Allocating budget to the right areas of your marketing department can take time. Knowing which channels provide the most opportunity and the greatest ROI can help you make the most of the budget you have available – and this is a BIG deal as many marketers understand that getting a lot of business budget isn’t always easy. A 2013 survey from Sagefrog found that 45% of business-to-business (B2B) companies are expecting to increase their marketing budgets in 2013. But, where exactly are those budgets going? What do current budget trends mean for CMOs? Let’s find out. Read the full entry

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While marketers may be all talks about nurturing leads down the funnel and using content to convert a prospect into a customer, one topic that isn’t as widely discussed as it should be is why B2B (business-to-business) buyers begin looking for to make a new purchase in the first place. While new technological advancements and the shifting needs of customers are often good indicators that a purchase is in the near future, there are other goals business buyers have in mind when beginning the buying cycle. So what exactly prompts a new business purchase? Read the full entry

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“Welcome to marketing’s new era where technology has ushered in extraordinary new capabilities and mind-numbing complexity.” – Tony Uphoff

Digital technology has unleashed performance-marketing opportunities providing data, analytics and ROI metrics that have many marketers jumping for joy. However, it also has them running for cover. Marketing is more complex than ever. In fact, a recent BtoB study found that only 36% of marketers feel their current marketing programs effectively address all stakeholders and 40% feel targeting and segmentation tools are effective in helping them reach their target audience. Read the full entry

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In the many stages of the purchase process, from discovery of a need to learning about the products and services that meet that need to the eventual purchase, buyers are seeking out the information that can help them reach a decision. In today’s hyper-connected and digital world, it’s likely the buyer you’re trying to reach has already done a considerable amount of research on their own and has some understanding of what it is they’re looking for and where they can find that information. Are you aware of what they’re looking for and where to deliver it? If not, keep reading. Read the full entry

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A lot of companies are using lead generation. We previously reported that 74% of the B2B marketing professionals that responded are at least moderate participants in lead-gen practices. The MarketingSherpa “2012 Lead Generation Benchmark Report” took a look what the top strategic priorities are for CMOs in the next twelve months. What they found is that these senior marketing executives all have a few things in common. Over half (52%) of the respondents cited achieving or increasing measurable ROI as their top priority (Tweet this!) followed by 51% citing optimization of the marketing-sales funnel and another 51% noting their focus on gaining greater insight of their audience. Here are the top 5 priorities for many marketers and quick tips for addressing each. Read the full entry

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Landing pages are a key focus for many marketers. This could be where a user lands during their first time on your website or it could be the place where they are engaging with your business for the first time. Even if it’s not, landing pages are often designed with engagement and conversions in mind, whether your business is looking to drive subscribers, leads or webinar sign-ups. Landing pages can be a determining factor in whether or not a marketing campaign is successful and in order to develop a successful landing page, there are a few things your business must do. A recent Ascend2 report took a look at what makes a landing page strategy superior. Here’s what they found and what you can take away. Read the full entry

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Content marketing is a hot topic for both B2C and B2B marketers. What many are wondering, though, is what makes a content marketing strategy truly successful. In the 2013 “B2B Content Marketing Report” report, Holger Schulze took a look at why B2B marketers are using content marketing, what tactics they’re using and the results these businesses are achieving. It becomes clear that certain trends are taking place. Here’s what Schulze found and what you can take away. Read the full entry

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For today’s businesses, professional connections start relationships, but personalization deepens it. You may be thinking of sales, but the same is true for online marketing. In a recent study conducted by Neolane and the Direct Marketing Association, researchers took a look at how marketers are embracing, or shying away from, real-time marketing and consumer personalization. The top findings can offer your business some insight into how it can become more personal and more successful. This post breaks down what those are and suggests a few steps you can put into your strategy today. Read the full entry

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We know the purchase process has changed – that information isn’t new. Today’s buyers have more control over their journey and marketing has become more involved in the selling process for many businesses for this reason. Sales, they’re a top priority for all businesses and return customers are what keep those numbers growing. One recent study from Llloyd’s found that customer loss is the second biggest business concern for C-suite and board level executives around the world. While product enhancements and better customer service can contribute to customer retention, your business can make a few simple tweaks in its behavioral marketing strategy to see greater success in terms of ROI, marketing revenue and customer loyalty. Read the full entry

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Retargeting is becoming a more prominent tool for marketers as buyers pull their purse strings tighter and are becoming more educated on their own before making a decision. Businesses want to be at the forefronts of the minds of their audience and retargeting campaigns generate constant brand awareness and impressions. The Chango Retargeting Barometer found that 53% of marketers and agencies intend to increase their search retargeting budgets in the next six months, while 46% of marketers and agencies intend to increase their site retargeting budgets in the next six months. In this post, we break down the what, why and how of retargeting. Read the full entry

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