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- 04 Feb
Five Steps to Building Trust With Thought Leadership
According to current data, about 50% of B2B marketers believe thought leadership builds trust in their organization. However, among actual buyers, that number is much higher. That is around a whopping 83%.Thought Leadership = Trusted Resource
And that represents a huge disconnect. This disconnect is preventing B2B marketers from using thought-leadership content to it’s fullest value – in their quest to become a trusted resource for their customers. And marketers and business leaders alike need to understand that establishing a thought-leadership program drives value and builds trust. And not doing so risks falling behind or damaging their brand’s credibility in the industry.
Are you in the same boat? Here are five easy-to-follow steps for kicking off (or elevating) your brand’s thought-leadership program at MarketingProfs.com
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- 05 Dec
8 B2B Video Marketing Myths Debunked with Cold Hard Facts
Video has exploded in the B2B landscape over the past few years. And, today, it has becoming a staple in today’s modern marketing and sales toolkit. However, there are some common misconceptions and video marketing myths. And those myths seem to be keeping some businesses from reaching their full video potential.
But, That Need Not be the Case
Video is here to stay. According to a study conducted by Heinz Marketing, 68% of organizations plan to increase their level of investment in video in the next six to eight months. Now, more marketing and sales professionals are realizing that video plays an important role throughout the entire buying journey. And this includes their sales cycle as well. And they are experiencing first-hand the true impact it can have on their business.
There’s still a lot to be said about video and its use in your marketing and sales mix. But to help you out, here are eight of the most common video marketing myths. To find out what they are, read the full article on the Heinz Marketing Blog.
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- 09 Oct
8 Ways to Improve Your LinkedIn Lead Generation Ads
By most standards, LinkedIn is considered to be the best platform for B2B networking. But it is increasingly becoming a great platform for targeting in the PPC space.The Right Kind of Social Sharing for Business
In recent years, LinkedIn has become a more popular destination for users to consume content. Rather than a pure “social,” social platform, LinkedIn permits you to see what your contacts and potential business relationships are up to. Plus, it helps you to gain insights into the topics that are trending in your industry.
But more importantly, for advertisers, the targeting options now allow you to zone in on just about any part of your audience’s profile. Since the platform also has many benefits for their users, it’s in their best interest to keep their profiles up to date. And that’s why LinkedIn is the place to be if you want to generate higher quality B2B leads. But, if that’s your goal, you need to know that not all strategies are created equal.
In this article, from WordStream’s blog, Michelle Morgan discusses LinkedIn Lead Generation Ads and some best practices and innovative strategies for you to leverage in your account. Read on to learn some tips to make your campaigns more efficient for you and more impactful for your customers and both sides will win. Read the Full Article Now
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- 02 Oct
How Have B2B Buyers Purchase Processes Changed?
from Marketing Charts
Once again, there are indications of a shifting trends in the processes used for B2B purchases. Earlier research from Demand Gen Report and ON24 found that the majority of B2B buyers believe that content can be improved by adding more research and data.News You Can Actually Use . . .
This years study, Demand Gen’s 2019 B2B Buyers Survey Report [download page], did uncover a number of new trends. It seems that the vast majority of senior-level B2B executives report that business needs and priorities have changed this year. They report that these have shifted their purchase timelines. Most indicated that these changes resulted in them either accelerating or postponing purchase decisions.
Additionally, B2B buyers are showing more diligence and caution in their purchases, spending more time researching their purchases. And this is significant information for those on the marketing and sales side as it means there is a need to provide the relevant, authoritative content that aids buyers in making their purchasing decision. For more of the data and insights, read the full article at MarketingCharts.com
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- 11 Sep
10 How-To Videos That Really Work And Why They Do
On the internet today, video is everywhere. And for marketing, it is at every stage of the buyer funnel.Hearing is One Thing. Seeing is A Whole Different Level
As an example, have you ever learned how to do something with the help of an internet search? The answer is most likely a resounding “yes.” In fact, videos are an especially compelling way to learn how to do something online. That’s because, well, the video shows you exactly how to do it. I’m not alone here, either — most customers would prefer to watch a marketing video rather than seeing an ad.
So if you’re among the 45% of marketers who are adding video content to your strategy this year, there could be a lot of value in making videos specifically for those in your audience who are trying to learn how to do something, too. And in this post, you will see exactly how popular these searches are on YouTube and other platforms, and what you can learn from eight how-to videos about how to make great teaching videos of your own, all at HubSpot.com
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- 15 Aug
B2B Buyers Seem to Be Engaging Sales Reps Earlier in the Process
from Marketing Charts
A recently released Demand Gen Report’s 2019 B2B Buyers Survey Report [download page] has brought up evidence that runs counter to what we thought to be true. For the past few years, we have seen data that suggests that B2B buyers were not engaging with brands until very late in their buyer journey.A Long-Held Assumption May No Longer Be Valid
However in this study, they found that currently nearly three-quarters of respondents report that they engaged far earlier now. They indicated that they spoke to a vendor within the first 3 months of their buying process. And, in fact, it went much deeper than that with them actually engaged with a sales representative from the vendor they selected in that period as well.
One key element brought out in this study is what buyers say they value most from vendors. Of prime consideration for vendors is being able to demonstrate knowledge of their buyers and their needs. This is the one thing that sets winning vendors apart from the others. And a big part of demonstrating knowledge of the buyer and their needs is being able to provide them with relevant content.
To see more of the data and insights and for some tips on how this information can help your B2B sales cycle, read the full article at MarketingCharts.com
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- 20 May
B2B Buyers Want More Data and Research in Vendor Content
from Marketing Charts
If you are selling to other companies and you work to develop a thought leadership position, then content is a core tool. And that content is a critical building block for your success. But, what you think is valuable content may not be what your buyers think is valuable content. Wouldn’t it would be great to be able to know exactly what content buyers value in their purchase journey?Well, Now You Can
Thanks to a recent study [access page] by Demand Gen Report and ON24 we can now better understand what our B2B buyers value in content as they make their purchase decisions. One thing the report does bring out is that an extremely high percentage of B2B buyers say they currently have less time to devote to reading and research durring their purchase journey.
So how can vendors make content more valuable when time is limited? To find out, gain additional insights and to learn a few actionable points using data from the study, read the full article at MarketingCharts.com
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- 15 Mar
New Report: Impact of Original B2B Content – Builds Brand Trust
by
A newly released report from Vennli, which surveyed 100 senior-level B2B marketers on the role content strategy plays in building brand trust. And they found that, while third-party data from respected research firms have name recognition, it didn’t do much more. In fact, they found that it doesn’t do as much to create trust as first-party, original research.This is likely because so many companies have access to the same material. And so it doesn’t carry the same weight as original research. In fact, original research, quotes from customers and comments from industry experts are top performers. They found that those are the top three elements in content that help build B2B brand trust.
It seems that a whopping fifty-seven percent of respondents named branded content as the best tool to build B2B brand trust. But there’s more to the report and to see some additional data and insights, read the full article at Chief Marketer.
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- 11 Mar
Five Surefire Ways to Boost Your B2B Marketing Content’s Readership
by Allen Adamson, and Chip Walker
Today there is an increasing importance and use of content marketing as a staple of B2B marketing. Plus, it is also fast becoming one of the top tools used by buyers in their purchase journey. But is the content you use really working? Probably not since only 20% of B2B marketers describe their approach to content marketing as “very successful,” according to a survey by MarketingProfs and Content Marketing Institute.
So, Why Is It Just Not Working Well?
That’s because, as the survey noted, over 83% of those on the receiving end of online marketing messages reported being overwhelmed by both the amount and the length of communications. So, what is the answer? How can you boost your B2B content readership?
In reality, its quite simple. If you want your B2B marketing content to gain readers, the first thing you must do is think like a journalist. And to learn how to do this for your content marketing program, read the full article at MarketingProfs
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- 21 Feb
What is the Value of B2B Thought-Leadership Content?
by Ayaz Nanji
Have you ever wondered what is the impact of thought leadership content? And what do your customers think about your content? Now those may seem a silly question to ask but that didn’t stop Edelman and LinkedIn. They asked those very questions in a recent study [SlideShare available].The report was based on data from a survey of 1,201 businesspeople in the United States who work for firms in a wide rage of industries. And they found that a 89% of B2B buyers say that thought leadership content from vendors has impact for them. In fact, they indicated that it increased their awareness of sellers. Additionally, 45% even indicated that it was that thought leadership content that led them to invite them to bid on a project.
The value of thought leadership content didn’t stop there however. They also found that 58% indicated that it directly led them to award business to an organization. And the buyers said that increased the value they placed on the vendor and that it enabled the vendor organization to command a premium price.
Still not convinced that thought leadership content works? Then see even more of the numbers, view the original report at MarketingProfs.com
NOTE: A pop-up opens on this site and a Free MarkeitngProfs Registration may be required to read the full article.
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- 12 Feb
5 Infographics to Teach You How to Easily Make Infographics in PowerPoint
by Erik Devaney
Don’t belive the headlines over the past several years proclaiming “infographics are dead.” Actually, infographics are alive and well. In fact, as of 2018, the use of infographics among B2B marketers has increased. And, this was the most of any in the last four years, now at 65%.According to John Medina, adding an image to written content can increase the retention of that information by 55%. Wow! But how can those who don’t necessarily have a design background, or the budget to hire a designer create professional-looking infographics?
Here’s a Little Secret: Use the Software You Probably Already Have
That’s right, PowerPoint can be your best friend when it comes to visual content creation. And to help you get started, the active minds over at HubSpot have some great advice plus templates you can download and use for free. So, read the full article and get your free templates at HubSpot.com
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- 30 Jan
The State of Digital: Post Length and Publishing Frequency Trends
by Ayaz Nanji
Today, authors are writing longer posts and spending more time crafting pieces than in years past. This is according to recent research from Orbit Media.Early in the evolution of online writing, the standard was to keep articles as brief as possible. Typically, the range that was considered a “best practice” was between 500 to 1, 000 words. But, the proportion of bloggers who typically write posts under 500 words has steadily declined since 2014. And this has happened at the same time as posts longer than 1,000 words has steadily increased.
The see the trend data, to download the original report and see more insights, read the full article at MarketingProfs.com
NOTE: A Free Registration pop-up opens on this site. A Free MarkeitngProfs Registration may be required to read the full article.
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- 01 Dec
B2B Content: To Gate or Not to Gate, That is the Question
Everyone wants to build their lead databases and prove the value of their marketing automation programs. Gated content is one way to do that. But B2B marketers need to resist the urge to gate everything.
You Want Leads and That Means Contact Information
However, trying to grab someone’s information too quickly is a move that will fail. At that point in their process, the perceived value of what you’re offering in return doesn’t seem greater than the perceived pain of sharing their email address. Early in the purchase consideration process, prospects aren’t yet looking for a product. They have a challenge to solve. They need ideas, information, data and they’re looking for a solution.
So, where’s that balance point? To Gate or Not to Gate, That is the Question. And to find answers, read the full article at Chief Marketer.
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- 11 Jun
The Most and Least Important PR and Corporate Communications Tactics and Trends
by Ayaz Nanji
The big question is, when it comes to PR, what works now? There are a lot of tactics and techniques out there. But, there are some things that are rising to the top of the heap.Why Not Ask the People Who Do PR to Find Out?
It seems fairly simple, if you want to know something, ask the people who do it for a living. And that is exactly what Sword and the Script Media and Ned Lundquist’s Job of the Week did. In February of this year, they polled 155 corporate communications and PR professionals.
They asked them what it is that they intend to use more and the directions they are moving towards. And they found some trends worth watching [view original report].
As an example, respondents ranked storytelling as the trend/tactic that will matter most over the next 12 months. Surprisingly, content marketing ranked second. And, this was followed by thought leadership, aligning with Marketing, and influencer marketing. But, to see more of the data and insights, read the full article at MarketingProfs.com
NOTE: A Free Registration pop-up opens on this site. Registration is not required to read the article.
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