DM.Ideation: How to approach digital research for strategic B2B marketing planning in 2024 

Strategy is mandatory for any growth. Everyone knows that. Yet, while there are tons of materials on marketing strategy, researching and analyzing the market to find opportunities for B2B tech growth is always a pain for B2B tech companies.

The challenge lies in ensuring that a marketing strategy is based on real market data and deep insights from that data. Therefore, there is a need to create a sustainable analytics process amid the ever-evolving landscape, especially in the complex and dynamic B2B buyer’s journey of 2024.

At 42DM, we’ve done dozens of marketing researches and formulated marketing strategies for each and every of our clients over the last 7 years. 

Finally, we created our own proven strategic framework that is the first step of implementing all of our product solutions, like Inbound Marketing or Demand Generation. It aims to close the gap in classical B2B marketing approaches to strategy, which is lack of focus on channels and changes in buyer’s journey. Hence, we created a 360 digital footprint research framework, that gives you 42+ insight to drive growth, and base your marketing strategy on. 

So, let’s dive into DM.Ideation. 

Why ongoing digital research is a must for B2B businesses 

As a tech business leader, hopefully you don’t need us to persuade you of the importance of strategy. What we want you to explore is a dynamically changing B2B buyer’s journey and how it already influences your business. 

So, here is what’s happening in the B2B tech market: 

• The decision-making process is becoming longer and more people are involved in the decision-making. This is a result of the recession and budgets drop for tech solutions. Consequently, you need to persuade a greater number of people to buy your product or service.
• Marketing budgets are down, and it is difficult to reach growth with the same limited resources.

• The B2B demand is distributed between Google, AI and Social media, so catching your TA is harder as you need to successfully engage and capture the audience of more channels. 

To stay competitive, grow no matter the limited resources and generate leads, you need to know everything there is to know about your customer and channels they use. 

Yet, the classical approach to marketing strategy does not delve deep enough into the changes of buyer’s behavior, and all the different channels that have been gaining demand momentum lately. 

So, we propose a unique approach to strategy design – DM.Ideation. It involves a broader content & media field research to catch the distributed demand, deeper ICP research, and a strong audit of all aspects of marketing in your organization, from content creation to analytics and CRM. 

As a result, you get an ongoing 360 digital footprint research process for your company to  deliver growth and ensure efficient budget allocation. 

DM.Ideation: 6 steps to success

At its core, DM.Ideation introduces an innovative concept that empowers B2B marketing firms to think beyond the conventional and unlock insights that drive extraordinary growth. The cornerstone of this approach is the 360 Digital Footprint research framework, a holistic methodology designed to uncover more than 42 unique insights that fuel growth and strategic success.

The research framework is a comprehensive approach encompassing six critical components that together create a robust foundation for discovery:

Stage 1: Market research 

Main question: Where is the market going, and what will drive growth in the future? 

First, we are diving into the market you business functions in, and learning everything there is to know about it. 

While completing this research, we are looking to:

• understand the direction of market development 
• understand how it will drive growth in the future 
• align digital efforts with emerging trends and customer preferences
• identify key players and their roles within the industries 
• evaluate the market and customer segmentation
• benchmark industry digital marketing tactics
• explore digitalization trends and find out about marketing technology in use 
• adopt innovative strategies, tools, and channels for a competitive edge

Stage 2: ICP & Buyers Persona Research 

Main question: Who is the ideal customer and how can you catch them? 

What we are looking at:

• analyse CRM & define who are the ideal customers
• identify firmographics and buyer personas behind each of the ICPs
• research their pains, gains, jobs-to-be-done and value propositions 
• tailor our digital marketing efforts to resonate with their needs, preferences, and pain points through their digital channels of choice
• ensure that our marketing messages are more relevant and compelling, increasing the likelihood of attracting and converting potential customers
• identify the addressable market size to set realistic targets and optimize resource allocation

Stage 3: Media consumption & Content field research 

Main question: What channels should we focus on, and what are the core topics to cover in our content strategy? 

What we are looking at:

• identify high-demand topics 
• uncover content opportunities that align with the buyer personas’ interests and needs
• create relevant and valuable content optimized for these topics 
• enhance organic search visibility, attract qualified traffic, and increase the potential for conversions
• uncover preferred platforms, content consumption patterns, and interaction habits of our target audience
• develop an effective social media strategy and curate engaging content to expand reach and drive engagement
• uncover further target audience insights and refine messaging accordingly
• identify and collaborate with opinion leaders in our target industries, expanding reach and credibility
• amplify our message and drive further brand awareness

Stage 4: Competitors research 

Main question: What are competitor’s successes and blind spots? 

What we are looking at:

• benchmark digital marketing efforts by comparing strategies and tactics, identifying strong and weak areas
• identify competitors’ unique selling points and positioning in the market
• differentiate and tailor messaging to attract a relevant target audience
• reveal insights about user experience, design, functionality, and content strategy
• enhance website usability, navigation, and content to increase engagement and drive conversions
• identify keywords, content topics, and optimization techniques that will improve search engine rankings
• optimize creatives to maximize conversion potential
• understand competitors’ media coverage, brand reputation, and industry relationships
• identifymedia opportunities and build positive brand associations

Stage 5: Performance Analysis

Main question: What are the core performance blockers and how we can overcome them? 

What we are looking at:

• refine digital marketing mix and reallocate resources to the most successful channels
• measure reach, engagement, conversion rates, and return on investment ROI) for each channel and identify the most impactful channels
• evaluate the user experience, navigation flow, and conversion points to identify any bottlenecks or areas for improvement
• optimize the website’s design, content, and calls-to-action to increase conversion rates and improve customer acquisition
• analyse the current CRM and identify hidden gems segments that could be opportunities for scaling
• find opportunities to minimize customer acquisition costs
• evaluate tools to uncover gaps and opportunities
• summarize our findings and create recommendations based on what should be maintained, improved, discontinued, as well as what new initiatives should be implemented 
• set a fundament for strategic decisions

Stage 6: GAP analysis 

Main question: What are the main strategy implications and and recommendations for 2024 and beyond? 

To perform GAP analysis, we use the KISS framework: 

Key Benefits of DM.Ideation’s Approach

What sets 42DM apart is its proficiency in generating over 42 tailored insights that cater specifically to the diverse needs of B2B clients. These insights are not static but are adapted in real-time, providing an all-encompassing view of the digital buyer’s journey. Beyond owned channels and tools, these insights empower the development of strategies that lead to increased sales opportunities and accelerated growth. 

The primary benefits include:

• Defining the Winning Buyer’s Journey: DM.Ideation transforms insights into actionable strategies that fuel the sales pipeline, leading to strategic victory.
• Real-time Intent Signals Identification: The platform’s prowess lies in its ability to spot real-time intent signals, ensuring that marketing efforts are always aligned with customer needs.
• Unique Ongoing Account Scoring Algorithms: By expertly filtering out noise, DM.Ideation ensures that valuable signals related to buying intent are accurately identified.
• Proprietary Dashboard Visualization: The insights are presented through a proprietary dashboard, making it easier to visualize and utilize the obtained information.

Why Choose 42DM for Your Strategy Creation?

Boasting over seven years of dedicated experience exclusively serving B2B enterprises worldwide, 42DM brings a wealth of expertise to the table. Our transformative mindset and the 360 Digital Footprint research framework enable us to turn challenges into opportunities.

By leveraging up-to-date enterprise analytics and marketing technology stacks, we lay the foundation for a thriving innovation ecosystem. When others perceive threats, we perceive possibilities, ensuring your marketing strategies are not only effective but also well ahead of the curve. With a focus on innovation, expertise, and transformative thinking, 42DM emerges as the ideal partner to drive your B2B marketing strategy into a new era of success.