged as a well-liked framework in B2B advertising and marketing. Whereas the standard funnel mannequin has been the go-to for a few years, the bow-tie mannequin is gaining recognition as a extra complete strategy to buyer engagement and income technology. The mannequin provides distinct benefits which can be more and more related in in the present day’s B2B panorama. This revolutionary mannequin provides a number of benefits over the standard funnel mannequin, making it a horny choice for companies seeking to optimize their advertising and marketing methods. On this weblog, we are going to discover why the bow-tie mannequin is changing into common in B2B advertising and marketing and what benefits it has over the standard funnel mannequin.
The normal mannequin
A key cause why the bow-tie mannequin is gaining recognition is that it provides a extra holistic view of the shopper journey. The normal funnel focuses on the pre-sale stage; totally on the shopper acquisition means of guiding prospects by consciousness, consideration, and determination levels till they make a purchase order. As soon as the sale is made, the funnel mannequin usually neglects the post-sale stage, the place the main focus shifts to buyer retention and loyalty. In distinction, the bow-tie mannequin acknowledges that the shopper journey isn’t linear and that the post-sale stage is simply as essential because the pre-sale stage. The bow-tie mannequin addresses this shortcoming by incorporating each pre- and post-purchase levels, making a extra holistic view and more practical advertising and marketing technique that meets the wants of consumers at each stage.
What’s the bow-tie mannequin?
The mannequin sometimes consists of 5 levels: (1) Consciousness, (2) Consideration, (3) Choice, (4) Implementation, and (5) Submit-Implementation. Visually, it’s divided into two halves, with the second of buy/closed deal on the heart. The left facet represents the standard gross sales funnel, with a deal with constructing consciousness and consideration. The appropriate facet focuses on post-purchase levels, together with adoption, retention, enlargement, and buyer help/follow-up. This twin strategy permits companies to not solely purchase new prospects but additionally nurture present ones, finally driving long-term development and success.
Benefits of the bow-tie mannequin
One of many key benefits of the bow-tie mannequin is its emphasis on model belief and buyer loyalty. As defined by Jacco van der Kooij in a Successful by Design video, nearly all of income in a Gross sales as a Science strategy is made after the sale. By specializing in post-purchase levels corresponding to buyer help and follow-up, companies can capitalize on their present buyer base, which is usually a less expensive technique than solely concentrating on new buyer acquisition. Implementing the proper facet of the bow-tie additionally supplies extra consideration of buyer suggestions and enter, giving firms a greater buyer perspective to enhance services and products. In flip, B2B firms can enhance buyer satisfaction and enhance the chance of repeat enterprise with a extra customer-centric strategy to advertising and marketing.
One other good thing about the bow-tie mannequin is its skill to trace buyer development and measure the drivers that impression whole income. By analyzing knowledge corresponding to lookalike, clickstream, and attribution info, companies can achieve worthwhile insights into buyer conduct and preferences, permitting them to tailor their advertising and marketing efforts for max impression. One other space of concern with the standard mannequin is failing to acknowledge that completely different prospects have varied wants and preferences. Within the conventional funnel mannequin, the main focus is on transferring all prospects by the identical linear path. In distinction, the bow-tie mannequin acknowledges that completely different prospects have completely different wants and preferences and that advertising and marketing actions needs to be tailor-made accordingly. By personalizing advertising and marketing actions to fulfill the wants of particular person prospects or personas, B2B firms can create a more practical advertising and marketing technique that resonates with prospects.
The bow-tie mannequin additionally provides benefits when it comes to lead technology and lead nurturing. Within the conventional funnel mannequin, the main focus is on producing as many leads as attainable after which filtering them right down to a smaller group of certified leads. This strategy can result in a excessive quantity of unqualified leads, which is usually a waste of time and sources. In distinction, the bow-tie mannequin emphasizes the significance of lead nurturing, which entails constructing relationships with prospects over time and offering them with related content material and knowledge that meets their wants. The bow-tie mannequin may help companies determine areas the place organizational gaps are, enabling them to implement proactive, sustainable methods to enhance efficiency, corresponding to lead nurturing. This manner, B2B firms can construct stronger relationships with prospects and enhance the chance of a profitable sale.
Wrapping it up
In conclusion, the bow-tie mannequin provides a extra complete and efficient strategy to B2B advertising and marketing than the standard funnel mannequin. It encourages companies to optimize their pricing methods to empower buyer retention and development. By providing pricing choices that cater to completely different buyer wants and preferences, companies can foster long-term relationships and encourage repeat purchases, finally boosting their backside line. Incorporating each pre- and post-purchase levels, emphasizing model belief and buyer loyalty, and offering worthwhile insights into buyer conduct, the bow-tie mannequin allows companies to optimize their advertising and marketing methods for long-term development. As extra organizations acknowledge the advantages of this revolutionary strategy, the bow-tie mannequin is about to proceed being an more and more common selection for a lot of B2B entrepreneurs transferring ahead.
