Tag: b2b marketers

Can B2B Marketers Capitalize on March Madness?

basketballAn estimated  62 million people will fill out a March Madness bracket this year.  Last year 20 million watched the NCAA Basketball Championship game. Clearly, the audience for March Madness has grown way beyond the college basketball fan.  When new words are created around an event [bracketology], you know you have reached the big dance.

March Madness draws people together around a common interest, and for a few short weeks in March, there is always something to talk about at the water cooler. With the popularity of mobile devices, March Madness has continued to grow, with people accessing games and scores from anywhere. And March Madness fans have also taken to social media channels. The NCAA Facebook page has more than 259,000 “Likes” and the official @marchmadness Twitter feed boasts more than 47,000 followers.

The opportunity to reach an audience through the NCAA Basketball Championship event hasn’t been lost on marketers. According to Kantar Media Intelligence, ad revenue in 2011 reached an all-time high of $738.0 million, up 20.2 percent from the prior year. But what about March Madness as an opportunity to build community among your B2B customers and prospects? Consider these examples:

  • Northwestern Mutual used an email and publicity campaign to invite their customers and prospects an opportunity to participate in an  NCAA® March Madness® Bracket Challenge.
  • Law firm HRMA of Southwest Florida used the March Madness theme to launch an event about social media issues.
  • Garden and Gun magazine used the opportunity to create “The Ultimate Southern Food Bracket.” In a first round match up, country fried steak beat out pecan pie.

I believe March Madness offers an opportunity for conversations and engagement with B2B customers and prospects online. Center a campaign around a local team, and ask customers to engage.

Nothing gets folks more engaged than competition. Host a bracket contest or find out which local team has more support. The water cooler is now virtual, on Facebook, LinkedIn and  Twitter. Are you ready to get in the game? Maybe you’re already there. Share how you take advantage of interest in March Madness.

Five Ways Content Can Boost Referrals

Five-star Content boosts referralsAmong B2B marketers, referrals are often the lifeblood of a business. Yet too often, we don’t take the time to educate referral sources about our business. For example a property manager may know about your tuckpointing service, but they may not know you also clean brick. Remember that customers aren’t the only audience for content. Content marketing can educate referral sources about your business and keep your brand top of mind. Here are five tips for boosting referrals with content:

1) Make it clear what you do and for whom.

If you are a builder, it is probably easy to figure out that out from your website, but do you communicate the types and scale of projects you work on. Are they single family homes or commercial buildings? Do you specialize in starter homes or high-end custom homes? Will you remodel a space, or do you only construct new buildings? These are all important questions for anyone who is thinking of recommending you.

2) Play up your affiliations and third party credentials.

Use photos, logos and text to make it clear what industries you are involved in. List any special credentials your firm might hold. Are staff members LEED certified or is your business a member of a professional organization? This is all important information to include on your website.

3. Keep top of mind with referral sources.

Use email marketing to reach out to referral sources with relevant information and details of your referral program. Create content that appeals to a broader audience and make your content easy to share through social media. Make incentives memorable and relevant to your audience. Follow your referral sources on Twitter and connect with them on LinkedIn. Keep track of them through job changes.

4. Let your referral sources brand your content.

Would it make sense to share content with your referral sources’ customers? Offer the opportunity to co-brand your material. Who wouldn’t be happy to get good quality content for free.

5. Give recommendations on social media sites.

Still, the best way to get recommendations is to give them. Use sites like Linked-In and Yelp to spread the word about the people you enjoy doing business with. Consider adding a list of businesses you recommend to your website.

Let content help you build your referral network.

2012 Content Strategy Trends for B2B

Business StrategyB2B companies will continue to rely on quality content in varied forms to differentiate themselves and their products during 2012. The website is still home base for most companies, but social media and branded content are augmenting their online presence. Marketing budgets are increasing in these areas. Companies are looking for business professionals who can develop content using a strategy that makes sense for their business.

To build relationships online B2B companies are adapting.

Websites

On websites prospects are looking for your location, contact information, what you do, a clear message, and easy interaction (click to chat?). Those not familiar with the company head for the About Us page first after reviewing the Home page. They also want to know who your customers are.

For 2012 you may want to consider using a lighter tone in your content to engage prospects. Be genuine and use simple language. Keep evolving with the design of your site to see what works best as your offers or strategies change.  Ways to add interest might include a blog, twitter feed, customer reviews/ratings or videos featuring your customers.

Social Media

For some B2B companies, social media is becoming a customer service outlet. It is on the social channels that they receive feedback and respond to customer inquiries and comments. Using social media this way can strengthen SEO ranking.

According to a recent survey of B2B marketers conducted by the Content Marketing Institute Twitter outdoes all other channels for content distribution with 74% of B2B content marketers using Twitter followed by LinkedIn (71%), Facebook (70%) and YouTube (56%).

Other content statistics from the survey show the following increases in usage:

  • Blogs: 45% increase
  • Case studies: 32% increase
  • Videos: 36% increase
  • Webinars/webcasts: 25% increase

Branded Content

A study conducted in 2011 by the Custom Content Council and  ContentWise shows that branded content (content produced by a brand that is driven by narrative, not commerce) represents more than 50% percent of the total marketing budget. Why use branded content? The most often cited reason was to educate customers. Branded content has lots of forms including guides with exclusive tips, books, videos, newsletters and blogs that address a particular topic of interest to an audience.

For 2012, more branded content will be used by marketers of all sizes. Nearly three quarters of respondents to the survey believe it is more effective than magazine advertising. Sixty-nine percent think it tops direct mail and public relations.

Content Strategy

Content strategists help companies create and position their content. Strategist Ahava Leibtag predicted that in 2012 more companies will rely on content curation (the vetting of information for customers), delivering and displaying content (think mobile devices) and integrating marketing and communications (social media people trained in customer service).

What becomes apparent is that in 2012 investing in quality content delivered by professional content providers is a good business strategy.

The Best Press Release Distribution Service for B2B Companies

Press releases are a great way to boost your website traffic, but they are often underutilized, especially among small- and medium-size B2B companies. Next week I hope to offer some solid proof of just how well they can work. We’re preparing to send out our first press release for Content for Biz next week and I will let you know how successful we are at boosting traffic to our site (www.contentforbiz.com). I plan to test three different press release distribution services to see which one delivers the best results.
I’ve been happy using PR Web for a number of clients, as it is moderately priced ($8-$360) and has generated good traffic for my clients. I have also had good results with PR Newswire, but priced at more than $700 for a national press release, it’s out of reach for many clients. I will also try two free press release distribution services www.freepressrelease.com and www.PR.com, to see if they can really help us stretch our marketing dollars.
Before you select a distribution service, think about your objectives. Is the purpose of the press release solely to boost online traffic, or do you feel you have a shot at print coverage as well? Are you looking for local or national coverage? Are you looking for coverage in trade magazines or mainstream media? Is it important to reach bloggers and search engines? In my experience, it is more cost-effective for B2B marketers to develop their own custom media list if the primary target is the trade press. Move beyond that, and I think a PR distribution service is your best bet.
No matter who your target it is, always prioritize your media list. Identify the top five or 10 media outlets and send them a personal note, customized to meet the needs of the publication or outlet. One of my clients was recently contacted for an upcoming article in Midwest Living, after I sent a short personal email to the editor.
While we’re waiting for the new website visitors to be counted, check out these great resources that will help you find the press release distribution service that’s right for your business.
What PR distribution services have you found to be cost-effective?