Stefan Tornquist says, “The forces that have reshaped the consumer sector are increasing in B2B, demanding that marketers respond with a new emphasis on the customer experience.  Our new report B2B Digital Trends, conducted in partnership with Adobe, explores the practical and philosophical shift occurring in business-to-business marketing. Although every industry is changing at its own pace, there is universal movement toward an approach that looks more and more like consumer marketing. The report looks at B2B in general and more specifically at the healthcare, manufacturing, technology... [...]

Verónica Maria Jarski says, “What does the state of B2B product marketing look like right now? Here’s what recently surveyed senior marketers shared about current trends and practices. “Creating collateral is a top priority for B2B product marketing,” states Kapost in the following infographic based on Regalix research. Some 80% of survey respondents cited it as their top priority. A total of 71% of surveyed marketers stated sales enablement, and 70% mentioned “defining position.” The most popular digital channels are websites (91%) and email (89%), followed... [...]

Kristin Hovde says, “Creating a successful B2B content marketing strategy is easier said than done; many marketers have different views on what works and what doesn’t. Eighty-six percent of digital marketers are using content as a way to educate and inform their audience, according to MarketingProfs. If you aren’t seeing results from your content marketing efforts, then there could be one thing standing in your way of it being a success: relying on your memory instead of writing it down. When you are writing countless pieces of content and dispersing them to several different websites,... [...]

Meghan Keaney Anderson says, “One of my favorite memories at HubSpot was watching our email marketer’s eyes go wide the first time she used our new email dashboard. Her reaction was was unrelenting, overflowing, and wholly genuine. Her expression mirrored the type of excitement typically reserved for iPhone launches and new seasons of Netflix series — but it was caused by software she used every day at work. Those who think B2C companies have locked down all the truly interesting marketing angles have forgotten how passionate people can be about their jobs. For every B2B product,... [...]

Ayaz Nanji says, “Case studies and client success stories are the content types that B2B companies most use, according to a recent report from Starfleet Media. The report was based on data from a survey of 324 B2B marketers and salespeople from around the world (69% based in North America; 22%, Europe; 9%, other). Respondents work for B2B companies in a wide range of industries, including technology, manufacturing, and business services. Some 67% of respondents say they have put case studies/client success stories to use as a digital content marketing asset in the previous12 months; other... [...]

Ayaz Nanji says, “Most B2B marketing/sales databases lack key information about prospects and customers, according to a recent report from NetProspex. The report was based on an analysis of 223 million records in the databases of B2B companies. The researchers examined which commonly required fields were “missing” from each record (the report makes the assumption that each of these data points is necessary, which may not actually be the case for all companies). Some 84% of the records analyzed were missing revenue information and 82% were missing employee information about the... [...]

Tony Uphoff says, “Marketing business products and services to other businesses used to be relatively simple. You developed a series of ads touting the features and benefits of your product or service, and you ran those ads in leading trade journals and exhibited at leading trade and association shows. This straightforward approach existed for well over 100 years until the Internet came along, irrevocably changing how marketers reach, engage and sell to business decision makers. Today, B2B marketers have a dizzying array of brands, platforms, services and technologies being pitched to them,... [...]

Tom Whatley says, “For many B2B marketers, getting in front of senior decision-makers is a tough task. These are people who would really move the needle for you if you get them to sign up for your product or service. When marketing to the C-suite, though, you’ve got to do things that are different from much of your other marketing efforts. Sure, content marketing and the like can work, but it will only get you so far—and only if you’ve created something that will get past the noise. Senior decision-makers spend only 2% of their time on new suppliers—people trying to sell... [...]

Rainmaker team says, “What tools does the content marketer need to stay organized? What to do about subscribers who aren’t confirming their opt-in? And what’s the difference in approach between B2B and B2C marketing? Confessions of a Pink-Haired Marketer host Sonia Simone answers these questions (and a few more) this week“. The Difference Between B2B and B2C Marketing (and Other Questions) ‘Copyblogger’ Blog  [...]

Peter O’Neill says, “Our new B2B marketing role pages are just one month old, and we have already published new reports on B2B channels, marketing through communities, B2B metrics that matter, and thought leadership programs. All topics at the sharp end of B2B marketing. Our team was also present at Forrester’s two Marketing Leadership Forums held in New York and London. In addition to giving topic presentations there, we ran a 90-minute consulting workshop for over 100 B2B marketers in New York advising attendees on how to formulate their target personas and potential content for... [...]