We’ve all heard the saying, “If you want something done right, do it yourself.” But when it comes to producing articles, white papers, case studies, blog posts, email marketing, website content and more, outsourcing content creation can save you time and money while improving quality and results. It can be scary to trust someone else
As marketing professionals, we need stay on top of trends, news and industry insights to maintain a competitive edge. Yet, it can be hard to find the time needed to consume all the relevant content that crosses our paths. Enter podcasts, also known as digital, conversation-based series. They are the new form of talk radio.
According to Hubspot, a white paper is “a persuasive, authoritative, in-depth report on a specific topic that presents a problem and provides a solution.” In the B2B marketplace, white papers are among the greatest utilized marketing tools. In fact, 70% of B2B companies rank white papers as one of the most effective forms of marketing content above videos, blogs, newsletters and online presentations.
Content marketing is a powerful promotional strategy for businesses of all sizes and industries. Unlike traditional marketing, which is self-promotional, content marketing attracts, engages and retains prospects and customers through the consistent distribution of valuable, relevant and compelling content. Benefits of content marketing Content marketing is effective, practical and useful for companies that want to
In today’s digital marketplace, a well-thought-out and integrated social media marketing strategy is essential for most companies. Social media is a powerful way for businesses of all sizes to reach prospects and customers. When starting out, it can be a challenge to develop a social media audience who will engage with and respond to your content and brand. To make it easier, we’ve compiled 20 tips to launch your strategy.
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.
Choosing the right marketing technology investments is difficult. Considerations include short-term needs, long-term goals, budget, resources, ROI and more. Additionally, it is essential that involved staff members understand the technology, its capabilities and functions. There are certain mainstays we can agree on (email, websites and CRM systems), but with the ever-changing world of technology, new, trending and experimental tech can be risky.
Marketers love their jargon. Whether they are talking about authenticity, KPIs or pain points, marketers have a language of their own. The term “evergreen content” is just another example. Sometimes it can be difficult to decipher passing buzzwords from vital marketing initiatives. However, evergreen content is an important concept for marketers to understand and utilize.
When it comes to B2C marketing, seasons and holiday campaigns bombard us from all angles. Oftentimes, we’ll find winter merchandise and advertisements even before the weather starts to change. Seasonal marketing is trendy, urgent and predictable—three words not often associated with the counterpart B2B marketing. However, does that mean there’s no place for seasonal marketing in the B2B space?
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.
While mass media publications have widespread readership, the targeted nature of trade publications makes them even more important to marketers. In a traditional marketing approach, ad placements in trade magazines help establish brand awareness, announce new products and services, and generate sales leads. But in today’s content-is-king marketplace, a bylined article that reaches your target market can
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.
This week we continue with our series, the 7 Habits of Highly Effective Marketers. The first five habits uncover vital principles and best practices of effective individuals and teams. These five habits identify values that lead to interdependence and meaningful communication. Now that we are near the end of the series, we combine the efforts of all the previous habits to form the sixth: synergy.
LinkedIn is a powerful tool for connecting professionally, looking for employment opportunities and sharing content. In addition, LinkedIn is considered the number-one platform for lead generation. The platform has 560 million professionals with LinkedIn profiles and an estimated two new profiles are created every minute. The outreach possibilities are endless.
During an age when being “green” is an important corporate initiative, how can marketers be sure they’re doing their part? By recycling content, marketers can be more efficient, save precious financial resources, expand their content library and widen their marketing reach. Repurposing content involves using existing elements of content in multiple ways—giving it new life.
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.
What’s considered the gold standard of marketing measurement? Analyzing the impact a marketing campaign has on the bottom line. When dollars and resources are tight, companies want to make sure they are getting a solid return on their investment. The ROI on blogs and other types of content marketing is among the highest in communications projects.
Often, a company’s website is the first interface in establishing a business relationship. In fact, 48% of customers cited a website’s design as the number one factor in determining the credibility of a business. That initial impression either invites them to learn more or turns them away completely.
Savvy B2B marketers are rediscovering radio, a serious contender in the digital marketing arena. Delivery platforms like AM/FM, streaming audio, HD radio and podcasts are fueling real results for many organizations in a wide variety of industries. While many have been led to believe that radio is a dying medium, the American audience continues to
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.
It’s no secret that content marketing is a strategy worth investing in, but the success of your content is dependent not only on the message but on its distribution through appropriate marketing channels. A powerful blog, white paper or case study can go unnoticed if it isn’t properly circulated to target audiences. The complicated part is knowing where you will get the biggest bang for your buck. While sharing on social media is a great start, it doesn’t always expose your company and its thought leadership to new and relevant demographics. One effective and often underutilized method of outreach is contributed content or guest posting. As editorial staffs shrink and the demand for content increases, the practice is on the rise, with 61 percent of editors increasing published contributions this year.
We’ve all heard that when you fail to plan, you plan to fail. This is the time of year to reflect on your progress, determine what worked and what didn’t, and put into place the resources and tactics that will help drive organizational success for the coming year. For bigger and better results in 2018,
In today’s marketplace, as much as 80% of B2B content is gated. What does that mean? To gate means that specific contact information is required to access content such as a white paper, article, video, ebook or case study. This information usually consists of a name, email address, company, title and possibly a phone number. We’ve all seen it, and most likely, we’ve given up some of our personal information in exchange for a bit of content. But how does gating affect the success and outreach of the specific content marketing asset, let alone the total marketing strategy? Here are the pros and cons of gating content on your website to help determine your decision.
Today’s B2B marketers face increasing challenges and opportunities. At the end of the day, though, it all comes down to just one key factor: quality lead generation. Traditional marketing objectives include brand awareness, customer loyalty, increased market share, talent recruitment and the introduction of new products and services. But without leads, and the resulting sales, businesses simply can’t exist. While lead generation is hardly a new concept, recent studies show that 77 percent of marketers are focused on improving the quality of leads and nearly half have their sights set on improving the number of leads their efforts attract.
