What Is Inbound Marketing Used For By SAP Consultancies [eBook]

How SAP Consultancies Differentiate Themselves

It is often said that the modern economy is possible, at least in part, due to the specialization of labor.  When it comes to SAP Consultancies, the question is, "how do they truly differentiate themselves and how do they let not just the world know, but the right-fit customers know"?.  More importantly, will using and inbound strategy result in more leads than an outbound strategy?

Inbound Marketing for SAP Consultancies

What is Inbound Marketing and how can SAP Consultancies use it? Discover how SAP Consulting companies can leverage advanced Inbound Marketing.

SAP Consultancies Win with an Inbound Marketing Focus Coupled with Focused Sales Methodologies

As it turns out, I once worked in a role called SAP Industry Principal.  Among many tasks, I had to decide on which SAP partners to position on which opportunities.  In that role, I carried a sales  quota that required me to prepare an annual business plan, that detailed all of the marketing efforts, both inbound and outbound, that I and my large team of Account Executives, would carryout during the year.

High-Performance Sales Team

Not an Accidental Sales Strategy

While I relied heavily on my existing professional network, I also relied heavily on high quality content.  What is Inbound Marketing Content?  Here's an example: my product marketing colleagues delivered two product focused webinars, weekly, to approximately 2,000 members of my SAP Partner Channel Consulting Team Members.  This was how we were able to leverage the collective expertise of our Partner's experts in creating valuable content to support their own content marketing efforts.  

Inbound Sales Process

High quality Inbound Marketing Content is not only used to attract visitors to a website, but it is also used by the Inbound Sales Team to help them close deals by providing useful, educational content. SAP Consultancies can leverage Inbound Marketing to differentiate themselves and attract the right-fit customers, but it's important to note that inbound marketing should be combined with outbound marketing efforts for maximum impact.

Range of Tactics

By employing a range of inbound and outbound marketing practices, SAP Consultancies can achieve outstanding results and stand out in a crowded marketplace. Inbound Marketing can help SAP Consultancies achieve desired outcomes such as being selected as the go-to SAP partner to win a deal or getting existing SAP customers to seek them out. By creating educational content that is both targeted and relevant, SAP Consultancies can establish themselves as trusted advisors to their clients. The Inbound Sales Team can then use this content to help close deals and attract existing SAP customers.

SAP Inbound Marketing Strategy

These days, I do a lot of business development using Inbound Marketing as a core concept.  I use my own deep expertise with both SAP and Hubspot to attract visitors to my website, both via organic channels, social media, email and direct channels.  In addition, my website, as well as my professional network, is used to get interested prospects to call me or book a meeting with me. All of this lead generation activity relies on my marketing automation platform, which is called Hubspot.

Inbound Marketing Benefits

Inbound Marketing is a powerful tool that SAP Consulting firms can leverage to differentiate themselves and attract the right-fit customers. When you realize there are more than 20,000 companies that claim to be SAP Partners, it becomes clear why you need a powerful, differentiated, lead generation strategy.  By focusing on creating educational content that is both targeted and relevant, SAP Consultancies can establish themselves as trusted advisors to their clients.

Optimized Inbound Marketing Methodology

Grow Better, Faster

Inbound Marketing can help them achieve desired outcomes such as being selected as the go-to SAP partner to win a deal or getting existing SAP customers to seek them out. To achieve these outcomes, SAP Consultancies need to employ a range of Inbound Marketing practices, including social networking, providing educational content, and understanding the key performance metrics of their target industries. With the right Inbound Marketing methodologies, SAP Consultancies can achieve outstanding results and stand out in a crowded marketplace.

Been There, Done That

What have I learned that any SAP Consulting Company can use to increase sales by the use of Inbound Marketing?  The most important lesson I can share after working in SAP for over 25 years is that you have to combine an Inbound Marketing Strategy with outbound marketing efforts.  All of the Inbound Marketing efforts and all of the outbound marketing efforts require the use of a robust Customer Relationship Management (CRM) System to really turbocharge your lead generation and sales efforts.

Fill the Pipeline with Inbound Marketing

Inbound marketing is an essential tool that can help SAP Consultancies attract the right-fit customers and establish themselves as trusted advisors. By creating targeted and relevant educational content, SAP Consultancies can differentiate themselves and stand out in a crowded marketplace. Inbound marketing can not only fill the sales pipeline but also help in closing more deals with high average order values and more assuredness. Providing valuable content, such as the latest trends and innovations in the SAP industry, can position SAP Consultancies as thought leaders and help build lasting relationships with clients.

Set Yourself Apart

SAP Consultancies can set themselves apart in the industry and achieve their desired outcomes by seamlessly blending inbound and outbound marketing efforts. By combining the power of inbound marketing, which emphasizes educational content and thought leadership, with the targeted and results-driven approach of outbound marketing, which includes practices such as search engine optimization, social selling, and case studies, SAP Consultancies can achieve outstanding results and differentiate themselves from their competitors.

Inbound and Outbound Marketing

When it comes to SAP Consultancies, differentiating themselves and attracting the right-fit customers is key. Inbound marketing is a powerful tool that SAP Consulting firms can leverage to achieve desired outcomes such as being selected as the go-to SAP partner to win a deal or getting existing SAP customers to seek them out. By creating educational content that is both targeted and relevant, SAP Consultancies can establish themselves as trusted advisors to their clients. However, it's important to note that inbound marketing should be combined with outbound marketing efforts for maximum impact.

Search Engine Optimization and Marketing

For instance, SAP Consultancies can use, search engine optimization and Search Engine Marketing (SEM), social selling practices, targeted case studies, and videos to educate their account executives and industry principals on their specialized software solutions. This will help them win the deal and get existing SAP customers to seek them out. By employing a range of inbound and outbound marketing practices, SAP Consultancies can achieve outstanding results and stand out in a crowded marketplace.

Identify Your Target Audience

As an SAP Consultancy, it is crucial to identify and target the right audience to achieve desired outcomes such as being selected as the go-to SAP partner to win a deal or getting existing SAP customers to seek you out. This is where the concept of ideal customer profile comes into play. By creating buyer personas, SAP Consultancies can develop targeted and relevant educational content that will establish them as trusted advisors to their clients. Inbound Marketing strategies such as social networking, providing short case studies, and educational videos can help SAP Consultancies contrast themselves and attract the right-fit customers. While inbound marketing is a powerful tool for SAP Consultancies to attract the right-fit customers and establish themselves as trusted advisors, it should not be relied on solely. Combining inbound marketing with outbound marketing efforts is crucial for maximum impact and outstanding results in a crowded marketplace. By employing a range of both inbound and outbound marketing practices, SAP Consultancies can differentiate themselves and achieve their desired outcomes.

Successful Inbound Marketing Campaigns

For SAP Consultancies to stand out in a crowded marketplace and achieve desired outcomes and meet their business objectives, they need to develop a comprehensive content plan, produce high-quality content, and then distribute and promote it as part of a successful inbound marketing campaign. Inbound Marketing can help SAP Consultancies become trusted advisors to their clients and attract the right-fit customers by creating targeted and relevant educational content. Combining social networking, short case studies, and educational videos with outbound marketing efforts can lead to outstanding results, and identifying the right audience and delivering the right content at the right time is crucial for success in a crowded marketplace.

What is Valuable Content?

Another valuable content type that SAP Consultancies can provide to achieve trusted advisor status among their ideal customer profile is an understanding of the latest trends and innovations in the SAP industry. By keeping up-to-date with the latest advancements, SAP Consultancies can offer unique insights and perspectives to their clients, positioning themselves as thought leaders in the industry. This can be achieved by creating informative blogs, hosting webinars, and attending industry events. In addition, SAP Consultancies can provide their clients with access to industry-specific research and case studies, highlighting the successful implementation of SAP solutions in their industry. By providing educational content that is both informative and relevant, SAP Consultancies can establish themselves as trusted advisors and build lasting relationships with their clients.  Afterall, SAP Consultancies sell what they know, and what they need to know changes constantly.

What is Inbound Marketing and What is it Used for?

There are several high impact business outcomes that Inbound Marketing can help SAP Consultancies (or really any software services company) achieve:

Desired Outcome Number One:

• Getting selected by the SAP Account Executive as his go-to SAP partner to win a deal.
  
  A SAP Account Executive is responsible for identifying and selecting SAP partners to win deals and ensuring existing SAP customers are satisfied. To achieve these goals, the SAP Account Executive will rely on SAP Consultancies to provide specialized software solutions and be their trusted advisors. By employing inbound marketing practices, such as creating targeted educational content, SAP Consultancies can establish themselves as thought leaders in the industry and attract the right-fit customers. While inbound marketing is a powerful tool for SAP Consultancies to attract the right-fit customers and establish themselves as trusted advisors, it's important to note that combining inbound marketing with outbound marketing efforts, such as search engine optimization and social selling practices, is crucial for maximum impact. Inbound marketing can also help SAP Consultancies network with key decision-makers and provide ongoing educational content to delight customers. To achieve outstanding results, SAP Consultancies should employ a variety of inbound and outbound marketing practices and utilize Inbound Marketing platforms like Hubspot to measure success.

How, Where and When Can Inbound Marketing Practices Help Here?

1. Employ social selling practices (SAP does on a massive scale).
   
   
2. Keep track of who is moving where as they change positions rapidly.
   
   
3. This behavior requires activity before, during and after any engagement.
   
   
   

1. Short Case Studies of customers you have helped within your target industries.
   
   
2. Focused, high-impact recorded demonstrations, particularly of Industry Specific Solutions.
   
   
3. Value engineering proof points.
   
   
   

Do You Provide Specialized Software Solutions?

If you have specialized software that can help them win the deal, make sure they know.

1. Educate them on your specialized software functionality, using very short, focused educational devices such as regularly delivered:
   
   
   1. Educational emails (short and educational)
      
      
   2. Videos, hosted on youtube or wistia, that you make your AE and Industry Principle aware of.

Desired Outcome Number Two - Get Existing SAP Customers To Call You

• Getting existing SAP Customers to seek you out, even when they have an existing SAP service provider.
  
  

How, Where and When Can Inbound Marketing Practices Help Here?

Inbound Marketing can help you in numerous areas here:

• Networking with key decision makers
  
  
• Your Social Networking efforts are a key practice here, both online and off.
  
  
• Helping them navigate their SAP implementation
  
  
• Of course, you use SAP ASAP or SAP Activate, but if you have enhanced it or simplified it, educational content you have produced that shows how your content will both speed up the implementation and reduce the risk is key. 
  
  
• Being their “Trusted Advisor” by providing them ongoing educational content before, during and after the implementation
  
  
• This is not something someone is appointed to, rather, it is earned and you can use a variety of Inbound Marketing techniques to achieve this status, providing you have the knowledge to be that person.
  
  
• Understanding what the key performance metrics are of your particular industry
  
  
• Every industry uses standard financial reports, but they also have some key metrics (usually very few in reality), such as airline route profitability, they focus on.
  
  
• The successful SAP Consultancy will be known not just as the SAP consultancy that knows what they are but also how to improve them on an-going basis.
  
  
• Knowing whether and how the SAP solution can support both the measurement of these KPIs and how it can and cannot help drive improvement in these KPIs.
  
  
• Communicating to the customer, at the right time, what is in the SAP box, is a critical task to set expectations.
  
  
• Knowing how to put together a solution specific to the customer is what your customer wants to know you know how to do.
  
  
• Educational content, delivered on an ongoing basis, across a variety of communication channels, is how Inbound Marketing can help you delight customers.  Inbound Marketing platforms such as Hubspot are one of the essential inbound marketing tools you will need to have in order to deliver and measure this if you want to achieve outstanding inbound marketing results.
  
  With the right educational media, inbound marketing allows you to literally segment and target a single key decision maker.
  
  
• Communicating to the customer, at the right time, what is in the SAP box, is a critical task to set expectations.
  
  

Complimentary Inbound Marketing Consultation

Many SAP Consultancies are looking to shift their marketing to an inbound marketing focus.  Few SAP marketing consultancies have a deep SAP consulting team onboard as part of their DNA like SAP BW Consulting, Inc. 

That's why if you're looking to up your SAP game, we offer a complimentary Inbound Marketing Consultation with a inbound marketing consultant with years of experience in SAP consulting as well as a deep sales and marketing background.

How To Use Advanced Inbound Marketing Methodologies

If you want to learn how to achieve the outcomes outlined above using the advanced Inbound Marketing methodologies mentioned, you might want to start by reading and applying the principles in The Essential Guide to Internet Marketing which is available by pressing the button button.

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