This study aims to explore the usage of the digital marketing to acquire and maintain business relationships, or more specifically, digital marketing in B2B start-ups within the Swedish market. Digital marketing is essential for businesses nowadays and has become a significant factor for business companies for improving and implementing their marketing strategies. Furthermore, business relationships have always taken an essential role among companies especially today due to the heightened level of digitalization. This case study attempts to answer two main research questions which this paper investigates on. To provide an exhaustive answer to the research questions: “How digital marketing contributes to acquiring business customers in B2B start-up context?” and “How digital marketing contributes to maintaining business customers in B2B start-up context?”, digital marketing approaches of eight respondents, theoretical implications and additional information will be examined in the upcoming chapters. The study concludes, that it was found that digital marketing is understood as an innovative and effective method for attracting, maintaining and building business relationships. However, the lack of resources is one fundamental reason why start-ups have difficulties in acquiring and maintaining business customers in practicing through digital marketing. Additionally, it was found that digital platforms and tools such as websites, industry specific platforms, and blogs provide the highest advantage for start-ups. Moreover, social media platforms like Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook were in most use for presenting content that is informative, educational and honest. Digital marketing strategies in acquiring and maintaining business relationships are indicated in the analyses which give sufficient details in answering the research questions. The paper will provide suggestions for doing further research in improving the current topic in digital marketing.

The world of digital marketing is advancing at a rapid rate, an ever so increasing number of individuals are connected to the world wide web and subsequently being exposed to marketing messages in the thousands each day. For marketers this poses a unique challenge when it comes to creating a marketing segment which conveys their message effectively by attaining the attention of the consumer. This in turn means that their marketing efforts may be lost in the digital sea of millions other impressions being thrown at the daily user. The purpose of this research paper is to therefore explore and gain greater understanding on how companies’ perception about consumer attention span could be, to then provide a perspective on how the modern marketer can work to incorporate this as a factor in their marketing. This research study was conducted through a qualitative methodology with a deductive approach which meant that theories were first gathered to then be compared with the empirical evidence consisting of three semi-structured interviews with chosen companies. The research indicated that modern marketers could benefit from understanding their target audience and catering their marketing message to suit their needs and values. Furthermore, constant measurement and analysis proved to be important in creating the best type of advertisement which captured the attention of the consumer. / Modern digital marknadsföring utvecklas i en väldigt snabb takt, allt fler individer är idag kopplade till internet och blir därigenom exponerade för tusentals marknadsföringsmeddelanden varje dag. För marknadsförare skapar detta en unik utmaning när det kommer till att skapa marknadsföring som förmedlar ett budskap effektivt genom att fånga konsumentens uppmärksamhet. Om marknadsföraren misslyckas här kan det leda till att deras meddelande försvinner bland de miljontals andra meddelanden som slängs mot konsumenten i den enorma digitala världen. Syftet med den här studien är därmed utforska och anskaffa mer förståelse gällande hur företags uppfattning om konsumenters uppmärksamhetsförmåga ser ut för att sedan erbjuda ett perspektiv för den moderna marknadsföraren om hur denne kan arbeta för att integrera detta som en faktor i sin marknadsföring. Den här forskningen genomfördes genom en kvalitativ metodologisk design där deduktiv ansats användes. Detta innebar att författarna först samlade teori som sedan jämfördes och analyserades tematiskt med den insamlade empirin som bestod av semi-strukturerade intervjuer av tre företag. Studien visade att den moderna marknadsföraren kan gynnas av att ha en djup förståelse av sin målgrupp för att kunna utforma marknadsföringssegment på ett sätt som passar deras behov och värderingar. Vidare påvisades även att det kan vara fördelaktigt att ständigt mäta och analysera marknadsföringsinsatser för att kunna förstå vad som fungerar och vad som borde förändras i framtiden just för att skapa marknadsföring som bättre fångar konsumenters uppmärksamhet.

La interacción parasocial es un fenómeno que está presente en las relaciones de la audiencia con los influencers, sin embargo, no es tomada en cuenta en la elaboración de estrategias de marketing con influencers, quienes, hoy en día, cumplen un rol importante en la comunicación de las marcas. El presente trabajo es un estudio cualitativo realizado mediante entrevistas a especialistas en marketing, psicología y comunicaciones que busca profundizar en el conocimiento de la dinámica de la interacción parasocial entre influencers y su audiencia y sus efectos sobre la percepción de marca para determinar maneras de poder aprovecharla en beneficio de la marca. Con los hallazgos, se pudo determinar la consideración de la interacción parasocial en las estrategias de marketing actuales, los beneficios que esta trae para influencers y marcas; y maneras de poder gestionarla a través del mismo influencer. Debido a que es un elemento que surge en la audiencia, la interacción parasocial es una variable bajo el control del público. Es solo gestionable a través del influencer, mediante elementos relevantes a considerar desde la etapa de planeación de la estrategia, y, de esa manera, aprovechar la interacción parasocial desde etapas iniciales y no solo descubrirla en el desarrollo de una campaña. / Parasocial interaction is a phenomenon present in the relationships between audiences and influencers, however, it is not taken into consideration in the development stages of marketing strategies with influencers, who play an important role in brands’ communication today. This paper is a qualitative investigation carried out through interviews with marketing, psychology and communications specialists which looks for expanding the knowledge of the dynamics of parasocial interaction between influencers and their audiences and its effects on brand perception to determine ways to obtain brand benefits. With this study, it was possible to determine the role of parasocial interaction in current marketing strategies, the benefits it brings to influencers and brands; and ways to manage it through the influencer. Since it is an element that originates in the audience, parasocial interaction is a variable under their control. It is only manageable through the influencer, considering relevant elements since the planning stages of the strategy, so, that way, the brand can benefit from parasocial interaction since the planning stages and not only in the development stage of a campaign. / Tesis