Content plays a critical role in B2B marketing. Yet many companies find their efforts miss the mark. We address the challenges in this content marketing guide.
The document discusses how content marketing can be used for demand generation in B2B environments. It explains that content marketing involves creating and sharing content to promote a product or service. This content educates prospects and builds trust at different stages of the buying process. Effective content marketing generates leads, nurtures leads as they learn, and allows leads to be scored based on their engagement with the content to determine when they are sales-ready. The document provides guidelines for creating content targeted at different buyer roles and stages to move prospects through the purchase funnel.
Social selling utilizes digital channels like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to promote products and services through sharing content, interacting with potential customers, personal branding, and social listening. It is most effective for industries that require prospecting, responding to tenders, dealing with long sales cycles or complex sales processes, long periods between customer contacts, or multiple decision makers. The key activities of social selling are building networks and profiles, engaging audiences, continuous learning, and ultimately monetizing efforts by driving customers to meetings or opportunities. Studies show social selling increases sales productivity and that customers are more likely to meet with salespeople they are connected to on LinkedIn.
Guide to Content Marketing for UK Professional ServicesLindsay Dier
This document provides a summary of a guide on content marketing for UK professional services firms. It discusses determining goals for a content marketing strategy, such as building brand awareness or acquiring new clients. It also covers defining the target market and understanding how content can support each stage of the client buying cycle. The guide recommends professional services firms leverage content marketing to build relationships, meet client needs for information, and measure marketing results. It argues this approach is important for client acquisition and retention in an increasingly digital landscape.
This document discusses how content marketing can help ignite a brand. It involves engaging customers through interesting content on topics they are passionate about to move them along their customer journey. Content marketing builds trust and expertise by showing knowledge and demonstrating skills. It also increases purchase intent, as most consumers and business decision makers say branded content helps them make better decisions. The document outlines developing a content strategy through understanding audiences, competitors, and creating compelling stories and content across channels to promote engagement and the brand.
This document outlines a content marketing framework in 5 steps:
1) Strategy - Define personas, customer journeys, competitors' content, and a content sweet spot.
2) Goals - Set SMART goals for awareness, engagement, and other key performance indicators.
3) Content Creation - Generate ideas from research, choose appropriate formats, and establish guidelines.
4) Distribution - Share content through owned, earned, and bought media channels.
5) Measurement - Continuously optimize the process based on metrics in a long-term, cyclical approach.
Content marketing is presented as a strategic, ongoing technique to attract and engage customers through valuable, relevant content.
Creating social content is a highly effective way to drive traffic to your business’s website
In order to engage your audience, it’s essential to take a strategically focused yet pragmatically tactical approach with your social content creation, which is based on bringing in prospects at every stage of the funnel.
The document discusses how content marketing can be used for demand generation in B2B environments. It explains that content marketing involves creating and sharing content to promote a product or service. This content educates prospects and builds trust at different stages of the buying process. Effective content marketing generates leads, nurtures leads as they learn, and allows leads to be scored based on their engagement with the content to determine when they are sales-ready. The document provides guidelines for creating content targeted at different buyer roles and stages to move prospects through the purchase funnel.
Social selling utilizes digital channels like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to promote products and services through sharing content, interacting with potential customers, personal branding, and social listening. It is most effective for industries that require prospecting, responding to tenders, dealing with long sales cycles or complex sales processes, long periods between customer contacts, or multiple decision makers. The key activities of social selling are building networks and profiles, engaging audiences, continuous learning, and ultimately monetizing efforts by driving customers to meetings or opportunities. Studies show social selling increases sales productivity and that customers are more likely to meet with salespeople they are connected to on LinkedIn.
Guide to Content Marketing for UK Professional ServicesLindsay Dier
This document provides a summary of a guide on content marketing for UK professional services firms. It discusses determining goals for a content marketing strategy, such as building brand awareness or acquiring new clients. It also covers defining the target market and understanding how content can support each stage of the client buying cycle. The guide recommends professional services firms leverage content marketing to build relationships, meet client needs for information, and measure marketing results. It argues this approach is important for client acquisition and retention in an increasingly digital landscape.
This document discusses how content marketing can help ignite a brand. It involves engaging customers through interesting content on topics they are passionate about to move them along their customer journey. Content marketing builds trust and expertise by showing knowledge and demonstrating skills. It also increases purchase intent, as most consumers and business decision makers say branded content helps them make better decisions. The document outlines developing a content strategy through understanding audiences, competitors, and creating compelling stories and content across channels to promote engagement and the brand.
This document outlines a content marketing framework in 5 steps:
1) Strategy - Define personas, customer journeys, competitors' content, and a content sweet spot.
2) Goals - Set SMART goals for awareness, engagement, and other key performance indicators.
3) Content Creation - Generate ideas from research, choose appropriate formats, and establish guidelines.
4) Distribution - Share content through owned, earned, and bought media channels.
5) Measurement - Continuously optimize the process based on metrics in a long-term, cyclical approach.
Content marketing is presented as a strategic, ongoing technique to attract and engage customers through valuable, relevant content.
Creating social content is a highly effective way to drive traffic to your business’s website
In order to engage your audience, it’s essential to take a strategically focused yet pragmatically tactical approach with your social content creation, which is based on bringing in prospects at every stage of the funnel.
The document provides an overview of social marketing and outlines the key steps for developing an effective social marketing strategy, including setting goals, producing quality content, choosing appropriate social media channels, and building an internal team to manage social marketing efforts. It emphasizes that social marketing should be incorporated throughout all stages of marketing from awareness to sales. The document also identifies common pitfalls to avoid and provides examples of social media posting schedules and monitoring responsibilities.
Welcome to B2C Content Marketing 2019—Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends. This report presents the results from the B2C marketers who took our ninth annual content marketing survey.
Our research has consistently shown that creating brand awareness is a top goal for B2C content marketing. However, many of this year’s survey respondents also reported strong concern for using content to solidify existing relationships (see page 13).
Content that can be effective at building loyalty takes many shapes and forms today, for example:
- Videos and social media stories that entertain
- In-person events that create a sense of community and belonging
- Podcasts that inspire
- Live or virtual experiences that evoke emotion
- Articles, guides, newsletters, etc., that provide information
Obviously, the list goes on. The point is, that while driving people to content is critical, giving them reasons to keep coming back will grow long-term success!
Content Marketing: An Introduction to B2B MarketingAlex Burkholder
Here is what Vonn Weisenberger and I did with the thesis that I wrote at Kalamazoo College based on my experiences at TechValidate Software and what I’ve learned about content marketing from Kapost's content! We made our own content in the name of “personal branding” and hiring differentiation. Check out the blog! → http://bit.ly/1hKJEBC
A content audit involves taking inventory of a company's existing content across various mediums and evaluating its quality, effectiveness, and structure. It aims to identify gaps, outdated content, and content that is not relevant or effective. A content audit provides a fact-based understanding of what content is working well and what needs improvement. It also helps create accountability and provides direction for developing a new content strategy and plan.
How content bridges the divide between sales and marketing by creating a unif...Varun Mittal
At LinkedIn, sales and marketing alignment is an important topic for us and for our customers. We
believe achieving alignment is crucial for sales and marketing to reach their full potential. Previous
global research from LinkedIn shows that 60% of respondents believed that misalignment between
sales and marketing could damage financial performance. From both the sales side and the marketing
side, there’s broad agreement that sales and marketing alignment can boost pipeline, improve
customer experience, and increase customer retention.
Showcasing your experts to drive brand value and generate leads. In other words, boost brand awareness, brand authority, and learn about the importants of expert content marketing.
Strategic B2B Marketing: Great insights for beginners and experience Marketer...Dolly Gujarathi
Moving from tactical to strategic B2B marketing
1. Tactical marketing focuses on generating leads through mass campaigns but often fails to properly identify customer needs and qualify leads. This results in low-quality leads that sales ignores and missed opportunities.
2. Strategic marketing takes a more structured approach to define goals, understand target markets and audiences, and implement integrated programs. This includes in-depth audience analysis and long-term lead nurturing strategies.
3. Strategic marketing is shown to generate 50% more sales-ready leads at 33% lower cost per lead. It also reduces the percentage of ignored marketing leads from as high as 80% to 25%. Taking a strategic approach improves lead quality and return on
While there’s a lot you could be doing, sometimes it’s hard to know which tracks to start, stop, or pause. To help you find the right mix to meet your marketing goals, we consolidated responses from the 2015 Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends research report section — “Which content marketing initiatives are you working on now, and in the next 12 months?” We broke out the results as follows:
• By priority
• By business type (B2B, B2C and nonprofit)
• By geography (North America, Australia, United Kingdom)
Part I covers two “playlists”:
Internal Processes and Content Marketing Strategy Tactics. From channels to platforms to audience segmentation, learn how you can best establish your content marketing strategy and structure your team internally for more efficient processes.
Part II: Playlist 3 (coming soon) is where you can mix things up a bit with different Execution Tactics. See how to create and deliver the best content to meet your business objectives. While some geographies and business types have similar priorities, others are finding their own unique beats — and the differences may surprise you. We hope you find the following findings insightful and inspirational as you make your plans for the year ahead.
Enjoy!
Joe Pulizzi
Digital marketing goes far beyond just ads and emails. Marketing teams can employ
a wealth of different platforms and tactics, including blogs, multi-layered email
campaigns, websites, and social media platforms, just to name a few. Ultimately,
the goal of a digital marketer is to generate leads, as well as engage, capture the
attention of, and forge a strong bond with the people who might be interested in what
you have to offer.
The document provides an overview of strategic marketing and outlines a process for structuring marketing activities to achieve better results. It discusses three key buckets: strategy, tools, and customer acquisition. Strategy involves high-level conceptualization of penetrating the market. Tools are the collateral and processes used for tactical execution. Customer acquisition are the marketing mediums and tactics used to execute strategies. The document recommends first defining strategy before implementing tactics. It aims to provide structure and guidance to help marketers determine the "right things" to be doing.
This document summarizes key findings from a report analyzing data on Pinterest user engagement and growth. Some of the main points are:
- Pins are highly viral, with 80% being re-pins, much higher than the early re-tweet rate on Twitter.
- Pinterest is retaining users 2-3 times more efficiently than Twitter did early on based on engagement levels.
- Later cohorts of Pinterest users are 2-3 times less active in their first month compared to earlier cohorts, indicating quality decay from rapid growth.
- However, engagement levels on Pinterest show little decay over time, unlike most other sites, due to low attrition and increasing engagement of continuing users.
This document discusses how creating an effective online content strategy can increase lead quantity and quality for companies. It emphasizes that content must focus on addressing prospects' needs rather than just promoting the company. The value of content as "currency" depends on how relevant, engaging, and shareable it is for prospects. To improve relevance, marketers must understand prospects' perspectives through various listening methods like analyzing webinar questions, blog comments, social media, and feedback. An effective content strategy involves mapping content to the stages of the buying process and creating a central "content hub" to generate and nurture leads over time.
The document discusses various tactics for B2B lead generation, including email marketing, search engine marketing, social media marketing, content marketing, and retargeting. It emphasizes that successful B2B lead generation requires generating quality leads through tactics like optimizing keywords, creating compelling content, and monitoring intent signals, rather than just focusing on quantity. An optimal balance of quality and quantity is the key to effective B2B lead generation.
The document discusses various content marketing tactics such as blogs, eNewsletters, white papers, articles, eBooks, case studies, testimonials, and microblogging. It provides examples of how companies are effectively using these tactics and also discusses findings from a survey on the popularity and perceived effectiveness of different content marketing tactics. The top content marketing tactics based on the survey are discussed as well as tips and best practices for successfully implementing various content options.
Noelle Abarelli is a serial entrepreneur and speaker who helps others achieve their entrepreneurial dreams. She discusses common lead generation strategies and provides examples of effective vs. ineffective marketing campaigns. Her presentation outlines a 4-step lead generation action plan that involves planning, building, executing, and measuring marketing campaigns while focusing on the customer's perspective. She offers a discounted marketing bootcamp program to help attendees supercharge their marketing efforts.
Digital marketing is essential to the
success of every business today, which
means the opportunities for talented
and diligent people are growing fast.
This eBook will help you navigate with
the basics of the digital marketing
industry and what it takes to launch a
career in the field.
You’re probably very familiar with
both traditional marketing and digital
marketing, but just to set the stage,
traditional marketing falls under
billboards, print (think magazine or
newspaper ads), television and radio commercials
Greetings Marketers,
Welcome to B2C Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends—North America. This is the companion report to the B2B research we released in September 2017. The data presented in both reports was generated from our eighth annual content marketing survey. One of our key observations this year is that while B2C marketers reported slightly higher levels of overall content marketing success compared with last year, there was a decrease among those who agreed their organization has realistic expectations about what content marketing can achieve. A documented content marketing strategy can help, as it sets expectations for what teams should prioritize; yet, only 38% of B2C marketers reported having one.
Our annual research has consistently shown that those who document their content marketing strategy get better results than those who don’t. Another important key to success is an efficient workflow process (page 4 shows how top-performing B2C marketers rate their project management flow and other distinguishing characteristics that set them apart from their peers). We hope these research findings will be helpful as you consider which content marketing priorities to focus on in the year ahead.
The document summarizes the findings of Sagefrog Marketing Group's 2018 B2B Marketing Mix Report. Key findings include: most companies surveyed lack a formal marketing plan; over 60% outsource some marketing functions, primarily through retainers; and referrals are the largest source of qualified leads. The top areas of marketing spend are website development, tradeshows and events, and digital marketing. Generating sales leads is the most important marketing objective for the majority of those surveyed.
To execute an effective account-based marketing strategy, a company should:
1. Compile a list of prospective target accounts that fit the ideal customer profile and gather each account's key contact and pain point information.
2. Create personalized content and messages tailored to each account's pain points and goals based on research conducted.
3. Employ specific ABM tactics like email marketing, social media, influencer marketing, and referral marketing to engage target accounts through their preferred channels.
Digital media’s rise and constant evolution has reshaped the way we plan,
execute and manage marketing activities. Regardless of industry, product or
target audience, today’s B2B marketing mixes call for more ingredient diversity.
This white paper provides an outline of best practices and key ingredients that facilitate your ability to create a strategic marketing mix that satisfies your desire
for growth.
This document provides an overview of content marketing strategy and outlines a seven-step process for developing an effective content marketing strategy:
1. Put content at the heart of future marketing direction
2. Find the intersection between brand and audience needs
3. Define the content marketing strategy
4. Plan continuous content creation through communications strategy
5. Create a content hub
6. Maximize visibility and shareability through social media optimization
7. Measure and improve using analytics
It emphasizes that quality, sustained content is key to success and explains how content marketing supports marketing goals across the customer lifecycle and various digital channels. An effective content strategy requires defining a content hub, editorial process, and resources to create and share
B2B Marketing: Building a Purpose-Driven Content StrategyLeo Bancou
B2B marketing involves many different types of content that are targeted to specific stakeholders and decision-makers (department leads, budget, end user) within a single organization, over a multi-stage sales cycle, across channels owned by different teams. In order to move buyers through each stage of a longer sales cycle, B2B marketers need to use the right content, at the right stage, with the right KPIs to measure effectiveness.
The document provides an overview of social marketing and outlines the key steps for developing an effective social marketing strategy, including setting goals, producing quality content, choosing appropriate social media channels, and building an internal team to manage social marketing efforts. It emphasizes that social marketing should be incorporated throughout all stages of marketing from awareness to sales. The document also identifies common pitfalls to avoid and provides examples of social media posting schedules and monitoring responsibilities.
Welcome to B2C Content Marketing 2019—Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends. This report presents the results from the B2C marketers who took our ninth annual content marketing survey.
Our research has consistently shown that creating brand awareness is a top goal for B2C content marketing. However, many of this year’s survey respondents also reported strong concern for using content to solidify existing relationships (see page 13).
Content that can be effective at building loyalty takes many shapes and forms today, for example:
- Videos and social media stories that entertain
- In-person events that create a sense of community and belonging
- Podcasts that inspire
- Live or virtual experiences that evoke emotion
- Articles, guides, newsletters, etc., that provide information
Obviously, the list goes on. The point is, that while driving people to content is critical, giving them reasons to keep coming back will grow long-term success!
Content Marketing: An Introduction to B2B MarketingAlex Burkholder
Here is what Vonn Weisenberger and I did with the thesis that I wrote at Kalamazoo College based on my experiences at TechValidate Software and what I’ve learned about content marketing from Kapost's content! We made our own content in the name of “personal branding” and hiring differentiation. Check out the blog! → http://bit.ly/1hKJEBC
A content audit involves taking inventory of a company's existing content across various mediums and evaluating its quality, effectiveness, and structure. It aims to identify gaps, outdated content, and content that is not relevant or effective. A content audit provides a fact-based understanding of what content is working well and what needs improvement. It also helps create accountability and provides direction for developing a new content strategy and plan.
How content bridges the divide between sales and marketing by creating a unif...Varun Mittal
At LinkedIn, sales and marketing alignment is an important topic for us and for our customers. We
believe achieving alignment is crucial for sales and marketing to reach their full potential. Previous
global research from LinkedIn shows that 60% of respondents believed that misalignment between
sales and marketing could damage financial performance. From both the sales side and the marketing
side, there’s broad agreement that sales and marketing alignment can boost pipeline, improve
customer experience, and increase customer retention.
Showcasing your experts to drive brand value and generate leads. In other words, boost brand awareness, brand authority, and learn about the importants of expert content marketing.
Strategic B2B Marketing: Great insights for beginners and experience Marketer...Dolly Gujarathi
Moving from tactical to strategic B2B marketing
1. Tactical marketing focuses on generating leads through mass campaigns but often fails to properly identify customer needs and qualify leads. This results in low-quality leads that sales ignores and missed opportunities.
2. Strategic marketing takes a more structured approach to define goals, understand target markets and audiences, and implement integrated programs. This includes in-depth audience analysis and long-term lead nurturing strategies.
3. Strategic marketing is shown to generate 50% more sales-ready leads at 33% lower cost per lead. It also reduces the percentage of ignored marketing leads from as high as 80% to 25%. Taking a strategic approach improves lead quality and return on
While there’s a lot you could be doing, sometimes it’s hard to know which tracks to start, stop, or pause. To help you find the right mix to meet your marketing goals, we consolidated responses from the 2015 Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends research report section — “Which content marketing initiatives are you working on now, and in the next 12 months?” We broke out the results as follows:
• By priority
• By business type (B2B, B2C and nonprofit)
• By geography (North America, Australia, United Kingdom)
Part I covers two “playlists”:
Internal Processes and Content Marketing Strategy Tactics. From channels to platforms to audience segmentation, learn how you can best establish your content marketing strategy and structure your team internally for more efficient processes.
Part II: Playlist 3 (coming soon) is where you can mix things up a bit with different Execution Tactics. See how to create and deliver the best content to meet your business objectives. While some geographies and business types have similar priorities, others are finding their own unique beats — and the differences may surprise you. We hope you find the following findings insightful and inspirational as you make your plans for the year ahead.
Enjoy!
Joe Pulizzi
Digital marketing goes far beyond just ads and emails. Marketing teams can employ
a wealth of different platforms and tactics, including blogs, multi-layered email
campaigns, websites, and social media platforms, just to name a few. Ultimately,
the goal of a digital marketer is to generate leads, as well as engage, capture the
attention of, and forge a strong bond with the people who might be interested in what
you have to offer.
The document provides an overview of strategic marketing and outlines a process for structuring marketing activities to achieve better results. It discusses three key buckets: strategy, tools, and customer acquisition. Strategy involves high-level conceptualization of penetrating the market. Tools are the collateral and processes used for tactical execution. Customer acquisition are the marketing mediums and tactics used to execute strategies. The document recommends first defining strategy before implementing tactics. It aims to provide structure and guidance to help marketers determine the "right things" to be doing.
This document summarizes key findings from a report analyzing data on Pinterest user engagement and growth. Some of the main points are:
- Pins are highly viral, with 80% being re-pins, much higher than the early re-tweet rate on Twitter.
- Pinterest is retaining users 2-3 times more efficiently than Twitter did early on based on engagement levels.
- Later cohorts of Pinterest users are 2-3 times less active in their first month compared to earlier cohorts, indicating quality decay from rapid growth.
- However, engagement levels on Pinterest show little decay over time, unlike most other sites, due to low attrition and increasing engagement of continuing users.
This document discusses how creating an effective online content strategy can increase lead quantity and quality for companies. It emphasizes that content must focus on addressing prospects' needs rather than just promoting the company. The value of content as "currency" depends on how relevant, engaging, and shareable it is for prospects. To improve relevance, marketers must understand prospects' perspectives through various listening methods like analyzing webinar questions, blog comments, social media, and feedback. An effective content strategy involves mapping content to the stages of the buying process and creating a central "content hub" to generate and nurture leads over time.
The document discusses various tactics for B2B lead generation, including email marketing, search engine marketing, social media marketing, content marketing, and retargeting. It emphasizes that successful B2B lead generation requires generating quality leads through tactics like optimizing keywords, creating compelling content, and monitoring intent signals, rather than just focusing on quantity. An optimal balance of quality and quantity is the key to effective B2B lead generation.
The document discusses various content marketing tactics such as blogs, eNewsletters, white papers, articles, eBooks, case studies, testimonials, and microblogging. It provides examples of how companies are effectively using these tactics and also discusses findings from a survey on the popularity and perceived effectiveness of different content marketing tactics. The top content marketing tactics based on the survey are discussed as well as tips and best practices for successfully implementing various content options.
Noelle Abarelli is a serial entrepreneur and speaker who helps others achieve their entrepreneurial dreams. She discusses common lead generation strategies and provides examples of effective vs. ineffective marketing campaigns. Her presentation outlines a 4-step lead generation action plan that involves planning, building, executing, and measuring marketing campaigns while focusing on the customer's perspective. She offers a discounted marketing bootcamp program to help attendees supercharge their marketing efforts.
Digital marketing is essential to the
success of every business today, which
means the opportunities for talented
and diligent people are growing fast.
This eBook will help you navigate with
the basics of the digital marketing
industry and what it takes to launch a
career in the field.
You’re probably very familiar with
both traditional marketing and digital
marketing, but just to set the stage,
traditional marketing falls under
billboards, print (think magazine or
newspaper ads), television and radio commercials
Greetings Marketers,
Welcome to B2C Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends—North America. This is the companion report to the B2B research we released in September 2017. The data presented in both reports was generated from our eighth annual content marketing survey. One of our key observations this year is that while B2C marketers reported slightly higher levels of overall content marketing success compared with last year, there was a decrease among those who agreed their organization has realistic expectations about what content marketing can achieve. A documented content marketing strategy can help, as it sets expectations for what teams should prioritize; yet, only 38% of B2C marketers reported having one.
Our annual research has consistently shown that those who document their content marketing strategy get better results than those who don’t. Another important key to success is an efficient workflow process (page 4 shows how top-performing B2C marketers rate their project management flow and other distinguishing characteristics that set them apart from their peers). We hope these research findings will be helpful as you consider which content marketing priorities to focus on in the year ahead.
The document summarizes the findings of Sagefrog Marketing Group's 2018 B2B Marketing Mix Report. Key findings include: most companies surveyed lack a formal marketing plan; over 60% outsource some marketing functions, primarily through retainers; and referrals are the largest source of qualified leads. The top areas of marketing spend are website development, tradeshows and events, and digital marketing. Generating sales leads is the most important marketing objective for the majority of those surveyed.
To execute an effective account-based marketing strategy, a company should:
1. Compile a list of prospective target accounts that fit the ideal customer profile and gather each account's key contact and pain point information.
2. Create personalized content and messages tailored to each account's pain points and goals based on research conducted.
3. Employ specific ABM tactics like email marketing, social media, influencer marketing, and referral marketing to engage target accounts through their preferred channels.
Digital media’s rise and constant evolution has reshaped the way we plan,
execute and manage marketing activities. Regardless of industry, product or
target audience, today’s B2B marketing mixes call for more ingredient diversity.
This white paper provides an outline of best practices and key ingredients that facilitate your ability to create a strategic marketing mix that satisfies your desire
for growth.
This document provides an overview of content marketing strategy and outlines a seven-step process for developing an effective content marketing strategy:
1. Put content at the heart of future marketing direction
2. Find the intersection between brand and audience needs
3. Define the content marketing strategy
4. Plan continuous content creation through communications strategy
5. Create a content hub
6. Maximize visibility and shareability through social media optimization
7. Measure and improve using analytics
It emphasizes that quality, sustained content is key to success and explains how content marketing supports marketing goals across the customer lifecycle and various digital channels. An effective content strategy requires defining a content hub, editorial process, and resources to create and share
B2B Marketing: Building a Purpose-Driven Content StrategyLeo Bancou
B2B marketing involves many different types of content that are targeted to specific stakeholders and decision-makers (department leads, budget, end user) within a single organization, over a multi-stage sales cycle, across channels owned by different teams. In order to move buyers through each stage of a longer sales cycle, B2B marketers need to use the right content, at the right stage, with the right KPIs to measure effectiveness.
Audience Targeting Techniques for B2B MarketersTodd Ebert
According to Google’s Changing Face of B2B Marketing, many B2B marketers operate under the myth that B2B marketing should only target the highest-level executives. In reality, the decision-making ecosystem has dramatically changed. 81% of non-C suite workers now have a say in purchase decisions.
“B2B marketers need to understand that it’s not just about targeting a specific buyer, online. The B2B decision making process is a journey that involves not just one audience, but many. Company influencers and end users actually weigh in on the purchase decision,” says Todd Ebert, MultiView’s Chief Marketing Officer.
This ebook shows B2B marketers how to navigate today’s changing world of digital marketing by understanding online audiences and applying a variety of audience targeting techniques.
With the twitch of the internet and explosion of social media, B2B marketing and lead generation has changed intensely in the last few years.
In this case study, we’ve defined what has changed in the recent years and additionally, a few B2B marketing strategies to increase lead generation.
Let customer insight guide your bank's content marketing strategySounds About Write
While many banks and financial institutions continue to turn to content marketing to engage their prospective buyers and customers, the reality is the overwhelming majority are struggling to achieve success.
Master the art of Social Selling to increase sales by fostering relationships...VereigenMedia1
The goal of “social selling” is to increase sales by fostering relationships with potential prospects and stimulating conversations with those customers through social media platforms. For
example, on LinkedIn, marketing specialists share advice with a targeted audience of firms in a specific area (e.g., eCommerce, SaaS, finance).
Consistent participation on the platform increases their credibility and eventually, their
clientele. This approach allows you to market your business without making your posts look
like ads.
The goal of both traditional social media marketing and social selling is to make a sale. Social media marketing focuses on branding and aiming to reach a wider audience rather than just deal closures. On the other hand, in social selling, you leverage your own personal brand to connect with potential buyers. To put it simply, social selling is sales-focused, while social media marketing is more concerned with expanding a company’s brand. It’s setting yourself up as a credible thought leader or industry expert to get more sales.
15 Effective Social Media Strategies Should Be Following In 2023.pdfShantnuSingh7
When it comes to social media, it is more important for marketers to understand and stay ahead of the curve. Let’s have a look at some of the important trends that you need to ensure you have the right tool at your disposal, and up-to-date strategy, and the required skills to make the best use of social media.
https://www.ezrankings.com/blog/effective-social-media-strategies/
Content marketing involves creating and distributing valuable, relevant and consistent content to attract and engage a target audience with the goal of driving profitable customer action. Unlike traditional marketing, it focuses on engaging customers through useful information rather than direct sales pitches. Research shows most business decision makers prefer educational content over advertisements and feel closer connections to companies that provide it. Creating a content strategy requires understanding audiences, publishing helpful content regularly across channels, measuring effectiveness, and refining efforts continuously.
The document discusses the rise of content marketing and the role of content engineers. It defines a content engineer as someone who blends creative and analytical skills to develop relevant content across different channels and measures performance. The presentation provides tips on how to listen to customers, engage them in conversations, create a virtuous marketing cycle, and establish a culture of measurement.
B2B is the most loved approach to reach the consumer and cost effective too. B2B is very tough on the other side wherein the challenges to benchmark against the competitor product or service remains. This presentation has been developed keeping in mind the cost and analytics to keep the consumer come back for repeat orders.
B2B forecast for 2016 brings out some exciting findings related to 10 vital strategies for B2B marketing, lead generation, b2b sales, relationship marketing, you can implement today.
Lecture 10 - B2B Marketing & Digital Customer Relationship Management.pptxFaizanGul6
The document provides an overview of business-to-business (B2B) marketing strategies and tactics for the digital age. It discusses developing buyer personas, identifying marketing channels, and creating and measuring marketing campaigns. Key points include developing a vision and goals, defining the target market and buyer persona through research, identifying appropriate marketing channels like blogs, social media and email, creating content like whitepapers and videos, and measuring performance to improve over time. The document also discusses shifts in the B2B buying process and how to adapt marketing approaches accordingly.
This document discusses how social media can be used effectively for B2B marketing. It begins by explaining why social media matters for B2B, noting that B2B buyers now use social media to research purchases. It then provides guidelines for companies to start using social media, including planning a strategy, researching where customers are online, and setting engagement guidelines. The document also provides examples of how companies can use social media for objectives like product launches, lead generation, and brand building. It emphasizes that B2B marketers must engage in conversations online and provide value to customers through high-quality, consistent content.
Social media for b2b marketing-from Asuthosh Nair & Jaspreet SidhuWaily ARAUJO
1) The document discusses how social media is important for B2B marketing as over 90% of B2B buyers are using social media to research purchases. Social media allows direct engagement with customers and prospects to build relationships.
2) Some benefits of social media for B2B discussed include expanding reach to find new leads, demonstrating thought leadership, and facilitating faster sales cycles through education and building trust.
3) The document provides guidance on starting a social media marketing campaign, including developing a social media strategy aligned with overall marketing goals, researching which platforms fit your goals best, and getting organizational buy-in to participate actively on social media.
Public Relation Presentation by Yağmur Sena MEMİŞOĞLUIamRain2
The document discusses various aspects of marketing communications and public relations. It defines marketing communication as influencing target markets so consumers feel enthusiastic about a company's products. The main functions of marketing are identified as promotion, selling, product management, pricing, financing and distribution. Various types of marketing communications are discussed, including advertising, sales promotion, public relations and social media marketing. The differences between online and offline marketing are outlined related to scope, audience targeting, cost, measurability, interactivity and tangibility. Barriers to effective marketing communications are also mentioned such as lack of understanding the target audience.
Content marketing is the process of planning, creating, sharing, and publishing the content through channels such as social media, blogs, websites, podcasts, apps, print publications, and more. The goal is to reach your target audience and increase brand awareness, sales, engagement, and loyalty.
ABM is a strategic approach to marketing that focuses on a key set of accounts. ABM favors increasing revenue. It promises a higher success rate of closing more accounts. The plan of action is pragmatic and lucid—strategizing marketing efforts to satisfy a specific need for each account.
What does it mean to get into content marketing vs digital marketing for a project? While the two are not in conflict, it is possible to create a marketing budget that includes one but not the other. Understanding the differences will help you choose and put to work the right strategy.
In this guide, you'll learn the difference Between Content Marketing vs Digital Marketing along with the advantages and disadvantages of each approach.
Similar to Developing an effective B2B content marketing strategy (20)
In this humorous and data-heavy Master Class, join us in a joyous celebration of life honoring the long list of SEO tactics and concepts we lost this year. Remember fondly the beautiful time you shared with defunct ideas like link building, keyword cannibalization, search volume as a value indicator, and even our most cherished of friends: the funnel. Make peace with their loss as you embrace a new paradigm for organic content: Pillar-Based Marketing. Along the way, discover that the results that old SEO and all its trappings brought you weren’t really very good at all, actually.
In this respectful and life-affirming service—erm, session—join Ryan Brock (Chief Solution Officer at DemandJump and author of Pillar-Based Marketing: A Data-Driven Methodology for SEO and Content that Actually Works) and leave with:
• Clear and compelling evidence that most legacy SEO metrics and tactics have slim to no impact on SEO outcomes
• A major mindset shift that eliminates most of the metrics and tactics associated with SEO in favor of a single metric that defines and drives organic ranking success
• Practical, step-by-step methodology for choosing SEO pillar topics and publishing content quickly that ranks fast
In the face of the news of Google beginning to remove cookies from Chrome (30m users at the time of writing), there’s no longer time for marketers to throw their hands up and say “I didn’t know” or “They won’t go through with it”. Reality check - it has already begun - the time to take action is now. The good news is that there are solutions available and ready for adoption… but for many the race to catch up to the modern internet risks being a messy, confusing scramble to get back to "normal"
In this dynamic session titled "Future-Proof Like Beyoncé: Syncing Email and Social Media for Iconic Brand Longevity," Carlos Gil, U.S. Brand Evangelist for GetResponse, unveils how to safeguard and elevate your digital marketing strategy. Explore how integrating email marketing with social media can not only increase your brand's reach but also secure its future in the ever-changing digital landscape. Carlos will share invaluable insights on developing a robust email list, leveraging data integration for targeted campaigns, and implementing AI tools to enhance cross-platform engagement. Attendees will learn how to maintain a consistent brand voice across all channels and adapt to platform changes proactively. This session is essential for marketers aiming to diversify their online presence and minimize dependence on any single platform. Join Carlos to discover how to turn social media followers into loyal email subscribers and ultimately, drive sustainable growth and revenue for your brand. By harnessing the best practices and innovative strategies discussed, you will be equipped to navigate the challenges of the digital age, ensuring your brand remains relevant and resonant with your audience, no matter the platform. Don’t miss this opportunity to transform your approach and achieve iconic brand longevity akin to Beyoncé's enduring influence in the entertainment industry.
Key Takeaways:
Integration of Email and Social Media: Understanding how to seamlessly integrate email marketing with social media efforts to expand reach and reinforce brand presence. Building a Robust Email List: Strategies for developing a strong email list that provides a direct line of communication to your audience, independent of social media algorithms. Data Integration for Targeted Campaigns: Leveraging combined data from email and social media to create personalized, targeted marketing campaigns that resonate with the audience. Utilization of AI Tools: Implementing AI and automation tools to enhance efficiency and effectiveness across marketing channels. Consistent Brand Voice Across Platforms: Maintaining a unified brand voice and message across all digital platforms to strengthen brand identity and user trust. Proactive Adaptation to Platform Changes: Staying ahead of social media platform changes and algorithm updates to keep engagement high and interactions meaningful. Conversion of Social Followers to Email Subscribers: Techniques to encourage social media followers to subscribe to email, ensuring a direct and consistent connection. Sustainable Growth and Minimized Platform Dependence: Strategies to diversify digital presence and reduce reliance on any single social media platform, thereby mitigating risks associated with platform volatility.
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Digital Marketing is a latest method of Marketing techniques widely used across the Globe. Digital Marketing is an online marketing technique and methods used for all products and services through Search Engine and Social media advertisements. Previously the marketing techniques were used without using the internet via direct and indirect marketing strategies such as advertising through Telemarketing,Newspapers,Televisions,Posters etc.
List of Services offered in Digital Marketing |Techvolt Software :
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5. Campaigns
Importance | Need of Digital Marketing (Online Promotions) :
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3. Latest Technology development vs Business promotions
4. Creation of Social Branding
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With Regards
Gokila digital marketer
Coimbatore
How to Use AI to Write a High-Quality Article that Ranksminatamang0021
In the world of content creation, many AI bloggers have drifted away from their original vision, resulting in low-quality articles that search engines overlook. Don't let that happen to you! Join us to discover how to leverage AI tools effectively to craft high-quality content that not only captures your audience's attention but also ranks well on search engines.
Disclaimer: Some of the prompts mentioned here are the examples of Matt Diggity. Please use it as reference and make your own custom prompts.
Dive deep into the cutting-edge strategies we're employing to revolutionize our web presence in the age of AI-driven search. As Gen Z reshapes the digital realm, discover how we can bridge the generational divide. Unlock the synergistic power of PPC, social media, and SEO, driving unparalleled revenues for our projects.
We will explore the transformative journey of American Bath Group as they transitioned from a traditional monolithic CMS to a dynamic, composable martech framework using Kontent.ai. Discover the strategic decisions, challenges, and key benefits realized through adopting a headless CMS approach. Learn how composable business models empower marketers with flexibility, speed, and integration capabilities, ultimately enhancing digital experiences and operational efficiency. This session is essential for marketers looking to understand the practical impacts and advantages of composable technology in today's digital landscape. Join us to gain valuable insights and actionable takeaways from a real-world implementation that redefines the boundaries of marketing technology.
From Hope to Despair The Top 10 Reasons Businesses Ditch SEO Tactics.pptxBoston SEO Services
From Hope to Despair: The Top 10 Reasons Businesses Ditch SEO Tactics
Are you tired of seeing your business's online visibility plummet from hope to despair? When it comes to SEO tactics, many businesses find themselves grappling with challenges that lead them to abandon their strategies altogether. In a digital landscape that's constantly evolving, staying on top of SEO best practices is crucial to maintaining a competitive edge.
In this blog, we delve deep into the top 10 reasons why businesses ditch SEO tactics, uncovering the pain points that may resonate with you:
1. Algorithm Changes: The ever-changing algorithms can leave businesses feeling like they're chasing a moving target. Search engines like Google frequently update their algorithms to improve user experience and provide more relevant search results. However, these updates can significantly impact your website's visibility and ranking if you're not prepared.
2. Lack of Results: Investing time and resources without seeing tangible results can be disheartening. The absence of immediate results often leads businesses to lose faith in their SEO strategies. It's important to remember that SEO is a long-term game that requires patience and consistent effort.
3. Technical Challenges: From site speed issues to complex metadata implementation, technical hurdles can be daunting. Overcoming these challenges is crucial for SEO success, as technical issues can hinder your website's performance and user experience.
4. Keyword Competition: Fierce competition for top keywords can make it hard to rank effectively. Businesses often struggle to find the right balance between targeting high-traffic keywords and finding less competitive, niche keywords that can still drive significant traffic.
5. Lack of Understanding of SEO Basics: Many businesses dive into the complex world of SEO without fully grasping the fundamental principles. This lack of understanding can lead to several issues:
Keyword Awareness: Failing to recognize the importance of keyword research and targeting the right keywords in content.
On-Page Optimization: Ignorance regarding crucial on-page elements such as meta tags, headers, and content structure.
Technical SEO Best Practices: Overlooking essential aspects like site speed, mobile responsiveness, and crawlability.
Backlinks: Not understanding the value of high-quality backlinks from reputable sources.
Analytics: Failing to track and analyze data prevents businesses from optimizing their SEO efforts effectively.
6. Unrealistic Expectations and Timeframe: Entrepreneurs often fall prey to the allure of quick fixes and overnight success. Unrealistic expectations can overshadow the reality of the time and effort needed to see tangible results in the highly competitive digital landscape. SEO is a long-term strategy, and setting realistic goals is crucial for success.
#SEO #DigitalMarketing #BusinessGrowth #OnlineVisibility #SEOChallenges #BostonSEO
This session will aim to comprehensively review the current state of artificial intelligence techniques for emotional recognition and their potential applications in optimizing digital advertising strategies. Key studies developing AI models for multimodal emotion recognition from videos, images, and neurophysiological signals were analyzed to build content for this session. The session delves deeper into the current challenges, opportunities to help realize the full benefits of emotion AI for personalized digital marketing.
Build marketing products across the customer journey to grow your business and build a relationship with your customer. For example you can build graders, calculators, quizzes, recommendations, chatbots or AR apps. Things like Hubspot's free marketing grader, Moz's site analyzer, VenturePact's mobile app cost calculator, new york times's dialect quiz, Ikea's AR app, L'Oreal's AR app and Nike's fitness apps. All of these examples are free tools that help drive engagement with your brand, build an audience and generate leads for your core business by adding value to a customer during a micro-moment.
Key Takeaways:
Learn how to use specific GPTs to help you Learn how to build your own marketing tools
Generate marketing ideas for your business How to think through and use AI in marketing
How AI changes the marketing game
Customer Experience is not only for B2C and big box brands. Embark on a transformative journey into the realm of B2B customer experience with our masterclass. In this dynamic session, we'll delve into the intricacies of designing and implementing seamless customer journeys that leave a lasting impression. Explore proven strategies and best practices tailored specifically for the B2B landscape, learning how to navigate complex decision-making processes and cultivate meaningful relationships with clients. From initial engagement to post-sale support, discover how to optimize every touchpoint to deliver exceptional experiences that drive loyalty and revenue growth. Join us and unlock the keys to unparalleled success in the B2B arena.
Key Takeaways:
1. Identify your customer journey and growth areas
2. Build a three-step customer experience strategy
3. Put your CX data to use and drive action in your organization
We’ve entered a new era in digital. Search and AI are colliding, in more ways than one. And they all have major implications for marketers.
• SEOs now use AI to optimize content.
• Google now uses AI to generate answers.
• Users are skipping search completely. They can now use AI to get answers. So AI has changed everything …or maybe not. Our audience hasn’t changed. Their information needs haven’t changed. Their perception of quality hasn’t changed. In reality, the most important things haven’t changed at all. In this session, you’ll learn the impact of AI. And you’ll learn ways that AI can make us better at the classic challenges: getting discovered, connecting through content and staying top of mind with the people who matter most. We’ll use timely tools to rebuild timeless foundations. We’ll do better basics, but with the most advanced techniques. Andy will share a set of frameworks, prompts and techniques for better digital basics, using the latest tools of today. And in the end, Andy will consider - in a brief glimpse - what might be the biggest change of all, and how to expand your footprint in the new digital landscape.
Key Takeaways:
How to use AI to optimize your content
How to find topics that algorithms love
How to get AI to mention your content and your brand
Yes, It's Your Fault Book Launch WebinarDemandbase
From Blame to Gain: Achieving Sales and Marketing Alignment to Drive B2B Growth.
Tired of the perpetual tug-of-war between your sales and marketing teams? Come hear Demandbase Chief Marketing Officer, Kelly Hopping and Chief Sales Officer, John Eitel discuss key insights from their new book, “Yes, It’s Your Fault! From Blame to Gain: Achieving Sales and Marketing Alignment to Drive B2B Growth.”
They’ll share their no-nonsense approach to bridging the sales and marketing divide to drive true collaboration — once and for all.
In this webinar, you’ll discover:
The underlying dynamics fueling sales and marketing misalignment
How to implement practical solutions without disrupting day-to-day operations
How to cultivate a culture of collaboration and unity for long-term success
How to align on metrics that matter
Why it’s essential to break down technology and data silos
How ABM can be a powerful unifier
Mastering Local SEO for Service Businesses in the AI Era is tailored specifically for local service providers like plumbers, dentists, and others seeking to dominate their local search landscape. This session delves into leveraging AI advancements to enhance your online visibility and search rankings through the Content Factory model, designed for creating high-impact, SEO-driven content. Discover the Dollar-a-Day advertising strategy, a cost-effective approach to boost your local SEO efforts and attract more customers with minimal investment. Gain practical insights on optimizing your online presence to meet the specific needs of local service seekers, ensuring your business not only appears but stands out in local searches. This concise, action-oriented workshop is your roadmap to navigating the complexities of digital marketing in the AI age, driving more leads, conversions, and ultimately, success for your local service business.
Key Takeaways:
Embrace AI for Local SEO: Learn to harness the power of AI technologies to optimize your website and content for local search. Understand the pivotal role AI plays in analyzing search trends and consumer behavior, enabling you to tailor your SEO strategies to meet the specific demands of your target local audience. Leverage the Content Factory Model: Discover the step-by-step process of creating SEO-optimized content at scale. This approach ensures a steady stream of high-quality content that engages local customers and boosts your search rankings. Get an action guide on implementing this model, complete with templates and scheduling strategies to maintain a consistent online presence. Maximize ROI with Dollar-a-Day Advertising: Dive into the cost-effective Dollar-a-Day advertising strategy that amplifies your visibility in local searches without breaking the bank. Learn how to strategically allocate your budget across platforms to target potential local customers effectively. The session includes an action guide on setting up, monitoring, and optimizing your ad campaigns to ensure maximum impact with minimal investment.
The Forgotten Secret Weapon of Digital Marketing: Email
Digital marketing is a rapidly changing, ever evolving industry--Influencers, Threads, X, AI, etc. But one of the most effective digital marketing tools is also one of the oldest: Email. Find out from two Houston-based digital experts how to maximize your results from email.
Key Takeaways:
Email has the best ROI of any digital tactic
It can be used at any stage of the customer journey
It is increasingly important as the cookie-less future gets closer and closer
In this humorous and data-heavy session, join us in a joyous celebration of life honoring the long list of SEO tactics and concepts we lost this year. Remember fondly the beautiful time you shared with defunct ideas like link building, keyword cannibalization, search volume as a value indicator, and even our most cherished of friends: the funnel. Make peace with their loss as you embrace a new paradigm for organic content: Pillar-Based Marketing. Along the way, discover that the results that old SEO and all its trappings brought you weren’t really very good at all, actually.
In this respectful and life-affirming service—erm, session—join Ryan Brock (Chief Solution Officer at DemandJump and author of Pillar-Based Marketing: A Data-Driven Methodology for SEO and Content that Actually Works) and leave with:
• Clear and compelling evidence that most legacy SEO metrics and tactics have slim to no impact on SEO outcomes
• A major mindset shift that eliminates most of the metrics and tactics associated with SEO in favor of a single metric that defines and drives organic ranking success
• Practical, step-by-step methodology for choosing SEO pillar topics and publishing content quickly that ranks fast
Unlock the secrets to enhancing your digital presence with our masterclass on mastering online visibility. Learn actionable strategies to boost your brand, optimize your social media, and leverage SEO. Transform your online footprint into a powerful tool for growth and engagement.
Key Takeaways:
1. Effective techniques to increase your brand's visibility across various online platforms.
2. Strategies for optimizing social media profiles and content to maximize reach and engagement.
3. Insights into leveraging SEO best practices to improve search engine rankings and drive organic traffic.
Google Ads Vs Social Media Ads-A comparative analysisakashrawdot
Explore the differences, advantages, and strategies of using Google Ads vs Social Media Ads for online advertising. This presentation will provide insights into how each platform operates, their unique features, and how they can be leveraged to achieve marketing goals.
In the digital age, businesses are inundated with tools promising to streamline operations, enhance creativity, and boost productivity. Yet, the true key to digital transformation lies not in the accumulation of tools but in strategically integrating the right AI solutions to revolutionize workflows. Join Jordache, an experienced entrepreneur, tech strategist and AI consultant, as he explores essential AI tools across three critical categories—Ideation, Creation, and Operations—that can reshape the way your business creates, operates, and scales.This talk will guide you through the practicalities of selecting and effectively using AI tools that go beyond the basics of today’s popular tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Midjourney, or Dall-E. For each category of tools, Jordache will address three crucial questions: What is each tool? Why is each one valuable to you as a business leader? How can you start using it in your workflow? This approach will not only clarify the role of these tools but also highlight their strategic value, making it perfect for business leaders ready to make informed decisions about integrating AI into their workflows.
Key Takeaways:
>> Strategic Selection and Integration: Understand how to select AI tools that align with your business goals and how to conceptually integrate them into your workflows to enhance efficiency and innovation.
>> Understanding AI Tool Categories: Gain a deeper understanding of how AI tools can be leveraged in the areas of ideation, creation, and operation—transforming each aspect of your business.
>> Practical Starting Points: Learn how you can start using these tools in your business with practical tips on initial steps and integration ideas.
>> Future-Proofing Your Business: Discover how staying informed about and utilizing the latest AI tools and strategies can keep your business competitive in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
Smart Tools, Smarter Business -15 AI Tools to Optimize Your Workflows from Id...
Developing an effective B2B content marketing strategy
1. Developing an
effective B2B content
marketing strategy
Developing an effective B2B content marketing strategy requires an informed and coordinated
approach. B2B companies should recognize how they differ from their B2C counterparts, align
content investments with objectives at each point in the sales cycle, and invest in the capabilities
to execute campaigns effectively.
2. 1
Making content marketing work for
B2B companies
Every week, the business media highlights another innovative company that has harnessed these
digital channels to energize their customer base, take their message viral, or ring up a windfall of new
sales. In most cases, this dialogue focuses on B2C companies: many of the latest online tools
are tailor-made to encourage impulse buys and support consumer attraction and retention. (Who hasn’t
clicked on a Facebook or Instagram ad?)
B2BB2C
Social
networks
SEO
E-mail
marketing
Blogs
Reviews
Pay-per-
click
(PPC)
Videos
B2B companies feel a sense of urgency to incorporate these new tools
and tactics into their content marketing, but the results often fall well short of
expectations and squander resources.
Ads
3. 2
What the numbers tell us
According to recent research, the average B2B
company is active in six social media platforms,
including Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.
Each of these channels requires regularly updated,
thoughtful content to maintain connections with
prospective customers. But how do these tools
generate return for B2B companies? Which
channels are most effective? What level of spending
is needed to support business goals? And how
do you truly measure impact given the long sales
cycle and undefined attribution?
By producing and distributing high-quality
content—on the appropriate platforms—
companies can distinguish themselves in a
crowded marketplace and create valuable
dialogues with prospective clients.
93%
of B2B companies
use social media
content other
than blogs to reach
customers
19%
B U T J U S T
of prospective
customers indicated
they were likely to
engage with social
or community-
contributed content*
* B2B content marketing: 2016 benchmarks,
budgets, and trends—North America,
Content Marketing Institute.
4. 3
How content marketing differs between
B2B and B2C
B2C content marketing seeks to cast the widest possible net and influence every step of a
compressed consumer–buying cycle. In contrast, B2B companies are typically looking to connect
with a targeted audience, and the sales cycle is far longer, so creating and sustaining a
dialogue over time requires more nuanced understanding of where prospects get their information.
B2B
B2C
Brand perception and
awareness
Product and service
evaluation
Conversion or purchase
Brand perception and
awareness
Product and service
evaluation
Conversion or purchase
White paper
Long cycle, begins before user recognizes a need
Medium-length cycle, involves
more stakeholders Longer cycle, involves multiple stakeholders at various levels
Medium-length cycle Short-length cycle Short-length cycle
Case study
Blog posts
Company solutions webinar
Brand video
SME input in trusted
publications Product webinar
SME QA
Product and service
website content
Product video
Case study
Data-centric report on ROI
Consulation or
demonstration
Instagram
post
Display ad
Pinterest board
Paid Facebook ad
Interactive
shopping tool
Landing page
content
Product video
User
reviews
Expert reviews
Remarketing ads
5. 4
codifyintellectual property
Why content marketing is essential
to B2B companies
B2B content marketing must demonstrate how these products and solutions, as well as the
companies providing them, can deliver tangible value. In the B2B sales cycle, evidence, analysis,
and trusted relationships take priority over pithy catchphrases or cute commercials.
Content marketing enables companies to showcase their industry knowledge and insight
on the common issues that their customers face. The best content provides new perspectives
and analyses, sometimes based on proprietary research and surveys. And it also offers
recommendations on how best to manage these issues.
When done well, content marketing can accomplish several objectives simultaneously
And insights from subject matter experts (SMEs) can be a differentiator—
particularly as B2B companies try to move from providing discrete services to being
seen as a strategic partner.
builda company’s brand
elevatethe profile of its experts
supportsales efforts and business development
6. 5
Before we go on, there’s an important distinction to make between
content marketing and thought leadership—and how the two are related.
Content
marketing
The creation and distribution of content to
current and prospective customers with
the goals of business development, customer
retention, and reputation building.
Content marketing comprises various
strategies and tactics, from thought leadership
to paid brand content.
Thought
leadership
Unique insights, proprietary research, and
material from client engagements that
are distributed to a defined audience through
content marketing.
The tone is objective rather than overtly
promotional.
7. 6
Choosing the right content formats
A B2B company’s prospective customers are typically seeking answers and information to specific
questions. These issues—and their solutions—are often complex and differ by industry. It’s little
wonder, then, that the top B2B marketing tactics all offer the opportunity to go into some detail.
Top five most effective content marketing tactics*
In-person
events
Webinars/
webcasts
Case studies White papers Videos
In-person events are high touch but also labor intensive.
Webinars, case studies, and white papers can have a long shelf life but often require considerable time and
effort to produce.
Videos are easily consumed and shared but typically require external vendors to handle production.
Since longer content pieces ask prospective customers to commit a significant amount of time, B2B companies
should consider repurposing material into shorter, bite-size content (one-pagers, infographics, and chart-based articles)
that provide multiple paths to the lengthier text.
Each of
these content
types has
different
attributes:
*B2B content marketing: 2016 benchmarks, budgets, and trends—North America, Content Marketing Institute.
8. 7
Know your distribution channels
Businesspeople are deluged with information at every turn, so knowing where they consume
content, then, is critical when determining how best to distribute and promote your insights.
Instead of lumping all social media channels together, companies must consider the audience and
intentions of each to determine which ones would be an effective platform.
LinkedIn, for example, may have been created as a networking tool for professionals, but it
has become an effective channel for sharing content with like-minded audiences. By contrast, B2B
companies that direct a lot of resources to Facebook or Instagram, for example, will typically
find that these efforts miss the mark. The reason: people, executives included, go to these channels
for social purposes, rather than to conduct business. Their massive numbers of registered users
may tempt marketers to rationalize activities as playing the percentages, but B2B content marketing
is better suited to other channels.
B2B B2C
LinkedIn
SlideShare
Facebook
Snapchat
Instagram
Pinterest
Twitter
YouTube
9. 8
Getting started
The growing demand for content puts pressure on B2B companies to publish regularly. But
without strategic planning and development, the flurry of activity can amount to wasted
effort. Effective content marketing for B2B companies is not solely about regular distribution;
it’s about quality content that demonstrates deep knowledge, fresh ideas, and valuable insights.
The following
four steps
are foundational
elements to build
an effective B2B
content marketing
campaign
1 2 3 4
Develop
the content
platform
Create a
production
framework
Manage
teams and
contributors
Determine
the mix of
formats and
distribution
channels
10. 9
1. Develop the content platform
Establish the key ideas, opinions, and expertise that
are worth sharing
What distinguishes your B2B brand in the marketplace? If it’s your subject matter experts,
tap them for their insights and opinions. If it’s proprietary research, translate the research into
actionable insights to create a dialogue unique to your company.
Identify the target audience
Establishing your audience and understanding their needs and interests will help ensure your
ideas resonate with them. Articulate the issues they face and share the ways you approach those
challenges. Knowing your audience also informs your format and distribution strategy—consider
how they take in thought leadership and where they expect to find it.
Create goals
Measuring the effectiveness of content marketing can be challenging; many B2B companies
struggle to connect content with business value. The best way to understand whether content is
effective, however, is to establish goals and performance indicators at the outset. Whether
it’s generating incremental website traffic or arming sales and marketing teams with pieces that
showcase innovative thinking, understanding the goal of thought leadership, and how to measure
it, leads to results.
11. 10
2. Create a production framework
Creating and publishing effective content requires a committed approach across your organization.
A production framework with a clearly defined editorial mission and content objectives is key to mobilizing
your SMEs, writers and editors, designers, and marketing teams.
In the strategy and planning phase, creating an editorial calendar builds a foundation for
your efforts. It helps to organize and prioritize content opportunities and aids in aligning
content with business strategy and goals.
Using the calendar
as a tool allows
you to
Manage the process
from production to
distribution and provide
consistent direction
for all
Quickly evaluate avail-
able resources and
align writers and subject
matter experts on the
most relevant pieces
Prioritize topics and
trends, with flexibility to
respond to shifts in
the marketplace, new
research and findings,
and news events
Identify and fill gaps
in the content strategy
and process
12. 11
3. Manage teams and contributors
Creating a process to work with subject matter experts or interviewees is important. These
professionals are extremely busy, so a thoughtful approach is key to maximizing time and
resources. A statement of purpose in the editorial calendar will guide the conversation and identify
the questions each piece should answer.
The editorial calendar is also useful in managing the final stage of content
development—revision. Producing high-quality content is an iterative process.
Effective content marketing relies on pieces that have gone through rounds
of revision to identify gaps, sharpen ideas, and draw out key insights.
Example calendar
Dates Topic focus Subject matter
experts
Main format Approvals
needed
Supporting
formats for
additional
promotion
Design needs Related to
(previously
published)
Response
Publish date Dispelling
myths about
the digital
revolution in
retail
Jeff—
scheduled
Article
hosted on
website
under
“insights”
Shorter
LinkedIn
piece
Four charts The digital
experiences
that bring
customers to
the store
3/1/2017
Outline date 1/2/2017
Feedback received 1/13/2017
First draft due 1/19/2017
Feedback received
Second draft due
Feedback received
Final draft due
Martha—
scheduled
William—
to be
scheduled
Jeff
Martha
William
Editorial
Marketing
Design
E-blast link
and need icon
from design
Teaser in 3/9
post
Retail and the
global digital
economy
Redefining
retail in the
digital age
13. 12
Blog posts
4. Determine the mix of formats and
distribution channels
Guided by your content strategy, create a mix of formats to distribute your ideas across different
channels. We explore this this topic in more depth on our website here.
WebsiteE-newsletters
Social media
Remarketing
PPC
Video
Native advertising
White papers
Infographics
Channels Content types
Case studies
VideosWebinars
Sell sheets
Promotional pieces
14. 13
Assessing and refining content strategy
After B2B companies create and distribute content, there are two question that often arise:
1. How do we know if this content was successful?
2. What impact did the content have?
Traffic sources Time on site Shares Comments Subscribers
Understanding how your
audience found your
content helps ensure
placement of content in
effective channels and
better budget allocation
for paid media.
Since the audience
is narrowcast, visits or
impressions are less
valuable than engage-
ment metrics. Monitoring
time on site and follow-
ing a visitor’s path will
yield valuable audience
data.
Shares, whether via
social channels or email,
demonstrate that your
content is adding value
to a conversation.
As with other engage-
ment metrics, comments
are an area where the
focus should be on
quality over quantity.
Quality comments start
a virtual dialogue and
alert you to challenges
in the marketplace.
Subscriptions indicate
brand affinity and form
a foundation for regular
interaction between B2B
companies and current
and potential clients.
As stakeholders across the organization use thought leadership content as sales
and marketing material, gathering the reactions and conversations can build a store of
first-party data that helps refine content strategy.
15. 14
From strategy to action
B2B content marketing requires a different approach—one
closely aligned with the longer cycle of relationship-based
sales. In addition, a company's unique insights and expertise
are the fuel for successful campaigns. By developing a
comprehensive content development strategy, understanding
how to harness the digital ecosystem, and diligently tracking
results, B2B companies can ensure that content marketing
investments directly support their business goals.