Content Marketing for ERP Resellers: What Actually Works
How Inbound Marketing Strategies Help ERP Resellers Grow ERP System Sales
In today’s competitive software landscape, mastering the content marketing that ERP resellers rely on is essential for generating leads and growing system sales. Drumming up new business through referrals is a great strategy for young companies; however, at some point, your well of new referrals will run dry. The realization that growth through referrals is limited can feel like a harbinger of defeat for small businesses.
At this point, you have to make a choice: plateau as a company (and try to hold on tightly to the business you have in hand) or pivot your marketing strategy (to expand your pipeline beyond your immediate relational network). You could choose to invest in an outbound marketing strategy. Unfortunately, this marketing strategy typically does not work well for ERP resellers (for reasons we will explore later). The wiser choice for your business at this juncture would be to begin making a long-term investment in Inbound Marketing. Inbound marketing provides a powerful framework for attracting prospects actively searching for enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions.
What ERP Resellers Must Know to Compete in a Buyer-Led Market
The B2B market for ERP software has dramatically shifted. In the past, before the widespread availability of information and resources about ERP options (by way of the internet), ERP sellers had a stronger position in the realm of ERP sales. However, for obvious reasons, times have changed. ERP buyers are now firmly in control. Prospects now conduct extensive independent research online long before they ever speak to a sales representative. According to some research, usually about 70% of the B2B buyers' journey is completed before the prospect ever contacts a single sales representative. What does this mean for your company? It means that you need to be found online by prospects!
And that is not all. After the prospect finds your company on the web, you need to provide them with resources which gives them the confidence and clarity to make contact with you. To compete, ERP resellers must provide valuable educational resources early in the buyer's journey for prospects.
Changing Dynamics of ERP Sales
ERP sales cycles are becoming longer and more self-directed. Buyers now expect vendors to demonstrate expertise and solve problems upfront through whitepapers, case studies, and informative blog posts. Providing authentic and authoritative thought leadership is challenging for many companies. Yet, investing in thought leadership is a key part of the education process for would-be buyers.
Limitations of Traditional ERP Marketing
Traditional outbound methods—like cold calling, direct mail, and unsegmented email blasts—yield diminishing returns. These tactics often frustrate modern buyers who prefer to discover solutions on their own terms. According to recent research, in successful sales cycles, over 80% of the time, buyers initiated first contact. Buyers know what they need, when they need it. They know what the gaps in their business systems look like. They like to be in control.
Why Inbound Marketing Outperforms Outbound Marketing for ERP Resellers
Inbound vs. Outbound
Outbound marketing interrupts the prospect, whereas inbound marketing attracts them by offering solutions to their specific business challenges. Business leaders are busy already and do not want to spend time talking with people they don’t know. Additionally, at this moment in history, where scams are nearly omnipresent, sirens go off immediately when someone outside of your network attempts to make contact with you.
How Inbound Marketing Improves Lead Quality
By focusing on targeted, helpful content, inbound strategies attract prospects who are actively experiencing the pain points your ERP system solves, resulting in warmer, better-qualified leads. Consumers are taking advantage of the mass of information that is available to them online. B2B buyers are more internet savvy today than they have ever been. When consumers find what they are looking for online, their mind is already halfway made up!
Key Inbound Marketing Strategies for ERP System Resellers
1. Content Marketing that Educates and Converts
Creating high-quality materials such as comprehensive guides, webinars, and ROI calculators establishes your firm as a trusted industry authority. YouTube, as it has transitioned from a platform for entertainment to a tool for education, is a place many consumers visit to explore solutions that appeal to them. Publishing content on LinkedIn and other social media platforms that educates and communicates company values is also helpful for inbound marketing. Customer success stories are seen as one of the most reliable tools to measure a solution’s quality. Similarly to product reviews, customers see them as less biased and more concrete then almost any other type of communications collateral. When customers are ready to go deeper into a solution’s capabilities and features, white papers and blogs can further their education and bring them closer to a purchasing decision. The team at Full Stack Marketing is made up of expert content creators, providing your company with content that is professional, educational, and beautiful!
2. SEO and the Power of Visibility in ERP Sales
Optimizing your content for search engines ensures your brand appears at the top of the results when prospects are looking for ERP implementation and support. The current and future state of B2B sales heavily favors the business which invest in SEO. Because customers are spending so much time in online research during their buying process, enabling customers to find your business fast and frequently is crucial. SEO has entered a new era with the dawn of publicly adopted LLMs. This has only increased the importance of SEO investment, as customers are more likely to trust AI search results than results from a standard search engine. Through the Build Your Own Marketing Plan, Full Stack Marketing allows you to invest in SEO and increase your company’s online visibility!
3. Email Marketing for Nurturing Relationships with Potential Leads
Automated, value-driven email sequences keep your brand top-of-mind as prospects slowly move through their long buying cycles. Because the buying process is rarely straightforward, prospects can take a while to make a decision. Using email to maintain a connection to potential clients is a way to remind them of what you have to offer. Recent research has shown that, on average, an ERP prospect has nearly 30 “touchpoints” with the company before making a purchase!
Measuring the ROI of Your Inbound ERP Marketing Campaigns
KPIs to Track in ERP Inbound Campaigns: Monitor metrics like organic website traffic, landing page conversion rates, and customer acquisition costs to gauge the success of your efforts. It will take some time for your investments in an inbound marketing strategy to pay off. However, just like compound interest, there will be a day when you’re glad you made the first step!
Aligning Marketing Goals with Sales Objectives: Ensure that your marketing and sales teams are completely aligned on what constitutes a "sales-qualified lead" to improve overall closing rates.
Taking Your ERP Sales to the Next Level with Inbound Marketing
Moving Beyond Lead Generation to Full-Funnel Support:
Your content shouldn't stop at the top of the funnel. Provide resources that support the entire customer journey, including post-sale customer success, training, and retention. Webinars for existing users may also be attractive to new buyers. Content cuts both ways.
Scaling Marketing Efforts Without Increasing Costs:
Investing in evergreen content allows you to consistently generate organic leads over time without a proportional, ongoing increase in advertising spend.
Don’t know where to start?
The Marketing Audit by Full Stack Marketing would be a great option for you. Through two dialogue-based, digital workshops, our team gathers information about your company’s current messaging, branding, execution, and scaling strategy. Then, after synthesizing our conversations, we provide you with both high-level and specific feedback on your strategies. From there, the future partnership is in your hands.!
Position your company on a path towards sustainable growth by partnering with Full Stack Marketing to develop your inbound marketing strategy! Embrace a robust inbound approach and focus on the content marketing that ERP resellers like you need to stand out. Your business can build sustainable pipelines, lower acquisition costs, and secure long-term growth in the expanding ERP market. Slay the demand-gen dragon, one day at a time!
