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- 25 Nov
New Research: Using B2B Video to Drive Results
by Lisa Heay, Marketing Planning Manager at Heinz Marketing
Video in the B2B landscape has exploded. It is becoming a staple in today’s modern marketing toolkit. Yet, as more companies invest in video, the gaps between execution and performance are widening.
So Many Questions. Now for Some Answers . . .
While sales and marketing professionals may understand the value of video, what are they doing to actually act on it? And, for those who are investing more time, money, and resources in online video than ever before, are they generating the return on investment (ROI) required to sustain it?
How are today’s most successful companies using video to drive results? To answer these questions, Heinz Marketing teamed up with Vidyard to conduct a research study. And if you’d like to learn more, and download the full research report, see the full article at Heinz Marketing.
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- 19 Nov
Banish The Boring: Use B2B Video to Entertain, Educate & Engage
by Aljaz Fajmut
When we think of some of the B2B videos we have seen, we probably think to ourselves – BORING. Well, B2B videos don’t have to be boring anymore. No longer is it necessary for our customers to suffer thought a monologue of charts, facts and figures.For B2B video marketing success today, those videos need to follow the Rule of the 3-E’s. They now need to entertain, educate and engage.
That Means It’s Time to Get Creative
We can no longer escape the fact that video is not a trend. It’s not a fad. In fact, it’s everywhere. And it has proven, time and again, to be a great way of connecting with clients, building leads and clinching sales. But, how relevant is it to the B2B sphere? Well, 73% of B2B marketers have already said that video positively affects their marketing ROI.
Today, there’s no reason why your next B2B video marketing campaign can’t hit a home run. And according to Aljaz Fajmut,as long as you use video to be entertaining, educational and informative, there is no reason to be boring. And to learn 7 of the best B2B video marketing techniques so that your own ROI grows and grows this year he shars, read the full article on Jeff Bullas’s Blog.
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- 12 Nov
5 Big Changes in B2B Buying Behavior You Need to Know
If you’re a B2B marketer, and especially if you work for a services provider, your environment is about to be upended. Your customers are changing. And so are the ways those customers buy.The Winds of Change Are Upon Us
There is mounting evidence that B2B buyer behaviors are shifting due to a number of dynamic forces. While those forces are slowing moving the markets we work in, most have not noticed the shifts. And if we don’t move with those forces, we will be left in the dust.
In this article from Target Marketing Magazine, Ruth P. Stevens brings forward five glaring developments in business buying behavior that you need to know about. And once you know, you must consider how to adapt and, better yet, turn the changes to your advantage. To learn what those developments are, read the full article at Target Marketing Magazine Online.
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- 05 Nov
7 Ways B2Bs Can Use Social Media to Boost Conversion Rates and Lead Gen
by Tessa Burg
Almost all companies recognize the importance of social media. But recognition isn’t the same as understanding. And there is a huge amount of confusion around its value as a B2B marketing opportunity. A lot of those companies tend to view social’s utility through a narrow and skeptical lens.
Most B2B companies don’t believe any B2C marketing strategies will work for them. And this attitude extends to the notion that B2C social strategies won’t work. Instead, they mistakenly use social platforms as real-time broadcast channels. So, they only post announcements or company updates.
That Strategy Misses One Vital Ingredient: Participation
Social media allows B2B companies an opportunity to show their expertise while participating in and adding value to a community. Done correctly, social can drive B2B lead generation and even conversions. To learn how you can begin to leverage social media, read the full article at MarketingProfs.com
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- 04 Nov
2018 B2B Video Completion Rates and Success Benchmarks
from Marketing Charts
We know that in the B2C space, marketing videos have grown in popularity. But, this year B2B marketers have also named video as their top lead generation tactic.But keeping B2B buyers engaged can sometimes be a struggle. Marketers are constantly challenged with the cold, hard reality of engagement. So, the question remains if they work and how they can work harder for our marketing. And, can video really help with that?
One measure of video marketing success is video completion rate. That means, people watching the complete video from start to finish. And a new video benchmarks from Vidyard [download page] offers insights into that very benchmark. And what they found for completion rates for business-related videos, and the results are encouraging.
But beyond just completion rates, the study offers other benchmarks for business-related videos on Vidyard’s platform in 2018. To see what those are and to learn just how effective B2B marketing videos can be, read the full article at MarketingCharts.com
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- 01 Nov
Power Up Your LinkedIn Presance
When business people tend to talk about social media, they immediately default to one of the “big 4”. Most think about networks like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram. But the true powerhouse network for business, LinkedIn, is rarely mentioned.Don’t Miss The Obvious Low Hanging Digital Fruit
If you live in the B2B world and you’re not spending time on LinkedIn every week – you’re missing out on an incredible opportunity. For most LinkedIn users, it’s nothing more than a digital Rolodex. But that misses it’s actual power as an incredible brand building, SEO increasing and prospecting/business development tool. But only when used well.
In our feature article today, Drew McLellan brings us some great best practices and tips for really leveraging LinkedIn to your full advantage. Fair warning though. This is going to require an investment of time on your part. But the rewards will far outweigh the costs, so read the full article on the McLellan Marketing Group blog.
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- 24 Oct
10 Great B2B Lead Generation Strategy Ideas
by Lisa Smith
According to research from the Content Marketing Institute, 85% of B2B marketers say lead generation is a top priority for their content marketing. But, by that same token, 44% rate their lead generation of their content marketing efforts as lacking effectiveness.There’s More Than One Arrow in Your Quiver
That’s not to say content marketing isn’t a valuable tactic. It is. However, it’s certainly not the only one at B2B marketers’ disposal. There are a number of additional tactics that can be leveraged.
In this article from WordStream.com, Lisa Smith takes a look at 10 B2B lead generation strategies. She takes a look at the realitive value of content marketing, LinkedIn, Google Ads, Facebook Ads and more. Then she goes on to explains how you can add these to your marketing plan and make sure your hard work and effort is effective.
Read the full article at WordStream.com
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- 21 Oct
3 Ways to Make B2B Content Marketing More Engaging
by Leah Wynalek
When it comes content, even with complex topics, your content is most effective when it’s simple to understand. Whether a website, a blog post, white papers, your content must deliver a clear, valuable message. And it must do so in an engaging way for potential buyers to pay attention.“Momma Always Said, Simple is as Simple Does”
Recently at Content Marketing World 2019, a number of B2B marketers led sessions about how to craft more compelling brand stories and thought leadership content. And all of the speakers at that event stressed the need to simplify your message. Storytelling need not be complex. The simpler, the better was their mantra.
The Bottom line: Buyers are people. They don’t want to be bored, and they shouldn’t have to analyze your content to grasp its business value. To learn 3 ways to accomplish this, read the full article on the Publishing Executive blog
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- 18 Oct
Creating LinkedIn Campaigns Efficiently and Effectively
Brenna, as a Senior Marketing Consultant at Heinz Marketing, has worked on numerous LinkedIn campaigns. And that work has ranged from developing strategy and reviewing existing campaigns to improve performance. In fact, you could say she’s done it all. So with all of that, she thought that she might as well write a blog piece covering some of the ideas she has arrived at.
Just in Case You’re Playing Along at Home . . .
First, she willingly admits that she is, “by no means, an expert in digital marketing or LinkedIn campaigns.” But, rather, what she has to say is based on her solid experience and some rather impressive results and performance she’s seen.
In this article, she points out a few things to keep in mind when creating a campaign. And then brings up some solid best practices and tips she’s used along the way. So to learn more, read the full article, Creating LinkedIn Campaigns Efficiently and Effectively, at Heinze Marketing’s 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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- 07 Oct
New Research Reveals How to Accelerate the Buyer’s Journey with Content
by Josh Baez
It’s no secret today’s buyers are overwhelmed. And today, the average consumer experiences tremendous marketing fatigue. They are literally being bombarded from every angle with marketing messages. And, that experience isn’t always a positive one.
Are We Hindering or Helping?
70% of buying decisions are made before ever talking to a salesperson. And these days, for buyers, experience and information matters more than ever. So, now there is an even greater reliance upon content for marketing outcomes.
As marketers, Are We Enabling Those Decisions or Hindering Them?
But, what can be done? New research just released give us some great tips. The report gives us some intereting insights into how we can best use our content to accelerate our buyer’s journey. And not to hinder it. So to learn what they found, read the full article at Heinz Marketing’s Blog
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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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- 24 Sep
What is Intent Data and Why Should I Care?
by Kira Jerome, Intern at Heinz Marketing
As a marketer, you know how important it is to get in front of the right prospects at the right time. Your sales team may be asking for more leads, or maybe they have the volume, but not the low-hanging fruit—those prospects that fit your target audience and are ready to buy. A technology that could alert you when your ideal prospect was ready to buy sounds too good to be true, right? This is intent data. You may have heard about intent data, but maybe you’re not quite sure what that is or why its beneficial.Now This May Sound Too Good to be True . . .
Intent data is important because it shows when “high-fit” accounts or leads have been researching solutions that your company specializes in. When they do this, they leave digital footprints that can be tracked. Utilizing this kind of information can drastically increase the number of qualified leads and new sales opportunities for your company. And that permits your sales team to focus its energy on the most fruitful prospects at the right time.
In the world of B2B marketing, intent data is still a relatively new resource. But with it, there is an opportunity for your company to stay ahead of the tech curve and your competitors. To learn what you need to do to get started, read the full article at Heinz Marketing Blog
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- 02 Sep
Facebook How to for Business: 25 Facebook Marketing Tips and Tricks
Some of the younger demographics are passing up Facebook in favor of tools like Instagram and Snapchat. Even with that, Facebook still dominates the market. With 1.09 billion people logging in daily, it still commands the position as the most popular social network. And that doesn’t even include the fact that Facebook owns 77% of all social logins.If You Build It,
HeThey Will Come . . .If you want your business’ content to reach consumers, and even business leaders, having a presence on Facebook is a given. But to make the most of your Facebook Page you need to optimize your Facebook presence. However, learning all the nuances of various social networks can be a tricky. And it can be a time-consuming feat, especially considering how frequently they add, remove, and modify features.
To help you stay ahead of the curve, Lidsay Kolowich from HubSpot has put together a handy cheat sheet that businesses can use to make the most of Facebook marketing. To see the entire list and to learn how to apply them to your business’ goals for using Facebook, read the full article at HubSpot.com
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- 30 Aug
How to Use Social Media Research as a Tool for Sales Success
by Mike Schultz
If you’re in business, you market and sell something. And one of the challenges you face is finding prospects that want to buy. But, that takes a couple of things. First, you have to know who they are and they need to know who you are. Then, you need to know something about them. You need information about the buyer.But Where to Start? Without Being Creepy
Quite frankly, you are absolutely crazy if they don’t take advantage of the vast amounts of information about your buyers that’s available on social media. Whether you’re researching new prospective B2B buyers before reaching out, a buyer before a sales conversation, or a target industry, social media should be one of the first places you look.
And yet, most of us don’t do that. But those who do have a great advantage. Here are ways to research buyers on social platforms at MarketingProfs
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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- 21 Aug
B2B Social Media Strategies That Work For Any Industry
For so long, social media was considered the sole domain for B2C marketers. Well, that may no longer be the case. And that’s because there are now a number of brands that have seem to have broken the social media code.Caught in the Middle Again . . .
What they have found is that for a B2B company to be successful on social media, their content needs to find the middle ground. I needs to fit between being engaging and not disrupting their audiences’ experience on the platform. And ultimately, it needs to be what their audience wants to see to truly reap the benefits of social media.
So, what is it that B2B companies have done to transform the landscape of what it means to be a brand on social media? To find out, consider these 10 B2B Social Media Strategies for Any Industry on HubSpot.com that might lead your own social accounts to success.
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- 16 Aug
5 Great Ideas for Innovative B2B Video Marketing
by Tom Shapiro
Video an incredibly powerful tool for B2B businesses. YouTube alone has approximately billion monthly active users. And aberdeen Group reports that video marketers generate 66% more qualified leads than marketers who don’t use video. Add to that the fact that Wyzowl found that 83% of marketers say that video gives them a significant ROI.
There’s No Law Against Making it Fun
Video is also a highly effective way to turn something mundane into something truly magical. Not only does it have the capability to highlight your brand’s creativity, but it can show off the brand in a way that is entertaining, informative and fun. And, tt shows that the company can take even the most mundane things and turn them into something magical.
But it isn’t enough to simply create videos. You need to create videos that will make your brand stand out from the crowd. So if your interested in learning some ways to make this happen for you, here’s five ways to make that happen on ChiefMarketer.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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- 10 Aug
Is Hybrid Content Strategy the Future of B2B Content?
by Tim Morral
A majority of B2B marketers plan to reshuffle their strategies and prioritize the development of short-form content in 2019. A move largely motivated by buyers’ changing content preferences. But aligning content with buyer preferences isn’t as simple as tweaking the marketing budget. Nor is it simply a matter of creating a few more social posts.
Today’s B2B marketers find themselves struggling to maximize business value. Now, they are challenged to use social, video, multimedia and gated content assets to engage audiences. And to do so on a meaningful level.
We know from the experience over the past few years that short-form content works. But as marketers, we have seen that long-form content has it’s place as well. The solution? Integration. By integrating short-form and long-form content in a hybrid content strategy, B2B marketers can increase the business impact of their content investments and engage buyers in more creative ways. To learn how, read the full article at TargetMarketing.com
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- 09 Aug
3 Tips on How to Create Branded Video on a Shoestring Budget
There is growing evidence that all businesses need to develop online video as a core part of their strategy. Consider these two points. First, nearly 50 percent of web users look for videos related to a product before visiting a bricks-and-mortar store. And, add to that, 70 percent of B2B buyers watch videos along their path to purchase. Now, those are certainly compelling arguments to use video, aren’t they. And this goes for businesses no matter which industry or size.
No Need for a Hollywood Production Team Here
The opportunity is real. Even if you are a small-to-medium-sized business with limited experience with online video. With modern digital platforms, even SMBs can effectively use video to increase sales and create brand awareness.
But how do you accomplish those goals without breaking the bank? To find out, here are three tips for ramping up your online video advertising and marketing on a shoestring budget on
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