Trends for B-to-B Marketers to Focus Their Efforts in 2012

February 2, 2012

Today’s Internet-enabled customer has made it clear that they decide what content looks like and how it should be distributed. Content Marketing has emerged as the primary mode of engaging business prospects. This holds true especially in the technology sector where Eccolo Media, in the fall of 2011, released a report on the trends in marketing collateral. The survey, Eccolo Media 2011 B2B technology Collateral Survey Report is available free.

Customers expect that your collateral material will provide them with info they can use – not info on a particular product. Highlights of the survey include:

  • Users are consuming more content, but from a greater number of resources.
  • Social sharing buttons influence all type of content – 77% said if they had an easy way to share, they do.
  • Collateral goes Mobile – 37% consume content on tablets or smartphones.
  • Collateral goes interactive like embedded videos – 92% of users say it positively affected overall influence.

About the survey. This is the fourth year Eccolo Media has done it. They surveyed C-level executives and the survey represents 501 usable respondents.

One of the key take aways from this is that those of us who are developing content  should be considering a library of suitable content  for their marketing efforts.

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Market Overview: Alternative Energy Market

January 11, 2012

INDUSTRY OVERVIEW/TRENDS/ISSUES
A lot of our clients know they need to get into the “green” arena but do not know how to approach it or how to bring value to the “green” market. Thus, the following is both an overview of the alternative energy industry (focusing on certain segments within the larger context) to be used as a means of educating, and a list of trends and issues to be used for planning for the types of products and services needed in the future.

Renewable Energy Consumption in the Nation’s Energy Supply, 2008

This overview covers the following portions of the Alternative Energy market:

•BioMass/BioFuels/BioProducts

•Geothermal

•Hydropower

•Solar

•Wind

For those of you who might want to look at this market, the 54-page report highlights the industry, trends and issues. We also touch on associations, training, codes, trade shows and publications that cover this market. You can sign up to receive a copy here.

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Webinar: 8 Content Initiatives You Need to Seriously Consider for 2012

January 5, 2012

Content marketing expert and founder of the Content Marketing Institute, Joe Pulizzi will review the practice of content marketing and why it’s one of the fastest growing areas of marketing today. In this hour presentation, Joe will discuss eight initiatives that all marketers need to consider now when it comes to corporate storytelling and social media.

Joe is a leading author, speaker and strategist for content marketing. Joe is the founder of the Content Marketing Institute and the CEO of SocialTract. He’s also co-authored Get Content Get Customers and Managing Content Marketing: The Real World Guide for Creating Passionate Subscribers to Your Brand.

I’ve heard Joe present before, and you are in for a real treat. Please join us on February 2nd at 1 PM EST for this free, informative presentation. You can sign up here. Joe will also be taking questions at the end.

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Why Are B-to-B Marketers So Reluctant To Embrace Social Media?

January 4, 2012

It’s not like social media just came out. The B-to-C space has been using it successfully for the last 3-5 years. So why are B-to-B practitioners slow to adapt?

I think it’s because they don’t know where to start. You should probably start by developing a strategy that is included in your overall marketing plans. If you use social media to help build better relationships with your customers, I think you’ll find that it can help with more than just brand building.

I read a post recently in emarketer.com on why B-to-B was still unsure about social media strategies. Some highlights include:

  • 66% of marketing executives view social media as extremely or very important, but only 7% were leveraging it heavily.
  • 9% of B-to-B marketers weren’t using social at all.

Nearly 50% said that new tools and technology would make their social efforts more effective.

Changes that Need to Be Made for Their Social Media Efforts to Be More Effective According to B2B Marketing Executives in North America, May 2011 (% of respondents)

So if you’re a B-to-B marketer, what’s holding you back? Is it a resource issue?

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How Are You Handling Customer Complaints?

December 20, 2011

I can’t believe that many marketers still ignore customers who are dissatisfied. Especially since most of the complaints make their way to social sites.

Ignoring them won’t make the problem go away, and if the non-responsiveness continues, you may get a tweet with #FAIL attached to it and you’ll be part of an elite group (where you don’t want to be in) who have failed their customers. This is more of a problem for B-to-C companies than B-to-B, but none the less, you still shouldn’t ignore people. Fear and lack of resources are cited as the two most  reasons why companies don’t respond. You probably should rethink your priorities.

According to a recent survey done by eMarketer.com, only 34% used social media to respond.

Engagement in Social Media According to B2B Marketing Executives in North America, May 2011 (% of total)

Another study by Maritz and Evolve24 showed that only 29% of the tweet gripes were responded to. As Jay Baer says, these channels are the social telephone. You’re missing the boat  for several reasons. One is that 83% of those who complain online want to be answered there. Secondly, those who complain on Twitter are already disproportionately upset and ignoring them will only add gas to the fire.

People complain on Twitter because they have already went through traditional means with no resolution. I can attest to this as I’m still fighting with Travelers Insurance on a hail claim on my roof. After getting nowhere with the local adjusters, I was venting on Twitter about it and lo and behold, I got a Tweet back asking me to call an advocacy number. While it didn’t solve my problem (they sent my complaint back to the local adjuster and now I’m one of his favorite people), at least I thought they tried to defuse the situation.

Research has shown that social media users want to be responded to even if a company wants to take the conversation offline. At least they acknowledged you.

So what are you doing to handle complaints on social media?

4 Comments | Marketing Tips, Marketing Trends, Social Marketing, Twitter | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
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The 2012 B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets and Trends Report Is Out

December 7, 2011

The Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProfs second annual research report is out and as usual, both CMI and MarketingProfs have a great handle on what’s happening in the B-to-B space. It’s worth the read.

Highlights include:

  • Content marketing remains a top priority for marketers in 2012.
  • Article posting and social media (excluding blogs) are the most popular tactics.
  • Blogs, white papers and videos are seeing an increased adoption.
  • Content marketing spending is increasing as well as outsourcing.

You can download the report here.

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2012 Looks Like Companies Will be Investing More Into Social Media

November 17, 2011

I can’t believe it’s budget time already. Now that you’ve put your foot in the water on social (hopefully), what are you going to do in 2012?

According to a recent report in eMarketer.com, companies are looking to invest more in social in 2012. According to a study completed this summer by Booz&Co and Buddy Media, social media will become a higher percentage of their total digital spend in the next three years.

Spending on Social Media as a Percent of Total Digital Marketing Spend According to Top Companies* Worldwide, 2011 vs. in 3 Years

Although social media made up less than 5% of their spend currently, they expect that number to double that the next 3 years. Where are they anticipating spending the increase? People, outside resources and creating content. What’s even more exciting is that they plan on integrating it into the marketing plans overall.

All this is good news. Evidently someone must be seeing some value in integrating social media.

The question is, what are your plans for 2012? Do they include social media as a line item in your marketing budget?

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Tablets and Smartphones are Changing the Way Manufacturers Will be Reaching the Tradesmen

November 16, 2011

Today’s digital environment is rapidly evolving driven by the increase of devices people use to consume content. This holds true for the professional tradesman as well (remember they are consumers too).

With smartphones, tablets and other connected devices, consumers have become digital omnivores according to a new study out by comScore. Their new white paper, Digital Omnivores: How Tablets, Smartphones and Connected Devices are Changing U.S. Digital Media Consumption. Findings include:

  • Consumption away from desktops and laptops is really growing.
  • Smartphones are the catalyst to mobile media consumption.
  • Tablet traffic is becoming  notable and rising quickly.

Download a copy of the white paper.

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Podcast: Trends in Distribution and What it Means to the Distributor-Supplier Relationship

November 8, 2011

I recently caught up with Lindsay Konzak, editor of Modern Distribution Management (MDM) newsletter. We talked about how things are changing, especially since the downturn in the economy.

She shared with us “Four Trends in Distribution” from the MDM’s 2011 Distributor Landscape Report and what it has meant for the supplier-distributor relationship.

Click here and enjoy.

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Lack of Resources is Biggest Challenge for B2B Marketers

November 3, 2011

“The Road to Hell is paved with good intentions.”

I don’t know who said it but it’s a timeless truth. With the soft economy over the past few years and downsizing of staffs, the overall business climate has changed. Marketing departments are being asked to do more with less. In the B2B field where we operate, social media wasn’t even on the radar screen a few years ago, but now it’s at the forefront. While social media doesn’t have much outside costs, it does take its toll on inside time and talent.

A recent study by Marketing Sherpa, the 2012 B2B marketing benchmark report, brought up some disturbing facts. The biggest was that 62% of marketers biggest challenge was lack of resources!

B2B Marketing Challenges Chart: Marketing Sherpa

How are marketing departments supposed to be putting out class A stuff when there isn’t enough time in the day? Companies need to recognize that a good sales plan starts with a good marketing plan. Find help for your department whether it’s freelance or competent agencies that know your market. As business gets better, if you don’t speak out, they will try to put even more things on your plate.

Those are my thoughts; any comments?

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