ABM

Trade Shows in B2B Marketing: Marketing Beyond the Show Floor

In recent years, some B2B companies have found it harder to justify the high cost of attending multiple tradeshows. However, live contact with prospects and customers––outside of the standard sales call––is still a valuable marketing tool. At Stifel Marcin, we regularly work with B2B companies on the marketing strategy for trade shows. We can help to evaluate your show program, as well as assist in taking your face-to-face marketing beyond the trade show to build rapport and value with your audience. Trade Show Value in the B2B Marketing Mix Is the role of trade shows within the B2B marketing mix on the decline? The answer remains nuanced with data ranging by industry. Recent data shows a strong resurgence in sectors like technology, healthcare, and entertainment, while industries such as heavy manufacturing and construction continue to see lower attendance compared to pre-pandemic levels. Real-time feedback from marketing managers in manufacturing and industrial sectors indicates that many B2B companies are reassessing their trade show strategies, weighing increasing costs and mixed lead quality against potential networking benefits. While some events are experiencing growth, the increasing scrutiny of ROI and evolving digital marketing alternatives are influencing how businesses allocate their marketing resources. Let’s face it; exhibiting at a trade show is a hefty investment. Costs include booth space, your exhibit and graphics, freight and drayage, on-site labor, utilities and services, travel, lodging, meals, entertainment, and the time commitment of vital staff. With this range of expenses, even a small regional show can cost a company tens of thousands of dollars and weeks of valuable time. And while in-person customer face time is essential, if enough leads aren’t being generated by show participation, the high costs and resource commitments are hard to justify. So, what are B2B industrial marketers to do? Here are some tips and tactics from our trade show agency experts. Analyze Carefully and Choose Wisely The first step is to analyze your trade show performance in detail. Some questions to ask are: What were the overall costs and their breakdown? Did we get quality leads? Can we follow-up quickly and effectively? How many of the leads proved convertible into actual sales? And what was the cost per lead? Plus, trade show exhibitions are also valuable for brand awareness, so consider if overall show attendance and traffic generated enough brand exposure. Use in-depth analysis to edit your tradeshow schedule. Select shows with high-quality leads, optimum cost per lead, and high brand engagement. Depending on your industry, company size, market share, and business goals, this may result in attending just one or two critical shows per year. Finally, analyze your exhibit and staffing requirements. Are there ways to maximize branding and audience impact, while reducing costs and resources required? Consider things such as: All of these factors can help you reduce costs at the tradeshows you have selected to attend as an exhibitor. Host Your Own Events So, you have analyzed your trade show schedule and have determined that you will exhibit at one major market show this year––a show that is still putting up good attendance figures and generating a high volume of good quality leads. Now you have a challenge. Your sales managers are concerned that cutting four regional shows from the schedule will reduce opportunities to get in front of your customers on a personal level, and they are right. One option? Host your own events. Building a program of customized events around select, high-quality target audiences can be very effective. Hosting customized company events such as lunch and learn sessions, customer-specific product launches and demonstrations (by invitation), specialized training classes, panel discussions, and industry seminars give you critical face time with customers and prospects while demonstrating your organization as a “thought leader.” Plus, hosting your own event gives you greater ability to control costs, resources, locations, and logistics. Most importantly, hosting also gives you greater control of attendance and lead quality––you’ll be personally marketing to and inviting the customers and prospects you want to see. Take Your Show on the Road A second option for replacing tradeshows is to take your custom presentation direct to the customer’s site. For example, companies are reporting great success with events such as “vendor days.” This is an event where a customer will provide space on site and host several vendors for the day, giving each vendor time for a brief presentation of their products and services. This type of cooperative event is a win-win for both host and invited suppliers concerning staffing, costs, and efficiency: the host company benefits by introducing their employees to key suppliers and new technologies, and the supplier team benefits from a day in front of key decision makers at every level. Plus, neither company must send large numbers of staff to a tradeshow for three days, at considerable cost, while critical work backs up at home. Our trade show marketing experts can help you develop the right tools to help you achieve your goals. Communicate and Promote for Success What if I hold an event and no one comes? Don’t let this happen! “If you build it, they will come” does not work in business or marketing. You have to tell your audience about your event and what benefits it will provide. And you have to tell them consistently, frequently, and in a variety of ways. While one can argue that the Internet and today’s digital marketing are factors in the decline of tradeshow participation and attendance, digital communications are wonderful for promoting events too. Online newsletters, email blasts, and social media are proven, practical ways to get the word out to your audience. What’s more, integrating digital media with traditional direct marketing, such as a personal letter or postcard campaign, can increase the reach and response to your event promotions. Finally, in developing the event itself, make sure it is well supported by knowledgeable staff, brand graphics, presentation materials and multimedia, and hospitality items. While these components do add costs, they will improve the audience’s experience

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Leveraging Geo-Targeting for Account-Based Marketing

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 Value of The Manufacturing Directory Thomasnet® in Manufacturing

With so many online tools, marketing platforms and media options, the resources available to manufacturers to market their company and generate leads is greater than ever. However, as options expand, so do the performance metrics that need to be evaluated to identify which marketing dollars are leading to return. Most veterans of the manufacturing space know about Thomas Register®, now ThomasNet. This former “yellow pages for manufacturing” has been around for decades, and their promotional tools and packages have struggled to evolve alongside today’s marketing and sales technology. Despite a revamp of the ThomasNet industrial suppliers directory in 2019, a quick search online shows that many manufacturers are frustrated with the limitations and trappings of the ThomasNet supplier search engine. Often, businesses report spending more and more money while not increasing their ROI. In recent years ThomasNet enlarged its platform and expanded its offerings to include more services. From online business listings to website design and even content development, this supplier search engine offers packages to handle these activities on your behalf. But time and time again, our clients report these services are highly templatized. In the world of B2B marketing, a stamp-and-repeat approach simply does not work, and can ultimately leave you with a website, search engine optimization, content, and marketing materials that don’t work effectively together. While ThomasNet has worked to position itself as a marketing and advertising agency for manufacturers, it is important to understand that agencies like Stifel Marcin are not competitors of this supplier search engine. Stifel Marcin offers a holistic approach to your marketing, customized solutions, and expertise that the industrial suppliers directory ThomasNet and its competitors simply cannot. We apply our team’s B2B marketing expertise to your company, your products, your services and your marketing goals. Our plans are tailored to your needs, and there is no “one size fits all” mindset in anything we do. Our B2B digital, content, marketing strategy and SEO capabilities are run by people who work like an extension of your company – your in-house marketing team that happens to not be “in” your house. Please note, there are times that ThomasNet can fit well into a marketing strategy, and for some companies they can generate leads and sales. This article is intended to provide insight and transparency, and we’ve compiled a series of tips to help you evaluate the value of the ThomasNet supplier search engine in your marketing. 1. Agency Website Development Services Build for Total Ownership While ThomasNet Database Can Limit Owner Control Manufacturers can sign on with ThomasNet to build their website and take care of updates and changes. This supplier search engine develops and integrates its websites into their backend databases, templates and network of directories. Often, this means they are building your website, but the backend is driving to their web properties. Most lead generating forms go through their system, placing ThomasNet as an intermediary to your leads. While this approach may make sense for some, it leaves you with a build that is highly-reliant on staying with ThomasNet. Often, working with another marketing partner to make changes or updates may be difficult – or even impossible – to do. There is virtually no option to move away from this supplier search engine as your website relies on your platform. If you use their website development services, you cannot download your site and move to another platform, without extensive rebuilding efforts. With Stifel Marcin’s website design services, your site – its text, images, optimization and databases – are all yours. These are tangible deliverables you control. Some ThomasNet customers reported that they feel as if their site is “trapped”. They must pay their fees to this supplier search engine in order to retain limited control of the site and the lead generation from it – no matter what the ROI is on that spend, or what other outside business factors that may be affecting a company’s marketing budget. Stifel Marcin has built our operations to act like your partner. Our marketing, SEO and web development teams collaborate with you to understand your business. We digitally-position your brand to maximize your return on the project and align your business for growth for years to come. 2. The ThomasNet Industrial Suppliers Directory vs. Organic SEO Services Organic search engine optimization (SEO) has changed how everyone does business. It levels the playing field in a way, favoring the relevance of your page content in the rankings. If your website and its content are developed correctly and include the right search keywords and phrases, you can place alongside competitors – and even surpass them in rankings. The beauty of SEO is that, when done well, you continue to reap the benefits of it long after you put the work in. Web pages, blog posts, educational content, and more can all continue to generate relevant traffic to your website if you have a thoughtful SEO strategy employed by experts who know what they are doing. ThomasNet claims it will help you rank on Google or Bing for keywords most relevant to your business and your offerings. But many companies find that, more often, their system ranks and drives traffic to their own web properties – listings on the ThomasNet industrial suppliers directory – as opposed to your company’s website. At Stifel Marcin, our search engine optimization is focused on enhancing the organic visibility of your website and its pages. Our experts work to ensure the copy on each landing page is aligned with a comprehensive keyword strategy. We create clear sales funnels and user experience paths. The goal is not only to increase traffic, but to increase the quality of that traffic, and to drive leads for your business. Our track record is proven – with two decades of industrial marketing and web development expertise. 3. A Data-Driven Marketing Approach Over ThomasNet Industrial Suppliers Directory Placement ThomasNet industrial suppliers directory pricing is usually based on the competition in your category. Often, there is little choice on what you will spend. Some of our clients have reported an approach like this: If you

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Digital Marketing for Manufacturers: A Roadmap for Success

Digital marketing has rapidly become a necessity to remain competitive in today’s manufacturing marketplace. With many B2B buyers turning to digital platforms to research, purchase, and engage with products and company leadership, manufacturers must take advantage of digital marketing strategies to reach potential customers and stay ahead of the competition. By utilizing the power of the web, social media, and other digital marketing tools, manufacturers can create an effective and efficient strategy that will help them reach more customers, build awareness of their products, and increase their sales. What is Digital Marketing? Digital technology is front and center in our daily lives. Digital marketing allows companies to interact with consumers in a more direct way, in real time, and where they are at – on screens. With Americans spending 10+ hours a day on a screen, savvy marketers have increased their digital marketing tactics, serving messages to prospective and current customers where they’re spending valuable time. There are many online tools available to help promote your products and services through paid campaigns, digital placements and website experiences. But knowing the right way to use these tools is critical for success. Expert digital marketers know how to create results – and typically at a lower cost than traditional marketing methods. Digital marketing tactics include: • Search engine optimization (SEO)• Pay-per-click advertising (PPC)• Remarketing• Content marketing • Email marketing• Video marketing• Social media• Apps and interactive tools, and more. How Does Digital Marketing Benefit a Manufacturing Business? Excellent question! Digital marketing for manufacturers can reap many rewards, including increased brand and message awareness, more leads and conversions and improved loyalty. Perhaps the most notable benefit is that it provides a unique opportunity to customize a user’s experience. Unlike brochures or print ads, digital campaigns can be highly targeted and designed for various customer targets, ensuring a more personalized brand connection to your prospects. Digital marketing is typically more cost-effective as well. Especially beneficial for manufacturers with limited resources, digital services can be strategically combined based on business goals, targets and budget to maximize impact.  Not to be understated is the ability to measure your marketing results. With any marketing spend, being able to analyze and measure results is invaluable. As we always say, “data tells a story,” shedding light on web traffic, content performance, and more. Data sources like Google Analytics® allow marketers to make insightful decisions – showing ways to increase performance when campaigns are yielding positive results and knowing when and how to pivot when there are opportunities for improvement. Digital Marketing for Manufacturers: 8 Tips to Maximize Results and ROI Below we explore eight digital marketing best practices to help set your organization on the road to success: 1. It All Starts with a Plan To meet your marketing goals, you first must define them, and plan the strategy to help you achieve them. Establishing clear and measurable KPIs (key performance indicators) – like lead generation, brand awareness or customer engagement – can help ensure that your marketing plan is aligned with overall business goals. Important during the planning phase (and refining along the way) is the identification of your target personas. Understanding who your ideal customers are, their pain points, and best ways to reach them are key pieces of information for your action plan. Creating a strategic digital marketing plan can seem daunting. Our work in digital marketing for manufacturers can create unique opportunities tailored to your company’s needs and deliver quantifiable results. Reach out, our experts are ready to help. 2. Review Your Website for Conversion Opportunities Evaluating your website for conversion potential (or CRO – conversion rate optimization) is an important step in improving your online presence. Looking for potential barriers to conversions, such as unclear calls to action (or asking too many), slow load times or difficult navigation, can help identify areas of your site that are working optimally or those that need improvement. Your CRO ultimately should relate to those KPIs that we discussed above. For instance, digital marketing for manufacturers may include goals like achieving higher search result rankings, increasing web traffic, growing customer engagement, and improving your pipeline of qualified leads. Reviewing your website with these goals in mind can ensure that your online presence is optimized for success. Do you have clear CTAs? Are forms easy to find and fill out? Some simple website improvements can lead to more conversion opportunities. Our website design experts can help you achieve your goals and set your company apart from the competition. 3. Implement SEO to Drive the Right Traffic to Your Site SEO (search engine optimization) is a critical part of any successful digital marketing for manufacturers strategy. Not only does it help businesses reach target audiences by increasing visibility but, when smartly executed, it can lead to increased conversions, leads and sales.  An added bonus – organic SEO typically tops the list when it comes to the best long-term ROI. SEO provides your marketing team with valuable data that can help you understand: • Key search terms prospective customers are searching online.• Pain points and challenges that prospects need to solve.• Types of content that will best serve their needs.• How current and new competitors are ranking.• How to plan your website to expand your traffic, and ultimately, your sales. Eighty-nine percent of B2B buyers research information about potential purchases through online search. If you’re looking to step up your SEO efforts, check out our tips at “How to Improve Your SEO Ranking on Google: 6 Tips from Our Experts.” 4. Create Engaging Organic Feeds Today’s digital age makes social media marketing an increasingly critical component of an integrated digital marketing plan for manufacturers. With 84% of B2B leaders using social media as a source in making purchasing decisions, it’s important to craft an organic social plan that elevates your brand as knowledgeable and responsive. Engaging social media feeds help build relationships with potential customers and followers, while providing an opportunity to improve brand recognition and trust. Social media is one place where you can have direct, two-way conversation with your brand loyalists, as well as with

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B2B Account Based Marketing 101

For businesses looking to leverage B2B account based marketing (ABM), there are often challenges, from assembling the right people to limited resources and knowledge about ABM. Read on for a crash course in B2B account based marketing 101. What is B2B account based marketing and how can it work for you? Account based marketing is a tactical strategy that can help B2B companies improve sales, generate better leads and achieve long-term business growth. There are a variety of factors that B2B organizations must consider before deploying an ABM campaign and understanding the nuances and requirements of this approach helps to ensure its success. ABM is used by marketers to target an account or customer persona to gain the best leads and sales. Often targeting criteria includes a variety of information such as prospect job title, industry, employer, organization size, professional interests, trends and more to build out a customer profile. Marketing works to reach these prospects via a variety of digital, inbound, content and in-person methods, all of which are crafted specifically to engage with that ideal prospect. ABM is focused on sales and lead quality rather than quantity, ultimately using that “quality lead” to grow sales within a target organization. Why is ABM important to B2B companies? As the marketing landscape continually evolves, and the necessity to reach customers with digital tactics increases, account-based approaches can be critically important to a company’s success. In the initial planning stage, an ABM approach helps to align all stakeholders in an organization – providing understanding of just what types of targets a company should be pursuing and helping everyone focus resources on those targets. As a campaign is in development, it helps a company identify how well it is truly serving that target customer – what level of expertise does it have, what tools does it need to develop or improve, and what processes should be created to help improve the sales and order experience. Beyond planning, account based marketing can help focus critical dollars on the leads and sales that help a company grow. As human and financial resources become more focused on the best leads, the quality of each sale improves, and ultimately the business is able to achieve greater results with the same amount of effort. How is ABM different from other marketing approaches? Unlike some marketing tactics which focus solely on promoting the benefits of a company’s products and/or services, an account based approach creates marketing materials that work to connect with target profiles, positioning a brand as a valuable, leading resource, and building a brand image within a key market segment. Beyond standard materials like brochures and sell sheets, AMB materials can include thought-leadership pieces, technical content and tools that helps those target prospects in their everyday lives by addressing concerns that are top-of-mind. Additionally, ABM helps to make sales connections “laterally” within a company, allowing a brand to grow within a customer group as it becomes known for having the information, tools and capabilities that the specific account is most concerned about. How does ABM strategy work with B2B digital marketing? Digital tactics offer great benefits in an account based marketing approach. With Big Data profiling becoming more detailed and valuable in B2B verticals, our ability to reach very specific targets has increased. Once a company has identified the ABM target profiles, and campaign assets have been designed to specifically engage with that target, a B2B marketing agency can leverage a variety of digital platforms, with information such as: Beyond just one platform or one event, digital marketing allows us to leverage a variety of Big Data to reach specific ABM profiles on a granular level. How can B2B companies leverage industry-specific data in ABM marketing? Data collection has grown significantly in recent years, and B2B profiling has become more granular and reliable. While trade events, conferences and publications can offer opportunities, with AI and Big Data, marketers have access to a variety of detailed profiling information that is valuable in account-based campaigns. This not only includes information like geographies (to help reach target company locations), job titles and education – but also interests, the type of content that a user engages with, and even the websites a person has visited. Understanding how to properly leverage data and target customer personas is critical in ABM campaigns – and can be optimized through the services of a B2B marketing agency. How can a B2B company use ABM in their business model? ABM campaign development occurs not only within a marketing or sales team, but needs to have input across an organization to collectively identify which prospects are the ones that should be prioritized and offer the best value to the company. Companies must review lead-to-sale conversion timelines, how much nurturing is required during customer acquisition, the difficulty of engineering or customization support, as well as the efforts required by internal company resources. What may appear to be the “best” target for one department in an organization, may be significantly different to another department. Gaining understanding across a company can help refine business targets, goals and expectations – allowing marketing to achieve greater results that help drive a business forward. What resources are needed from a B2B company before considering ABM? First, there needs to be a cross-departmental commitment to invest at least some time in developing customer profiles, which needs to include representatives not only from marketing and sales, but also management, production, engineering/support, and accounting. If a company partners with an outside B2B marketing agency, that agency can help streamline the process and reduce internal resource requirements. A company needs to balance the availability of its staff, the value of their time, and the expertise of their marketing department in account-based campaign development. Additionally, it must be certain that the integrated marketing tactics needed in ABM approaches are properly created and deployed. To achieve the best results, all aspects of prospect profiling, asset development and inbound/digital/traditional/content mix must be carefully planned, executed, monitored and responded to throughout the life of the campaign. With a focused approach in ABM, reporting and data review is critically important in success. A B2B marketing agency

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B2B Marketing in the Attention Economy: Expert Tips

If it is possible to offer a diagnosis on the B2B customer right now, it would be this one: We have forgotten how to pay attention, not because we wish to, but because we have too much to pay attention to. Inundated by messages, whether they’re on phones or laptops, means there is a lot of clutter, and much of this messaging will by necessity command little of our attention. In the B2B sphere, it has never mattered more that marketing content be easily understood and offer great value to a potential customer. Welcome to the Attention Economy, where human attention is treated as a scarcity. People only have so much time and smart B2B marketing is key to capturing attention, or you risk losing your audience altogether. Consider the Attention Cycle of a typical marketing initiative, an email campaign, that unless the messaging offers clear, valuable and long-standing customer connections, is just an exercise in generating volume, not results.  As you can see, message generation, without strategic intent and purposefulness, leads to less attention, not more. The idea that simply sending more emails will get more eyeballs is inherently incorrect. Attention is incredibly valuable. That’s why we don’t just “give our attention” – we “pay attention.” With an ever-escalating volume of marketing messages bombarding audiences online, creating brand-focused assets that resonate and cut through the clutter has become of great importance. Get noticed or get lost in the crowd – this has never been truer than today. If you want someone to “pay attention,” you must make sure what you offer is of value. Along with your marketing team, sales team, management and marketing agency, you must first decide who you want to reach. Get specific – exactly who are you targeting? Is it a potential customer who responds well to the latest technology and who will want to know more about the innovation at your plant? Is it a cost-conscious customer who will be motivated to act when they find out that your company can now do larger production runs for less? Your content marketing strategy doesn’t have to be complicated, but it does need to be effective. Using your outside B2B marketing agency can provide crucial insight into ways to make any marketing efforts more impactful. If you’re already uncertain that you’ve identified key targets, or are reaching them effectively, you might want to read more about Account Based Marketing. B2B marketing in the Attention Economy means creating content that matters to the reader. What do these key targets value and how can you develop invaluable content that will become a “must read” for them. In the new Attention Economy, capturing the attention of a prospect is only the first step. By serving value, you will “command attention” in the future. Your marketing efforts should be anticipated content your key target looks forward to receiving. It should be smart, aligned with your brand, and aligned with your goals – and make that recipient feel it is worthy of their valuable attention. What do you want your potential customer to do? Download a whitepaper? Sign up for a webinar? Come to a tradeshow or event? Good B2B marketing materials are always driven by clear calls-to-action, and in the Attention Economy, clarity and thoughtfulness in driving engagement is more important than ever. Consider how a marketing asset’s call-to-action will foster further engagement – and will give you the opportunity to turn a contact into an on-going relationship. Monitoring how readers respond to those calls-to-action, how they engage, and the feedback they provide also has benefits. By tracking those interactions, you may get insights that help you zero in on your potential customers’ concerns and needs. In the Attention Economy, tracking what does and doesn’t work is critical to long term returns. Work with your team and your marketing agency to make sure efforts are effective. Monitor each campaign asset, and use analytics, tracking and other measurable results to ensure you are having success getting attention – the attention of your target. Digitally, you can see if your efforts are returning results via more website traffic, directing new traffic to the site, offering content that makes people engage with your brand, or submitting website forms. It can mean more attendees at your next event, more people recognizing your name, or more requests for quotes coming in. Ensuring that you are getting a return keeps everyone motivated to continue the outreach to new clients. It may be a new way of thinking for your organization, but even though there are marketing costs associated with developing content-driven, strategic creative, the idea that you are offering something of value to your prospective customer base is critical in the Attention Economy. More than creating another B2B marketing asset, you are actually creating value in the mind of your potential customer. You Modernize Your Plant. Modernize Your B2B Marketing for the Attention Economy. The demand for content is huge. Marketing surveys reveal that 75% of B2B purchasers rely on content as a research medium when they look to make a buying decision. Provide value and attention will be paid. Thinking about how you can capture attention with your B2B marketing in the frenetic world of the Attention Economy? Contact us and we’ll help you identify key targets and develop smart, strategic, attention-capturing marketing initiatives. Let us help you Power Up Your Marketing 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 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

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How to Reach New Customers with Innovative Digital Marketing Campaigns

With the variety of Big Data, profiling and targeting available, the ways in which digital marketers are able to expand a brand’s reach via innovative digital marketing campaigns has grown. Beyond simple demographics, campaigns can be deployed to reach people based on interests, topics they engage with, their job title, the industry they work in and more. Using data we are able to predict what content people are likely to engage with, what we should serve, and when. We then overlay targeting options and can be highly-specific about how digital campaigns are deployed, and to whom. Advanced B2B Digital Media Tactics & Campaign Building The range of data available to B2B marketers has become more robust (you can read more in our article on How to Target Prospects with “Big Data” & Strategic Digital Marketing). Interest categories related to manufacturing, operations, management and corporate structures have become more granular, and our expert B2B marketing team is leveraging this data to improve return and performance. Types of Common Digital Advertising Platforms The variety of digital platforms we have available is extensive, all designed to capture the attention of customers during that 10+ hours a day the average person in the US is in front of a screen. Instead of relying on trade magazines and purchased lists – which have their place in a full marketing strategy – our digital marketing platforms allow us to access up-to-date data and go directly to the consumer’s screen. While different platforms have different targeting capabilities and restrictions, all utilize predictive algorithms, 3D data and AI to help serve ads to only customers deemed most relevant to a campaign goal. Successful innovative digital marketing campaigns combine strategies for apps, social media, online properties and search engines to achieve results. Some of the common B2B paid digital marketing platforms we utilize are: Graphically-based ads, including animated ads, that serve on the Google Partner network. While we control the deployment locations, this can include news sites, travel sites, weather and more. Display and news-style ads that appear on 3rd party sites. Often this looks like actual content from that platform. Similar to Google Display with similar deployment controls, these ads also appear on news sites, interest sites, etc. Both display ads and newsfeed posts placed on sites like Facebook®, Twitter®, Instagram® and LinkedIn®. From magazine websites to e-newsletters, trade publications offer various digital opportunities to target customers. Cost is always a consideration with trades and should be evaluated as part of a full B2B digital marketing plan. Combining both content marketing and direct marketing strategies, eNewsletters work to reach customers in their inbox. This can be achieved by utilizing a purchased list (which should be well-vetted to ensure quality), or even better, by using a customer contact list. Integrated Marketing Solutions for Maximum Impact As a full service B2B marketing agency with integrated services, we build complete strategies for our clients. All our work is tailored to meet client goals, needs and resources, and we partner with clients and act like an extension of their company to maximize results. Additionally, as part of our integrated capabilities, we also help clients define campaign positions as well as ensure their brand is protected in digital marketing. Contact us today, and let’s discuss how together we can create innovative digital marketing campaigns to grow your brand and increase your sales. 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 marketing solutions, reach out today.

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