Savvy B2B Marketing - Latest Blog Entries

Dryers and marketing the best we can

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:37:00 -0600

Trying to market yourself is kind of like being a mom. No matter what you do, you never think it's enough. And, when something goes wrong, you tend to blame yourself - first, last, and always.

I should have paid more attention. I should have corrected that error before it went out. I should have - if I were on top of my game- I would have.

I read the story once of a woman who was a full-time working mom. Between her job and the kids, she was always running around getting things done at the last minute, even the laundry which she would always start late at night and finish early in the morning was a failure in her eyes.

She constantly felt guilty about not doing enough, not having the laundry folded and put away, not anticipating the needs of her children, not having the supplies ready to do a knock-out science project.

As marketers, just like moms, sometimes we are stretched too thin. We don't answer every comment on our blog, we don't tweet enough, we don't extend invitations to all the social media groups we think we should – in order to be great marketers, in order to always do the job right.

It never seems like we are able to do enough, no matter how hard we try.

But like a mom, there are times you need to just make peace with the fact that you're doing the best you can. You're doing what you are able to do right now. Sometimes, that's okay. It simply is what it is.

Just like moms, self-marketers tend to be our own worst enemies. We need to give ourselves a break at times. Not everything needs to get done right away. Sometimes it's okay to not be perfect, to not do it all.

Other people seem to understand this better then we do.

The rest of that woman's story is that one evening when she was able to drag herself off to her child's open house at school, she started reading the “I'm lucky because” pictures the young students had made and put on the bulletin board.

When she came to her son's picture, she stopped in her tracks. He had written that he was lucky because every morning he was able to put on a warm shirt straight from the dryer.

Sometimes, even when we think we're not doing the best job we can, we are.

***

Wendy Thomas is a writer, journalist, and blogger on subjects ranging from social networking and e-marketing to owning backyard chickens. She spent more than 20 years as a technical writer and has taught classes in technical writing and instructional design both at the graduate and undergraduate level. Through her business; Jackson and Thomas e-Writing, her work with marketingprofs.com, and as a Savvy Sister at savvyb2bmarekting.com, she regularly consults with companies advising on best practices to use when trying to effectively get their brand and platform recognized on the Internet.

Wendy has been a guest speaker, a columnist, and has been published in regional and national newspapers and magazines, as well as on many blogs. You can contact Wendy at Wethomas@gmail.com.

Photo credit: NJ Tech Teacher

Savvy Speaks: Tips for Crowdsourcing

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 04:54:00 -0600

The rise of social media has made crowdsourcing all the rage. Why read the opinions of just one person when you can get the 4-1-1 from a whole host of experts all in one place? But wrangling all those opinions can be a bit tricky. This week the Savvy Sisters share their best tips for crowdsourcing the pros - like a pro!

Heather

Ask for a little - Get A Lot!

In my other job as Content Director for DemandCon I coordinate with all our conference speakers to contribute to the blog, resource section, webinars, Funnel Facts newsletter, etc. The closer we get to conference time the less time each presenter has to balance their presentation prep and my content demands. So crowdsourcing has helped give me the content I need along with balancing perspectives. I have found that asking a presenter to write a 700 word article can be daunting but asking them to answer 5 questions with a few sentences to a paragraph each is more realistic. Then I can take the answers of a few different people and create a post. I have been doing this with the "Meet the Speakers" series on the DemandCon blog and it has been a lot of fun to get to know the conference participants not only by their body of work but also by their favorite TV character and sports team.

Wendy

The Great and Powerful Internet

Crowdsourcing is the new and improved surveys of days gone by. Where in the past, we used to hand out paper surveys with questions like “In what ways could our Customer Service be improved?” and then compile the results, we can now almost instantly tap into the collective mindset of that powerful man behind the curtain – internet users who represent our audience.

What to know hands down what the favorite Superbowl commercial was? Pitch that question on Twitter, Facebook, or on your blog – you'll soon find out.

Want to know possible topics for blog posts? Ask and you shall receive, you'll soon have enough topics for weeks worth of posts. And here's the neat thing, often the people who respond have a vested interest in the subject being discussed making them not only the ideal contributors, but part of your targeted audience as well.

Crowdsourcing is a unique and effective way to tap into the ongoing cocktail party conversation of the internet. When used effectively (appropriate questions that serve a purpose and are not just “asking about the weather,” you and your company can benefit greatly from this method of information collection

Jamie

Manners Matter

When you're requesting contributions to a crowd-sourced piece it's important to remember that everyone is busy. Whether the group you're soliciting is the general public of a select list of individuals - respect their time:

Prepare well: Know what you're asking and why. Be clear about the purpose of your research so its easy for contributors to understand the assignment.
Do your homework: Research the people you're approaching and be sure that they are a good fit for your topic.
Keep it short: Time is of the essence. Don't ask for too much. Be concise in your communications and to-the-point in your requests.
Be specific: Give clear and simple instructions so people can handle the request quickly (and so you don't have to go back and follow-up).
Be thankful: Say thank you. If you're compiling a report, offer contributors a free copy. If you're publishing quotes and such - make sure you attribute them properly, including links to people's sites and Twitter pages, etc.

Most of the time, people will want to help you. With some good manners, you will make a good impression and keep your pool of contributors squarely on your side and happy to be in the mix.

Have you ever written a crowdsourced article?

How did you get folks interested?

Savvy Toolkit - The Big 5 Mistakes - How not to make a B2B Website

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 08:01:00 -0600

The Savvy Sisters are big fans of the guys at BaseOne in London. They are frequently featured in our Friday Wrap Up and so when they put out this eBook on The Big 5 Mistakes that B2B Companies make on their website, I knew it would be good. It was so good in fact that it was basically a stroll down memory lane for past client projects! The first tech company I ever worked for back in the dot com boom bust era of the late 90's designed employee benefit enrollment portals. Ironically the same challenges I had as a project manager for clients 15 years ago are highlighted in Paul Hatcher's brilliant little eBook.

Stop the insanity. Widely share this eBook with everyone you know so we can raise the level of B2B websites and end this horror once and for all!

Savvy Week in Review - February 3

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 08:45:00 -0600

February is upon us, and the days are getting longer. If you're hungering for ways to fill your time productively, read on for our favorite posts from around the blogosphere.

The Essential Guide to Meta Descriptions that Will Get You Found Online by @bradshorr via @Junta42

If you think meta descriptions are nerdy details left to your Web administrators, think again, B2B marketers. Here's why you need to craft them with care -- and some tips on how to do it.

Sharing Your Way to B2B Social Media Lead Generation by @jeffreylcohen via @MarketingProfs

Here's how you can boost the value of your blog and social media engagement. Plus, Jeffrey unveils a new sharing rule.

Why B2B Marketers Must Address Status Quo by @ardath421

The dangers of assuming your prospects are further along in the buying cycle than they truly are -- and ways to prompt movement.

6 Essential SEO Strategies for Bloggers by @DeniseWakeman

Some basic tips that will get you started on the right path to good SEO.

The Art of Pulling the Trigger: Upselling Done Right by @DannyIny

Think you know what an "upsell" is. Are you sure? This post provides a great overview and a few examples that may spark ideas of your own. Don't leave money on the table.

7 Tips for a Successful PPC Landing Page by @HJSewell

You don't just want the click, you want the conversion. Here are some tips to make sure your landing page is pulling its weight.

10 Content Marketing Goals Worth Pursuing by @soniasimone via @copyblogger

This is powerful stuff - do you know what to do with it? 10 ways content marketing can make a huge impact on your business.

Want to be a Rock Star Guest Poster? Read This!

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:54:00 -0600

We get a decent amount of Guest Post requests here at Savvy. Early on we thought this was great! The more guest posters the less work for us! Well the joke is on us because managing guest post submissions has become at times more laborious than simply writing the posts! We did all the things the experts suggested. We created Guest Post Guidelines, we created an internal process by which to review and respond to the requests and finally we established an editorial calendar that allowed for one guest post per week on a predictable schedule. We have featured now over 50 Guest Post and many of our submission have been fabulous. The ones that weren’t didn’t ever make it to the blog! How did those who got published differentiate themselves?

Suggestions to would be guest posters

Read a minimum of 10 posts on the blog you are asking to guest post on. Make sure you fit the tone and topicality of that blog. If not move on. Don’t try to fit a square peg in a round hole!
Once you are sure you have a topic that will fit in submit the idea to the blog first. You never know one of the regular contributors might be writing about the same subject next week. Before you write a whole article clear it or better yet submit three ideas and let them choose what fits their editorial calendar best.
If you are proposing to write a series, be prepared to submit all installments before the first one runs.
Do not ask us to run a thinly veiled advertorial. If there are links in the article they shouldn’t all be to your products and services. You will be given an opportunity in your bio to link to your own products / services but the meet of the article should be spam free!
Speaking of links if you happen to find a relevant article on our site or on a site from our blog roll when you were doing your background reading it is a good idea to link to it.
Get it proofread before you submit. Ask your best friend or even your spouse to proofread it. We believe just because it is on the web doesn’t mean grammar and spelling guidelines are optional.
Do not recycle literally! We are willing to accept a topic you have written elsewhere about but not an entire cut and paste article you have written elsewhere. This is in our guest post guidelines and if you try to pull a fast one over on us it will end up getting your blacklisted.

What happens to guest blogs once they are received?

I can’t say what happens everywhere but I can tell you what happens at both Savvy and DemandCon where I am the Content Director.

Once a potential guest poster has been identified they are assigned a point of contact within the editorial staff and they work with that person through submission.
Blind submissions are all reviewed by the same person for consistency.
A minimum of two people read every guest post and give feedback. We strive for 3 readers and all 6 of us have an opportunity to weigh in but at a minimum 2.
Based on the feedback and notes the guest poster is often asked to add an example, statistic, supporting factoid to a particular assertion. These suggestions are designed to make your piece and our blog better. If you aren’t willing to accept basic criticism you probably have no business writing for others.

The curtain is up!

Once a guest post is up the work is not done! Here are a few things that happen after the fact.

We post guest submissions on Monday’s and then we tweet about them on our Savvy_B2B Twitter account as well as our individual Twitter accounts as we can. I am always amazed and how little promotion is often done by the guest poster. If you got published somewhere else tweet about it!!!!
Watch the comments. It is always great when the author take the time to respond to comments that come in on their own post. The blog editor will keep an eye out but only you can really answer the question the commenter has!
We allow guest posters to repurpose the post on their own blog as long as they mention in the intro of footer that it originally appeared on Savvy B2B and a link. This is a great way to gain cross promotion but again very few guest posters seem to take advantage of this.
We run “best of” summary topics over the summer break. Best of Guest Posts gives us a chance to showcase the guest posts that got the most traffic or comments. You want to be in that club!

Think you might want to guest post for Savvy? You can reach us at info@savvyb2bmarketing.com or on Twitter @Savvy_B2B. I promise we won't bite!

Savvy Speaks: B2B Blogs - Yes, No, or Maybe?

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 08:25:00 -0600

Our Savvy friend Mark Schaefer recently reported on his blog, {grow}, about a study done by the Center for Marketing Research that seems to indicate blogging is on the decline with America's fastest growing companies. In today's Savvy Speaks, we give our two cents on how we think blogging is stacking up against other B2B marketing tactics and where it's headed in 2012 and beyond.

Heather

Don't stop believing (or blogging)

I am very bullish on B2B blogging. I believe it is a critical way to provide prospects with a conversational introduction to your company when they are in research mode. Hubspot's research on the state of inbound marketing has shown that "Blogs remain the most important social media channel". 85% rated their blog as Useful (or higher) in business importance. 46% had acquired a customer through a blog generated lead.

I believe the real reason blogging is on the decline is that blogging isn't easy! My post on the Top Ten Rules for Blogging has never been more relevant. There are some steps you can take to make your blog more effective and less painful to implement. Techniques like this very post where we "crowdsource" answers to hot topics requires us not to write a full elaborate post but rather just a paragraph or two. I would argue the information is even more relevant and valuable than a single post by only one of us because you can easily see multiple opinions and approaches.

Hang in there. Blogging isn't dying. In fact we are just getting starting to really see from companies the kind of conversational tone and transprancy that actually produces thought leadership.

Wendy

Blog writers are going to be the new black

I think that blogs are going to become more and more important as we all turn to the internet for our news. As a matter of natural selection, however, only those that stay on target and that constantly add value to the reader will survive. The other ones that, for lack of a better word, simply “pose” at being a blog will fall away.

This means that smart companies are going to have to hire blog writers. A well written post can get your company noticed much more than an expensive campaign sometimes can. Like the tech writers of yore, it's the blog writers who are going to understand how to write for the net, inject voice, and how to place the words on the page so that the reader can scan for the information she needs.

A good blog writer will be worth her weight in gold to any company.

Stephanie

A Must-Have

As Ardath Albee said in a Focus roundtable last week, a blog is non-negotiable. In a world where B2B marketers are relying on prospective buyers to find them online -- and where fresh content ranks high -- a blog is critical to building and maintaining visiblity.

Just as with every other bit of content, marketers need to produce blogs that resonate with their prospects and customers. Going forward, I envision more B2B blogs being structured for easy navigation by role and stage in the buying process.

Jamie

Not dead, but evolving

Blogging is far from dead. Although it may seem old hat to those of us who've been at it for a while, there is still massive untapped potential in the audiences who have yet to engage with the medium. However, I see blogging evolving at a pretty fast pace. Blogs now have to compete against a wide array of other social media. To be viable and stand out from the crowd, the B2B blog of today and tomorrow is going to have to step it up a notch or two. The same old-same old isn't going to cut it. Companies need to get focused on their strategy, understand the needs of their readers, set realistic goals, and get creative with their content. I think we'll also see more hybrids - combining blogs with other formats like micro-blogging, email, etc.

Things will evolve, but as long as there's a hunger for information, blogs will be stickin' around.

Does your company blog? What are your goals for the blog? Do you think you'll continue blogging through 2012 and beyond?

Savvy Toolkit - Marketing Wisdom for 2012

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:23:00 -0600

The folks at Marketing Sherpa and Hubspot have put together a very meaty 54-page eBook on Marketing Wisdom for 2012 - Real Life Stories of Success and Lessons Learned.

If you are tired of all the 2012 trends-to-watch lists that give you soundbites and not enough detail, then this is the eBook for you. These are not flashy trends but actual practical case studies with analysis that you can apply to your business.

Check it out!

Three Ways Personas Improved My Marketing

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 06:00:00 -0600

In this week's guest post, Bob Scheier illustrates the value of buyer personas. Read on for inspiration!

Like most folks new to content marketing (the use of content to nurture and drive prospects towards a sale) I was eager to dive right in. I wanted to play with the marketing automation software and start blasting out content.

The one thing I didn’t want to do was what every expert recommended: Develop personas (fictional representatives) for each of my target audiences. I thought I knew my prospect base (PR professionals, product managers and chief marketing officers) well enough to come up with content that would fascinate them. Did I really need to invent a fictional name for Mr. Chief Marketing Officer? Did it matter if the PR professional I was writing for was in her late 20s or late 40s, and preferred skiing to shopping in her spare time?

But wanting to get it right, I obediently sat down and started creating my three fictional target customers. And boy, did I get an education.

Learning Curve

The first thing I learned was how little I knew about my customers, at least as it applied to content marketing. I was used to talking to them about specific projects, such as who was the target audience for a white paper, or what corporate messaging they wanted to highlight in a specific bylined article.

What I didn’t understand as well was, for example, how the rise of social media and marketing automation affected a marketing manager’s day to day job. Was it kind of important? Very important? Irrelevant? How did budget pressures, skepticism over its value, or sheer overload from other work affect its adoption?

For my PR audience, I knew the rise of social media, the decline of the trade press and a tough economy put pressure on them to deliver more measurable results. But was content marketing (or marketing at all) a service PR firms were comfortable providing? What obstacles were they encountering, and what skills did they have in-house and what did they need from outsiders?

Research Tools

Fortunately, a few days trolling Twitter and LinkedIn let me eavesdrop on conversations within each group, and even gave me a feel (courtesy of those Twitter profiles that combine business and personal interests) whether each group mountain bikes in their spare time or watches Masterpiece Classic. This time-off information gave me important clues into their age (a proxy for where they are in their careers), their affinity for risk and their tech savviness. That gave me useful clues about what images and analogies to use in my content (“Imagine you’re out of control on a black diamond trail. That’s the way you’ll feel two weeks into your content marketing campaign if you haven’t prioritized your goals…”)

On a more substantive level, a LinkedIn conversation taught me, for example, how overwhelmed chief marketing officers are with multiple responsibilities, and their needs to weigh social media into other marketing/advertising channels such as direct mail. That told me I needed to create some content around such integration to help me reach CMO types. And interviewing a PR friend gave me some quick insights on building content marketing in traditional PR practices.

Talk to People, Not Groups

Finally, thinking of a specific (even if fictional) person with a name, face and personality kept me away from just repeating general observations and trends to making specific recommendations in a way that would hold their interest. I suspect that’s because it’s easier to care more about the reaction of a real person than a vague group, and makes us work harder for their approval.

Summing up, creating personas forced me to:

More precisely define who is, and isn’t my target audience, and why.

Learn enough about their needs to provide them useful information, and

Skip the platitudes and tell each of them new and useful things they haven’t heard before.

All of which helps assure the rest of the hard work I’m doing (creating content, lead flows and scoring rules, and analyzing the results) won’t go to waste.

About the author: Robert L. Scheier is a veteran IT journalist and independent marketing writer. You can follow him on Twitter: @BobScheier.

Week in Review January 27th

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:19:00 -0600

Is it really the last Friday in January? Where did the month go?

How are your resolutions going? Still hanging in there? We resolved to read more blog posts and we haven't been disappointed. The New Year has been chock full of great new content from all our favorite bloggers. This week is no exception.

Enjoy these picks and have a great weekend - one last weekend to get your honey do list done before the big game!

4 Ways Social Media Improves the Sales Process via @1to1Media

Still trying to figure out the value of your company adopting social media? Here are four terrific reasons.

Creating calls-to-action that really engage your buyers via Continuous Customer Capture

If you're slapping CTAs on your content as an afterthought, you need to read this post.

Are Shorter Sales Cycles a Wake-up Call for Marketers? by @ardath421

A short but vital read for any B2B marketer.

How Red Bull’s Content Strategy Got Its Wings by @ericaswallow

Not only does the energy drink producer have a content strategy, it created its own media house to power it.

7 Content Marketing Articles Worth Reading by @copyblogger

We love a good wrap up and this one has quite a few links to explore.

Walking the "Be Human" Line in Social Media by @lisabarone

Sometimes you can learn a lot from someone else's screw up ...

Good, Great, and Irresistable Marketing Businesses by @lizstrauss

It's got to be bigger than what you're selling.

9 Ways to Dramatically Reduce Email Unsubscribe Rates by @hubspot

Keep 'em on the list with these tips.

And on a totally unrelated but hysterical note, have you seen Stephen Colbert's interview with Maurice Sendak?

Does your brand stand up?

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:40:00 -0600

You are not in control of your brand. You never were and you never will be. You may own your brand, but, its identity is defined by your audience: your prospects, peers, and customers. You can make suggestions, of course. You can make your own statement about what you stand for. You can create logos and taglines, vision statements and mission statements, unique selling propositions and value propositions. These are all valuable brand assets, but they are not your brand.

Your brand isn’t what you say. It’s what “they” say. And what they say is based on what you do.

I believe in the importance of strong, “spot on” branding. In fact, I’m currently teaching a closed, beta class on the topic to a fabulous group of solo entrepreneurs. The conversations around what brand is and what it isn’t have been lively and enlightening. Though some folks were initially surprised that their brand was not contained within their logo design and elevator pitch, everyone immediately aligned with the idea that your brand is a “living” part of your business. It’s something that is constantly evolving based on your interactions with your audience.

It’s not enough to say that you’re responsive, innovative, and connected. You actually have to be responsive, innovative, and connected. You have to walk the walk, or the talk falls flat. If you aren’t being your brand in every interaction, people will see that your brand is nothing but a cardboard cutout – a pale facsimile of the real thing. They will feel they’ve been duped. They will get angry. They will definitely call you out.

Creating your brand is an important part of building your business. There is no substitute for doing the work around knowing – really knowing – your business, your motivations, your audience, your market, and your messaging; but … once you’ve laid that foundation you need to remember that "creating" your brand is just the beginning. The end result of all that research and soul searching is a clear and rich picture of the brand you want to be. Now comes the hard part – living up to those expectations.

The only way to bring your brand to life, is to bring its essence into everything you do. A picture might be worth a thousand words, but – when it comes to your brand – a single action is worth all the words in the world. Don’t tell your customers who you are, show them. Live up to the expectations of your brand. If you can do that, what “they” say will match what you say, and your brand will take on a life of its own.

How do you define branding? Do you agree that a brand is a living asset? How do you walk your brand’s walk?

Image Credit: www.4tnz.com ... These girls might be fooled for a minute, but they're going to figure out that's not the real Rob Pattinson ... and boy, are they going to be mad.

About the Author: Jamie is a freelance strategist, teacher, and copywriter who partners with solo entrepreneurs to define and market their brands. Her specialties include brand development, social media strategy, and content marketing. Enjoy more of her posts, visit her site at Suddenly Marketing, or drop her an email.

Savvy Speaks: Tips for Engaging in LinkedIn

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 04:26:00 -0600

LinkedIn is sort of the dark horse of social networking; just about every professional we know is on it, but it doesn't get a lot of attention in the media compared to its flashier cousins, Facebook and Twitter. How do you use LinkedIn to your best professional advantage? The Savvy Sisters share their best tips:

Stephanie

Keep Connected and Current

Beyond the obvious step of keeping your profile current and offering links to valuable information that showcase your expertise, use the link between LinkedIn and Twitter to update your status with tweets. And be sure to explore the world of LinkedIn Groups beyond your profile -- that's where you can interact with folks on a range of topics and post surveys. Whether this sparks ideas for blog posts or eBooks, or helps you connect with a potential partner or customer, it's a rich source of goodness.

Jamie

Confession: I'm lousy at LinkedIn

I get it. I know what I "should" be doing there (everything my fellow Savvy Sisters advise here), but ... I just can't seem to tear myself away from Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and - most recently (Oh, mighty time suck!) - Pinterest.

The only thing I regularly do on LinkedIn is scan the update emails - you know, the ones that tell me which of my connections landed a new job, updated their skills, or made an interesting new connection. When I get the digest of this activity in my inbox, I scan it and reach out to people with a "congrats!" or a "hey, I didn't know you knew how to do that" or whatever might be appropriate.

It's a small thing, but it helps me stay on top of the changes in people's professional lives.

Wendy

The importance of those keywords

Keywords are, well, key. When I need an expert or a resource for a story, LinkedIn can always be counted on to provide me with several contacts. This shows the importance and power of updating your profile often whenever you have traveled into new territory.

I also use the LinkedIn groups to get my name out and to find out the names of others who are active in certain subjects. Stephanie's suggestion of reaching out and joining other groups outside what might be your comfort zone is beautiful. Expand your reach a little, you might be surprised at what you get.

Kate

Make it a Habit

Whenever I finish a project or leave a contract, I make sure to send LinkedIn invitations to everyone I built a relationship with. Of course this includes the marketing department, but don't forget the engineers (or equivalent for your specialty). They move jobs, too and if you had a good repore they might be in a good position to recommend you at their next gig.

I have been fortunate enough to get referrals for multiple projects from folks I kept in touch with via LinkedIn - and after they switched jobs three times in four years there was very little chance of me keeping up with them any other way.

So make it a habit and do it every time!

Are you on LinkedIn?

How do you engage with the community there?

Savvy Toolkit - 101 Landing Page Optimization Tips

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 08:47:00 -0600

I was doing research recently for an article on the importance of custom Landing Pages for small businesses. In reading lots of supporting background material I ran across this article:

101 Landing Page Optimization Tips by @oligardner at @unbounce

So much more than just a list is actually the 101 tips broken down into 14 category specific chapters! I read through and took notes adapting my comments to my original small business audience but I also thought there was a lot in here that the Savvy B2B audience could walk away with.

Landing pages are afterall often the customers first touch with your organization. Don't you owe them more time and effort than any other aspect of your site?

Check out this article / ebook! I promise you will know more than you did before about Landing Pages!

10 Requirements to Deploy Successful Online Content Marketing

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 07:02:00 -0600

Content marketing is a really hot topic these days and is considered the foundation of any good inbound marketing strategy. In today’s competitive online business environment it’s a must for search engine visibility, social media marketing, lead conversion, brand building and referral traffic. Below are 10 requirements for deploying successful online content marketing.

Blog– While there are other ways to deploy content marketing online, a blog represents one of the most flexible ways to publish content on the internet. Try to host a blog on your own current domain rather than on a subdomain if possible. The only exception is if you have enough publishing throughput to populate both the subdomain and domain with at least 10 posts per week (preferably 21). Otherwise, you’ll be cannibalizing your ability to rank well in Google’s SERPs.
Publishing Schedule – A schedule serves three main purposes. Besides the obvious of creating deadlines for content producers, the schedule sets the weekly submission requirements for publishing and establishes accountability for the team. According to HubSpot, most blogs reach the point of diminishing returns at 21 blog posts per week.
Advanced Content– Contrary to popular belief, just because someone has visited your blog or website doesn’t mean they’ve entered the top of your sales funnel. You have to morally bribe them with a quid pro quo transaction. By publishing white papers, case studies, tutorial videos, etc. you will have the currency to barter for your visitor’s email address through a form. After this transaction occurs the visitor is at the top of the funnel (TOFU) and can be placed in a lead nurturing email campaign with the intent of moving them down the funnel.
Calls-to-action(CTAs) – These represent the billboards on your blog promoting advanced content. They should focus on value, solving problems and convenience. It is also recommended to test CTAs with A/B testing. Never expect a “Get Started Today” or “Sign Up for Our Newsletter” button to drive leads.
Landing Pages– These are the pages on your website visitors arrive at after clicking on a CTA. They must look trustworthy and have a clear message of value while enticing visitors to fill out the form. It is also recommended to test these pages with multivariate or A/B testing.
Quality Content– Never focus your content on yourself or your company. Always make sure you’re solving problems or entertaining. Those are the only two reasons people go to the Internet in the first place. If your content does a good job of this overtime the writers may become thought leaders in your industry, thus elevating the business brand to more trusted heights.
Social Media Distribution– Social sharing buttons are a must for maximizing social visibility of your content and driving traffic. Besides, content is the foundation of any good sustainable social media marketing campaign, aside from the occasional sweepstakes, contest or give-a-way.
Subscription– Always provide your readers a convenient way to subscribe to your blog. You’ll want to include both email and RSS as options. This is also a good metric to watch when measuring the popularity of your content over time.
Analytics– Tracking data overtime will provide lots of feedback as to what works well on the blog and what doesn’t. However, it also helps define TOFU and middle of the funnel (MOFU) content. MOFU content is what’s consumed shortly before the visitor becomes a customer. It’s important to identify MOFU content in order to more frequently offer it up to TOFU visitors via email lead nurturing and CTAs.
Syndication – After your blog has been out there for a while and your content is considered good, other blogs may take notice by requesting (some do it without asking) to republish your posts. As long as the blog won’t damage your brand accept the invitation. Syndication lead to a 348% growth in the number of referring leads for Kuno Creative.

Content marketing isn’t easy. It’s a lot of hard work, but can be very rewarding for your writers, business and brand. Don’t expect results overnight and never give up.

About the Author:

Chad Pollitt is a Certified HubSpot Partner and Director of Social Media and Search Marketing for Kuno Creative, one of the hottest inbound marketing agencies in the country. Catch himpresenting Inbound Marketing the New SEO via webinar on January 31. He has been a guest lecturer, syndicated blogger, keynote presenter and featured in The Wall Street Journal.

Savvy Week in Review - January 20

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 09:30:00 -0600

Another Friday is upon us, bringing with it all the goodness that so many of us look forward to each week. And that includes our roundup of the posts that got us thinking, inspired an "aha!" moment, or just plain entertained us. Hope they do the same for you. Enjoy!

8 Predictions for Location-Based Marketing in 2012 by Adam Steinberg @adams472

Location intelligence and mobile marketing are on the top of many trends to watch for 2012 but Steinberg takes it to the next level with 8 predictions just around location marketing. Including a prediction on who makes a bid for Foursquare.

Married to your business Twitter or Facebook account: Think before you say, I sue by @briansolis

Do you own your Twitter id and presence if your employer pays you to Tweet? Could they sue you for control of your followers if you leave? Brian Solis details some recent court cases and case study of a UK news personality for examples of how it can work well and go badly.

What Happens When Inbound Marketing Works? by @ardath421

Have you REALLY thought through the process for prospects once your genius marketing gets them in the door? Heed this warning from Ardath Albee or you'll be giving sales one more reason to point the finger.

Get to terms with Content Curation: Pro’s and con’s and 6 principles by @Rskin

Ryan Skinner of Velocity Partners in the UK spells out the right and wrong way to use content curation.

Setting Content Marketing Guidelines: 5 Templates to Drive the Process by @junta42

We love a good template, and you know it's gonna be good if it's on the Content Marketing Institute site. (Disclaimer - I'm not the Savvy Sister who contributes to that blog. I'm just an unbiased fan! :)

Can Product Videos Increase Conversion Rates? by @KISSmetrics

You bet your sweet ... ahem ... well, yes, it can. Get the scoop and see some examples that might inspire you re: how to apply the theories to your own business.

Learning From Big Social Media Blunders by @pushingsocial via @markwschaefer

Getting into social is a little scary for some brands, but in this post you can learn about how some of the big guys made some big mistakes ... and that way you can avoid the same errors.

Even Bill Cosby Can't Make Bad QR Codes Funny by @lisabarone

You're thinking about using a QR code, but you're not entirely sure what to do with it. No worries - let Lisa Barone of Outspoken Media break it down for you. This post provides a great summary of best practices and a case study of blunders.

Make the Short List by Connecting with Content

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 06:00:00 -0600

With content marketing gaining in mindshare and importance, it’s valuable to keep pace with developments in this area. For the latest research on content marketing, I encourage you to download the 2012 B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets and Trends report published by the Content Marketing Institute (CMI) and MarketingProfs (full disclosure: I helped author the report).

The second annual report by CMI and MarketingProfs, the 2012 edition offers a glimpse into the impact of content marketing across organizations and industries. Highlights of the findings:

On average, B2B marketers employ eight different content marketing tactics to achieve their marketing goals.
60% report that they plan to increase their spend on content marketing over the next 12 months.
Marketers, on average, spend over a quarter of their marketing budget on content marketing.

The report is chock-full of terrific information and statistics on:

Usage and effectiveness
Goals and measurement
Budgets and production
Challenges
Practices of the best in class

Why Marketers Struggle to Create Engaging Content

I’m going to focus on challenges. Just as respondents reported last year, the greatest challenge is “producing the kind of content that engages prospects and customers” (41% of respondents).

Being relevant starts with understanding your audience and developing content customized to prospects’ and customers’ concerns. Unfortunately, though B2B marketers have made some strides in this regard, many still fall short.

Of the B2B marketers surveyed, 88% segment their audience. While more respondents segment based on the profile of the decision maker than in years past (57% in 2011 versus 49% in 2010), only 39% of respondents align content with the buying cycle (or sales funnel) stages.

Being in sync with decision makers is certainly a good practice. However, if you don't take your segmentation far enough, it could undermine your efforts. I like using the example of content aimed at “the CIO.” The problem is that CIOs come in many flavors and unless you do your homework, you can’t be certain which type your organization most often engages with. That means the content you produce for "the CIO" is just as likely to miss the mark as resonate.

Accompany Buyers on their Journey

To develop content that helps advance prospects in the buying cycle, you need to cultivate a deep level of insight into your ideal customers by conducting research and developing buyer personas.

In addition, more than ever, it’s critical that B2B marketers align their content with the buying stages. After all, if you’re not answering prospective buyers’ questions at every step of the research and purchase process, how likely are you to connect in a meaningful way and make the short list? A little over two years ago, the Aberdeen Group found that best-in-class companies are 5X more likely to maintain a library of collateral, copy, and messages that map to prospects' buying stages.

Here’s how this mapping looks for a single stage and buyer:

(Source: CommPRO.biz)

And here's an example of how this mapping looks across the entire buying cycle:

To do this mapping, be sure to you uncover prospects’ information needs and preferences at every stage as part of developing buyer personas.

Put these basic foundational steps in place, and you’ll be the vendor who has taken the time to understand its propective buyers and is committed to delivering value at every step of the buying process. That's what will get you on the short list.

Image source: copyright BMTC Australia

About the author: Stephanie Tilton is a content marketing consultant who helps B2B companies craft content that nurtures leads and advances the buying cycle. You can follow her on Twitter or read more of her posts on Savvy B2B.

Savvy Speaks: How Do You Market YOURSELF?

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 02:25:00 -0600

We've all heard the old saying, "the cobblers children have no shoes." As busy freelance writers and marketers it's easy to let your self-marketing slide. This week the Savvy Sisters share their tips and tricks for staying on track with marketing your freelance services.

Kate

Focus on the Work

I don't spend much time marketing these, days, but that's because I busted my you-know-what the first two or three years I was out on my own. To this day I still get most of my work from clients I earned during those early years, and I keep getting new clients as referrals from those happy clients as well.

The secret to a well-oiled referral machine is to concentrate on the work - make it good, make sure it's on time, and work hard to make life easier for your clients. Then when they come across a colleague who needs a writer, they will feel very comfortable recommending you.

Heather

Sharpen the Saw

I am a natural networker. A social butterfly if you will. I initially resisted Twitter because I can say very little in 140 characters and the medium seemed to contraining to me! So my favorite way to market myself has always been face to face. I realize in this global digital age this isn't always possible but I do try to use technology like Twitter, TripIt, etc to maximize the face to face I get to have when I am traveling around for other work.

I love conferences like DemandCon, ThinkBig Kansas City, Freelance Exchange Showcase, Content World, etc as excuses to get out of my office, sharpen my saw by learning from the leading industry gurus and at the same time meeting my Twitter and blogging friends.

Twitter is great for creating name awareness but face to face has gotten me more business every time!

Stephanie

Add it to the Schedule

I dedicate time each week to writing blog posts and other materials (such as eBooks and special reports), engaging via Twitter and LinkedIn, and/or meeting with clients and other marketing professionals. While I may have to focus on one or the other each week, by putting these items on the schedule, I'm much more likely to follow through.

Jamie

Make it Fun

I don't do a lot of heavy promotion around my B2B business because - happily - I have a number of wonderful and very satisfied clients who keep coming back for more and referring me to their colleagues. In addition to doing the best job I can for each and every client, I try to make the whole experience as fun as possible - personable and easy and even a little entertaining.

As for the marketing activities I do pursue - I make sure that they are things I enjoy, primarily writing and social media, seasoned with a variety of special events (like hosting webinars or virtual courses) to keep things interesting. The truth is, most of the marketing I do feels like play ... and that's the way I like it.

Wendy

Always be ready

When you are your own business self-marketing is a non-stop activity. I carry business cards with me all the time. One is for my e-copy writing business and one is for my chicken and article writing. Different audiences require different methods of reaching me. Although I don't always talk about my businesses, if the opportunity presents itself, I'm not going to miss it.

You need to work it baby, everyday. The trick, though, is to not be the slick salesman and to not sound like it's constantly “all about you.”

Because my e-copy partner and I are also journalists, we don't actively market the e-writing business. We keep a low profile and get most of our customers by word of mouth. This leaves us enough time to do our other writing.

As a journalist and writer, who is trying to land a book deal, I want as large as audience as I can get. This means creating stories and sometimes (not always) creating controversy. I wrote a post recently about bullying which got quite a few people talking. My very different approach on the subject got noticed for being well, very different.

In a nutshell:

Be prepared with contact information at all times (this also means always having a pen handy)
Have your elevator speech down to an art.
Find stories or create (positive) controversy to generate discussion and passion toward you and your business and then get those stories out.
Be eternally positive in all you do and say. People gravitate toward the sunshine and while no one should be “fake smiley” neither should anyone wallow in doom.
Do the best job you can so that when people need your services, someone out there will say, “Oh, hey, I know someone who could help you.”

How do you market yourself?

How do you motivate yourself to keep marketing even when you're busy?

Savvy Toolkit - Getting Trendy with It

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 08:22:00 -0600

Early January can be a frustrating time waiting for the corporate gurus to decide what the 2012 priorities are and what we will spend our time on this year. I too have been interested in a number of "trends" blog posts recently. I have tried to pull out a few that I think Savvy readers will be particularly interested and will hopefully make you smarters around the watercooler should one of those corporate gurus ask your opinion!

Silverpop produced a list of their Top 5 Most Popular slideshares of 2011. One of the included was 7 Trends to Watch in 2012. I also highly recommend Getting Personal: Humanising Content to Connect with Customers. It rolls directly into another 2012 trend I wanted to share.

Jon McTigue recent post on Leveraging B2B Marketing Trends in 2012 included some really interesting behavior shifts that those of us who contribute to Savvy have been sounding the alarm on for the past 3 years.

As ou can see Blogs, White Papers, eBooks, Case Studies (video and print) are all content strategies that are on the rise and no doubt when your corporate planning gurus get ready to hand down your budget and priorities for 2012 these are areas where you will get considerable increased funding and attention.

In fact if you participated in the Demand Generation Summit last week and heard Mike Volpe, Hubspot's CMO talk about Creating an Inbound Marketing Machine (embedded below) he asserted that content pieces like white papers, blog content and subscribers and ebooks are as tangible business assets for the B2B organization as a machine in a factory would be. Created and marketed properly they have revenue and not cost associated with them. How is that for a trendy mind shift. Content is revenue producing!

Need some other innovative ideas to map out your plan for 2012. Here are a few upcoming webinars that sound interesting that you might want to give a listen to:

1/18 You Have Website Visitors......Now What? presented by BrightTalk and VisiStat

1/19 Adapt or Die: the Changing Behavior of Today's Connected Customer presented by Brian Solis and MarketingProfs

1/31 Inbound Marketing is the New SEO - Facts, Figures and Data presented by kunocreative with Chad Pollitt

Top 5 Reasons to Create a Co-Marketing Partnership

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 11:37:00 -0600

Social media has dominated the headlines in 2011 and will most likely continue to create buzz into the New Year. However, while we tried to figure out Google+, Twitter etiquette, and Facebook’s latest format changes, some traditional tactics continued to pull their weight even though they weren’t in the spotlight. Commercial advertisements, newspaper announcements, and special appearances at seminars and presentations, methods known as “co-marketing,” can deliver great results.

Co-marketing is when two or more complementary companies create a partnership to help one another. For example, a dentist and an orthodontist might have a co-marketing relationship because they complement each other well. If you need one, there is a good chance you’ll need the other. Just about every industry has some sort of complementary business they can work with. If you work for an insurance agency, you could partner up with a bank; if you’re a builder you may want to partner up with an interior designer, and if you work for a tutoring company you could partner up with your school district.

Co-marketing works great if you’re starting a small business or looking to improve a current business. It is a simple strategy that can have a big impact on your business. Consider a few of the reasons so many companies work together when marketing their product or service

1. Your brand will get increased exposure

Co-marketing puts your business in front of a whole new audience—your partner’s customers. Most companies who have a co-marketing partner agree that they will refer their customers to the other company’s website or office. This way, it’s an even exchange of referrals. This not only gets a new audience thinking about your company, but it is an audience that will likely need your services or products.

2. Your company will gain credibility

Consumers are naturally skeptical. However, you can overcome their skepticism by creating a partnership with a credible company. Your partner will have earned the trust of its customer, through co-marketing you can leverage that trust in your business. It’s trust by association.

3. Collaboration can improve your marketing campaigns.

They say “two heads are better than one.” Use the talents of your marketing department and the talents of your partner’s marketing department to create the best marketing campaign possible.

4. You will be able to reduce marketing expenses.

If both you and your partner company share an ad in a newspaper or a commercial on TV, you will be able to split the expenses. Partnerships can stretch your budget and provide new opportunities you might not otherwise have been able to afford.

5. Co-marketing strengthens your company network

Creating a relationship with another company can include sharing your connections. When it’s mutually beneficial, sharing sources, vendors, prospects, industry connections, etc. can be an added benefit to an already winning partnership. You never know who will “grow up” to be the next bit player.

Before jumping into a co-marketing partnership, make sure everyone is clear on what each party wants out of the partnership. Understand what each partner will bring to the table. Get detailed about roles and responsibilities, and give it a test run with a small project before going in “all the way”

If done correctly a co-marketing partnership can deliver great results and new opportunities. It could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

About the Author: Amanda DiSilvestro is a writer on topics ranging from social media to workers compensation insurance. She writes for an online resource that gives advice on topics including credit card processingto small businesses and entrepreneurs for the leading business directory, Business.com.

Photo Credit: safetypartnersllc.com

Savvy Week in Review - January 13th

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 06:00:00 -0600

Winter may be settling in where we Savvy Sisters live, but the blogosphere has been hot-hot-hot with all kinds of great content and conversations. Seems many people were more than happy to leave 2011 behind and are revving their engines loudly as 2012 gets underway.

Whatever your state of mind - enjoy the buffet of bloggy goodness, happy Friday the 13th, and we'll see you on the other side!

How to Build a Subscriber Base of 10,000 and Growing by @amandamaks via @junta42

7 tips that helped one newsletter grow from 200 to 10,000 readers in about 18 months.

The 10 Commandments of Social Media Content Marketing by @jeffbullas

Even if you're not interested in the tips, read this one for the hysterical Orabrush video. ;)

2012 Extreme Marketing Predictions by @HeidiCohen

I know, I know - you've had it with predictions already. But these are really good ... and there aren't any meteors.

How to Improve Your Content Marketing Continually by @jonbuscall

Content marketing isn't something you do once and cross off your list. Here are some great tips for starting it right and keeping it tight.

Why I Use Mind Maps for Content Marketing Projects by @ardath421

Mindmap junkie here. Need I say more? They help you see the big picture, capture the tiniest details, and organize everything so it makes sense. Elegant and beautiful.

The Immense Value of Small Talk in Social Media by Brad Shorr of @Straight North via @FacebookAdGuide

10 great tips that will help you get clear on why talking about your favorite football team is not only okay, it's best practice.

B2B Content Marketing as Trojan Horse by @ardath421

Want your content to go viral? Then check out these words of wisdom by Ardath Albee.

Understanding the Customer Buying Cycle and Triggers by @BostonVC via @bobapollo

Think you've got this down pat? Think again. David Skok explains what drives prospect interactions with vendors and how B2B marketers can use this insight to their advantage.

And ... just for fun : Hilarious Outtakes from Super-Famous Business Book Authors via @MarketingProfs (video blooper reel)

Glad to know we're all human.

What is the Difference between B2C and B2B Marketing?

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 07:22:00 -0600

As a freelance marketing copywriter, you may be called on to write all different kinds of copy for all different kinds of companies. Most of the time, transferring your skills from product to product is fairly easy; there are basic principles of marketing that can be easily applied across multiple scenarios.

But if you’re used to writing for B2C companies and you get asked to write B2B marketing copy, you might well take a moment to ask yourself, “What’s the difference between writing copy for B2B and B2C?”

To answer this question, you have to start out by understanding B2B buyers vs. B2C buyers.

Who’s making the decision?

B2C buyers, with few exceptions, are individuals who can make decisions on their own, and don’t have to answer to anyone else for the consequences. B2B buyers represent their entire organization, and are accountable to many other people for the outcome of their purchase decisions. That means you need to arm your B2B buyer with an arsenal of information they can use to take back to their committees and bosses to lobby for, and ultimately justify the purchase decision.

How long is the sales cycle?

B2C has a very short sales cycle, sometimes as long as a few seconds. B2B sales cycles can be six months to a year or more. That means you need to develop collateral that is appropriate for each phase of the sales cycle, making sure to reach your prospect with the right information at the right time to move them into the next phase.

What motivates the purchase decision?

B2C shoppers are motivated strongly by price and brand recognition. B2B buyers are motivated by return on investment (ROI); in fact business buyers often shun solutions that are the lowest cost, fearing this also indicates low quality. That means you need to be able to demonstrate a clear ROI. And the return doesn’t actually have to be money. Sometimes intangibles like enhanced productivity and shorter lead times can’t be accurately monetized, but are worth spending a chunk of the budget on.

What are some of the different approaches you take to writing for B2C vs. B2C?

Ever gotten it wrong?

About the author: Kate Headen Waddell is a strategic copywriter specializing in web copy, white papers, case studies, blogging and other B2B marketing tools. You can visit her website at www.smartb2bmarcom.com.