Tactics

How to build blog subscribers – 20 tips for B2B Marketers

So you’ve set up an awesome blog. And you’re generating really great content. But your Mum is your only subscriber! What now? Well it’s time to spread the word so that you can begin accumulating dedicated readers. Remember that thousands – if not millions – of web surfers are always searching for information to answer the questions they have. In a B2B context, your buyers are searching for information about how to best fix their business pain. Perhaps one of the most effective techniques to spreading the word is guest blogging. Now you have content and a READ MORE ›

By Chris Fell|Tactics|

Six business blogging essentials: A B2B marketer’s guide

For B2B marketers, blogging is arguably the single best tool to help your target market find you online. When done correctly, B2B blogging significantly increases the amount of quality leads to your site. Good blog articles drive traffic, improve SEO and capture your target market's attention just at the right time. This fills the top of your sales funnel with quality leads. We've been doing this for a while, so we thought we'd share what we've learned with you. Here are the key elements to an excellent lead generating blog: 1. Momentum: Blog Regularly Google recognises websites READ MORE ›

By Chris Fell|Tactics|

Why B2B marketers must invest in organic traffic for SEO

Announced by Google in August this year, a record hit of 3 billion searches are being made per day – a notable increase since 2011 where figures were just above 1.5 billion. So what’s important about this? Well, other than the growth in traffic equating to an increase in potential leads, more online conversation and buzz, and more traffic to your particular site, there’s a marked correlation between organic content and SEO. Thought you knew that already? Let’s take a look at the figures, and other insights provided by Rand Fishkin, (CEO SEOmoz) and Dharmesh Shah (CTO, READ MORE ›

By Chris Fell|Tactics|

If content is king for B2B marketing, then context is God!

I was fortunate enough to attend Inbound 2012 in Boston last week, organised by Hubspot, along with 2800 other delegates. It was an inspiring couple of days. This is a summary of the keynote speech given by hubspot co-founders, Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah. B2B marketers are coming to understand how to effectively engage with their buyers in the internet age. But target customers are getting really, really good at blocking out your marketing messages. Email is blocked by spam filters, phone calls have caller ID, "snail mail" goes straight in the bin, TV ads are blocked READ MORE ›

By Chris Fell|Tactics|

Is your CRM System a Sales Prevention System?

Most sales organisations have some sort of CRM system in place. Many have made significant investments in the system. Yet simply implementing CRM – just like just running a sales training course – offers no “magic wand” for improving sales performance. In fact the energies expended on them are often wasted. Time after time, we come across Customer Relationship Management solutions that bear little or no relation to how a vendors’ most promising prospects actually buy, or what the vendors’ top performing sales people actually do. There are 5 danger signs that indicate that a CRM system READ MORE ›

By Bob Apollo|Alignment, Sales, Tactics, Velocity|

Buyers’ Journey and reasonable attribution

I was recently asked about use of the term the Buyers' Journey'. I first coined the term in 2003 and it has since been popularised. I'm happy for this, but do get a little miffed when others claim it as their own. Please, therefore, forgive the following rant. I've also posted this in FunnelWiki so others can comment / evolve the dialogue if they wish. I took no registered trademarks, but the term is copyrighted and trade marked under common law. I am happy for anyone to use the term, but I also believe that accurate attribution READ MORE ›

By Hugh Macfarlane|Strategy, Tactics|

Blogging: The Swiss Army Knife of B2B Marketing

Don’t be fooled by its unglamorous appearance and unassuming nature. Your blog is your most powerful survival tool in the B2B marketing jungle. Just like a swiss army knife, it can perform a multitude of functions required for survival. These functions include : Traffic Generation It doesn’t matter how amazing your website is if nobody comes to visit. But how does one go about attracting new website visitors? Writing blog posts and distributing them via social media, social bookmarking sites, RSS and email will help you to get found by new people. SEO One of toughest challenges in READ MORE ›

By Chris Fell|Tactics|

How to select tactics that move buyers

We often accuse salespeople of pitching too early: "I'm ready to sell - I hope you're ready to buy". But it's much the same with Marketing. We make offers designed for buyers who are ready to choose between options, but many buyers aren't there yet. But unless your tactics move buyers through their journey, you are likely to fail. Your tactics need to: Identify buyers who meet your target profile Position your brand on their list and get their attention Get these buyers to accept that they have the problem you solve best Have them accept your READ MORE ›

By Hugh Macfarlane|Tactics|

The Outsourcing Dilemma: 6 Steps for B2B Marketers

To outsource or not to outsource. It's one of the great B2B marketing questions. Is it more cost-effective to handle things internally or to outsource? Sometimes due to capacity constraints and headcount freezes there simply isn't a choice but to outsource. Here are some practical steps to take to help you decide whether to outsource. Step 1: The plan Based on your business objectives and your marketing strategy you will probably have worked out your tactics and execution plan. In particular, the plan for the volume of marketing activity you will require to make your lead and revenue READ MORE ›

By Chris Fell|Tactics|

How to allocate limited budget

There is never enough money and never enough resources in a business. Whether you work in a multinational corporation with billions of dollars to splash around, or a micro business with only a few staff, budgeting is always tough. How do you allocate this limited budget to greatest effect? It pays to remember the process for forming a business strategy. Work out where to play (which markets are you targeting, which are you ignoring, and how much money will you allocate to each market?). Decide how to play (set the correct strategy for each product market, taking READ MORE ›

By Hugh Macfarlane|Tactics|