The lead generation waterfall / funnel is a powerful way to understand how leads are flowing through your sales cycle, (if you don’t know what I’m talking about, read Marketo’s excellent guides). However, talking to other marketers it seems that while many use the waterfall model to retrospectively evaluate last quarter’s performance, very few actually use…
Tag: b2b marketing
Customer press releases are a powerful tool; but convincing customers to participate can be challenging. Here’s why.
It’s a safe bet that you’re familiar with Gartner’s hype cycle. Originally used to depict the relative maturity of emerging technologies, its beauty is its ability to be applied to almost anything – even beyond technology. One excellent example I learned from Will Gardiner at UK tech-PR firm CCgroup is how the hype cycle…
How to nail your next conference speaker slot
Navigating the many sponsorship options available to you at your next industry conference takes some thought. Do you stick with the basic stand, brand the lanyards, or perhaps sponsor a drinks reception? Depending on what you’re trying to achieve, all are viable considerations – ok, maybe not the drinks reception (never get suckered into that…
Magical unicorns, bizarre job titles and late nights: How to nail your next customer demo
You’ve worked tirelessly for weeks and your demand generation and nurturing efforts have paid off. You’ve finally built a relationship with a target customer, you’ve engaged a key sponsor and now he’s coordinating a wider meeting for you to demo your product to his peers and internal decision makers. You can almost see the sales…
Free underwear and the art of marketing through LinkedIn
Linkedin has made real progress over the last 24 months. By putting greater focus on content it’s been moving solidly towards improved user engagement; and in return saw its advertising revenue grow 45% in Q3 over the same period last year. However, it’s still not seen as a hotbed for marketing creativity. Brands have typically favoured…
Applying the 70:20:10 innovation rule to your marketing
The 70:20:10 rule is frequently cited as a useful formula for delivering an optimally blended mix of marketing content. For those not familiar with it, it suggests: 70% of your content should be low risk; it talks to the fundaments of your proposition and you know it works. It’s the stuff that keeps the lights on…
A “content marketing” definition for B2B marketers
Something of a debate has opened up at the office around the exact definition of content marketing. It’s a valid debate; marketers play loose and fast with the term and, technically, almost every marketing effort uses “content” of some description. However, it’s not that simple. The value of Content Marketing lies in its ability to…
Atomize your approach to content marketing
Have you heard of “content atomization”? Like so many other terms, it’s a slightly convoluted way of describing something that’s actually just good common [marketing] sense. Many of you will even be doing it already, but here’s a refresher and introduction to those looking to build a great content marketing practice in your organizations. Atomizing…
5 tips to creating great long form marketing content
Long form content is making a comeback in marketing. If you want to ensure your content successfully cuts through the noise, here are my five simple tips. 1. Be Unique: Content marketing is awash with “me-too” topics. “Understanding Big Data”, “Deliver a Great Customer Experience” etc. Give your audience something they haven’t seen before, or at least…
We’ve forgotten the value of long form content in B2B marketing
Those who have been in the marketing industry for more than ten years will remember that once upon a time, the majority of content produced was long form. Lengthy whitepapers, detailed case studies and 2500 word by lined articles. These were the norm. However, over the last few years, as the idea of “content marketing”…
