This week’s list of picks has some good tips for helping you make the most of your content marketing program. There’s tips on how to choose the right content for your business and how to keep that content in tip-top shape.

I’ve also got some posts on how to improve your B2B social media effort, and the impact some good stories can have on making your content more engaging. And last, but not least, there’s a post on how good data can make your marketing program shine.

Hope you enjoy this week’s picks!

How to Find the Right Type of Content for Your Business by @tpisello via @junta42
If you want to improve the performance of your content, it’s important to match it with both your goals and what your prospects expect. This post breaks down what types of content will work best for your business, and examples specific approaches.

Keep Your Content from Falling into Disrepair by @efolstad via @braintraffic
Who owns your content? Who takes responsibility for its care and upkeep? If the answer is no one or you don’t know, then the content you worked so hard to build may not be working hard for you. This post has tips for how to keep your content in great shape so it can do its job.

Scenarios Add Value to Marketing Content by @ardath421
Everyone loves a good story, right? So why is it that so many companies publish content devoid of story? Especially when there are so many good stories to tell? Good stories are a key component to engaging, remarkable and memorable content. In this post Ardath Albee explore just how important stories are to great B2B content.

How Can B2B Marketing Become More Social by @leeodden
Whether you are already integrating social media marketing into the mix, or are considering it, this is an excellent post to add to your reading list. It discusses how to make your social media efforts stand out, and the tactical plan you’ll need to put in place to make sure you can create the results you’re looking for.

6 Ways to Transform Your Marketing with Data via @hubspot
The days of “I know half of my marketing is useless, but I don’t know which half” are over. With the age of the Internet and marketing tools, most things are measurable and that can help you build reliable, repeatable results. Check out this post to see how different types of data can help your marketing program.

*Image courtesy of sideshowbarker

This week, my list of top five picks focuses on how to help you improve your content.

The first pick is a link to an excellent webinar which showcases how a B2B telecom company used content marketing strategy to dramatically improve their lead generation and lead nurturing campaign results.

Whether you need to identify more than one ideal customer profile, use more numbers in your writing, or simply make sure your content doesn’t get screwed up there’s some tips here to help you. And the post on improving your website is a nice little checklist you can hang right next to your computer.

Let me know what you think, and if you have some other great content to share leave it in the comments. Enjoy!

How Content Strategy is Transforming an Entire Marketing and Sales Organization via @b2bleadblog
Ever have to run a campaign promoting a solution that could appeal to a wide range of buyers who didn’t already know you well? Then you’ve got to check out this webinar on how a B2B telecom company used content strategy to move open rates to 78 percent and post-click conversion rates to 23 percent. Yep. That’s double the industry benchmark. Don’t miss this one. It’s awesome.

A Content Marketing Lesson From the Study of Spaghetti Sauce by @davemhuffman via @junta42
Ever wonder if there’s one perfect spaghetti sauce? How about if there’s one perfect (ideal) buyer? Here’s a hint. There’s more than one way to be perfect. This post has some good tips on how to figure out how to identify just how many different types of folks will find what you’re offering to be just what they’re looking for.

26 Ways to Screw Up Your Content by @ardath421
Yes I love content. But content is not a cure-all. Content done badly can sometimes be worse than no content at all. If you’re doing anything from this list it’s time to stop.

4 Reasons to Use More Numbers in Your Writing by @TomPick via @Savvy_B2B
The days of being able to get away with a lot of broad generalizations in your marketing writing are coming to a close. Numbers talk. And if you use them well, your prospects will listen. Check out this post to see how numbers can make your writing stronger.

57 Things You Can Do Right Now to Improve Your Website by @diannahuff
I know 57 seems like a big number, but this is really a quick read. Dianna asked some of the top minds in the business how you could improve your website and this is the answer. It’s an awesome checklist and one that everyone should use to build some quick wins and keep the website doing its job – pulling in leads and sales.

*Image courtesy of sideshowbarker

This week’s list of top five picks talks a lot about content. Let’s face it, content creation, curation, and management is a big part of B2B marketing these days. But to get results you have to do content right. And that’s what this week’s picks will help you do.

Match your content to your goals and to your customer’s interests. Make sure your content is giving fuel to your social media efforts, rather than killing them. And see what a practicing B2B marketing manager considers to be best practices.

Finally, content creation isn’t easy. It isn’t quick. And it absolutely can max out your resources. But that’s just one reason why you may need to call in some help. My last pick talks about some others.

Hope you find this week’s picks to be helpful and informative. Have a great week!

Does Your Marketing Content Match Your Goals by @ardath421
So does it? Here’s a great example – directing people to analyst papers in the hopes it will build your brand awareness and build thought leadership. And it will build thought leadership. But will it be for you or the analyst? This post has some good tips on how to make sure your content and your marketing goals work together.

B2B Marketing: Calls-to-action and the business buying cycle via @MarketingSherpa
If you read my first pick, you know if your content matches your goals. Now you need to match it to your buyers. That means matching it to stages of the buying cycle. This post has good examples and shows how you can do exactly that.

Is Social Media Content Killing Your Business via @MarketingProfs
Ok. You’ve jumped into the social media waters and discovered what all too many others have already found – you’ve got to have lots of good content if you don’t want to drown. This post has some good tips for keeping both your social media and content marketing programs alive and well.

B2B Marketing Best Practices with @Mvolpe via @Hubspot
In this episode of Inbound Now, Mike Volpe discusses B2B marketing best practices, the value of social media followers and fans, why personas are a must-have for every B2B company, and the direction B2B marketing is moving in. See what a practicing B2B Marketing Manager thinks. You may not agree, but you will find it interesting.

5 Situations That Demand You Hire a Professional Copywriter by @soniasimone via @copyblogger
If you want to practice and learn copywriting skills, you can. Heck there’s tons of free resources to help you do it. Copyblogger is a prime example. But sometimes it’s not smart to keep everything in-house and try to do it all yourself.

*Image courtesy of sideshowbarker

This week my top five picks focus on content marketing.

First there’s content creation. The first three picks show you how to properly prepare for content creation, how to write excellent copy, and how to create SMART emails.

But content creation is only part of the battle. You need to properly promote your content and have a good content marketing program to begin with. The last two picks focus on these two areas.

Enjoy!

Discovery Process: The Do-Not Neglect First Step to Creating Fabulous Content by @diannahuff via @Savvy_B2B
As a content creator, you can never have too much information. Many times what we call writer’s block is actually lack of enough information. If you’ve ever found yourself feeling like you (or your writer) isn’t getting it, it might be because the best information isn’t always in a brief.

The Apple Guide to Copywriting Magic by @pushingsocial
I normally try not to repeat content in this list that I’ve already distributed through other channels, but this post was so excellent it warrants the repeat. If you want a guideline for writing great copy (something Apple excels at) this is the post to read.

How to Write SMART Emails by @scottgould
We’ve all heard of SMART goals, but what about SMART emails. Check out this post that shows you how to keep your business email something people will read and take action on.

Tweeting Isn’t Enough for B2B White Paper Lead Generation by @Jonathan_Kantor
White papers are staples for B2B lead generation. But do you create content around the white paper to attract prospects to engage with your paper? If all you’re doing is setting up a landing page and tweeting that the paper has been released then the answer may be no. This post has some excellent ideas on how to make the most of expensive pieces of content like white papers.

10 Reasons Your Content Marketing is Killing You by @juntajoe
So you’ve finally given in and started a content marketing program. Is it working the way you’d hoped? If not it may be one of these ten reasons.

*Image courtesy of sideshowbarker

This week’s top five list focuses on two elements of your marketing mix.

First, email marketing. It’s far from dead, but the results you get can change dramatically depending on your approach. This week’s first two picks show how email marketing is about more than the email and whether it’s considered to be interruption or welcome is all in the list.

The other three posts talk about content marketing. What to create. How far to explore it. And where the content creation opportunities lie.

Enjoy!

Email Marketing: Improve conversions with better landing pages via @MktgExperiments
Do you think email marketing is just the email? Many things determine the success of an email campaign and the email is only one. Of course the quality of your list is a big one. And the other? The landing page the email points to. Check out this case study on how a team raised their email response rates by experimenting with their landing pages.

Email Marketing: Maybe it really is an inbound tactic… via @MarketingSherpa
Ahh the age old debate of whether email is an old “interruption” tactic or a newer inbound marketing technique. Check out this post from Marketing Sherpa where one person begins to reconsider his position. Here’s a hint it’s all in the list.

Using a Social FAQ to Kick Start Content Marketing by @jaybaer
What’s one of the biggest challenges to content marketing? Creating the content. You think you’re boring. You don’t know what to write about. Check out this post by Jay Baer on a great place to start to build the content your customers really want.

You Wouldn’t Date a Shallow Person, So Don’t Write Shallow Content by @dianahuff
Most of you know that Google has changed its search algorithm recently. There’s been a lot of posts on the ramifications and some of the sites which have fallen far from their previously high rankings. And it’s caused some concern. This post gets the heart of the matter without getting technical.

What the slow death of B2B publishing means for marketers by @ckochster
Let’s face it, trade journalism has some serious financial problems. And the dearth of content that B2B buyers actually want to see has been left in its wake. Anyone up to the challenge?

*Image courtesy of sideshowbarker

This week’s top five list features a post discussing an announcement from Google on changes to their algorithm to deal with the problem of high-ranking content farms.

The other four picks have some gems to help you with your content marketing program. Whether you’re looking to bust some myths, integrating social media, wondering about the importance of good design, or trying to figure out what’s going wrong (or right) with your content marketing program, there’s a post to help you out.

Enjoy!

Google Changes Algorithm to Punish Content Farms via @hubspot
As someone who is a big advocate of creating good content, it was wonderful to hear about Google’s algorithm change to reduce the rank of content farms. Hubspot has a great post which summarizes what the changes can mean for you and your content marketing program.

The 3 Big Myths of B2B Content Marketing via @junta42
With over half of B2B marketers planning to increase their content marketing budget, it’s important to understand how to get the greatest ROI for your content marketing efforts. Check out this post from the Content Marketing Institute for three myths that could be sabotaging your efforts.

The Biggest Question When Using B2B Social Media by @ardath421
Use of social media in B2B is on the rise, but a disheartening number of B2B marketers say that they aren’t finding it effective. Why? Where is the disconnect? Check out this post on how you can connect social media to the rest of your content marketing efforts.

Ten Reasons Why Your Content Strategy Fails by @ConversationAge
Content marketing is in the air these days. Yet some content marketing programs do better than others. Do you know where yours falls short? In this back by popular demand post, find out the ten reasons why your content strategy may be failing.

Why Design Matters in Content Marketing via @Savvy_B2B
Even though I’m a wordsmith, I know that design is an important part of putting together a strong piece of content. This awesome post explores just a few of the things you could be missing if you don’t take good design into consideration.

*Image courtesy of sideshowbarker

This week has been another busy one in the world of marketing. Of course, you’ve probably seen the big SEO story about JC Penney engaging in black hat tactics.

But all of the posts around that story weren’t the only interesting things happening.

This week’s roundup includes an article about qualifying online leads, contagious content, and how to make your company blog connect like a personal blog.

There’s also advice on how to know when your marketing needs a makeover and how build a great sales-win story.

Enjoy!

How Do You Qualify Leads Generated by B2B Marketing Online via @b2cmktginsider
How do you engage with your prospects online? Do you make it easy to qualify them as leads? Here’s a hint: if you’re only asking for a name and email address the answer is no. This article has some advice about the right questions to ask if you’re going to use a lead qualification form.

Part 2: The Contagious Content Challenge by @ardath421
A really cool case study from someone who’s read eMarketing Strategies for the Complex Sale and then applied the techniques. This particular person has been keeping in contact with Ardath on the tactics being used and the results they’ve achieved.

How to Make Your Company Blog Connect Like a Personal Blog by @markwschaefer
Blogging can be a great addition to the marketing mix. The dilemma can be in the consistency and the approach. This article has some good advice on how to make a great company blog. My favorite quote: “The perception that content creators are slave labor really needs to end.” Amen.

Savvy Speaks: Are You in Need of a Marketing Makeover? by @savvy_b2b
Is your company putting its best foot forward in its marketing materials? The Savvy Sisters have put together a fun post that gives some signs that your marketing may need a makeover.

8 Traits of Sales-Win Stories by @casey_hibbard
Great article from Casey Hibbard on the importance of sales win stories. These important internal stories have some important elements. Make sure yours are doing their job of educating and motivating your sales force.

*Image courtesy of sideshowbarker

Wow. This week has been a crazy one for SEO news. By now, you’ve probably heard the news that JC Penney was outed by the NY Times for engaging in black hat SEO techniques to improve their rankings prior to the all-important Christmas buying season.

Marketing blogs picked up the news and have been discussing it all week. I’ve read several different articles and after mulling things over here’s my take.

First, shame on JC Penney.

I’ve heard all the “but we didn’t know” arguments and seen how the firm involved was promptly fired. But I’ve never been a fan of plausible deniability.

The fact is they turned over one of their most important assets to someone else and then either stopped paying attention or turned a blind eye. Anyone who has worked with search for more than five minutes should be surprised to achieve sustained number one rankings for nearly all of their targeted terms, especially broad terms like “evening dresses.”

It seems someone at JC Penney chose not to ask some important questions.

Second, the ramifications of this will take a while to shake out.

Google’s algorithm isn’t perfect and this incident has certainly highlighted that. Not just for those of us trying to get good content to the people looking for it, but for those engaging in the same tactics that got JC Penney into trouble.

Will this incident cause Google to change how it evaluates links? Will more companies use plausible deniability to achieve quarterly results? Will black hats learn more about how to game Google than Google learns about how to minimize their impact? Will companies use this incident as a case study in how to get their competition delisted?

Time will tell.

Recently I had a prospect tell me all SEO is just an attempt to game the system. My response was it was important to use some SEO techniques so both people and search engines clearly understand what content his company provides.

And that’s still true.

It’s unfortunate that stories like this reinforce the perception that all SEO is nothing more than a way to game the system. Especially when there’s so many people creating great content and legitimately trying to get it out there to the folks who want to find it.

What do you think? Is all SEO an attempt to “game” the system? What will the fallout of this incident be?

*Image courtesy of watt_dabney

Hope your week was a good one! Mine was certainly busy. I attended a couple of excellent webinars that kind of reinvigorated me and gave me some food for thought.

This week my top five picks hit everything from mobile marketing to marketing mix to why your customers are avoiding you when you try to reach them.

Take a look and let me know which pick you like the best.

Essential Mobile Marketing Resources via @TopRank
If you’ve been watching what’s happening with the convergence between marketing and smartphone usage, you know that mobile is big. Phones aren’t just for calls and texting anymore. Find out some great resources for keeping up with what’s happening in mobile.

5 Steps to Creating an Effective Content Mix via @junta42
With all of the demand to create “fresh” and “remarkable” content it’s no wonder that planning content can get overwhelming. Not to mention thinking about all of the formats and channels you have available. This is a great post on how to create an effective mix.

5 Reasons Why Content Marketing IS the New SEO for Inbound Marketers via @B2CMKTGInsider
The world of search is changing too. Google and Bing are now saying social media is a factor in their rankings. This is good news for content marketers. In fact, content has many benefits other than the fact that readers enjoy it.  This article talks about why.

Answers to 9 Top Email Marketing Questions via @hubspot
I attended an excellent webinar on The Science of Email Marketing this week. This post has a link to the recording and also answers the top 9 questions that were asked. Check it out. It’s got some great information.

Invitation Avalanches, Attention Infidelity, and the Science of the Social Breakup by @jaybaer
The current relationship between companies and consumers via social media and email is unsustainable. There’s a backlash. And there’s data to prove it. Check out this post and see whether you’re part of the problem.

*Image courtesy of sideshowbarker

While I don’t deny that marketing has an element of art to it, I’ve come to believe it is more a science than an art. I’ve also come to believe if more marketers practiced marketing as a science they (and their companies and bosses) would come out farther ahead.

Why?

Because it’s not like the old days when the only thing you could measure was direct mail (which is one of its enduring charms.) With the advent of the Internet, everything is measurable..and where there is data, there is the foundation for science.

I find data very interesting. And so yesterday, in my search for more information on email marketing, I attended Hubspot’s webinar on The Science of Email Marketing. And I loved it. In fact, there was so much great information I had to write a quick post to share with you some of the insights I gained and recommend that you go listen to it yourself.

Insight #1
We sell to people, not companies. Since people are people, that means B2B and B2C really aren’t all that different.

I’ve actually thought this for a while, and it was sweet to see some data that shows this is true. Now of course, B2B and B2C aren’t identical. No two audiences are, even within B2B or B2C. But they aren’t as radically different as many marketers and companies believe.

Why?

Because people are people and they do what they do whether they are at work or at home. Here’s a few data points that support this:

• 88% of respondents said they don’t keep separate business and personal inboxes (They do, however, keep “real” inboxes and “throwaway” inboxes. You have to earn trust to get into the former.)
• Exclusivity works, even in B2B. People love feeling they are special and that they’re ahead of the rest of us by being on an exclusive list or getting exclusive deals.
• Clickthrough rates skyrocket on the weekends. Even in B2B. (Apparently I’m not the only one with a compulsive email checking habit.)

Insight #2
Email is like homework.

This insight is huge for a couple of reasons. First, homework is something that gets ritualized into our lives. In my case, it was come home from school, have some downtime, early dinner and then homework. For some of my friends it was the opposite. Homework was done right after school before they were allowed to do anything else. In other words, homework was approached pretty much the same way day in and day out. Most people are the same way with their email. Understand those habits and you can work with them instead of against them.

For example the data showed people read email the most in the morning. They read all day, of course, but email interaction drops off as the day wears on. So why not work with that habit and send your email early in the morning so it’s waiting for them when they go to handle their morning email ritual?

You get the idea. Data such as open rates, clickthrough rates, and unsubscribe rates don’t translate into dollars very easily, but they’ll give you miles of information about your readers’ email habits. Learn them and you can dramatically improve your email marketing program.

The second reason the homework insight is huge is because most of the time homework gets done.

Think that’s not true of email?

Before yesterday’s webinar I would have agreed with you. In fact, I was actually a bit flabbergasted by the results since I’m a scan and delete email reader. But the data shows that over 50% of people read most of their email. An astonishing 20% read it all.

Given those facts, I’m pretty sure email isn’t dead. It’s just we don’t create, send or track it as well as we could.

Insight #3
If you’re not testing, you’re missing out on big opportunities with your email marketing program.

Email is a measurable marketing tool. You can measure delivery rate, open rate, clickthrough rates, clickthroughs to specific landing pages (you do use landing pages, right?), leads delivered via the landing page and percent of those leads that close.

And that’s just for starters.

You can also measure which subject lines work best, which newsletter formats get the most clickthroughs, which article headlines work best, which offers pull the most interest, which landing pages pull the best results, etc.

If you aren’t testing and measuring the results, then the truth is you don’t know what’s happening with your email program. And you’re probably using anecdotal evidence as a basis for running it.

Here’s a good piece of anecdotal evidence I’ve heard many times before.

Don’t mail your list too frequently, because it will fatigue the list and your clickthrough rates will drop and your unsubscribe rates will climb. Sounds good, right?

The data from this webinar show this to be a poor assumption. In fact, unsubscribe rates are highest when you send emails infrequently. Clickthrough rates and unsubscribe rates are minimally impacted by sending more frequently.

But that’s not true for my audience, you say.

Perhaps. The data from this webinar came from three sources, one of which was 9.5 billion emails sent through MailChimp. But it’s possible your audience is the exception to what is an admittedly general rule.

But the only way you’ll actually know is if you test.

So those are the top three things I took away from the webinar, though there was a lot of very good information presented that I didn’t get into here. If you liked this post, I encourage you to go out and listen to The Science of Email Marketing for yourself. You can also search twitter for #emailsci and see the tweets that went out as the data was being presented.

Hubspot also put together a blog post, answering the top email marketing questions they got before, during and after the webinar.

I’d love to hear more about what you think about this topic? What were your biggest insights from the webinar? Do you measure your email marketing program? How?

Hi everyone,

As you can see I’m back to posting again this week. Sorry it’s been so long. I’ve rounded up five articles that I think you’ll find helpful for this week’s top five. Two handle social media, while the others focus on some email marketing science, website performance, and how to test your value proposition.

Do you find these weekly roundups helpful? Please let me know either via email or in the comments below. My goal is to provide you content you look forward to and enjoy.

Thanks!

5 Tips on Better Facebook Marketing for B2B Companies via @TopRank
Think Facebook doesn’t matter for B2B? You may want to reconsider. Surveys show customers that follow companies via social media are more likely to buy, and social search is changing the game. This article has great tips on how to make your Facebook fan page excellent.

21 Real Blog Metrics Your Company Needs to Track via @junta42 by @HeidiCohen
Blogs are the original social media. While Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites get a lot more of the hype, blogs really can be the powerhouse tool in your social media marketing mix. As with most social media, many marketers have ROI issues with blogs. This article has some great ideas on metrics to track to show the contribution blogs make.

New Data: You Should Email Your List More Often via @HubSpot
Think that less is more when it comes to emailing your list? Surprisingly, that may not be the case. Check out this post on what the data shows to be true for clickthroughs vs. frequency of sends. Also, there’s a link to the upcoming Science of Email Marketing webinar which looks excellent.

How a Terrible Website Will Increase Your Business via @MarketingProfs
I loved this post. When was the last time you went to a restaurant website and couldn’t get to the menu? Or the location? It happens a lot more than it should. While restaurants were the example for the article, B2B websites violate the “give your customers what they’re actually looking for” rule too.

How To Test Your Value Proposition Using a PPC Ad via @MktgExperiments
Ahh. The old USP. Nothing gives marketers more angst. In this great post, Austin McGraw shows you exactly what a value proposition is and how a PPC can help you be focused and see what actually resonates. Given that everything really should be tested, seems like we should all get started.

*Image courtesy of sideshowbarker

We’ve all heard it. I see the reminders practically every week in one form or another. And they all say the same thing.

Get an editorial calendar.

Now if your first thought was “editorial, schmeditorial,” you’re not alone. Whether it’s because planning content is overwhelming or because it’s viewed as administration, many marketers skip this step. And I have to admit, it’s tempting.

But it’s also a mistake.

Using editorial calendars in B2B content marketing has lots of benefits. It helps you:

• Ensure you have content for each part of the buying cycle
• Plan content focused on each of your buyers and influencers
• Create  content in a variety of formats
• Build a structure to help you manage freelancers and in-house content creators
• See how to calendar your social media marketing content
• Visualize and plan how your year is going to unfold

Those benefits are hardly administrative. And by having an editorial calendar it’s easier not to fall into the mode of everything being either being done “on the fly” or “because someone asked for it.” It will also help you educate those around you and give you a way to stick to your plan.

So how to get started?

Keep It Simple
I’m not going to get into a lot of detail on how to put together an editorial calendar for content marketing. For your first attempt, I’d recommend keeping things simple. Once you have some practice at working with a calendar you can see how much detail is helpful for you. Most calendars have these few basic pieces of information.

• Key dates (i.e. conferences, product releases/updates, customer panels, etc.)
• Planned/actual content publication dates
• Title
• Format (i.e. article, blog post, white paper, etc.)

You may also want to consider just keeping a list of content ideas, just so all of your content-related planning and brainstorming is in one place.

Choose Your Timeframe
Part of the angst with editorial calendars is people think they have to plan out the entire year at once. And I can’t blame them. It can be overwhelming to think that you have to know what you’re doing in December right now. Especially if your standard mode of operation is you’re not sure what you’re doing next week.

But here’s the thing. You really don’t have to plan out the entire year to benefit from an editorial calendar.

You just have to choose a timeframe that works the best for you and your business. Whether it’s monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or yearly doesn’t really matter. You want to choose a timeframe that’s:

• Long enough to give you the benefits of coordinating all your content activities
• Short enough so you can be flexible (and minimize overwhelm)

For many folks an ideal timeframe is going to be quarterly. Why? Because if you plan things out for three months you’ll get the benefits of planning for resources, coordinating content releases, and reducing the number of things produced in emergency mode. (This is true even if everyone you know works their best on two hours of sleep, lots of coffee, and jagged on stress.)

Three months is also short enough to allow flexibility. Did the white paper not go over the way you’d hoped? Let’s try a different format for the next big piece. Have a big conference come onto the radar you didn’t know about? You can still adjust and do specific content for it. You get the idea.

Use Your Promotional Calendar as a Basis
I can hear the gasps now. Content marketing isn’t the same as promotional marketing!

You’re right. It’s not. I get that.

But.

Most companies do promotional marketing, even if it’s only in the form of monthly sales promotions. Some have promotional calendars and are really good at ensuring promotions are properly staggered, hit all the different product lines, target different buyers, etc.

So when you build your calendar, don’t start with a blank slate (any writer can tell you that’s incredibly intimidating in its own right). Start with the promotional calendar as a springboard.

Here’s what I mean.

Let’s say January’s promotion is a free trial of software A. What content do you have for software A? Does it need to be updated or retired? Does it touch every part of the buying cycle? Does it speak to your prime buyer and their strongest influencer? Have you blogged about the benefits of software A? Do you have a case study on software A? What do existing customers say about software A?

You see where I’m going. By starting with an existing framework, you’re now able to jump right in, do a quick content audit, see some opportunities for content, and get those on the calendar.

It may not be a perfect solution, but it’s a start. And when it comes to editorial calendars, sometimes that’s most of the battle.

What do you think? What are some tips you have to make editorial calendars better or less intimidating?

*Image courtesy of Joe Lanman

I’m getting ready to take a week off for the holidays. Hope you are able to do the same! It’s a great time of year to be with family and remember the things in life that are truly important.

Before you rush off to eggnog and mistletoe, I wanted to share with you my top five picks for this week. It’s been an exciting 2010 and I’m sure 2011 will bring much more to learn and share. These five picks highlight some amazing content every B2B marketer should have on their Christmas list.

The Top 10 B2B Marketing Mistakes – And How to Avoid Them by @diannahuff
A great crowdsourced ebook compiled by Dianna Huff. It came from a simple question asked on Twitter. “What are the top B2B marketing mistakes you see other marketers make?” This book has the answers…as well as some good solutions.

Top 10 Inbound Marketing Ebooks and Webinars of 2010 via @hubspot
The good folks over at Hubspot have compiled a top ten list that’s definitely worth a look. I haven’t read every single item on the list, but the ones I have read are excellent. Check it out and see if there’s something you’ve missed over the last year.

Content Marketing eBooks: 8 Examples that Work by @michelelinn via @junta42
This post from the Content Marketing Institute is a two in one special. It not only talks about what works for a great ebook, it also points to some fabulous ebooks as examples. They are all worth a read if you haven’t seen them already.

Savvy Speaks: Holiday Gift Ideas for B2B Marketers via @savvy_b2b
The Savvy Sisters have compiled a fun list of what to get for the B2B marketer in your life. The suggestions are spot on.

The Best Content Marketing Predictions for 2011 by @juntajoe
And finally, no end of year roundup would be complete without talking about what’s coming next year. Joe Pulizzi has put together an ebook full of content marketing predictions for 2011. The post highlights some of Joe’s favorites and there’s a link to the full ebook if you like what you see.

*Image courtesy of sideshowbarker

This week’s top five list features an article about the importance of writing as a marketing skill, a nice blogging ebook, and how to develop a social media content strategy.

There’s also a nice post that talks about how much marketing has changed over the last few years. It’s a change driven by content marketing and shifting the focus from push to pull. If you’re in any doubt about that, check out MarketingSherpa’s announcement that they’re changing the name of their Great Minds newsletter to Inbound Marketing.

Enjoy!

Writing is a Critical B2B Marketing Skill by @ardath421
There’s no doubt about it. Marketing is driven by content. Do you have the critical skills needed to be a player in the new world of B2B marketing?

The New Marketing World: Conversations not Campaigns by @brianjcarroll
We’re all in the midst of a radical transformation in how B2B marketing works. Check out this article for more insights in how to move from campaigns to conversations. There’s some great examples.

Content Marketing: 13 Examples to Get You Inspired by @michelelinn via @junta42
I don’t know about you, but I love seeing examples of how things work in the real-world. This post has some great ones.

7 Things Blogging Does [Plus a Free Ebook] by @kbodnar32 via @hubspot
How would you like to increase your web traffic and qualified leads? Companies with blogs do. Check out this article to see what blogging does for you and access a great free ebook.

How to Develop a Social Media Content Strategy by @therichbrooks via @smexaminer
Social media strategy has its foundation in content strategy. This post has some great advice on how to make sure the two are tied together.

*Image courtesy of sideshowbarker

You already know case studies are marketing gold. In fact, Eccolo’s recent survey of technology buyers and influencers showed nearly 80 percent of respondents said case studies were moderately to extremely influential in their buying decision.

Now you’re ready to start preparing for next year by getting some new case studies for your company.

That’s great!

But before you schedule those client interviews, make sure your questions cover these two critical components of any good case study.

The Problem Solving Process
All case studies talk about the problems a client had before the hero of the story swoops in to make life easier and more profitable.

And that’s good.

It’s the part of the story where you hope the reader starts to see themselves so they’ll identify with the client and wonder if your company can do similar things for them.

Unfortunately, too many case studies stop with simply stating what the problems were.

Most problems, especially complex ones, have existed within a company for a period of time. And over that time it’s likely many approaches have been taken to solve it.

Ask about that journey.

Why is that so important?

It’s the identification factor. Maybe the reader tried one of the solutions your client did and had a similar failure. Or maybe the reader is in the process of trying one of the failed solutions. Or maybe the reader just recognizes that the problem solving process your client used is similar to theirs.

Wherever the reader might be in their own problem solving process, you want them to see themselves not just in the problem, but in the solution. It engages your readers and makes them more interested in the outcome of the story.

So don't gloss over (or skip!) the problem solving process. Talk about it so your readers can build empathy and engage with the story.

Any Mistakes Your Company Made
It’s only natural for people to downplay their mistakes. Everyone does it. And companies, with their risk-averse cultures, are known for it.

Featuring mistakes in a case study that’s supposed to highlight how wonderful a company is just doesn’t happen much.

But it should.

Why?

Two reasons.

First, consider the credibility factor. Admitting you made a mistake while working with a client shows you’re credible. After all, most companies that have worked with more than one client have made a mistake at some point. So just admit it. The reader will believe more of what you have to say if you do.

Second, admitting your mistake gives you an opportunity to talk about how you went above and beyond to fix it. And let’s face it, some of the most loyal customers a company has are ones that experienced an error but had it fixed.

So don’t be afraid to talk about a client whose story may have gotten off on the wrong foot. As long as you both end up where you wanted to be, your case study will be the more compelling for talking about it all – good and bad.

Now that you know which two parts of a case study never to skip, make sure you get the most from your case studies. With that kind of marketing gold, you want them to work for you as much as they can.

What do you think? What are some other don't skip elements in case studies?

Image courtesy of indi.ca

This week’s list of picks features articles and posts with a heavy emphasis on content marketing. As you’ll see in the article from eMarketer, content marketing isn’t really an option anymore.

It’s a must-have.

And whether you’re an old content marketing pro or just getting started, this week’s top five list will have something that will help you stand out.

Enjoy!

2011 Trends: Content Marketing is Critical via @emarketer
The title says it all. Interruption marketing just doesn’t work as well as it used to. Engaging content is the wave of the future.

B2B Lead Nurturing and Social Media by @ardath421
Great article from Ardath Albee. Social media is not some stand alone method. It is integrated into your overall content marketing (and marketing efforts). Read on to see just how much.

The Three Rules of Content Marketing by @juntajoe
Companies are publishers. It’s time to face up to that fact, cast aside visions of trying to measure up to The New York Times and just get your content marketing program going.

Baring Your Corporate Soul via @enquiro
Great article on how companies like to try to bury their personality, culture and unique methods --- the very things that make them remarkable.

How to Craft a Marketing Story that People Embrace and Share by @copyblogger
All marketing tells a story. Just admit it and make yours the best story it can be.

*Image courtesy of sideshowbarker

In the latest 2010 B2B Technology Collateral Survey Report business to business technology marketers found out what works when trying to influence their prospects.

What was at the top of the list?

White papers.

Of course not all white papers are created equally. Done well, white papers can mean the difference between a prospect engaging in the sales process with you, rather than the competition. Done poorly, white papers can do more to make you look bad than influence your prospects to buy.

So whether you call them white papers, executive briefings, or special reports it’s important to take the time to make them the best they can be.

Here’s my list of six things that will help you make your next white paper as compelling and effective as it can be.

#1 – Write to a single ideal prospect

I know many of you may bristle at this one, but good white papers speak to one reader. Writing to a single reader focuses the white paper on how a product or service solves a particular issue for a particular person.

In other words, it keeps the white paper about the prospect.

Of course, it’s likely the white paper will be shared. And that’s ok. It’s even ok to write it knowing a secondary audience will read it. What’s not ok is trying to throw in all kinds of miscellaneous content “in case” the technical person, executive sponsor, etc. might see it.

Why?

It dilutes the impact the white paper has on the prospect you’re targeting. They’ll realize the content isn’t about them and their needs, but your need to speak to everyone involved in the sale. Second, the others you are targeting probably won’t be impressed either…for pretty much the same reason.

If you think a secondary audience is so important that you need to have a lot of content that addresses them, then you need to consider whether you really need two white papers.

#2 – Use an Outline

For those of you who vowed never to create another outline after getting through English Comp, I feel your pain. I even had a similar vow.

But as we all know, vows were made to be broken.

Despite what you may have heard (or been practicing) good white papers aren’t little 1-2 page projects. Most average 6-10 pages, and surveys like the B2B Technology Collateral Survey show readers prefer the length to get the content they want.

When you’re writing something that long, an outline will save you in time and stress. You won’t get partway into the project only to discover the sales VP wants to include a major topic you didn’t think of, you’re missing key research that will be difficult to get, or that the number of topics needs 12 pages instead of six.

The time to find those things out is in outline, not after serious time and effort has been invested in the writing.

#3 – Give it a Good Title

Unless the white paper is sent to them by a trusted peer, most prospects are going to encounter your white paper on your website. And chances are they’re going to have to fill out a form to access it.

Will your title be enough to get them to fill out the form? With their real information?

Consider the difference in these two titles.

• How to Structure Learning & Development Programs to Support Talent Management Initiatives
• Companies with the Best Talent Win: How Learning & Development is Vital to Strategic Talent Management

Now think about which you’d rather read. Which is more compelling based on the title?

There’s no doubt both titles could be improved, but here’s the lesson I’m trying to convey.

Don’t title your white paper like a research project in school.

The title has to sell the white paper and get your prospect to give up their personal information. Make it snappy. Make it speak to their pain points. Make it memorable. But please, oh please, don’t make it boring.

And what if you have a white paper with a boring title?

It’s an easy fix to re-title it and then test to see if your results improve. My guess is you’ll be astounded at the difference a better title can make.

#4 – Use Interesting Visuals

White papers are primarily a written media, but that doesn’t mean you should create something that’s a solid block of words. Good white papers need good design. And good design goes beyond choosing a font that’s legible and large enough for easy reading.

Consider what elements could also be represented visually. Are you contrasting a before and after setup? Recap that information in an easy to read, color coded chart. Got a great quote from an industry pundit? Use a large callout like you see in magazine articles and put their picture with it. Are you talking through a technical process? Include a diagram or flow chart.

You get the idea.

Visuals help break up the large amount of text in most white papers. They’ll help your visual learners retain the information. And they’ll give skimmers a way to quickly absorb key points.

So make sure that in addition to a good writer, you also have a good designer who can help make that white paper look its best.

#5 – Include Case Studies

White papers are a great way to maximize the impact of your customer success stories. Prospects want to see themselves in the white paper. When you include case studies, they can.

Including case studies also adds credibility to what you’re saying. It’s the proof that what you’re saying really does work, and for real people.

What if you don’t have any success stories? Or none that will fit because it’s a new product or service?

Don’t think this powerful white paper element is out of reach. Make one up in the form of a hypothetical before and after scenario. It’s a tried and true method that’s worked in training programs for years.

Just be careful to do a good job. Be detailed and use the persona information you’ve got to make it realistic.

Stories are so powerful and people are so wired to absorb and remember them that even hypothetical case studies will help your solution stick in the minds of prospects. And when you do get an actual case study you can include, you can update the white paper with it later.

#6 – Have a Call to Action

What would you like prospects to do once they’ve read the paper?

Here’s some examples of what might be on your wish list:

• Pass it along to colleagues
• See a product demonstration
• Fill out a needs assessment
• Visit a microsite
• Contact a sales person
• Attend a webinar

Depending on the focus of your white paper and where it falls in the sales process, any or all of these might be appropriate next steps.

But here’s the thing.

Do you tell them to take that next step?

In most cases, the answer is a resounding no. Be sure to include a call to action that asks prospects to take that next step. In fact, it should be so strong they’ll be encouraged to take it right away. After all, you don’t want them to put down the paper, get distracted with the million other things on their list, and forget about you for the next two months.

This is so critical I’d recommend going through your existing white papers and adding good calls to action at the end if they aren’t already there. It’s a relatively quick investment of time and energy, and you’ll be glad you did.

So there you have it. Those are six of my must-have elements for a compelling and effective white paper. What are your must-haves for white papers?

*Photo courtesy of Brenda-Starr

This week my top five picks feature three articles about how to improve your website. Whether its calls to action, landing pages, or making your site mobile-friendly, you'll find something to help your web marketing efforts.

The last couple of picks feature information that can help improve your B2B marketing processes. In both cases it can be small changes that make big differences in how well things are working.

Hope you find something you find helpful. Leave a comment if you’ve found an especially helpful tidbit this week. I’d love to hear about it.

Until next week!

Finding the Right Calls-to-Action for Your B2B Website via @sengineland

If MarketingSherpa research is any indication, most B2B marketers aren’t thrilled with the calls to action on their website. This article gives some good ideas on how to figure out if yours are working and how to improve them.

How to Make Your Website Mobile Friendly (And Keep Your Readers Happy) via @copyblogger

More and more people are using mobile devices to view web content. Is your website prepared? This article gives some great tips on how to make sure you don’t turn mobile viewers away.

Should B2B SEO Include Landing Pages? by @copywriter4u via @b2bbloggers

Conversion should always be the first priority when it comes to landing pages, but that doesn’t mean you have to exclude SEO copywriting where appropriate. This article has some great tips on how to make SEO work and not impact your conversion rates.

Buyers Set the Pace for B2B eMarketing by @ardath421

The instantaneous nature of the web (not to mention social media) gives the impression that speed is a good thing. A necessary thing. Here’s the clincher though. Buyers are in control of the process and on their own timetable.

Want a Bigger Marketing Budget? Send Less Leads to Sales by @brianjcarroll

Are you like the 80 percent of marketers who pass along unqualified leads to sales? If so, you are making a costly mistake. Not just for your department, but for the whole organization. An interesting take on how to do things a little differently.

*Image courtesy of sideshowbarker

It’s been an amazing week of indian summer here. It doesn’t feel at all like November, but that’s all about to change…

While enjoying the amazing warm weather, I’ve read some great case studies this week. I put those at the top of the list because it’s always fun to see the real results someone got from changing their approach. Also have some posts that show how you can improve marketing copy and results. Hope you find something you like.

Until next week!

Why Companies Need to F-R-E-E Their Case Studies by @casey_hibbard

Great article on what happened for one company when they released their case studies from registration. I’ve always felt case studies are more “first date” content anyway. You don’t want to ask for a ton of information to read them. You want to point readers to more in-depth information through them.

Lead Generation: Real-time, Data-Driven B2B Marketing and Sales by @dmscott via @marketingsherpa

Awesome case study on what happened for one B2B marketer when they had a real-time response for something that happened in their market – the acquisition of a competitor. I don’t want to give it away, but they got some amazing results. Take a look!

Reduce the Risk of Doing Business with You by @thewhalehunters via @jillkonrath

Don’t skip this one because it’s a post geared toward the sales team. Good B2B marketing has to address concerns, like fear, in order to move prospects through the sales cycle. If you need some ideas on how marketing could make a big difference if positioned well, take a look.

Be Careful What You Ask For via @junta42

If you believe the premise that good marketing is about engaging your prospects, then you have to also consider how that engagement can be broken. Case in point – the ubiquitous registration form. If you want to build a relationship, you have to be careful what you ask for.

How to Keep Marketing Vs. Sales Alive and Thriving by @ardath421

Ahh. Anyone who has worked in a B2B company knows the love-hate relationship between marketing and sales. And it’s completely counterproductive. If you want to keep that old vs. mentality alive and well, count on those who can get along to outpace you.

*Image courtesy of sideshowbarker

Sorry for the long absence! As most of you know, I’ve been working on moving my website both to WordPress and to a new domain. I’m happy to report I’m finally finished, and the new site is working beautifully. Plus it’s a dream to maintain and update. Gotta love that!

I’ve really missed blogging over the last couple of weeks, but I’ve still been out checking out the great information other folks are putting out there. So this week I’m back on track with a top five post and next week I’ll be back with some fresh new content as well.

This week’s posts focus on web development myths and maximizing the results your website generates. Hope you find them useful.

Until next week!

5 Web Development Myths Debunked by @HelenaBouchez via @MarketingProfs

Great article on the myths of web development and what really makes it difficult. (It’s not SEO!) I came face to face with myth #2 and #4 in the process of moving my website – which ended up including a change of hosting vendor as well!

You’ve Got Mail. Now Answer It. by @diannahuff

Ever send an email to a large company? What kind of response did you get? I’d be willing to bet it was dismal. The sad thing is that large companies aren’t alone in this. I’ve even heard of companies not checking an email address set up to handle sales inquiries for days at a time. Yikes. Check out this article on how companies misuse (and miss out on) email opportunities.

The Three Biggest Mistakes Companies Make with B2B Websites by @diannahuff via @junta42

Quick test. Is your website an asset? Or an expense? How you answer this question tends to show how the website is viewed and therefore maintained. Maintaining a website is a big thing, and a lot of companies still get it wrong. Check out this article for the three biggest mistakes.

7 Common Website Redesign Mistakes via @hubspot

Website redesigns are hard work, as I’ve learned over the last month. Don’t waste all that work by making these 7 mistakes.

5 Landing Page Tests You Might Not Have Thought Of by @ianeverdell via @enquiro

Part of the beauty of the web is that everything can be measured and tested. Great article on some things you might not have thought to test on those all-important landing pages.

*Image courtesy of sideshowbarker