User-generated content (UGC) is defined as any type of content created by users of an online platform, whether they are individual consumers or business representatives. This type of content results in others promoting your brand rather than your brand promoting itself. Content can range from product images, blogs, tweets, videos, reviews and other social media posts.
Understanding the needs and market research challenges of your target market is vital to the long-term success of any business. Logically, that knowledge should come from facts, not fiction and be based on extensive research and the careful analysis of the data collected. But market research is only effective when utilized in context and via informed and proven processes.
For decades, B2B marketing techniques relied on the same basic principles as consumer marketing. But over the last 20 years, B2B marketing has gone through an evolution and emerged as its own discipline with unique strategies, practices and metrics of success. The way marketing and business has changed over the years mimics the ways our values change as a society. If we compare the two, we discover greater insights into why we make the purchase decisions we do.
As marketers, nothing is more important than interacting with your target market. We’ve discussed ways to identify, interact with and grow a specified target market and communicate with an interactive audience, but the next step, segmenting the audience, is just as important. Segmentation ensures your content and outreach are relevant to your prospects and clients.
When we think of “gamers” we often picture teenagers, headphone-clad in a dim room, palming a controller for hours on end. According to a 2017 study, however, 64% of the general US population consider themselves “gamers.” Video game technology and usage have grown exponentially since its inception in the 1970s. As a result, video game technology has infiltrated sectors far beyond the entertainment industry.
Marketing is a rapidly changing and evolving discipline. New technologies, social and behavioral norms, digital marketplaces, business trends, global and cultural influences and communication methods change almost every day. Yet, we expect marketers to not only keep up with the pace, but also count on them to be experts too. While this is a tall order, it is possible to develop high-performing, agile marketing departments.
No business can be all things to all people. The more narrowly you can define your target market, the better. This process is known as creating a niche and is a key to success for businesses of all sizes. Niche marketing concentrates marketing efforts on a specific and well-defined segment of the population—the ones whose profiles most closely match your existing customers’ needs.
Not long ago, prospects and customers were a more homogenous group, often located in the communities and surrounding areas in which they lived and worked. Today, with the advances in technology and the growth of a multicultural population, companies are expanding their marketing outreach dramatically, both in terms of geography and customer profiles (including age, gender, race and socioeconomic background).
Happy New Year! Now that the winter holidays are over, most of us are ready to forge ahead and make 2019 even more successful than 2018. During this transition, we tend to reflect on how we did last year, what we learned, what changes and improvements we need to make and what new knowledge we need to acquire.
It’s natural for companies to expect immediate return on any investment. The truth is, building a business takes time and patience. Marketing is an essential element to generating business, but unrealistic marketing expectations are common. Setting the bar too high and establishing unrealistic deadlines can result in disappointment and failure. To avoid unrealistic marketing expectations, follow these guidelines to set achievable goals.
Despite the constant parade of new communication apps and technologies, email is still a messaging mainstay. In fact, 86% of professionals prefer to use email when communicating for business purposes. While there are a variety of factors that impact the success of email campaigns, here are some best practices to help you generate the higher response and engagement rates you seek.
Like with most industries, marketing is filled with jargon. To stay relevant, it’s important to understand today’s industry lingo and buzzwords. The following is a collection of marketing terms to help you brush up on your language and perhaps introduce you to a few new marketing terms.
The “call to action” (CTA) is an essential component of any marketing initiative. It’s the answer to “what now?” after any article, video, advertisement, blog or other promotional offer. The call to action represents a compelling message that is intended to get your prospects to do what you want them to do. It’s a vital step to lead generation (which 63% of marketers state is their biggest challenge) and also guides prospects through the buying journey.
The average person will spend five years of their life on social media. The simple truth is: social networking technology has changed the way we communicate. With expansive networks across multiple platforms, many of us do most of our communicating online. So shouldn’t sales and marketing initiatives follow suit?
You’ve been working your 2018 marketing plan since the beginning of the year, but is it delivering the results you expected? No matter how rock-solid your plan was in January, circumstances change, sometimes dramatically. Therefore, it’s important to evaluate your marketing strategy and adjust your approach based on current market conditions and the results of tactics implemented to date.
Data-driven marketing analytics is pivotal to the success of any marketing effort. Without the insights and direction analytics provide, companies are behind the curve ball when it comes to establishing and maintaining a competitive advantage. Based on the information collected and analysis of data, marketers can learn how customers interact with a company’s marketing content. For example, analytics show specifics such as how many pages a visitor clicked through before leaving a website or which ads are most effective.
Marketing obstacles are a reality. While they vary from industry to industry, some pain points exist across the board. Here are the most common ones we’ve identified through the years along with some tips on how to overcome them.
Account-Based Marketing (ABM) is a strategy companies use to build relationships with specific prospects or customers. Unlike traditional B2B marketing that casts a wide net to capture as many leads as possible, ABM focuses sales and marketing resources on a clearly defined group of target accounts. Often, these accounts are assumed to be high-yield and represent the best fit for the organization and its products and services.
Content creation, syndication and consumption platforms are like every other aspect of business. They are constantly changing. Ensure your content represents the quality and achieves the results you want by using this checklist of B2B content platforms.
et’s be clear. There is a distinct difference between customer service and the customer experience, also known as CX. Customer service entails everything a company does to “respond” to its customers. “Respond” is the key word. While fixing mistakes with a smile, saying “yes” even when it goes against company policy and diffusing disgruntled or unhappy customers efficiently and effectively are all important and can contribute to the customer experience after the fact.
You may have heard of it, but how much do you know about influencer marketing? The phrase has been popping up more and more in the past year with headlines gracing Forbes, Entrepreneur and other national business publications. As more companies make influencer marketing a strategic priority, it’s becoming more important to investigate whether this is a passing trend or a vital initiative. Let’s start by asking the right questions.
January typically is filled with “best of” lists, resolutions and predictions. Industry news sites feature countdowns and rewinds that take us back or forecasts that keep us looking ahead. It’s a natural time to reflect so we can learn where we’ve been and plan for the future. B2B content marketing is no different. Now that 2018 is fully underway, what predictions can we make about this year’s trends? What similarities will we see from 2017, and what changes will be made?
Content is still king when it comes to attracting and engaging customers and prospects. But the real key to success is to identify and produce the right mix of projects with compelling messaging that demonstrates your thought leadership and core competencies. To help you accomplish those goals, here is a brief list of content-driven marketing communications projects and their purposes.
As companies finalize their marketing plans for 2018, it’s important to ask (and answer) some key questions. A marketing strategy combines all of an organization’s marketing goals into one comprehensive plan. While each company has a unique set of goals, the overreaching objectives are to increase business and expand corporate awareness. Here are 10 questions marketers and other executives can ask themselves as part of the marketing strategy development process.
