Bob Sperber, Editor, Branded Content

Digital marketing is evolving rapidly as marketers learn to use new-generation tools such as SEO, paid search, paid social media, and digital advertising platforms such as Google AdWords. B2B marketers increasingly use them alongside media-based offerings. Both sets of tools are essential to achieving the balance needed for customer acquisition and brand growth today and in the future.

The reason to use both types of solution providers is that they're complementary; using one but not the other can compromise your results. Here are a few points that help reveal the differences between general-market digital tools and B2B media-based digital marketing channels:

•  Once a budgeted web ad or paid social program is over, your brand's visibility disappears. Media-based programs add the ability to include educational PDFs or other assets with longer life while delivering solid web search index qualities.
• Paid search, social, and other programs offer audience segmentation but tend to be less precise than a trusted B2B media database, which is largely created using detailed first-party (audience-supplied) profile information.
• Media-based programs provide more audience-facing context to join ads, related content, links, and follow-up email campaigns (which at IME are experiencing their highest open rates in years).

General-market digital tools and B2B media solutions are both essential. Those who ignore one or the other will miss key synergies and compromise the diversity of their multi-channel marketing mix.

B2B media have a buying-cycle advantage.

There are times when a marketing manager is pressured to deliver ROI measured in volume, which can result in over-reliance on paid web search solutions. This can be a seductive quick fix that has its place in the marketing mix. But it shouldn’t replace B2B media campaigns which, if ignored, can leave a brand with short-term tactics that aren't ideally suited to B2B buying cycles.

When targeting audiences of decision-makers and team influencers, a purchase can take months. Targeted B2B media solutions provide a tightly coupled solution set that can make it easier for marketers to follow an ad or marketing program with successive lead-nurturing email campaigns. These, in turn, help maintain awareness and build relationships with core audience prospects. The media brand, in effect, facilitates the vetting process. 

Leading media outlets have evolved along with new digital technology and offer a variety of solutions for targeted lead generation, improved reach and awareness, and something general-market channels may not. Leveraging trusted B2B media solutions enhances relationship selling and offers a way to help marketers succeed with a diverse, high-performing marketing mix.

In short, taking advantage of diverse marketing tools is a great way to keep from putting all your marketing resources in one "basket."

For more information, read 10 Pro Tips & Best Practices for 2025 for tips, practices, and insights related to media and non-media channels.