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What the Evolution of Facebook Means for Marketers

Leave a Comment / Social & Video /

The not-so-well-kept secret is out, as CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook (the corporation, not the social media platform) has been renamed “Meta.” Meta will serve as the overarching parent brand for its two operating streams, including its “Family of Apps” (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger) and its “Reality Labs,” which will house and evolve virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies. As detailed by Facebook Connect 2021: “The metaverse will feel like a hybrid of today’s online social experiences, sometimes expanded into three dimensions or projected into the physical world. It will let you share immersive experiences with other people even when you can’t be together – and do things together you couldn’t do in the physical world.” Are You Ready for the Metaverse? While there are many opinions regarding the overall re-brand and re-structure of Facebook, there is no arguing that Facebook is setting its sights on a vision for an enhanced digital communications and technology space, known as the “metaverse.” While Facebook notes that “the metaverse is a ways off, but parts of it are already here,” it poses the question to marketers: how are we preparing for a metaverse environment? With the onset of COVID and increase in remote operations, many brands have had to digitize – ramping up their video, creating new interactive communications, designing virtual presentations and increasing the usage and sophistication of social media platforms to reach audiences. While this may feel new for some companies that had a more traditional marketing approach, really, these tactics have been available for some time. Many leading brands had already created these materials for their marketing teams years ago. For some time, we’ve been helping clients build internal websites, develop HR portals, create strategic social media campaigns, and design videos and presentations. Many B2B companies have already integrated virtual training and simulated situations into normal business operations, like those that use Google Glass on the shop floor or conduct global training via virtual platforms. Marketers need to have that tech-first mindset as well during strategy planning. The coming “metaverse” means, as marketers, we must do what we always do: put ourselves in the mind of our target audience. How can we streamline our communications? How can we improve the digital sales funnel? What can we do to compel audiences and engage them? What messaging and brand positions will resonate with today’s customers? Unlike ever before, today’s audiences expect amazing digital experiences, and immersive, engaging communications. Customer patience for a poor digital experience gets lower every day. Customer expectations for exciting communications that engage them – no matter where they are physically – continues to grow. What Marketing Assets Will Be Essential for Metaverse Thinking? We partner with B2B brands to develop custom marketing strategies, and each and every brand has unique challenges and goals, which marketing should reflect. That being said, there are some assets that should be top-of-mind as we develop new prioritizations and plans. A few items your brand might need for the metaverse: Modernize Your B2B Marketing Companies want to know they are partnering with agencies and marketing professionals who are adaptable, leaders in creative ideation and on trend with the latest marketing options, including VR and AI (artificial intelligence). As marketers, we must continue to rise to the challenge to produce the best possible outcomes for both our clients and their customers. It’s critical to remember that while technology continues to evolve, people-centric strategies to solve for their unique challenges never goes out of style. Thinking about how you can evolve your long-term marketing strategies in a new metaverse world? We’d like to talk. Contact us (or fill out the form on this page) and we’ll be in touch to schedule an in-person or virtual meeting to help you power up your marketing today and tomorrow. Stifel Marcin – The B2B Marketing Agency Unlike many advertising and marketing agencies, B2B isn’t just something that we do, it’s all we do. We’ll work to help your brand achieve its goals through the strategic combination of creativity, communication and technology. Our focused client intake processes give us the ability to thoroughly understand your business, products and objectives, working to identify the competitive advantages and opportunities that will grow awareness, leads and sales. We develop innovative marketing plans with strategic, data-driven processes, presenting complex ideas and compelling messages that position your business ahead of the competition. As your cooperative partner, our integrated B2B marketing agency is dedicated to your success. If you want to learn more about how recruitment marketing can help your company, we’re here for you. Our marketing experts keep up-to-date on the issues and changes impacting social media today. Learn about our proven social media solutions.

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Digital B2B Advertising Platforms: Which Ones are Right for Your Business?

Leave a Comment / Advertising & Media, Lead Gen Tactics, Social & Video /

With Americans spending an average of 10+ hours a day logging screen time (4+ hours of that on a mobile device), savvy marketers have increased digital marketing tactics, serving their messages to prospective and current customers on those screens. As pay-per-click (PPC) advertising grows, your strategy not only needs compelling messages and stand-out visuals that grab attention, but thoughtful decisions about when and where those ads should appear. With several B2B advertising platforms to choose from, you may be wondering which networks will best fulfill your marketing goals. Let’s explore the most popular B2B advertising platforms and their benefits: Google Ads® Without a doubt, Google is the most popular search engine in the world, making it a likely choice among B2B advertising platforms to include in your overall PPC strategy. Google offers a large range of targeting options to help ensure you’re reaching your right audience, including, but not limited to: · Demographics· Search history· Interests· Life events Along with these targeting options come types of ad choices as well. Depending on your business’ overall goals, either of these ad types (or a combination of both) can be beneficial: Google Search Network serves text advertisements that include a URL link, title and description at the top or bottom of search engine result pages (SERP) based on the keywords of a user’s query. For instance, a Google search of “online car sales” displayed this ad for Carvana® at the top of SERP results. Ads can appear across multiple Google sites, including Google Play, Google Shopping, Google Images and more. Utilizing Google Search Partners, your ad can also show on a number of Google/Alphabet-owned websites when a user conducts a related search. It’s important to note that these ads only show to users who are searching for a particular product/service or looking for an answer to a specific question. Google Display Network showcases visual “display” ads as opposed to text-only advertisements. Unlike search ads that only show on SERP, display ads can be served across Google sites, on social media, within email and on millions of webpages. When working with a skilled agency partner like Stifel Marcin, you will know your display ads are highly targeted, based on parameters mentioned above, serving to target audience personas more effectively. While running an ad on Google can seem simple, effectively advertising and monitoring campaigns, optimizing results and ensuring ROI is not. B2B advertising platforms like Google benefit (i.e. profit from) increasing advertisers, and driving up a company’s spend. Making it seem simple to set up a digital PPC campaign launch is in Google’s interests. As a certified Google Ads agency, our team has expertise in Google Ads marketing for the B2B market. See how our Google ads management service experts can craft a strategy for your business that meets your goals and maximizes ROI. Microsoft Advertising® (formerly Bing Ads®) With the visibility of Google, some marketers have overlooked Microsoft Advertising. While each business has unique needs and goals, we believe that in many instances, the thinking shouldn’t be “Google OR Bing,” but rather “Google AND Bing.” As a typical rule of thumb, B2B customers are on Bing. Consider that most employees use a company-issued PC that uses MS operating systems (including Bing as the default search engine). If your targets are people at these companies, you may find this search engine is a smart place to make an investment. Major benefits of Bing/Microsoft Ads include: · The ability to run a campaign not only on Bing, but on other Microsoft ownedproperties like AOL and Yahoo· Many targeting options, including location, demographics, time of day anddevice type· Less keyword competition, typically making the platform a more budget-friendly choice· Remarketing messaging to drive potential customers back to your website· A variety of advertising formats, including expanded text ads, multimedia adsand product ads· Leveraging LinkedIn data to help with targeting (Microsoft owns LinkedIn) If it aligns with your business goals, our Bing Ads management service can help you reach more users. Also, check out our article “Five Considerations for B2B Marketers Debating “Bing Ads vs GoogleAds” for more information. Native Ads Think of native ads as “non-disruptive” advertisements that blend in with the flow of the website page on which they appear. Often they have a more organic feel in the overall space, vs a traditional display ad that would appear at the top of a search or in a sidebar. In many cases the ad may look like editorial content. On a social feed, that may look like a sponsored carousel post. If you notice content that states it is “recommended” for you, you’re likely looking at a native ad. Native ads are a hot topic as marketers prepare for a cookieless world. B2B advertising platforms offering native advertising promote the ability to target audiences based on subject matter. Simply put, this approach would serv an ad with content related to the article. So, in the above example, if Carvana wanted to serve native ads, they might select a series of articles related to automotive topics. Social Media B2B Advertising Platforms Social media is increasingly critical to an integrated marketing plan. When used as part of a holistic, strategic plan, social media advertising can reap rewards in increased brand awareness, web traffic and leads and is a proven part of the B2B buyer journey. The ability to A/B test ads also offers insights into customer needs and wants. Of note – 75 percent of B2B buyers and 84 percent of C-level executives are influenced by social media when making purchasing decisions. Targeted social media advertising can position the right messages to the right audience at the right time. The B2B advertising platforms offered by social media sites are robust. And as we prepare for a cookieless future, they also provide marketers with a variety of valuable interest and profile data that can be used in targeting. Facebook® Facebook is one of the most widely used social media platforms, with an estimated 89 percent of U.S. B2B marketers using it for brand awareness, lead generation and more. With

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Six Tips When Considering B2B Influencer Marketing

Leave a Comment / Lead Gen Tactics, Marketing Campaigns /

Since 92 percent of customers trust recommendations from individuals over businesses, influencer marketing has become a unique strategy for B2B marketers to share their products and business solutions. But what is influencer marketing exactly? In its most common form, influencer marketing is a form of social media marketing utilizing endorsements and product mentions from individuals who have a purported expert level of knowledge or social influence in their field. Choosing the Right Influencer Finding the right influencer can seem like a daunting task. Here are six things to consider when developing a B2B influencer marketing strategy: Tip 1: Especially valuable for B2B, think “industry expert”. While some businesses search outside the organization for that person, it’s important to consider that the perfect influencer may be within your own network, including an employee, customer, or business partner already talking favorably about your company or product online. Partnering with experts in your field who can more deftly incorporate your company’s products/capabilities into their content is a winning strategy. Tip 2: Look beyond vanity metrics. While that paints a picture, their content and style should align with what your audience is looking for. Many companies are seeing the value in partnering with micro-influencers – social content creators with 5,000-100,000 followers. Micro-influencers are typically viewed as experts in their respective areas (engineering, hydraulic repair and maintenance, financial investment, to name a few). Their “smaller” following tends to generate higher engagement with their audience, as they connect more personally and provide value to their followers, whether through social posts, podcasts, blogs and more. Tip 3: Lean into your company values. It’s important to fully vet possible influencers for possible conflicts of interest. Consider what kind of “personal” content they may be posting (think politics, social awareness, etc.). You’ll want to consider individuals whose values align with your company. Tip 4: Identify where your content should live. If your brand is trying to grow its presence in a specific demographic or audience segment, consider the best platforms for that demo and find influencers there. But remember that it’s not as simple as “young people are on TikTok.” Tip 5: Be transparent. Be clear about your goals and what you hope to accomplish with the partnership. Selecting the right partner should include honest conversations to be sure you are like-minded with similar audiences and goals. Tip 6: Have fun and be creative. Working with an influencer means strategically working with your partner to identify mutually beneficial content. Influencers want to bring quality information to their followers. Together, focus on compelling visual content to hold followers’ attention. Creativity isn’t exclusive to B2C marketing! Why Work with a B2B Influencer Agency Developing and executing a B2B influencer marketing strategy involves many steps. Finding influencers, vetting them, researching their endorsement history, arranging contact and initial introductory meetings can be a lot of work. Your agency partner can be a critical resource to identify content and ways it can be produced, strategize about smart ways to align your brand’s goals with those of the influencer and navigate important process steps like expectation alignments, contract negotiations, follow through and results reporting. Ultimately, the cost of working with influencers is expensive – and it should take a lot of time and effort to make sure you’re aligning with the right partner to provide value to the right audience. Working with the right agency with expertise in developing a B2B influencer marketing strategy can make a big difference in the success of your campaign outcomes. We Can Help Create Your B2B influencer Marketing Strategy If you’re looking to add an influencer strategy to your B2B marketing mix, we’d like to talk. Check out our portfolio page about a recent brand awareness campaign featuring industry influencers and then fill out our contact form on this page or reach out via phone or email. A Stifel Marcin team member will be in touch soon. Stifel Marcin – The B2B Marketing Agency Unlike many advertising and marketing agencies, B2B isn’t just something that we do, it’s all we do. We’ll work to help your brand achieve its goals through the strategic combination of creativity, communication and technology. Our focused client intake processes give us the ability to thoroughly understand your business, products and objectives, working to identify the competitive advantages and opportunities that will grow awareness, leads and sales. We develop innovative marketing plans with strategic, data-driven processes, presenting complex ideas and compelling messages that position your business ahead of the competition. As your cooperative partner, our integrated B2B marketing agency is dedicated to your success. If you want to learn more about the benefits of influencer marketing, we can help. Contact us today.

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Leveraging Geo-Targeting for Account-Based Marketing

Leave a Comment / ABM, Lead Gen Tactics /

Geo-targeting for account based marketing (ABM) is a strategic and effective way for B2B organizations to focus marketing resources on key customer groups while generating leads from only the highest-value customers. In today’s changing business environment – without trade shows, conferences and in-person events – reaching high-value target prospects is critical. Reaching Customers Using Account-Based Tactics A properly-developed ABM campaign leverages a variety of profile information – job titles and roles, interests, affinities, education, connections and more. In digital ABM campaigns, this data (which is gathered by 3rd party data aggregates), helps marketers serve ads to those who match ideal customer target profiles. With geo-targeting we can refine that focus even more. Geographic limiters can be effective when targeting larger organizations – those with thousands of employees spread over multiple campuses – as well as smaller companies with localized footprints. From zip codes to regional circumferences to the physical “walls” of a building, geo-targeting for account based marketing can help isolate key prospects. Different Approaches to Geo-Targeting for Account Based Marketing Many large companies have defined functions within their facility network. The structure can be by purpose – where one location provides manufacturing services, a second location is focused on procurement, a third on R&D, etc. Or the organizational structure can be by application – perhaps a location focused on automotive is based in Michigan, where the group focused on medical applications is in California. Through careful research about facility clusters, combined with well-crafted target customer profiles, we strategize our geographic focus. We can allocate spend according to customer value, as well as eliminate serves so we don’t waste budget on geographies that are unlikely to convert. Also, we can customize the ad content to that geography. So, in the above example, the ads served in Michigan could be created for an automotive audience, and slightly different, medically-focused ads would run in California. Reaching Targets & Marketing During Remote Operations While we can focus on the walls of a building, in today’s environment – where remote work is common – we often extend the target area to include a commutable distance to that company location to reach people at home. This is often based on specific research, since we know that people in more developed regions and urban areas can have higher commutable distances, and different companies have different operating trends regarding work from home. Maximizing ABM Spend Allocation It’s important to remember that any paid digital campaign is about refinement and optimization. There will be some targets that we will miss – maybe a small R&D department in a facility outside of our target, or perhaps someone who works outside of our commutable distance target – but paid campaigns are about controlling and focusing spend on the best prospects. We want to allocate the most resources to the targets that are most likely to match our target profiles. And most likely to become high-value leads. With a digital ABM campaign, we can build key touchpoints, control the ad messaging, and drive people into our marketing funnels. Then we leverage a well-designed website and strong remarketing campaigns to help turn those prospects into sales. Powering Up Your LeadGen Plan Building brand visibility in today’s climate is critical. Prospects require an average of 6-8 brand touchpoints – meaning a target will see your brand multiple times before they will become a lead. People are also increasingly digital, and often working remotely. There are fewer opportunities to create touchpoints with one-on-one interaction. The need to show your company’s leadership, quality, service and reliability is imperative. Digital campaigns built using strategic geo-targeting for account based marketing tactics can create in-roads and opportunities. From building brand visibility to creating valuable customer touchpoints, these ABM campaigns deliver your message and promise to prospects with the highest sales value. Learn more about our ABM solutions, or schedule a free consultation to review your marketing strategies. For two decades we have helped companies Power Up their Marketing, and we are ready to deliver results for your B2B organization. Contact us today to learn more. Stifel Marcin – The B2B Marketing Agency Unlike many advertising and marketing agencies, B2B isn’t just something that we do, it’s all we do. We’ll work to help your brand achieve its goals through the strategic combination of creativity, communication and technology. Our focused client intake processes give us the ability to thoroughly understand your business, products and objectives, working to identify the competitive advantages and opportunities that will grow awareness, leads and sales. We develop innovative marketing plans with strategic, data-driven processes, presenting complex ideas and compelling messages that position your business ahead of the competition. As your cooperative partner, our integrated B2B marketing agency is dedicated to your success. If you have questions about our ABM services to maximize results, let’s talk.

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The Power of Hashtags for B2B Social Media

Leave a Comment / Social & Video /

From its humble beginnings on Twitter in 2007, the hashtag has become so popular, the word itself is now used as a verb – #hashtagging. There is no denying that the hashtag is now an integral part of every social media platform. While commonly used in the B2C space, some B2B companies have yet to embrace the power of hashtags. Why Hashtags Should Be Part of Your B2B Social Media Strategy Targeted, focused and trackable, social media marketing can be an effective tool for B2B companies. When used strategically, hashtags can make content discoverable to your audience and non-followers alike, increasing engagement, attracting new leads, and increasing brand awareness.   Here are five tips to help you harness the power of hashtags: 1. Do Your Research Your brand has a target audience, and your hashtags should too. Researching industry-related hashtags, along with competitor posts and those of industry thought-leaders, are a great place to start. What is your target audience talking about? What hashtags are they engaging with? Examine social posts with high engagement and see if there are common hashtags included. Hashtag research also helps to identify brand advocates and potential influencers.  2. Be Purposeful It’s easy to think that simply adding a trending hashtag will get your posts noticed, but the truth is, when hashtags have millions of followers, the chance your post will be seen among the social noise is small. Similarly, a hashtag like #manufacturing is very generic and can be oversaturated. But if your niche is aerospace, including a more nuanced hashtag such as #aerospacemanufacturing may be a better option. Including targeted and specific hashtags can help you reach not only more people, but the right people. Branded hashtags should also be a consideration. Including a hashtag or two that are specifically created for your company and campaigns can help identify who is talking about your company and provide insight into company sentiment.  3. Think Quality Over Quantity and Plan Per Platform A commonly asked question is “how many hashtags should be included in our posts?” Each platform has its own recommendations based on its own data. There are a lot of varying answers, which is why it’s important to experiment. What works for one brand may not work for yours. It’s key to plan per platform – don’t just choose 10 hashtags and cut and paste them into all your social posts. Recent Twitter statistics say 1-2 hashtags in a tweet is ideal, as tweets following this strategy can see up to a 21 percent increase in engagement. On Facebook, where hashtags aren’t as common and may appear spammy, lead with a less-is-more approach. Instagram allows up to 30 hashtags per post, but best practices show that is way too many. It’s important to look at each platform strategically and plan accordingly.   4. Embrace Hashtag Engagement Including hashtags and engaging with comments on your own posts is certainly important to a successful social presence. But remember that hashtags give you the ability to enter conversations and trending topics too. Follow relevant hashtags and look for opportunities to engage as your organization. Offer helpful tips and tools, industry insights, or words of encouragement to those in related fields. Strategic engagement takes time but can reap rewards by increasing brand awareness, turning those conversations into followers and customers. 5. Follow the Power of Hashtag Data Compiling a hashtag list is not a set-it-and-forget-it proposition. It’s critical to monitor and measure the performance of your hashtags. Analytics can help you identify the topics that are resonating with your audience, which posts are generating the most engagement and which hashtags might be best left off your list in the future.  Take advantage of hashtag tracking and look at the data regularly to help make informed decisions. If you don’t have the bandwidth to do it yourself, work with your agency partner to leverage the power of hashtags. We’re Ready to Power Up Your Social Media Marketing An important note to remember: hashtags should complement quality posts and content. Hashtags aren’t a magic bullet for gaining followers. They may help you get noticed, but content is king – it’s what’s going to get that reader to click follow or like. As a marketing agency focused solely on B2B, our team understands how to maximize B2B social media opportunities for clients. Connect with us – through our website or social platforms – and let’s start a conversation about the power of hashtags and taking your B2B social media strategy to the next level. Stifel Marcin – The B2B Marketing Agency Unlike many advertising and marketing agencies, B2B isn’t just something that we do, it’s all we do. We’ll work to help your brand achieve its goals through the strategic combination of creativity, communication and technology. Our focused client intake processes give us the ability to thoroughly understand your business, products and objectives, working to identify the competitive advantages and opportunities that will grow awareness, leads and sales. We develop innovative marketing plans with strategic, data-driven processes, presenting complex ideas and compelling messages that position your business ahead of the competition. As your cooperative partner, our integrated B2B marketing agency is dedicated to your success. If you want to learn more about how recruitment marketing can help your company, we’re here for you. Our social media marketing services can help elevate your strategy. Let’s get started.

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Digital Marketing Acronyms, Terms and Definitions for B2B Marketers

Leave a Comment / Marketing Campaigns /

The world of B2B marketing is constantly evolving. Most B2B centric companies are embracing new digital opportunities, however, for some this can be unchartered territory. No matter how much experience you have with digital marketing, it’s important to keep up-to-date with relevant digital marketing acronyms and terms which are changing and evolving every day. Knowing and understanding the correct terminology will help you effectively collaborate with your marketing agency partner and in-house teams. 20 Digital Marketing Acronyms and Terms to Help Elevate Your Vocabulary To help, we have put together a glossary of the most common digital marketing acronyms, terms and definitions: A/B Testing – A way to experiment with two versions of a marketing asset with two different audiences, such as versions of a landing page with different images or different calls to action. After the experiment, the version with the most clicks and/or conversions is typically chosen. In true A/B testing only one item should be modified between ad sets, allowing for true comparative evaluation. However, in some instances, entire ad sets will be run competitively. Analytics – Digital tools that measure and report the data collected from online marketing activities. This data should be used to inform marketing strategies to improve the current customer experience, engage the right audiences and convert those you are engaging with into customers.  Audience Segmentation – Involves dividing a target audience into different sub-groups to provide each messaging. This can help form stronger connections within a target audience, as well as highlight differing topics of concern to different audiences. Some simple ways B2B marketers may segment an audience are by location, age, job function, industry, company size and more.  Bounce Rate – The percentage of visitors to a website that leave after only viewing one page. When viewing analytics reporting, lower bounce rates are better.  Call to Action or CTA– A small section of content that tells the audience what to do next, such as to call, learn more, subscribe, download, etc. Best practice is to include a CTA whenever possible. Clickthrough Rate or CTR – The number of clicks your ad receives divided by the number of times your ad is shown = CTR. This shows how likely your audience is to click on your ad. A higher number typically indicates the quality of your ad content and your targeting relevancy in that platform or media. If you aren’t sure how your CTR stacks up – assuming you are looking to generate clicks in your campaign – contact us for an audit. We compare performance against key industry metrics for your specific market to ensure digital campaigns are running effectively. Conversion – When a visitor has completed a desired action, such as making a purchase, submitting a form or downloading a PDF. Strategic digital marketing analytics often identifies a number of different conversion points depending on audience type and sales funnel. Cost-Per-Click or CPC – The amount paid by the advertiser to the platform each time someone clicks on a paid ad. Digital Marketing – Marketing campaigns and ads that appear online via computers, phones and tablets. This can include video, display ads, social media posts and email campaigns and virtually any way you see advertising content when on a screen. Impression – The number of times an ad is shown on a user’s screen, whether it is clicked or not. Key Performance Indicator(s) or KPI – The pre-determined benchmarks that you plan to measure as indicators of success or opportunities for improvement, such as impressions, cost-per-click, shares, form submissions, etc. Landing Page – A specific webpage a user is brought to when clicking through to a website from an ad or an email and is usually utilized with paid advertising. Once the user is brought to the page, it typically promotes a certain benefit (such as a webinar registration, key product differentiator, consultation opportunity, etc.), prompting the user to take a desired action – often one of the identified conversion metrics. Mobile Optimization – Adjusting the content, code, files and structure of a website to ensure the users’ experience on a smart phone, tablet or other “mobile” device is optimal. Ideally, the site should reformat to fit the requirements and features of each. Organic Search – Search results that are not the result of a paid initiative, but rather a search engine’s evaluation of your website page content, and how relevant it is to the user’s search term. Search engines include a wide variety of factors when determining an organic ranking, including text on a page, code, background tags, text mark-up, links to the site, domain authority and more. Learn about the variety of items we optimize organic results for in our SEO services. Pay-Per-Click or PPC – Digital advertising where the advertiser pays a set fee each time the ad is clicked. There are a wide variety of PPC advertising options, including Search Text, Display, Social Media, etc. Remarketing – Also called retargeting, refers to the action of serving targeted ads to people who have visited your website. Many consumers do not convert on a first website visit. Remarketing can help to increase brand awareness or achieve a conversion goal. Search Engine Marketing or SEM – Helps to increase the visibility of a website in the search engine results page by using SEO or paid advertising, typically through an integrated digital marketing strategy. Search Engine Optimization or SEO – A process of increasing traffic to a website by improving the rank of a website on the search engine results page. Methods include optimized keyword density, backlinking and writing high-quality content. A main goal of SEO is to achieve higher success in organic search. Learn about how a comprehensive SEO audit can uncover hidden opportunities, address performance gaps, and create a clear path to sustainable growth. Search Engine Results Page or SERP – The list of results that displays on a website page, such as on Google or Yahoo, when a user conducts a search on a search engine. It can include links as well as ads, images, maps, and more, and can be personalized to the individual user. User Experience – Sometimes abbreviated to UX, this refers to the experience a user has when visiting a website or an app, such as ease of use, page speed, and aesthetically pleasing visuals. Our Agency is Here to Support Your B2B Digital Marketing Efforts Stifel Marcin uses many of these digital marketing acronyms and terms daily as we help B2B companies with the broad spectrum of their needs. If you are looking for an integrated agency to help with B2B marketing strategy, or just want to chat, fill out our contact form on this page or reach out via phone or email today. Stifel Marcin – The B2B Marketing Agency Unlike many advertising and marketing agencies, B2B isn’t just something that we do, it’s all we do. We’ll work to help

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Five Considerations for B2B Marketers Debating “Bing Ads® vs Google Ads®”

Leave a Comment / Advertising & Media /

If Google® is the bride, Microsoft Bing® is viewed as “always the bridesmaid” when it comes to its share of search engine marketing and pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. But that doesn’t mean that Microsoft Ads® (formerly known as Bing Ads) shouldn’t be an integral part of your PPC strategy. Let’s explore why thinking should shift from “Bing Ads vs Google Ads” to “Bing Ads AND Google Ads.” Why B2B Marketers Should Embrace Microsoft Ads Pay-per-click (PPC) marketing allows you to communicate relevant messages to highly targeted audiences on search engines and display networks all across the web and can help you achieve goals like increased traffic to websites, growth of qualified leads and more revenue. Many marketers have a “Bing Ads vs Google Ads” mentality when developing a digital marketing strategy, but here are five reasons Microsoft Ads shouldn’t be discounted: 1. B2B Audiences are on Bing Consider that most employees are provided a company-issued PC, either a desktop or a laptop. Additionally, many business computers run using the Microsoft® operating systems, which means they are programmed to run Bing as its default search engine. Add to this the fact that many corporations prevent employees from downloading software (or at the least make downloading difficult), which can include alternate search engines like Chrome® or Safari®. This means there are vast groups of potential customers who can only use Bing, or simply use it because it’s a lot easier. If you aren’t using Bing for your PPC search ads, you are missing out on that audience. 2. Backed by the Powerhouse that is Microsoft Microsoft owns Bing, Yahoo® and AOL®. That means if you advertise on Bing, your ad can appear on all three sites and potentially their other owned partner sites (like DuckDuckGo® and MSN®). Think of it as the BOGO of PPC advertising!  3. Lower Cost Because fewer businesses utilize Microsoft Ads, there is often less keyword competition. Lower overall traffic to the site means it’s easier to get to the right target audience and get traffic often without spending more. Don’t let the thought of less users deter you. Google may own most of the market share but consider this: Bing accounts for 36 percent of US desktop searches (more than one third) and gets more than one billion visits each month.  4. Differing Demographics Bing is in the sweet spot of the decision maker age brackets as its users skew older in age (55 percent are ages 35-64) and interestingly is the popular choice of early millennials (35-44). 5. More Targeting Options One crucial point in the “Bing Ads vs Google Ads” debate is the ability to target LinkedIn audiences in Microsoft ads. Why is that? You guessed it – Microsoft owns LinkedIn® too. With LinkedIn such a key tool for B2B marketers, this is a huge advantage. If you want to target specific companies, industries or job functions, Microsoft Ads is worth the investment. Microsoft Partner for B2B Clients As both a Microsoft and Google Partner agency focused on clients in B2B fields, our team works to ensure marketing goals, technical benefits and an understanding of your unique target audience is included in all PPC advertising. If you are contemplating the “Bing Ads vs Google Ads” question, or you’re considering adding PPC to your marketing mix, we want to talk with you. Complete the form on this page or contact us and someone from our team will be in touch. Stifel Marcin – The B2B Marketing Agency Unlike many advertising and marketing agencies, B2B isn’t just something that we do, it’s all we do. We’ll work to help your brand achieve its goals through the strategic combination of creativity, communication and technology. Our focused client intake processes give us the ability to thoroughly understand your business, products and objectives, working to identify the competitive advantages and opportunities that will grow awareness, leads and sales. We develop innovative marketing plans with strategic, data-driven processes, presenting complex ideas and compelling messages that position your business ahead of the competition. As your cooperative partner, our integrated B2B marketing agency is dedicated to your success. Our experts can precisely target your audience no matter where they are online for maximum ROI. Reach out today.

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Marketing Monthly Retainer: 5 Benefits & Considerations

Leave a Comment / Lead Gen Tactics /

If your business is thinking about outsourcing some or all of its marketing needs to an experienced agency like Stifel Marcin, you may have heard the term “marketing monthly retainer” and wondered if this type of agreement is right for you. Typically, businesses will enter a marketing retainer with an agency partner when considerations such as cost control, budgeting, ease of work, quick response from a dedicated team, and more, are paramount. At Stifel Marcin, while we can work on a per-project basis, we find when we develop on-going relationships with clients, we are able to optimize services and provide continuous advice to help you achieve your goals. Working with an agency that understands your business specifics, is aware of the assets available, and is already up-to-speed on your marketing strategies and goals can help efficiencies and results. A marketing monthly retainer establishes that partnership and defines the terms. And for busy marketing, sales and HR teams, knowing that an outside marketing agency is ready and able to assist can be crucial.  Marketing Monthly Retainer Agreement Benefits There are many advantages when entering into a marketing retainer agreement with your chosen agency partner: 1. Clear Budget and Scope of Work  Under a retainer agreement, a client will typically pay a fixed monthly or quarterly fee. The retainer will also define the number of hours dedicated to the client per month, with both parties agreeing upfront regarding identified needs and expectations. Think of this as budgeting made easy. You’ll know what you’re paying each month and your agency will develop a clear plan of action that stays within that budget. Your expert partners should understand how to optimize spend across every channel, increasing your ROI while achieving the best results. You also won’t need to go through contract creation and approval each time you need outside support. 2. Increases In-House Team Efficiencies  Clients who outsource B2B marketing services often find that their internal team operates more effectively. If your company has engaged in a marketing retainer agreement, your staff has a clear understanding of what the agency will accomplish, typically with a clear plan of action established, freeing them to focus on the tasks that they do best. Collaborating with experienced specialists often saves both time and money, as your organization does not have to invest in more internal staff or tools to achieve results.  3. Access to Resources We often hear from clients about the challenge of keeping up with changing technology that marketing in 2022 requires, and their limited internal tools and budgets. Modern advertising and marketing have undoubtedly become more complex. There are more digital solutions to track customer behaviors and increasingly diverse touchpoints required in the B2B sales cycle. Working with a skilled partner like Stifel Marcin allows your company to benefit from the latest resources and tools, and the expertise needed to use them effectively, to generate leads and sales. When you have contracted with an agency using a marketing monthly retainer, you and your agency partner will have planned and budgeted, ensuring you have the right technology and resources for the full scope of work. 4. Collaborative and Consistent Support Working with a marketing agency on retainer provides regular access to experts (even when you might need them unexpectedly). This cooperative relationship allows the agency time to thoroughly get to know and understand your business, its goals and any changing needs and priorities over time. Your agency partner will take their deep knowledge of communications techniques and marketing trends to customize a plan that is unique to your needs and goals. With a consistent relationship comes increased understanding, efficiencies and support. Here at Stifel Marcin, we believe that collaboration drives successful results. Together, we can generate more ideas and solutions that help your brand grow. 5. Transparent Reporting  Reporting is an important factor in building a trusted partnership. Certainly, as the client paying the monthly fee, you’ll want to understand how your budget is being spent and what results are being generated. Scheduled and detailed reporting allows for candid conversation about what is working, opportunities for improvement, suggested adjustments when necessary (based on data) and continued strategy planning. What Might a Marketing Retainer Cover? A marketing retainer agreement with an agency like Stifel Marcin may include services such as:  • Marketing strategy• Search engine optimization (SEO)• Social media marketing• Content marketing• Paid advertising (PPC)• Email marketing• Web development• Performance analysis and more. Our integrated services help you plan and deploy effective marketing strategies and campaigns with the future of your business in mind. In many cases, we will artfully combine a variety of methods to meet your unique KPIs.   When is a Marketing Retainer Not the Best Option? A marketing monthly retainer agreement is not the only possibility when partnering with an agency. A different contract agreement may be a better option if: • Your business has specific project-based needs with a specific timeline/completion goal, for instance the development of a new website. • Your organization does not have on-going/monthly marketing requirements or a sustainable budget. This is often the case for companies starting new marketing efforts that are working to build a core archive or marketing assets. • There is a budget for a specific spend/activity. If your budget is constrained to a particular marketing tactic, then a marketing retainer might not be for you. • You are not ready to make a full commitment. If it is the first time you are working with an agency partner or outsourcing services, a project-based contract with a defined timeline can be a better option to get to know the agency and evaluate the partnership. Read more about how to outsource B2B marketing services and ask questions about various agreement options during your agency research/RFP.   A B2B Marketing Agency Partner Dedicated to Your Success   When you work with Stifel Marcin, you are working with a team whose full-time job is to understand and reliably execute integrated strategies, including the services listed above. If you are considering working with a marketing agency for the first time or have questions regarding a

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What to Look for in a Marketing Agency

Leave a Comment / Marketing Campaigns /

If you are a B2B company looking to grow your customer base and increase revenue, the right marketing can take your business to the next level. But strategic marketing takes time and resources, some of which your organization may not currently have. This is when hiring an experienced marketing agency can be a wise investment. But to achieve the results you’re looking for; you need to select the right agency. Here are five factors to take into consideration when thinking about what to look for in a marketing agency: 1. ValuesWhen searching for a marketing agency, it’s important to consider their values. What are the beliefs and attitudes that drive their business? An agency should listen to you intently, so that in turn they can communicate your brand’s uniqueness in the marketplace. They should be a champion of your industry and lead with respect, open-mindedness and accountability. If an agency has a value statement on their web site, share it with internal stakeholders who are decision makers in the selection process. 2. Experience and KnowledgeTake time to research the agency. Consider how long they have been in business, make note of the types of clients they work with and study their portfolios, blogs and social media channels. Do they share outcomes and measurable results? Do they share thought-leading content? What are their specialties and services? If you’re looking for an agency experienced in digital marketing, but their main expertise is public relations, the overall alignment might not be the best match for your needs. If your company is in a specific niche, such as medical manufacturing or technology, speak with an agency well versed in that vertical. While an agency with a wide variety of clients across industries is valuable, one that is experienced and understanding of your area’s nuances can make collaboration easier from the start. 3. CompatibilityWhen you work with a marketing agency, both your company and the agency must work together. Transparency up front from both parties is crucial. Be clear about your goals and objectives and how much work you’re looking for the agency to do. It’s key to find an agency that will listen to your needs and offer solutions that best serve your unique challenges. Consider how you’ll best work together. Do you prefer regular in-person meetings or is remote support a better fit? It should also be clear from early communications who will be handling your account and what processes and tools are available to make collaboration the best it can be for both the organization and the agency.  4. Long-Term RelationshipsWhen asking the question what to look for in a marketing agency, an important one involves client retention. Search out reviews, look at online portfolios to see track records of successful work with partners and consider reaching out to current clients for their insights and recommendations. A great sign is when an agency is transparent about their average client retention rate. Clients who keep coming back and engaging in new projects is one you’ll want to consider! 5. Strong CommunicationLikely from the first conversations with an agency, you’ll get a good sense of their communication style. A clear plan that details how often parties are meeting, how best to share updates and what kinds of results reporting are expected should be established up front. You should also feel comfortable sharing positive feedback and constructive criticism. A partnership works best with honest and respectful communication. Be clear in how the agency can best communicate with your team (i.e. detailed weekly emails, dashboard reports, a half-hour phone call) and how it’s best to reach you in times of urgency (email versus phone). And vice versa – understand how best to communicate with your agency partner as well to drive success. An Extension of Your Company It’s important to know what to look for in a marketing agency when embarking on the search for the right partner. After all, collaborative relationships drive successful results. Making the investment in an agency partner to reach your goals can help your B2B company reach its full potential. If you’re considering using a marketing agency for the first time, we’re here to help. Fill out the form on this page or contact us and let’s talk. Stifel Marcin – The B2B Marketing Agency Unlike many advertising and marketing agencies, B2B isn’t just something that we do, it’s all we do. We’ll work to help your brand achieve its goals through the strategic combination of creativity, communication and technology. Our focused client intake processes give us the ability to thoroughly understand your business, products and objectives, working to identify the competitive advantages and opportunities that will grow awareness, leads and sales. We develop innovative marketing plans with strategic, data-driven processes, presenting complex ideas and compelling messages that position your business ahead of the competition. As your cooperative partner, our integrated B2B marketing agency is dedicated to your success. Have more questions about what to look for in an agency? Reach out today and talk to our team.

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Does Google My Business Help SEO?

Leave a Comment / SEM, SEO /

Stifel Marcin’s search engine optimization (SEO) plans often include Google My Business, which can be helpful with site ranking and visibility among local customers.   What is Google My Business? This free tool helps businesses create and manage their online presence within Google – the largest search engine in the world – within their search engine and maps applications. For companies with one location, or many facilities, there are many benefits of utilizing Google My Business, including helping to elevate your visibility within the vicinity of your physical locations. Move Over Yellow Pages Besides indicating where your business is located, one of the benefits of Google My Business is it gives you the ability to select five categories to affiliate with your business listing. Similar to the old yellow page listings, these categorizations aid customers in finding your products and services. Pick five phrases that describe your industry and focus, and Google will list you in that category. At least one of the categories must be an established Google classification, but the other four can be customized. For example, if we searched for “Italian Restaurant” the first three listings are for national chains. But if we search for “Italian Restaurant Hartford CT” the first listing is a site that has been optimized for that phrase, and the rest are Google My Business listings. Google Knows Where You Are Here’s the catch – note on our general “Italian Restaurant” search example, we said only the top three hits were national. After that, six listings were nearby locations in Google My Business. Google is pretty smart. First, it knows where you are. If you are using Google on Desktop, it uses an IP address, but if you are searching on mobile, it knows your longitude and latitude and can pinpoint your exact location. It’s the same technology used in driving navigation apps including Google Maps and Waze. Second, its search engine optimization algorithms identify terms Google thinks you might want localized results for. This is weighted more with terms like “restaurant” or “hospital,” but Google has begun to list anything it can easily identify as a location or business with related Google My Business listings. So, if you type in “plastic manufacturer” your search results will include local Google My Business listings alongside websites that rank highly for those keywords. Impact on SEO The above example demonstrates why Google My Business is not a substitute for a search engine optimization strategy, but a compliment to it. A properly optimized website is extremely important to ensure your business is visible when and where customers search for your products and services. When they search in Google, results include both Google My Business listings and website pages. In fact, the better your search engine optimization, the more likely your business will show up within Google My Business results because Google favors relevant, helpful and valuable search results and weighs sites with good SEO more heavily than others. Google may also rank you for phrases you don’t necessarily want. For example, we set-up an SEO package with Google My Business profiles for a large practice of eye physicians. All of the doctors were ophthalmologists. After a few weeks, the client called and asked why their doctors were also getting listed as “optometrists” – a less specialized type of eye doctor. Google had extracted a few words out of their practice’s website that referenced optometry. Then Google applied its own “understanding” of the word “optometry” and decided that those two factors made it a relevant search term. Search Engine Optimization Maintenance Search engine optimization is not an exact science. It takes ongoing maintenance and monitoring to be sure you are listing where you want, and don’t fall in the rankings. One of the benefits of Google My Business is that it’s a great tool to add to your SEO arsenal, but make sure it’s just a component of this essential marketing strategy. Looking to Optimize Your Google My Business Listing? Let our SEO experts set up or review your listing to ensure it compliments your larger search engine optimization strategy. Contact us and someone from our team will be in touch! Stifel Marcin – The B2B Marketing Agency Unlike many advertising and marketing agencies, B2B isn’t just something that we do, it’s all we do. We’ll work to help your brand achieve its goals through the strategic combination of creativity, communication and technology. Our focused client intake processes give us the ability to thoroughly understand your business, products and objectives, working to identify the competitive advantages and opportunities that will grow awareness, leads and sales. We develop innovative marketing plans with strategic, data-driven processes, presenting complex ideas and compelling messages that position your business ahead of the competition. As your cooperative partner, our integrated B2B marketing agency is dedicated to your success. If your interested in learning more about our Google My Business optimization services, let’s talk.

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