Tip 1: Learn the Industry’s Acronyms
Regardless of what industry the client’s business is in, it’s important to be familiar with their commonly used acronyms. Take the time to research the business by reviewing blogs, content on their website, or industry news. By reviewing multiple sources, there will be themed abbreviations/acronyms that will be mentioned. After doing some research, do a quick search on the definition, as there may be multiple interpretations. In the event that there are multiple variations, don’t hesitate to clarify the meaning with the client during the onboarding process. Clients are typically very receptive to answering questions as it showcases the eagerness to get up to speed on the industry.
Tip 2: Understand the Competitiveness in the Search Space
B2B clients tend to be in a more lucrative and competitive industry which can make it extremely hard to rank and/or run ads without a heavy investment. Learning to face this reality and communicate transparently with the client, can make or break their marketing plan. If the client doesn’t know how expensive the search space is, and they decide to deprioritize budgets to allocate it elsewhere, this can cause wasted spend or make little to no impact on their overall goals.
Tip 3: Set Up Google Alerts
If the company is larger in size or has a strong brand presence, setting up Google Alerts is a simple way to understand their industry as well as if there are any changes that they plan to make that can potentially impact it. If there is negative news surrounding the company, you can negate any related search terms that may be appearing through your broad match keywords. Additionally, you can also rectify brand reputation efforts by creating ads that use contextual targeting to counter articles written in a negative light.
What else should you know about your client? Check out this post for tips when onboarding an SEO client.
Summary
Applying these 3 tips should make the onboarding process a lot easier for both you and the client. Clients aren’t expecting agencies to have a mastery understanding of their industry, but rather basic knowledge of it that gives them the proper context to manage and implement their marketing strategies.
Looking for more guidance on B2B marketing? Reach out!
