-
- 25 Mar
B2B Customer Experience: Why It Matters and Where to Start
- Mar 25, 2019
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- B2B Marketing, Customer Marketing, Loyalty Marketing
Customer experience matters. And it does so to the tune of $1 billion a year for SaaS-based companies alone. And most CMOs know customer experience matters. But sadly, only 57% of them report marginal customer experience impact.
Good or Bad, Customer Experience Impacts Your Business’ Bottom Line
In support of that proposition is a recent study from the Temkin Group. They found that when faced with a positive customer experience customers actually spend more. They also found that 86% of buyers are willing to pay more for a great customer experience. And that 73% of buyers point to customer experience as an important factor in purchasing decisions. Plus they discovered that 65% of buyers find a positive experience with a brand to be more influential than great advertising.
So, customer service matters. We have long accepted that principle in B2C. But today it is even more important for B2B companies. And to learn exactly where to start, read the full article at Heinze Marketing’s Blog
-
- 23 Mar
What Are The Most Effective Email Re-Engagement Campaigns?
- Mar 23, 2019
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- Content Marketing, Conversion Strategies, Email Marketing
from Marketing Charts
Inspite of all the proclomations to the contrary, email remains the go-to marketing channel for many organizations. And that is with good reason. Study after study show that a vast majority of consumers prefer email for brand communications. And current projections indicating that by 2021, there will be more than 4.1 billion email users worldwide.
So, clearly, organizations must prioritize email to maintain its effectiveness. But simply becuase we have documented proof that email has worked well, doesnt mean it continues. As example, we know that engagement remains the key to getting email into subscriber inboxes. However, now we need to know exactly what it is that drives this critical factor in email success.
And that is exactly what this latest Return Path report [download page] looks into. Even with a high rate of effectiveness, marketers still must deal with inactive email subscribers. But more than half of respondents said they do not actively try to re-engage inactive subscribers. And of those who do create targeted campaigns for re-engagement, they reveealed that the path to re-engagement worked best with free resource offers.
To see more of the data, additional insights and to download the original report, read the full article at MarketingCharts.com
-
- 21 Mar
How to Keep Your Email Marketing Strategy Relevant to Millennials
- Mar 21, 2019
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- Email Marketing, Lead Generation, Marketing to Millennials
It is important to reach your customers through more than one channel. That is an undisputed fact. But, if you market to Millennials, you probably think they are more likely to engage with an Instagram post or a Facebook ad than email.
If That’s What You Think, You’re Missing Out
Don’t be fooled. Email marketing, when it’s done correctly, still holds sway for brands. And of you want to maintain customer relationships, engage audiences, or make sales, email works. This holds even in an era of the rise of social media and search engine marketing. Email is still a highly effective and popular marketing tool, even with Millennials.
In fact, according to studies, 61% of consumers overall enjoy receiving promotional emails weekly. But how can businesses use emails effectively to market to the most tech-savvy group out there. How can it reach Millennials? To find out, read the full article at MarketingProfs.com
-
- 20 Mar
10 Proven Content Promotion Strategies To Get More Traffic To Your Website
We’ve all heard it before, content is king. And most successful brands are already validating that statment. That is evidenced by the flow of unique and powerful content marketing campaigns. And really, there’s no wonder why they do it.
So Why Do They Do That? Becuase It Works
Research tells us that content marketing costs 62% less than traditional advertising channels. Additionally, it provides three-times as many results in terms of traffic and leads. And, as another study from Curata points out, 74% of companies say that content marketing is enhancing the quality and increasing the quantity of leads.
So, regardless of your business type and industry, you can leverage content to improve your brand’s awareness. develop a solid brand reputation, and eventually increase your leads and sales. All with content. And in this post from Jeff Bulla’s blog, Tiffany Harper sharies 10 proven content promotion strategies to improve your business’ exposure and performance. Read the full article on Jeff Bullas’s Blog.
-
- 19 Mar
The Best Time to Post on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, & Pinterest
Social media is one of the best ways to amplify your brand and the great content you’re creating. But it isn’t enough to just post content to social whenever you feel like it. Some times are better than others.
So, what are the best hours to post on each social media channel?
Unfortunately, there’s no perfect answer to when is the best time to post. However, there is ample data out there on the best time to post on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest. The great folks at CoSchedule recently looked at a combination of its own original data and more than a dozen studies on this very topic. The looked at data from the likes of Buffer and Quintly, just to name a couple. And then they created a helpful list of ideal posting times based on industry trends across today’s most popular social networks.
To learn them all, read the full article at HubSpot.com
-
- 18 Mar
3 Ways To Promote Your Startup Like A Pro in 2019
- Mar 18, 2019
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- #Startup Marketing, Demand Generation, Promotional Marketing
Marketing is one of the biggest challenges that any startup will face. After all, when your new to the market, you’re unknown. And it’s tough to stand out from the crowd when 50 million new startups launch every year. Plus the competition is fierce.
But even if your product is top-notch, you cannot generate sales without gaining attention and then traction in the market. First, you have to let your potential customers know that you even exist and that you are an option for them. This requires dedicating resources towards promotion.
But, as a startup, that is easier said than done. You don’t have extra resources. And you probably don’t have the luxury of time to devote to promotional strategies. To help you out, here are 3 Ways To Promote Your Startup Like A Pro, starting right now. So read the full article at Jeff Bullas’s Blog to learn how you can get started.
-
- 15 Mar
New Report: Impact of Original B2B Content – Builds Brand Trust
- Mar 15, 2019
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- B2B Marketing, Content Marketing, Lead Generation
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.
-
- 14 Mar
New Data: B2B Leaders Say Content Spurs Buying Processes
- Mar 14, 2019
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- B2B Marketing, Content Marketing, Digital Marketing
from Marketing Charts
Content remains one of the most effective ways of initiating the buyer’s journey. Indeed, almost half of the more than 200 B2B marketing leaders who took part in a survey by PathFactory and Heinz Marketing said that their company’s buying process was initiated by someone on their team coming across a prospective company’s content they found interesting.
Content is The Spark That Lights the Fire . . .
In terms of acting as a catalyst to the buyers’ journey ran a close second. Discovering interesting content was second only to someone vocalizing a pain point or challenge that needs to be addressed. It’s often the function of content to address these pain points. However, close to half of the survey’s respondents said that one of the biggest issues they have with the content they receive is that it isn’t relevant to their pain points or challenges.
It’s true that content marketers experience challenges when it comes to procuring and utilizing their marketing data in order to tell the right stories. So what other challenges do marketing leaders experience with content? To find out read the full article at Marketing Charts.
-
- 13 Mar
An Easy Guide to Social Media for Small Business
- Mar 13, 2019
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- Brand Marketing, Marketing for Small Business, Social Media Marketing
We know that people are spending more and more time on their phones. And a lot of that time is spent on social media apps. Plus we also know that social media users regularly interact with companies. And they tend to interact and engage with names they know or already do business with.
For small businesses focused on community and individual customers, this makes social media a powerful platform. It is useful for connecting directly with an audience, to build brand awareness and brand loyalty. But, even better, social media is also an effective platform for lead generation.
Social media is a free and easy tool for businesses to connect directly with people interested in their brand. But, free, easy doesn’t mean that you can just log in and start posting, though. Before that, you need to set a social media strategy. So read the full article at WordStream.com to see how you can do that.
-
- 12 Mar
Is Video Working? Video Ad Engagement Benchmarks in 2018
- Mar 12, 2019
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- Digital Marketing, Lead Generation, Video Marketing
from Marketing Charts
We have ample evidence of the growing popularity and increasing use of video in marketing. In fact, video has found popularity and application at more than one point in the sales funnel. But, just because we create all of this video content, how do users respond? Is it really effective for them?
The Dials Keeps On Moving for Video in Marketing
In order to find out how effective video ads are, Extreme Research looking at a number of metrics to gauge the effectiveness and to spot some emerging trends. Their report [see the original report] looked at video ad completion, click-through and viewability rates to compile a picture of how viewers are responding. One shift they did note was the increasing impact of connected TVs on the marketing video landscape.
To see the data, access the original report and gain additional insights, read the full article at MarketingCharts.com
-
- 11 Mar
Five Surefire Ways to Boost Your B2B Marketing Content’s Readership
- Mar 11, 2019
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- B2B Marketing, Content Marketing, Digital Marketing
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
-
- 09 Mar
The Best Time to Post on LinkedIn – Cheat Sheet Included
- Mar 09, 2019
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- Content Marketing, LinkedIn, Social Media
by Clifford Chi
Just like on every other social media network, attracting an engaged audience on LinkedIn requires you to craft compelling content. But what happens if you don’t post your content at the right time? Well, for one, most of your followers will never see your updates.
So how do you figure out the optimal post time for your specific audience?
If you don’t have enough resources or time to conduct your own tests, Sprout Social has you covered. Last year, they analyzed their customer data to see what time and day their customers’ social media posts generated the most engagement. And after examining their aggregate engagement data on LinkedIn, Sprout Social came up with answers. They pinpointed the days and times that could generate the most engagement on the platform for your brand.
To see what they uncovered, do see the original report and to get a handy-dandy cheat sheet, read the full article at HubSpot.com
-
- 08 Mar
A Very Useful LinkedIn Advertising Cheatsheet
- Mar 08, 2019
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- B2B Marketing, LinkedIn, Social Media Marketing
When it comes to marketing your business, we can assume that LinkedIn is not for every business. But that doesn’t mean that it isn’t useful. And there are tons of B2B marketers out there leveraging the platform right now.
Like It or Not, It Does Work for a Lot of Brands
We know that they are successfully using it to spread brand awareness and drive lead generation. After all, it is the largest stage for business-minded social interactions. And if you are targeting c-suite professionals, providing educational material to marketers, or just spreading brand awareness, LinkedIn is probably the platform for you.
But, it all can be a bit confusing. And there is more than one way to promote and advertise on LinkedIn. So, if you are interested in learning what types of ads LinkedIn offers. Or if you need to understand what the remarketing options are and even how to best target you audience on LinkedIn, then read the full article and get the WordStream ‘cheat sheet’ at WordStream.com
-
- 07 Mar
The Local Search Factors That Matter Most
- Mar 07, 2019
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- Local SEO, Localization Strategies, Search Engine Marketing
by Ayaz Nanji
Marketers say succeeding on local search often simply comes down to a business’s location. And this opinion is backed up by recent research from Moz.
Think Local . . . Easy to Say. Hard to Do
How to use a tool that has a global presence and is built to span the globe, for a local business, has challenged marketers since the inception of the Worldwide Web. So Moz took a deeper look into this issue. They wanted to understand how some marketers are addressing this dilemma. They went about this through a survey of more than 1,400 local marketers. And these were people who work either in-house for businesses or for agencies specific to localization.
Some of their findings may come as a surprise. But, for the most part, they found that for some, proximity to the searcher is the top factor determining ranking in Google’s Local Pack. To see more of the data and insights as well as a chance to download the original report, read the full article at MarketingProfs
-
- 06 Mar
An Introduction to Persuasive Advertising vs. Informative Advertising
- Mar 06, 2019
- admin
- 0
- Conversion Strategies, Inbound Marketing, Lead Generation
by Clifford Chi
As marketers, we know that if we want to persuade an audience, we need to evoke an emotional response from them. But how do you actually do that? Well, for one, we can use persuasive techniques that emphasise value. Or we can inform and educate them.
But What is a Persuasive Ad? And How Do They Differ From Informative Ads?
Well, recently Clifford Chi, over at HubSpot, took a look at this dicotomy of advertising approaches. He examined six persuasive advertising techniques that you can use right now. Plus, he then looked at three informative advertisement examples. And each of those is surprisingly as compelling as the persuasive advertising examples.
So to learn all about Persuasive Advertising vs. Informative Advertsing, read the full article at HubSpot.com
-
- 05 Mar
B2B Email: Customers Crave Curated and Customized Content
- Mar 05, 2019
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- B2B Marketing, Conversion Strategies, Email Marketing
Today, B2B marketers who rely upon email marketing are facing some huge challenges. Long gone are the days of batch and blast. Now, challenged by expectations in the market, we need to personalize email content, making it relevant to the recipient. And that means going way beyond just dropping someone’s name in the subject line and calling it customization. It means giving them what they want.
It All Comes Down to Creating Relevant Content
Relevant content that people crave is crucial to your email campaign success. But, many brands still have a hard time generating content at scale to fuel their B2B email marketing initiatives. And if you don’t have the content, or it isn’t something people want, then your campaigns simply don’t yield the results you need.
In this article, Beth Negus Viveiros, Managing Editor at ChiefMarketer Networks, gives some interesting insights into B2B email marketing. She looks at how curated and customized content can impact email success. So, to learn how you can make it work for you , read the full article at Chief Marketer.
-
- 04 Mar
How to Run LinkedIn Ad Campaigns: A Beginner’s Guide
- Mar 04, 2019
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- LinkedIn, Pay-Per-Click, Social Media
by Allie Decker
LinkedIn is a highly valuable tool to network with like-minded professionals. But here’s something we don’t talk about as much as we should. LinkedIn is also a highly useful inbound marketing platform.
You Have more power at your disposal with LinkedIn than you might realize
And that’s because LinkedIn has a powerful ads platform. If you’re already using pay-per-click (PPC) techniques to power your presence on Facebook, Twitter, or Google, consider yourself lucky. Now you can add LinkedIn to that list, too.
But if you’re new to LinkedIn ads, fear not. The people over at HubSpot have put together a great step-by-step guide to setting up your first LinkedIn ad campaign. To learn it all, read the full article at HubSpot.com
-
- 02 Mar
Use Customer Journey Mapping to Transform Frustration Into Conversion
- Mar 02, 2019
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- Conversion Strategies, Customer Journey, Marketing Strategies
For most businesses, it is difficult to see your product from your customers perspective. We all tend to be too obsessed with all the bells-and-whistles of the backend. And we tend to neglect to consider customer experience. As a result, we end up ignoring how the customer views us and our products.
If Only There Were a Magic Mirror . . .
Customer Journey Mapping is fundamentally designed to address that very issue. It is a tool that can give companies the ability to get a customer’s eye view of the user experience. Therefore, building a Customer Journey Map is important. It can help you to know how your business works. And it can help to spot potential weaknesses and allocating resources more effectively. Plus, it will even help to constantly improve and streamline your customer service.
But, building a Customer Journey Map doesn’t need to be a complex process. And it can be simple, and to see just how easy it can really be, read the full article on JeffBullas’s Blog.
-
- 01 Mar
The Complete Beginner’s Guide to Facebook Ecommerce
- Mar 01, 2019
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- Facebook, Social Media, Social Selling
You have products to sell. And with that goal in mind, where do you go? Which channel offers the best access to your target audience? And does so at the most cost-effective way? After all, you want to expand your products reach and visibility and to acquire new and even repeat customers?
Go to Facebook, of Course!
Yep, your read that right. Go to Facebook, but don’t just take my word for it. According to Facebook reports, by the end of 2018, 2.32 billion users were on the platform. If you had any doubts about your audience being there, set them aside. Your potential customers are most certainly there, regardless of your industry, business size, budget, or goals. Sure, Facebook has had its fair share of bad publicity, rising costs, and targeting changes in the last year; however, the tech giant continues to reign supreme as the least expensive online advertising channel and its robust targeting options are incomparable to others.
So, if you’re looking to get started with Facebook Ads for ecommerce to propel your marketing efforts and drive sales, read the full article at WordStream.com
-
- 28 Feb
How Advertisers Use Different Video Platforms Across The Funnel
- Feb 28, 2019
- Dan Hoff
- 0
- Conversion Strategies, Sales Funnel Strategies, Video Marketing
from Marketing Charts
Video, as a marketing tool, is here to stay. And that is mainly because it works and works well. As it becomes more prevalent, it is increasingly important to understand where in the sales funnel it’s most impactful.
Video Growth is Big. Bigger. Biggest Yet!
According to a study a study from Advertiser Perceptions, roughly half of advertisers are increasing their video budgets. And while this is big and getting bigger, most are begining to place greater emphasis on where the largest audiences are. The study showed that fewer advertisers are using digital/mobile video for upper funnel opportunities. But, this platform dominates both the middle and lower stages of the funnel capturing consumers during their decision-making and conversion stages.
This makes sense as these devices are ones on which it’s easy to convert. To see more of the data, to access the original report and view additional insights, read the full article at MarketingCharts.com