The post Optimize for Success with A B2B Influencer Marketing Strategy Checklist appeared first on B2B Marketing Blog - TopRank®.
Monday, April 11, 2022
Friday, April 8, 2022
B2B Marketing News: B2B Content Consumption Report, Twitter Adds Editing, CMOs Expanding Budgets, & Brands’ Mobile Ghosting
Key Takeaways From NetLine’s 2022 State of B2B Content Consumption and Demand Report When it comes to the top formats in B2B content consumption, eBooks, guides, cheat sheets, and white papers lead the way, with 40 percent of content being accessed by corporate-level executives — two of several statistics of interest to B2B marketers contained in recently-released survey data. Chief Marketer Twitter is adding an edit button Twitter will test the ability to edit tweets, first among its premium Twitter Blue subscribers, paving the way for a possible future rollout to all users on the social platform, Twitter recently announced, in a major shift from its traditional stance suppressing tweet editing. The Verge [bctt tweet="“I used to want an edit button, but now what I want is a 'typo' button, which just automates the whole process of deleting a tweet and starting a new tweet with the same content that I can fix.” — Daryl Sng @dsng" username="toprank"] Google’s Privacy Sandbox ad technology testing begins Search giant Google has begun allowing developers the ability to test its new Topics, FLEDGE and Attribution Reporting components — Google’s replacement for the former Federated Learning of Cohorts (FLoC) advertising technology offering, giving marketers the opportunity to learn more about the new privacy-focused system, Google recently announced. Search Engine Land Instagram Updates Reels Editing Tools to Make it Easier to Re-Order and Edit Clips Meta-owned Instagram has rolled out an array of new video editing tools for its Reels video clip feature, including the ability to re-order and preview clips, along with a simpler-to-use Reels video trimming system, Instagram recently announced. Social Media Today 79% of Consumers Are Comfortable Seeing Contextual Than Behavioral Ads [Harris Poll] 65 percent of consumers said that they were more likely to respond to digital ads that were relevant to the webpage they were visiting, while 66 percent noted that they were uncomfortable with brands using online browsing history to deliver personalized ads — two of several findings of interest to digital marketers contained in newly-released survey data. Toolbox B2B Twitter Tests New, Interactive Ad Types as it Seeks to Boost its Promotional Appeal Visually bold product explorer and collection ad types will join text-based options with the launch of three new ad formats from Twitter — including 3D campaigns — all currently being tested by certain advertisers on the platform, Twitter recently announced. Social Media Today 
How is IoT Reshaping the B2B Marketing Experience The Internet of Things (IoT) has brought new opportunities for B2B marketers looking to innovate, and MacTech Series takes a look at some of the ways the two seemingly-different areas can come together to form advantages in personalization, automation, and more for B2B marketers. MarTech Series LinkedIn Launches 'Career Pathfinder' Which Maps Educational Pathways for Professional Opportunities Microsoft-owned LinkedIn has released a new Learning Pathfinder feature that allows users of the platform to utilize its LinkedIn Learning services to create custom professional education journeys, LinkedIn (client) recently announced. Social Media Today Why Are Brands 'Ghosting' Consumers With Mobile Media? 53 percent of consumers have said they experienced frustration over being ghosted and unable to reply to mobile brand messaging, while some 89 percent said they wanted to have two-way mobile and social conversations with brands — two of several findings of interest to digital marketers contained in newly-released survey data. MediaPost As Marketing’s Importance Rises, CMOs Plan Budget Expansion CMOs and other senior marketers have said that they expect digital marketing to top the list when it comes to spending increases in the coming year, accounting for a 16.2 percent increase ahead, with overall marketing spending in all channels expected to expand by 13.6 percent, according to recently-released marketing budget planning report data. MarketingCharts ON THE LIGHTER SIDE: 
A lighthearted look at “virtual reality marketing” by Marketoonist Tom Fishburne — Marketoonist How The Smiley Company has built a smiley face retail empire — Modern Retail TOPRANK MARKETING & CLIENTS IN THE NEWS:
- Lee Odden — Top Marketing Experts, Analysts, and Influencers to Follow — CDP
- Joshua Nite — This Week in Marketing: Second That Emotion — LinkedIn (client)
- Lee Odden — "Marketing Champions" with Lee Odden from TopRank Marketing [Video] — Marketing Champions
The post B2B Marketing News: B2B Content Consumption Report, Twitter Adds Editing, CMOs Expanding Budgets, & Brands’ Mobile Ghosting appeared first on B2B Marketing Blog - TopRank®.
Wednesday, April 6, 2022
Survey Says: 2022 B2B Marketing Insight From Social Media Polls
What are the key areas in the B2B marketing industry where professionals see a need to adapt to meet new challenges? One straightforward way to gauge the pulse of the industry is by asking, and social media polls can offer a uniquely helpful look into the concerns of B2B marketers. We’ve tapped into our own social media audience poll data to see the outlook B2B marketing professionals have when it comes to important marketing issues including tactics, platforms, events, and more. For nearly three years we’ve run regular social media polls on our Twitter and LinkedIn* pages, and the insight shared with us has offered insight into what’s new, what's ahead, what's changed, and what’s gone for good in B2B marketing. While the sample size may sometimes be small, the outlook provided by the B2B marketing professionals taking our polls can be invaluable. Let's jump right in and take a look.
Poll #1 — The Tactics B2B Marketers Are The Most Optimistic About
The first poll we'll examine asked B2B marketers which business marketing tactic they were the most optimistic about for 2022, and presented four types of marketing practices including influencer marketing, values-driven marketing, always-on marketing, and tried and true content marketing.
Our LinkedIn respondents gave the nod to traditional content marketing, with 47 percent saying it was the tactic they were most optimistic about looking ahead. Influencer marketing followed in second with 29 percent, followed by values-driven marketing with 16 percent, and always-on marketing with seven percent. Luckily for B2B marketers, these methods are never entirely separate, however, and some campaigns may even include all of these four elements. 
42.9 percent of our Twitter poll takers also pointed to having the most optimism for content marketing, followed by 28.6 percent who said values-driven marketing, and 14.3 percent each for influencer marketing and always-on efforts. Our own Joshua Nite recently took at "4 Business Problems Solved by B2B Content Marketing," and also made the case for the power of influence in B2B marketing, in "Does B2B Influencer Marketing REALLY Work?"
Poll #2 — Top Alternative B2B Social Media Platforms
When it comes to the social media platforms B2B marketers use, LinkedIn remains far and away the most frequently utilized, however we wanted to ask which alternative platforms marketers saw as ones to watch for the future — online communities where B2B efforts are the most likely to see increased use looking ahead.
49 percent of our LinkedIn poll respondents pegged TikTok as their top alternative choice for B2B marketing efforts, followed by Reddit at 24 percent, Meta at 15 percent, and Discord with 13 percent. 
Our Twitter poll respondents saw things somewhat differently, with a leading 35.7 percent pointing to Discord, 28.6 percent each to Reddit and TikTok, and 7.1 percent to Meta. Our own Debbie Friez asked top B2B marketing subject matter expects their take on new social channels, in "How B2B Marketing Influencers Are Finding Success On New Social Channels."
Poll #3 — What B2B Marketers Think Of The Metaverse
As we covered in our weekly Friday B2B marketing news, predictions for adoption of the metaverse have shown swift embracing of the technology. Some 30 percent of global organizations will offer products or services through the metaverse by 2026, while 25 percent of people will utilize at least an hour each day using metaverse technology, and while it won’t be owned by a single vendor, the future metaverse will likely help boost engagement even among enterprise users, according to recent report data from Gartner. We were curious what our audience thought about the metaverse, and launched a poll that asked what role the metaverse will play in B2B brand marketing efforts over the next year.
A leading 32 percent of our LinkedIn poll respondents said that the metaverse would play no role whatsoever, followed closely by 29 percent who noted a growing role for the nascent virtual online world, 24 percent who said it would play a small role, and finally 15 percent who said that it would play a significant role over the next 12 months. 
When we asked the same question on Twitter, our poll takers were more optimistic about the metaverse. A combined 71.4 percent said that the metaverse would play either a small or growing role in the coming year, with 28.6 percent saying it would play no role.
Poll #4 — Where Do B2B Marketers Source Information?
In a recent poll on Twitter, our CEO and co-founder Lee Odden asked B2B marketers where they sourced information for business solutions such as software, consulting, hardware, and services — and what they used as a starting point for finding answers.
55.6 percent said they first looked to colleagues, peers, and their own network of connections for initial information, followed by 22.2 percent who said search engines, 11.1 percent who said industry experts, and 11.1 percent who noted industry trade-shows. As Lee observed in Three Steps to Elevated B2B Marketing in 2022: Innovate, Collaborate, Accelerate, "Improved thought leadership can help B2B brands connect as a 'best answer' solution for buyers across the customer lifecycle from awareness to purchase to advocacy," which reinforces the importance of information gathering and being readily visible in those places where businesses are looking for answers.
Poll #5 — The Return To In-Person Marketing Events
The fifth poll we'll look at asked our B2B marketing audience whether they planned to attend an in-person marketing event during the second half of 2021. After a near-total 98.1 percent drop in year-over-year in-person B2B exhibition industry performance during the third quarter of 2020, the most recent 56 percent decrease in the The Center of Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) index points to some progress on the road back to pre-pandemic in-person B2B event totals.
Some 40 percent of our LinkedIn poll respondents said that they were planning to attend an in-person marketing event, with 38 percent saying no and 23 percent noting that they were unsure. As time has passed, more B2B marketers have shown willingness to make the shift from all-virtual and hybrid events to in-person conferences and trade shows — a shift that the industry expects to see continuing throughout 2022. 
Our Twitter poll takers had a slightly different take, with 43.3 percent saying they weren't planning to attend any in-person events, with 36.7 saying they were, and 16.7 percent who noted that they were unsure. As B2B marketers move towards more in-person events, we recently published a collection of tips to ease that journey, with our "In-Person, Virtual & Hybrid: How To Get The Most From B2B Marketing Events In 2022."
Let Your B2B Marketers Fly High With Poll Insight
via GIPHY Keeping on top of your audience's outlook — whether it’s from poll results, questionnaires, surveys or other varieties of feedback — can go far when it comes to making your B2B marketing efforts more grounded, data-backed, and authentic. It can also help make your communication more of a two-way street, and offers valuable user generated content (UGC) information that can be used in more ways than ever in 2022. We hope you’ve found this look at our own poll results insightful as you navigate the unclear but hopeful marketing landscape ahead. To learn more from poll data insight, check out our "Social Media Polls For Marketers: 6 B2B Brands Winning With LinkedIn Polls," “B2B Marketing Poll Sentiment: 15+ Eye-Opening Insights To Fuel Summer Success,” “Show Me The Numbers: 20 B2B Marketing Insights From Audience Poll Data,” and "What Pandemic Poll Data Reveals About The Future of B2B Marketing." Award-winning B2B marketing that elevates and inspires involves crafting an artful and subtle mixture of influence and creativity that takes considerable time and effort, which is why many firms choose to work with a top digital marketing agency such as TopRank Marketing. Contact us today and let us know how we can help, as we’ve done for businesses ranging from LinkedIn, Dell and 3M to Adobe, Oracle, monday.com and others. * LinkedIn is a TopRank Marketing client.The post Survey Says: 2022 B2B Marketing Insight From Social Media Polls appeared first on B2B Marketing Blog - TopRank®.
Monday, April 4, 2022
Friday, April 1, 2022
B2B Marketing News: More B2B Brands Podcasting, LinkedIn’s New Page Newsletters, Meta’s 3D Ads, & Instagram’s Voice Responses
B2B Content Consumption Booms, With eBooks In First Place Overall B2B content consumption time increased by 3.6 hours, up nine percent from last year, while consumption among corporate-level executives rose by 15.8 percent — two of several findings of interest to B2B marketers contained in the recently-released sixth annual edition of NetLine's B2B content consumption report. MediaPost B2B Marketers Open to New Opportunities; Training Could Improve Retention 79 percent of B2B marketers have said that bolstering existing skills was the primary reason managers authorized training, followed by 75 percent who said learning new skills, and 53 percent who noted that employee retention and satisfaction was a top reason organizations turned to B2B marketing training, according to newly-released survey data. MarketingCharts [bctt tweet="“The more you can learn how to think critically, no matter the job, the better off you'll be long term.” — Tamsen Webster @tamadear" username="toprank"] LinkedIn Adds Newsletters for Company Pages, Updated Campaign Manager Navigation Microsoft-owned LinkedIn has expanded its on-platform newsletter creation and distribution system to qualifying company pages — a feature previously available only to individuals using the professional platform's creator mode, along with new campaign manager navigation features, LinkedIn (client) recently announced. Social Media Today We also recently took a look at this and other new LinkedIn features in "Virtual Vision: 5 New LinkedIn Features & How B2B Marketers Can Use Them To Succeed." The Business Case for B2B Podcasts Podcast advertising revenue is slated to top the $2 billion threshold by 2023, with more B2B brands turning to the format each year, and CMSWire examines the opportunities and challenges brands and B2B marketers are increasingly facing when entering a crowded podcast playing field. CMSWire B2B Marketers Plan Upgrades to Support Channel Partner Programs Some 53 percent of B2B marketers have said that they plan to start using or upgrade a partner training program during the next year — the top choice when it comes to supporting channel partner programs, followed by 43 percent who indicated channel incentives and program management, according to newly-released survey data. MarketingCharts Twitter 'Collabs' feature could make it possible for users to co-author tweets with brands Twitter has tested a collaboration feature that would allow tweets on the platform to have co-authored status — a change that if implemented could offer B2B influencers and brands particularly attractive new options for content co-creation and promotion, Twitter recently announced. TechCrunch 
Most will stick with Google Analytics 4, but some are shopping for new platforms 14 percent of marketers noted that they will utilize outside help with migrating to Google's forthcoming new analytics offering — one that will do away with access to most data from previous versions — while 70 percent said they would manage migration to Google Analytics 4 internally within their organization, according to recently-released survey data. MarTech Meta inks partnership for 3D ads in step toward the metaverse Facebook and Instagram parent firm Meta has formed a partnership with social augmented reality company VNTANA, that will allow brands to more easily create and implement 3D advertising on the platforms, the social media giant recently announced. Reuters Instagram may soon allow you to respond to Stories with voice messages Meta-owned Instagram has tested the ability to leave private spoken audio replies to content in the Instagram Stories format, a change that if rolled out would continue the trend of social platforms incorporating more voice content options, and Engadget looks at how such a system may work with Instagram. Engadget B2B Marketing in a World Without Cookies [Report] 39 percent of B2B marketers have said that they have experienced a negative impact on the performance of marketing efforts due to changes meant to better protect user tracking among advertisers, such as the shift away from web browser cookie-based systems, according to recently-released report data. A majority of marketers also said their organizations didn't yet have a coordinated strategy in place to adapt to the forthcoming changes. BCG ON THE LIGHTER SIDE: 
A lighthearted look at “loyalty programs and personal data” by Marketoonist Tom Fishburne — Marketoonist Man creates entire game of Pong inside a single sprite — Neowin After 25 years, Brewster Kahle and the Internet Archive are still working to democratize knowledge — NiemanLab / Harvard TOPRANK MARKETING & CLIENTS IN THE NEWS:
- Lee Odden — Social media elevates the power of Nice — Amazing Service Guy
- Nick Nelson — Digital Decluttering, Using Email for SaaS Loyalty and More — Only Influencers
The post B2B Marketing News: More B2B Brands Podcasting, LinkedIn’s New Page Newsletters, Meta’s 3D Ads, & Instagram’s Voice Responses appeared first on B2B Marketing Blog - TopRank®.
Wednesday, March 30, 2022
Virtual Vision: 5 New LinkedIn Features & How B2B Marketers Can Use Them To Succeed
What are the newest features on LinkedIn*, and how can B2B marketers best use them to attract, engage, and convert business professionals? As the world’s leading business social platform, Microsoft’s LinkedIn has released a surprising array of innovative new ways for B2B marketers and brands to build new connections and forge even stronger existing relationships. LinkedIn has undoubtedly witnessed numerous social platforms adding elements to attract B2B marketers, yet it remains the dominant player in the massive business sector. An important factor in LinkedIn’s continuing dominance and growth has been its steadfast determination to innovate with an abundance of new features. 75 percent of enterprise content marketers have said that LinkedIn produced the best results among social media platforms over the past year, followed by Facebook with 42 percent and Instagram with 32 percent. With so many new tools and options available on LinkedIn, it can at first seem somewhat overwhelming to know which ones to try first. Let’s take a look at a selection of some of the recent features LinkedIn has launched that are particularly well suited for B2B marketers looking to elevate connections, communities, and creativity.
1 — Robust LinkedIn Newsletters For Company Pages
A powerful feature for connecting with audiences is LinkedIn’s on-platform newsletter creation and distribution system — a largely undiscovered gem for B2B marketers that has recently been expanded in scope. LinkedIn’s newsletter system lets users who qualify for creator mode access publish written content at regular intervals, which is a boon for subject matter experts and influencers looking for new ways to share and promote material they’ve written or co-created with others. The latest addition to LinkedIn’s newsletter offering, however, has expanded the system to qualified LinkedIn pages, allowing brands of all sizes to fully harness the professional platform’s powerful scope and reach. Initial newsletter qualification requirements included LinkedIn users and pages with over 150 followers or connections, a recent history of sharing original content on the platform, and adherence to standard LinkedIn community policies. LinkedIn’s newsletter feature offers a wealth of options for B2B marketers that go well beyond what’s available using the platform’s traditional article format, whether for individual users or through LinkedIn’s specific articles for pages offering. A robust array of personalization options are included when creating a newsletter as a company page, and when a page publishes its first article using the feature, all of the page’s followers automatically get a notification to subscribe. Those followers who choose to subscribe — and by already being a fan of a page, it’s much more likely that members will do so — will subsequently get both an email and a notification when new newsletter articles from the company page are published — both of which can optionally be turned off. The ramifications of B2B marketers and brands using LinkedIn’s newly expanded newsletter capabilities are far-reaching, and the coming months will be a fascinating time to observe the creative uses LinkedIn members find for newsletter distribution on the platform. When it comes down to it, your marketing message and how it drives your readers to action or even enlightenment is paramount to success, and not particularly the medium or format in which it’s delivered. There are, however, many positive things to be said for the venerable newsletter format, whether sent in the traditional email format or using a social platform-based system such as the one LinkedIn has made available. To learn more about how B2B marketers can craft a great newsletter that stands out and stands the test of time, here are four articles we’ve published that explore the art and science of newsletter content and distribution:- Sign Me Up: How B2B Marketers Will Create Top-Notch Newsletters In 2022
- Free The Story: How B2B Marketers Can Use Digital Storytelling To Bring Content Alive In New Ways
- How B2B Marketers Can Build a Community of Influence with Content
- Dear Friend: Secrets to Creating a Newsletter People Want to Read From Ann Handley
2 — Professional Skill Tool & Trend-Finding Data Resources
LinkedIn recently launched an interactive “Future of Skills” tool, which is a helpful way for B2B marketers to learn precisely which skills are the most in-demand and relevant for careers in different parts of the world, in various industries, and perhaps most importantly, in particular job titles. The data-backed tool is also a good way to learn how demand for certain skills has grown or waned over the years, and LinkedIn has made it convenient to learn more about each skill by tying the system to selections from its comprehensive educational offerings through LinkedIn Learning. That makes the task of augmenting certain skills simple to begin, through the use of on-demand video courses that range in length from under ten minutes to over three hours. LinkedIn took the time to share a selection of its top LinkedIn Learning courses for marketers, as Connie Chen, insights program manager, thought leadership and narratives at LinkedIn, explored in “Solidify Your Skill Set: The Top 10 Learning Courses for Marketers.” Another example of some of the recent insightful on-demand webinar content on tap from LinkedIn is the “2021 B2B Thought Leadership Impact Study,” of particular interest to B2B marketers. B2B marketers can use the insights from LinkedIn’s “Future of Skills” tool — which contains aggregated information from the past six years for some 800-million-plus users — in many ways, from expanding their own repertoire of expertise and audience research, to examining job trends and how they will interact with new brand marketing efforts in the future. When it comes to what the data reveals, digital marketing specialists and account executives joined social media managers as the most in-demand marketing occupations, while digital marketing, advertising, and social media skills had the biggest mismatch when looking at job supply and demand, according to additional recently-released LinkedIn survey data. Elevating careers is a win-win pursuit for everyone involved in B2B marketing, and we recently tapped some of the world’s top marketing executives for their key advice and insight, which our own CEO Lee Odden shared in “How to Elevate Your B2B Marketing Career: Advice from Execs at Top B2B Brands.”
[bctt tweet="“Always seek the opportunity to acquire new ways to do marketing, because the ability to pivot & adapt to the unknown is the most valuable skill set.” — Som Puangladda @sompny" username="toprank"] LinkedIn has also focused on highlighting how the record number of career changes the world has seen over the past several years has affected particular demographics of professionals, such as woman in the world of marketing in its recent “The Great Reshuffle: What Women in Marketing Want From Their Employers,” by Tequia Burt, editor in chief of the LinkedIn Marketing Solutions Blog. To learn more about building skills for the future of B2B marketing, here are four pieces we’re published containing helpful tips and information:
- B2B Content Marketing: 10 Tips to Level Up Your Writing Skills
- 5 Free Online Courses to Sharpen Your B2B Marketing Skills
- 12 Must-Have Marketing Skills for B2B Content Marketers
- 10 Free Online Courses to Optimize Your Marketing Skills
3 — LinkedIn’s Intriguing New Podcast Network
Another recent LinkedIn tool that presents new opportunities for B2B marketers came in the form of the launch of the LinkedIn Podcast Network — a pilot program of podcast shows with an emphasis on professional career-building — that also encourages listeners to make connections and build community with show hosts. In the initial pilot, podcast listeners will have access on LinkedIn to programming and conversations from industry leading creators such as Winnie Sun, Morra Aarons-Mele, Jonathan Fields, Mita Mallick and Dee C. Marshall, as well as shows created in-house by LinkedIn News. The LinkedIn Podcast Network incorporates the full gamut of the professional social platform’s technology, such as the aforementioned newsletters along with live-streaming events plus video and written content — a potent combination that when fully rolled out will offer B2B marketers intriguing new options for podcast-related efforts. As we recently covered in our TopRank Marketing Friday news, 53 percent of marketers say they plan to spend more on podcast advertising in 2022, with listening having grown some 200 percent over the past five years. Additionally, overall podcast advertising spending climbed by 60 percent in 2021, with accompanying growth rate forecasts seeing $2.2 billion in spending by 2023. Podcasting for B2B marketers is an area we’ve also focused on over the years, and in that vein here are four helpful articles to get you started:- Listen Up: Why B2B Marketers Are Embracing #InternationalPodcastDay
- Creating B2B Podcasts That Rise Above The Noise
- How B2B Brands Can Boost Confidence in Livestream Video, Podcast and Clubhouse Marketing
- 10 Tips To Turn Your B2B Podcast Promotions Up To 11
4 — LinkedIn’s Expanded Analytics Tools & Data
LinkedIn has released a preview of an expanded set of analytics information that will offer new details on individual posts on the platform. In addition to singular post performance data, the expanded information will also allow LinkedIn content creators to view a new selection of overall analytics statistics. Combined, the expanded post and overall analytics will bring more detailed audience insight to B2B marketers, and help them find out more about the people engaging with their posts.
Another new addition on the analytics front at LinkedIn came in its recent acquisition of marketing analytics platform Oribi, which has technology that focuses on finding key top-performing marketing efforts. By combining Oribi’s technology with LinkedIn’s vast data, marketers can look forward to enhanced measurement for maximizing return on investment (ROI). LinkedIn has also worked to augment its company pages with new features, such as more powerful forecasting for post reach and frequency. “One of the biggest challenges facing most organizations on social platforms is knowing whether you’re reaching the right people, and what exactly they’re seeing,” Mary Yang, director of product at LinkedIn recently observed in “LinkedIn Pages: Our Latest and Greatest Features.” “Reach Optimization is one of the tools offered by LinkedIn to maximize the potential for this engagement,” Yang added. When it comes to crafting successful LinkedIn posts that hit the mark and utilize some of the many new features to find the right audience, LinkedIn’s head of creator programs Callie Schweitzer recently shared a selection of tips in a helpful Forbes article, “LinkedIn’s Global Creator Programs Lead Shares 4 Tips For Crafting Your First LinkedIn Post.”
5 — Keep Current With LinkedIn’s New Publications & Toolkit
LinkedIn also regularly publishes insightful takes on not only the new features it has rolled out to users, but deep looks at industry shifts and trends. Keeping on top of LinkedIn’s latest feature updates and industry-specific publications can be a great way for B2B marketers to make the most of their marketing efforts, both on LinkedIn and in more general terms. For sales professionals, LinkedIn recently rolled out a new edition of its digital magazine — The Pitch — featuring an array of strategic marketing tips for utilizing the professional social platform, along with thought leader interviews and reports of interest to B2B marketers. For marketing professionals, LinkedIn recently published a collection of handy tips and best practices for using a variety of tools, along with insights on advertising on the platform. This has all been gathered together in a new technology marketing guide, covered in “Driving Technology Leads on LinkedIn: A Toolkit to Help.” Sometimes even small enhancements to a social platform can resonate particularly well with users, as has been the case with LinkedIn’s recent announcement about its expanded handling of career breaks in member profiles, as the firm shared in “LinkedIn Members Can Now Spotlight Career Breaks on Their Profiles.” Through both minor adjustments and truly innovating features, LinkedIn has continued to offer its members new ways to engage and connect.Eying Up New LinkedIn B2B Marketing Features
via GIPHY B2B marketers and brands have been wooed by the likes of TikTik, Pinterest, Snapchat, Clubhouse and many other social platforms with increasing frequency over the past five years. Despite this, LinkedIn has remained atop the social B2B mountain, and with the many new features we’ve explored here, there’s little question why successful B2B marketers continue to not only eye up but embrace the platform. We hope you’ve found this look at some of the latest LinkedIn features for B2B marketers to be helpful, and that you’ll be able to apply this insight to your own efforts throughout 2022 and beyond. Creating award-winning B2B marketing that elevates, gives voice to talent, and humanizes with authenticity takes considerable time and effort, which is why an increasing number of firms are choosing to work with a top digital marketing agency such as TopRank Marketing. Contact us to learn how we can help, as we’ve done for over 20 years for businesses ranging from LinkedIn, Dell and 3M to Adobe, Oracle, monday.com and others. * LinkedIn is a TopRank Marketing client.The post Virtual Vision: 5 New LinkedIn Features & How B2B Marketers Can Use Them To Succeed appeared first on B2B Marketing Blog - TopRank®.
Monday, March 28, 2022
Fast-Forward: 4 Business Problems Solved by B2B Content Marketing
For B2B business, the pandemic was a magnifying glass pointing out the cracks in systems. We discovered just how fast digital transformation can be when our livelihoods are on the line. We found that global supply chains aren’t as resilient as we thought. We found that remote work is far more viable an option than we’d been led to believe. None of these realizations were brand new — we were just able to see them clearly for the first time. The same is true of B2B buyer behavior. When we talk about how the pandemic changed B2B sales and marketing, what we mean is that we can finally see what we have missed before. As we rebuild what’s broken and seek to evolve to the next level, we have a chance to put the buyer at the center of our efforts. Here are some of the biggest challenges ahead, and how we can meet them.
Solving B2B Business Problems with Content Marketing
1 — Communicating Empathy
You don’t get through collective trauma like we’ve all experienced for the past two years without a few scars. People are still adjusting, processing, struggling, even grieving. At the same time, businesses have needs that your solution can meet, problems you can solve. But how can brands help without seeming insensitive? Content marketing is our most powerful tool for communicating human-to-human, offering actual value. Now is not the time for bland corporate-speak, either — showcase your people in your content, along with others in your industry who have earned respect and trust. Be helpful and kind in your content. Be a caring companion to your audience. After all, marketers are the keepers of data — we know these people and what they’re struggling with. We’re in a unique position to create uplifting content. [bctt tweet="“Be a caring companion to your audience. After all, marketers are the keepers of data — we know these people and what they’re struggling with. We’re in a unique position to create uplifting content.” — Joshua Nite @NiteWrites" username="toprank"]2 — Leading with Purpose
Lately, businesses have come to the groundbreaking realization that people care deeply about social issues. This is a discovery on par with the earth-shattering epiphany that B2B buyers are human beings who need emotional appeal as well as facts. This epiphany has led to serious discussions about “purpose.” What does your brand stand for besides shareholder profit? What issues are top of mind and how is the brand helping address them? How can we let people know that we share their values? Content is key for a brand that’s looking to lead with purpose. It’s the medium to tell the brand’s purpose story, of course. But we can go deeper: Content can be a way to amplify other voices and help tell their stories. A brand can post a Martin Luther King, Jr. day message, complete with one of his safer quotes. But a content marketer can publish a blog post from a leading voice in the Black community. A brand can say they stand with Ukraine. A content marketer can bring refugee voices directly to a sympathetic audience. That's leading with purpose, not purpose as an afterthought.3 — Humanizing the Brand
I’ve written before about humanizing B2B marketing — specifically about how easy it is to overthink the whole thing. What’s the line between relatable and unprofessional? Will we lose trust in our competency if our content is too lighthearted? How do we relate to our entire audience without alienating a segment? Here’s the thing: You can’t humanize a brand. I say again: You CAN’T humanize a BRAND. [caption id="attachment_30862" align="alignnone" width="300"]
The exception that proves the rule.[/caption] Brands are not humans. People are. Content marketing can feature people on behalf of the brand, rather than attempting to speak for the brand. Bring your executives into your content. Bring employees, influencers, external experts. Bring — I’m begging you — your customers and prospects in as well. If you want to truly humanize, let the humans come out from behind the brand. Content marketers can lead the way.
4 — Building Relationships
I have talked more about building relationships in a decade of being a marketer than I did in a decade of being single. But in the world post-pandemic (and our current world of ongoing but milder pandemic), relationship-building is an even more crucial part of success for B2B business. Repeat customers, referrals and brand advocacy are all a more reliable source of revenue than even the most targeted advertising. Content marketing can help build these relationships. The first three points I made are all about laying the groundwork for a relationship. Content can offer helpful advice, information about the state of the industry, best practices — in other words, what your audience needs to succeed in their professional and even personal lives. The quickest way to build a relationship? Give your potential customer that crucial bit of advice to make them look brilliant in front of their boss. Give your existing customers recognition and highlight the awesome success your brand helped them achieve. The more you lift up and celebrate your buyers, the more they are likely to do the same for your brand. [bctt tweet="“Content can offer helpful advice, information about the state of the industry, best practices — in other words, what your audience needs to succeed in their professional and even personal lives.” — Joshua Nite @NiteWrites" username="toprank"]Elevate Your Content to Solve B2B Challenges
It’s been a rough couple of years. Human beings have experienced individual and collective trauma, and we’re still processing and rebuilding. That’s true both of the marketers creating content and the people consuming it. The way forward is to use content for what it’s really good at: Telling stories, amplifying human voices, and providing value. That’s not to say content should be doing all of the above instead of driving a business outcome — I’m saying that helpful, human content is the way to drive a business outcome. We have the privilege, as content marketers, to create something that serves both the brand and the audience, and might even be fun for us to create. It’s a unique opportunity and one we should all embrace. Check out our Content Marketing service page for more inspiration.The post Fast-Forward: 4 Business Problems Solved by B2B Content Marketing appeared first on B2B Marketing Blog - TopRank®.
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