How the Most Successful B2B Marketers Work with Influencer Marketing Agencies

As B2B companies look to create more authentic and meaningful experiences for digital first customers, content marketing co-created with industry and internal influencers has enabled many organizations to deliver information that is more empathetic, useful and inspiring. Growth B2B brands are seeing the influence piece of the puzzle as an opportunity to better attract and engage increasingly distracted and distrustful customers. Many of those ambitious B2B marketers are looking for ways to accelerate their use of influence both internally and externally. Since our first paid B2B influencer engagement in 2012 with a Fortune 500 brand that is still our client today, we've seen an acceleration in B2B marketers seeking expertise, technology and best practices for engaging influencers. In 2022 those solutions come in many forms ranging from independent B2B influencer marketing consultants, to software platforms that also sell services to specialist agencies with teams dedicated to the strategy, tactics, technology, measurement and scale of B2B influencer marketing programs. For those B2B brands that prefer to have a trusted agency partner capable of delivering a full suite of services, there are questions to be answered. Just use Google to search "b2b influencer marketing" and you'll see many of them:

• What is a B2B influencer?
• Does B2B influencer marketing work?
• How do you do B2B influencer marketing?
• Is influence a B2B or B2C strategy?

B2B marketers are searching for more than the topic of B2B influencer marketing. They want to find:

• B2B influencer marketing examples
• B2B influencer marketing in 2022
• B2B influencer marketing case studies
• B2B influencer marketing statistics
• B2B influencer marketing on LinkedIn
• The best B2B influencer campaigns

For our part, TopRank Marketing's B2B Marketing Blog has been publishing answers to these questions for many years. One of the ways we bring those answers together is through our State of B2B Influencer Marketing Research Report, which you can sign up for advanced access to here. On the topic of B2B marketers working with agencies for influencer marketing, our most recent research found that only 22% of B2B marketers surveyed are currently using an agency to manage their influencer marketing program. But not all B2B marketers are equal in their marketing maturity, sophistication or performance.  We found that 44% of the most successful B2B marketers work with an agency to manage their program and 67% of the least successful B2B marketers do not work with an agency to manage their influencer marketing program. One of the top challenges B2B marketers have with influencer marketing is finding the right influencers. So it was no surprise that we found that 56% of the most successful B2B marketers surveyed say working with an agency to source influencers is effective. As seen by the Google questions above, many B2B marketers are not clear on what a B2B influencer is, so finding one would then understandably be difficult. And if you can find the right influencers, how can an influencer marketing program have any chance of success? Incidentally, we've covered what characteristics makes for a great B2B influencer here. So, what else are the most successful B2B marketers having agencies help them with? The way you engage with industry experts or internal key opinion leaders or both really depends on expected outcomes, topics, content types and which relationships are either in place or in need of being developed. Here are some essential questions to answer about influencer marketing when developing your strategy here. Overall the most successful B2B marketers are engaging agencies to help in the following areas according to our survey question on the topic:

• 100% to develop strategy
• 50% to identify influencers
• 75% to manage influencer relationships
• 50% to manage influencer marketing technology
• 50% to implement campaigns
• 50% to measure effectiveness

It makes a lot of sense for an experienced agency resource to serve as a guide in helping B2B brands develop their influencer marketing strategy. An agency with experience and a proven track record will not only draw upon data, technology, process and most important of all, relationships to help B2B brands understand what's possible, but also how to achieve it, what resources are needed, creative content ideation and production, influencer identification and activation, and measurement and scale. [bctt tweet="“It makes a lot of sense for an experienced agency resource to serve as a guide in helping B2B brands develop their influencer marketing strategy.” — Lee Odden @LeeOdden" username="toprank"] B2B brands come in all sizes, so what about larger companies? Our research found that for companies with 500 to 1000 employees, 55% indicated that working with an agency to source influencers was effective vs. 27% that used software. For B2B companies with over 1,000 employees, 38% found working with an agency to be effective vs. 31% that used software. Expertise with software alone does not equal success for an influencer program. It takes creativity in developing influencer activations and content collaborations that simultaneously deliver exceptional customer experiences as well as represent the interests of the brand and importantly, advance the objectives of the influencers involved. [bctt tweet="“For B2B companies with 500 to 1000 employees, 55% indicated that working with an agency to source influencers was effective vs. 27% that used software.” — Lee Odden @LeeOdden" username="toprank"] Such 360 degrees of win solutions are not easy but can perform exceptionally well as we've seen with B2B brands including SAP, LinkedIn and one of the largest telecommunications brands in the world. Working with an agency on an influencer marketing program can be very satisfying or disappointing depending on expectations, and the capabilities of both parties. Getting the most out of the agency investment means focusing on getting help where it will have the most impact, especially with strategy, influencer identification and creative content activations that inspire influencers and customers alike. GET CAN GET ADVANCED ACCESS to the 2022 State of B2B Influencer Marketing Research Report by signing up here.

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Article Source: http://bathseoexpert.blogspot.com/2022/05/how-most-successful-b2b-marketers-work.html

B2B Marketing News: Social Becoming Top B2B Media, B2B Content & Lead Tactics Studies, & Marketers Concerned Over Twitter Takeover

B2B Mixology: Paid Search Is Top Channel And TV Use Is Growing, Email Near Bottom 56 percent of B2B executives have said that paid search is key among their marketing mix, with 44 percent singling out video and display advertisements as a top component, while just 16 percent chose email — three of several findings of interest to B2B marketers contained in newly-released survey data . MediaPost B2B Buyers Say Research & Data Are Key Factors in Content Shareability, Memorability Just over half of B2B buyers consider content that uses research data to be a key factor in making it memorable and more apt to lead to contacting a brand for further information, while storytelling that resonates with B2B buyers was also a top component of effective content, according to recently-released survey data. MarketingCharts [bctt tweet="“There are countless amazing people and companies with stories worth telling. Stories we tell NOT because they're the most sensational, but because they are stories worth telling.” — Jay Acunzo @JayAcunzo" username="toprank"] 18 Examples Of Awesome B2B Content Marketing [BuzzSumo] A review of millions of B2B marketing content examples has shown that content mentioning eBooks received the greatest engagement, with an average piece of B2B content receiving some 31 shares — two of numerous statistics of interest to digital marketers contained in recently-released data from BuzzSumo. BuzzSumo 3 Points About B2B Buyers’ Content Preferences [Survey] When it comes to which content types B2B buyers prefer, research and survey reports, case studies, and webinars were the top three content formats B2B buyers said they use for researching purchases, followed by B2B media publications, white papers, and eBooks, according to newly-released survey data. MarketingCharts Will Social Become the Dominant Media for B2B Brands? [ANA] 83 percent of B2B professionals have pinpointed social media and social advertising as the top B2B marketing tactic, followed by email at 75 percent, search engine optimization (SEO) at 61 percent, and content marketing and blogging at 57 percent, according to new data from the Association of National Advertisers (ANA). ANA Ad Spending Expands For 13th Consecutive Month In March, Top Categories Continue To Ebb The U.S. advertising market’s rate of spending grew by 5.7 percent in March compared to the same month in 2021, with digital categories continuing to see the biggest performance gains, and helping to drive ad market expansion that has now grown for 13 consecutive months, according to newly-released report data.. MediaPost LinkedIn Adds New Profile Links and Newsletter Promotion Options Microsoft's LinkedIn has rolled out the ability to showcase a link near the top of user profiles, along with several new options for using the professional social platform's digital newsletter feature, and more robust group post analytics, LinkedIn (client) recently announced. Social Media Today Musk's pitch for free speech may turn Twitter advertisers jittery Twitter's recent purchase by Elon Musk has caused rising concerns among some advertisers that worry about how the change at the company's helm will affect marketing opportunities on the platform, and Reuters takes a look. Reuters Instagram to improve its ranking system to better highlight original content Meta-owned Instagram announced recently that it has implemented changes aimed at better surfacing original content, while decreasing the visibility of content that is reposted, in a shift that could help B2B marketers gain exposure for original brand content. TechCrunch The Top Tactics for Generating High-Quality B2B Leads [Report] 44 percent of B2B marketers said that content creation was one of their top three areas of marketing spending, followed by webinars at 37 percent, SEO and search engine marketing (SEM) at 32 percent, marketing technology services at 31 percent, and marketing technology tools at 26 percent — one of numerous statistics of interest contained in newly-released survey data of interest to B2B marketers. MarketingProfs ON THE LIGHTER SIDE: A lighthearted look at “product/market fit” by Marketoonist Tom Fishburne — Marketoonist Brands Get Down To Earth — MediaPost TOPRANK MARKETING & CLIENTS IN THE NEWS:

• Lee Odden — Lee Odden on Getting the Most Out of Influencer Marketing [Video] — Oktopost
• TopRank Marketing — Learning resources for tourism marketing newbies — Tourism Currents
• Lee Odden — The Top 100 Marketing Influencers to Follow in 2022 — Relevance

Have you come across your own top B2B marketing news for the week? If so, please don't hesitate to let us know in the comments below. Thank you for taking the time to join us for this week's TopRank Marketing B2B marketing news, and please return again next Friday for another selection of the most relevant B2B and digital marketing industry news. In the meantime, you can follow us on our LinkedIn page, or at @toprank on Twitter for even more timely daily news.

The post B2B Marketing News: Social Becoming Top B2B Media, B2B Content & Lead Tactics Studies, & Marketers Concerned Over Twitter Takeover appeared first on B2B Marketing Blog - TopRank®.

Article Source: http://bathseoexpert.blogspot.com/2022/04/b2b-marketing-news-social-becoming-top.html

Enduring Engagement: 5 Easy Ways To Build New B2B Marketing Connections & Make Them Last

How can B2B marketers create new professional connections that endure, and strengthen their existing business relationships? With ostensibly more ways than ever to find new connections both online and off, the task can seem overwhelming. Luckily, by making clear goals and putting a strategy in place to achieve them, marketers can start truly tapping into the power of building new connections and making them — along with existing ones — stand the test of time. Let’s start right in on our journey of professional network expansion, and look at how we can take both current and newfound business relationships to new heights.

1 — Embrace New Connections in Old Familiar Places

via GIPHY To begin your journey of network reassessment and expansion, it can be helpful to ask yourself whether you’re taking full advantage of the opportunities to find new connections in the digital and real-world places you already frequent the most — your old familiar places. Some B2B marketers make the mistake of only seeking out new business connections in new spots, while not fully taking advantage of connections that are right under their noses on old familiar ground, just waiting to be uncovered. You may use one social media platform almost exclusively for personal activity, however by shifting your connection-making goals to include revisiting familiar spots, you’ll likely find a surprising number of new people to connect with on a professional level as well. In the age of B2B influencer marketing, the lines between personal and professional relationships can sometimes become blurry, which when handled well is certainly a good thing, and such connections only tend to grow closer as time passes. How To Make It Last: Schedule time at regular interviews throughout the coming year to make contact with your new business connections. By scheduling at least a few outreach sessions with new connections, you give the relationship a real chance to grow over time, and create more changes for business opportunities to arise organically. [bctt tweet="“Schedule time at regular interviews throughout the coming year to make contact with your new connections. This gives the relationship a real chance to grow over time.” — Lane R. Ellis @lanerellis" username="toprank"]

2 — Seek Out New Opportunities in Fresh Spots

via GIPHY Where are the places you haven’t yet turned to when it comes to finding new connection opportunities? In 2022 you certainly don’t have to travel to Shangri-La or the moon to find new places to connect, as they’re more apt to be right in your own digital backyard. Such new spots can include a mixture of digital and real-world locations:

• TikTok
• A conference you’ve never attended
• Reddit
• Local business events
• Discord
• Local college event opportunities
• Snapchat
• Volunteering and mentoring opportunities
• Twitch
• Speaking at events
• Pinterest
• Conducting interviews, podcasts, and webinars
• YouTube

Each of these offer ample opportunities for making new connections. We recently examined how to get the most from B2B marketing events, in “In-Person, Virtual & Hybrid: How To Get The Most From B2B Marketing Events In 2022.” Each has its own nuances in precisely how to reach out and make new connections, however some elements are more universal, and can be applied wherever you may find yourself looking to meet a new business connection, such as:

• Make your connection request personal and earnest
• Use background research on your connection to inform your request
• Seek out any mutual connections and if appropriate mention your shared contact
• Be mindful that not everyone will even look at connection requests on every platform
• Follow up new in-person connections with a message of thanks

There are of course nearly infinite ways to refine the process of making new connections, however by keeping some of the basics in mind, and asking yourself, “Is this a connection request I’d feel good about getting?”, your networking strategy can only become stronger. How To Make It Last: Use the knowledge your new connections have about the platform or event where you met. While the venues may be new to you, your newfound connections may be seasoned pros there. Ask your new connections in these new-to–you areas for their advice about the best ways to make use of those new spots. [bctt tweet="“In 2022 you certainly don’t have to travel to Shangri-La or the moon to find new places to connect, as they’re more apt to be right in your own digital backyard.” — Lane R. Ellis @lanerellis" username="toprank"]

3 — Ask Your Network “Who Do I Need To Know?”

via GIPHY There are likely professionals known to your associates who you might never get the chance to connect with, unless you specifically ask. Master networkers are quite often the ones who regularly take advantage of this technique, and it may be one of the primary reasons they became top-notch networkers over time. It can be as simple as posting a message on your favorite social media platform asking, “Who do I need to know?” At in-person events, it’s wise to ask new connections you meet who they are most looking forward to hearing speak during the event, who they hope to meet, and why. How To Make It Last: Schedule time to ask this deceptively simple question regularly, whether it’s once a year or once a month. By making it an ongoing inquiry, you almost guarantee a continual array of fascinating new people to meet and forge new business relationships with. [bctt tweet="“Post a message on your favorite social media platform asking, 'Who do I need to know?'.” — Lane R. Ellis @lanerellis" username="toprank"]

4 — Grow Existing Connections in Newfound Ways

via GIPHY In some ways, expanding on your existing connections can provide the greatest opportunity to build long-lasting business relationships, as people you already know share a history with you, and are more likely to be open to new levels of engagement. Some of the many ways to grow existing connections in new ways include:

• Asking about top pain points and challenges
• Seeking a quote for content
• Connecting with existing connections on new platforms
• Asking for business words of wisdom
• Take a digital connection to the in-person level by making event plans

How To Make It Last: You likely already have a goldmine of existing connections, and can take these business relationships to new levels by expanding your interactions in creative ways, whether it’s through mutual interviews, podcasts, webinars, or making future in-person conference meeting plans. bctt tweet="“You likely already have a goldmine of existing connections, and can take these business relationships to new levels by expanding your interactions in creative ways.” — Lane R. Ellis @lanerellis" username="toprank"]

5 — Put the Matchmaking Power of Your Network to Full Use

via GIPHY Be a business connection matchmaker, and make the effort to connect key professionals in your network with others you know who seem like a good fit. This ties in nicely with our third tip of asking “Who should I know?” — and takes it to the next level by actively putting fellow professionals in touch with one another when you believe they may spark a powerful business conversation together. Part of the power of B2B influencer marketing comes under this heading, as the sharing, co-collaboration, and support that industry subject matter experts provide for one another are proven ways to elevate business efforts for everyone involved. How To Make It Last: One of the greatest gifts a B2B marketer can give their fellow professional is an earnest introduction to someone they believe will be a perfect business match. Don’t be afraid to be a business connection matchmaker, as those you connect may end up building digital empires together — collaborations that may come back to benefit you and your business somewhere down the road. [bctt tweet="“One of the greatest gifts a B2B marketer can give their fellow professional is an earnest introduction to someone they believe will be a perfect business match.” — Lane R. Ellis @lanerellis" username="toprank"]

Enduring Business Relationships Elevate B2B Marketing Success

via GIPHY By embracing new connections in familiar places, seeking opportunity from new-to-you spots, asking "Who do I need to know?", growing business relationships in new ways, and becoming a business connection matchmaker, you'll be ahead of the game when it comes to putting the power of your network to full use. Creating award-winning B2B marketing that elevates, gives voice to talent, and humanizes with authenticity takes considerable time and effort, which is why an increasing number of firms are choosing to work with a top digital marketing agency such as TopRank Marketing. Contact us to learn how we can help, as we’ve done for over 20 years for businesses ranging from LinkedIn, Dell and 3M to Adobe, Oracle, monday.com and others.

The post Enduring Engagement: 5 Easy Ways To Build New B2B Marketing Connections & Make Them Last appeared first on B2B Marketing Blog - TopRank®.

Article Source: http://bathseoexpert.blogspot.com/2022/04/enduring-engagement-5-easy-ways-to.html

Two Years In: How B2B Marketers Are Optimizing & Elevating Remote Work Experiences

I always enjoy those dystopian movies about remnants of humanity persisting in a bleak future where some natural disaster or other catastrophe has dramatically altered the state of the planet. Particularly, I like when we as viewers are dropped into these worlds, and able to see how their inhabitants have learned to acclimate and even thrive under extraordinary circumstances. In the book and film I Am Legend, for example, Dr. Robert Neville is already a self-sufficient “omega man” by the time we meet him, living a lonely life in New York City where everyone else has died or transformed into a nocturnal mutant zombie. He hunts for food by day in the barren wasteland of Manhattan. He swings by the video rental store and interacts with manikins to simulate social contact. At night, when the hostile monsters come out from hiding, he barricades himself and his dog inside an immaculately fortified home. I realize this seems like an incredibly dire way to introduce the topic of remote work in a post-pandemic world, but I promise the ultimate point I’m driving toward is an optimistic one: humans are amazingly adaptable and resilient. In real life, those qualities have come to the forefront over the past two years. While professionals across many sectors are adjusting to completely different work dynamics, in marketing this shift has been especially pronounced. TopRank Marketing is one of many agencies and departments around the world that have now gone fully remote. How are B2B marketers embracing this challenge and optimizing around this new style of work as its permanence sets in? Let’s dive into some trends and insights.

B2B Marketers Are Making Moves

Our clients at LinkedIn Marketing Solutions recently shared research around the marketing jobs market, which is experiencing tremendous change and churn amidst the so-called Great Reshuffle. LinkedIn found a 31% increase in marketers switching jobs year-over-year from 2020 to 2021, while tracking around 618,000 job departures in the industry last year alone. (Source: LinkedIn Marketing Solutions) The market is primed for these job-seekers. LinkedIn also saw 374% growth in marketing jobs last year, with more than 1.3 million positions posted. The remote paradigm breaks down geographic barriers and creates vastly larger pools of opportunity for both candidates and the companies looking to hire them. At TopRank Marketing, we now have remote employees in 10 different states. (And we’re hiring, by the way.)

New B2B Marketing Skills Are Being Prioritized

The traditional mainstays are still valuable. LinkedIn’s data shows that Social Media Advertising, Instagram, Presentation Skills, and Content Marketing were among the top-growing skills in marketing last year. But there are also some emerging areas where B2B marketers are wise to focus as work evolves. One of those is understanding and activating technology. As more collaboration and communication takes place digitally, it’s all the more essential to be able to get the most out of purpose-built tools that can support these efforts. [bctt tweet="“As more collaboration and communication takes place digitally, it’s all the more essential to be able to understand and activate marketing technology.” — Nick Nelson @NickNelsonMN" username="toprank"] A recent survey by Clevertouch Marketing found that “40% of technology is still going unused as three-quarters of marketers admit to not having the technical ability to achieve their digital ambitions.” This speaks to a clear opportunity, both for organizations and individual marketers.

• Organizations: Reevaluate your marketing tech stack. Figure out what’s getting used, what’s not, and why. Be sure to invite input from your teams – what actually helps them succeed in this setting? Which existing tools do they find needless or cumbersome?
• Individuals: Strengthen your skills around key marketing technologies. It’s particularly valuable, in my humble opinion, to brush up on data analytics tools, because data-informed marketers will rule the future of the industry. This is an ongoing focus of mine.

There’s another skill category that is perhaps more abstract than the sorts of hard skills referenced above but arguably more essential than any. And it brings us back to our initial remarks about the resilience of people.

Adaptability Is Emerging as THE Standout Skill

Harvard Business School professor Linda Hill recently shared findings from a survey of executives asking which qualities they are prioritizing in business leadership going forward. “First was adaptability,” she said. “Second was curiosity, next creativity, and then, comfort with ambiguity. Number five was digital literacy.” This makes all the sense in the world, given what we’re facing now and in the years ahead. Those who are able to handle all of the chaotic change and fast-tracked advancement taking place in stride, while continuing to elevate the B2B profession amidst it all, will become the vanguard of innovation. [bctt tweet="“Adaptive marketers who can handle change in stride and #ElevateB2B through the chaos will become the vanguard of innovation.” — Nick Nelson @NickNelsonMN" username="toprank"] Adaptive skills can absolutely be built and strengthened. Part of it is leveling up those digital and technical competencies – when you’re proficient with what’s now, you’re more ready for what’s next. Another part is challenging yourself and exercising different creative muscles. Try new things and get out of your comfort zone. Finally, commit to setting yourself up for success. I think I speak for many marketers in saying it’s easy to get so caught up in your clients, your campaigns, and your creative processes that you lose sight of your own needs. Personally, I spent way too long cooped up in a very small apartment, which became increasingly confining and constricting with each day spent there. Earlier this month, my wife and I finally moved into a much bigger space with a dedicated office, way more natural light, and better fresh air flow. It’s been life-changing, no joke. I’m grateful to say that TopRank Marketing goes above and beyond in supporting us as employees, providing the equipment and tools we need to optimize our work in a remote environment, as well as the flexibility and benefits necessary for a healthy work-life balance (which, by the way, has emerged as THE biggest priority for job-seekers, beating out even compensation). I am beyond proud of the work our team has done, and the way we’ve continued to grow through all the challenges brought by these past two years. Like I said earlier: humans are amazingly adaptable and resilient. B2B marketers embody these traits as well as anyone, and we’re seeing it proven before our very eyes. “How quickly one accepts the incredible if only one sees it enough.” ? Richard Matheson, I Am Legend

The post Two Years In: How B2B Marketers Are Optimizing & Elevating Remote Work Experiences appeared first on B2B Marketing Blog - TopRank®.

Article Source: http://bathseoexpert.blogspot.com/2022/04/two-years-in-how-b2b-marketers-are.html

B2B Marketing News: Influencer Marketing A Top B2B Strategy, B2B Event Industry Rebounds, Top Posting Times, & Marketers Overwhelmed By MarTech

B2B & B2C Instagram Marketing Trends of 2022 [Data from 500 Marketers] More than twice as many B2B marketers than B2C have said that influencer marketing will be their top strategy in 2022, with 70 percent of B2B marketers having said that partnering with influencers offered a high return on investment (ROI) — two of several findings of interest to digital marketers contained in newly-released HubSpot survey data detailing Instagram marketing trends. HubSpot [bctt tweet="“Don't see influencer marketing as 1-way transactional relationships that only benefit the brand. Focus on developing long-term mutually beneficial relationships that benefit both the brand & the influencers that you work with.” @justinlevy" username="toprank"] Marketers Are Overwhelmed By Martech, Study Finds Half of senior marketers said they were overwhelmed by marketing technology, with some 40 percent of the tools available to them going unused, while 30 percent have said that they are not able to fully utilize their marketing technology platforms — three of the statistics of interest to B2B marketers contained in recently-released survey data. MediaPost IAB: US digital ad revenue skyrocketed in 2021 despite mounting challenges When it comes to digital advertising in the U.S., growth of 35.4 percent year-over-year in 2021 contributed to $189.3 billion in revenue, an increase that was the fastest since 2006, led by digital video, which climbed 58.8 percent to $39.5 billion, according to newly-released report data. Marketing Dive Companies Are Set to Spend Billions on the Metaverse in the Next Decade. These Are the Groups They Should Target [Survey] 36 percent adults in the U.S. have said that they are interested in the metaverse, with 56 percent of millennials and 51 percent of Gen Z expressing interest, while 46 percent of men and 28 percent of women expressed interest, according to recently-released survey data. Morning Consult 8 in 10 Marketers Plan Changes to Their MarTech Stack This Year 64 percent of marketers have said that their marketing budgets are up from last year, with 82 percent noting that they want updated marketing technologies, while 37 percent pointed to customer data platform (CDP) technology as the top marketing solution they plan to invest in during 2022, according to newly-released report data. MarketingCharts Most Brands Are Turning To Zero-Party Data, Study Finds 90 percent of digital marketing decision makers have said by the end of 2022 their firms will be collecting zero-party data shared directly by customers, however only some 42 percent said they know how to effectively use that which they already have access to — two of several statistics of interest to B2B marketers contained in recent report data from Forrester. MediaPost New Report Highlights That Instagram Hashtags Don't Significantly Increase Post Engagement Posts on Instagram that used three or four hashtags achieved the highest rates of engagement when it came to impressions, with generally more hashtags leading to slightly lower rates, especially for accounts with between 50 thousand and a million followers, according to newly-released Socialinsider survey data. Social Media Today The best times to engage on social media [Sprout Social Report] Mornings on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday were the top times for achieving the highest levels of social media engagement, with mid-mornings during the middle of the week leading the way when it comes to the LinkedIn platform — two of several findings of interest to B2B marketers contained in recently-released Sprout Social survey data. MarTech Video Aids 95% Of Enterprise B2B Buyers In Conversion [Survey Results] 88 percent of B2B buyers said that during the past 90 days they have viewed videos to learn about a company's products or services, with 70 percent having pinpointed video as the top content format when it came to increasing awareness of business-related problems — two of numerous statistics of interest to digital marketers released in new B2B buyer report data. Search Engine Journal The B2B Exhibition Industry Improved Again in Q4 as 7 in 8 In-Person Events Went Ahead as Planned Just 12.5 percent of events were canceled during the final quarter of 2021, representing a continued and marked improvement since the final quarter of 2020 — when nearly 98 percent had been canceled — according to recently-released B2B exhibition survey daya. MarketingCharts ON THE LIGHTER SIDE: A lighthearted look at “the future of the metaverse” by Marketoonist Tom Fishburne — Marketoonist The Most Commonly Tattooed Brands [Infographic] — MarketingProfs April Fools' Day 2022 Pranks: Butterfinger Mayo, Invisible Earbuds, 7-Eleven Tiny Gulp — CNET TOPRANK MARKETING & CLIENTS IN THE NEWS:

• TopRank Marketing — The 15 Best Podcasts for Modern Marketers — LinkedIn (client)
• LinkedIn — How to Become a Trusted Voice in the Sustainability Conversation: Purna Virji on Marketing Smarts [Podcast] — MarketingProfs
• Lee Odden — Cross-GTM alignment, job changes, and collaboration – Cronycle’s weekly wrap up for April 18, 2022 — Cronycle

If you've found your own top B2B marketing news for the week, please don't hesitate to let us know in the comments below. Thanks for taking the time to join us for this week's edition of the TopRank Marketing B2B marketing news, and we hope that you'll return again next Friday for another array of the most relevant B2B and digital marketing industry news. In the meantime, you can follow us on our LinkedIn page, or at @toprank on Twitter for even more timely daily news.

The post B2B Marketing News: Influencer Marketing A Top B2B Strategy, B2B Event Industry Rebounds, Top Posting Times, & Marketers Overwhelmed By MarTech appeared first on B2B Marketing Blog - TopRank®.

Article Source: http://bathseoexpert.blogspot.com/2022/04/b2b-marketing-news-influencer-marketing.html

Elevate B2B: 10+ Mentoring & Volunteering Opportunities For B2B Marketers

What can B2B marketers do during this National Volunteer Month to help inspire and elevate the industry and the world around us? April is National Volunteer Month, making it a great time to look at what some of the biggest brands in the world are doing when it comes to volunteering efforts, and explore some of the organizations that B2B marketers can get involved with to give back and help others. Mentoring is also a powerful way for B2B marketers to strengthen the industry, and we’ll explore opportunities to share your expertise and time in both volunteer and mentor programs. Let’s jump right in and take a look at ten-plus ways B2B marketers can get involved in mentoring and volunteering.

1 — Microsoft & Malcolm’s List

For National Volunteer Month, Malcolm Harden, vice president and general manager and federal partnerships leader at Microsoft created a handy “Malcom’s List” image, highlighting many of the ways professionals can get involved in community volunteerism. Malcolm shared several of the organizations where he has volunteered his time — including the American Council for Technology - Industry Advisory Council (ACT-IAC) — in a recent LinkedIn post.

2 — Adweek’s Executive Mentor Program

For Musa Tariq, CEO of GoFundMe, the community of connections he’s made as a mentor in Adweek’s Executive Mentor Program have been a highlight of his personal journey, as he laid out in a LinkedIn post. The Adweek Executive Mentor Program helps advance diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) among corporate executives, by pairing mid to senior-level marketers with leading CMOs and other corporate suite members for one-on-one guidance from mentors. [bctt tweet="“If marketers can get people to buy shoes and phones, why can't we raise awareness to things that need help? We should all be using our skill set for good as much as possible.” — Musa Tariq @musa" username="toprank"]

3 — Google & Start Small Think Big

Monique E. Liburd, senior trademark counsel at Google, was recently recognized by non-profit organization Start Small Think Big for her pro bono work — another way that professionals in marketing and other industries can give back to the community. “It's an incredible organization doing important work for Black, Latinx, and other marginalized small business communities. Definitely consider picking up a volunteer shift if you have finance, marketing, or legal expertise! The volunteer experience is efficient and well organized,” Monique noted of the group. Start Small Think Big’s hashtag and motto, “We're #AllForSmall. Because small businesses make a big difference,” sums up the organization’s purpose, and the group offers a wide array of volunteer opportunities for professionals in the legal, marketing, and finance sectors.

4 — Salesforce & Step Up

Pamela Aquino, environmental action and culture lead at Salesforce, has worked with the growing “experienceship” movement at the mentorship non-profit Step Up, which works to inspire girls, young women, and gender-expansive young adults through mentoring programs.

5 — AT&T & The Rewards of Volunteering

In “Choose Service: the Rewards of Volunteering,” David J. Bazan, talent acquisition manager at AT&T, shared the story of his grandmother Viola, who served as a “Classroom Granny” for over 20 years, highlighting both how volunteering can be a lifelong activity and how no matter what your experiences may be. As our own CEO Lee Odden has said, “Everyone is influential about something,” an insight he expanded on in “Inside Influence 10: Ryan Bares from IBM on Influence Inside B2B Brands with Employees” — a video and podcast interview with Ryan Bares, global influencer marketing lead at IBM. [bctt tweet="“I have always believed that everyone is influential about something and that sentiment is certainly true within B2B companies.” — Lee Odden @LeeOdden" username="toprank"]

6 — Wells Fargo & Volunteering Impact

Wells Fargo offers its workforce several paid days each year for volunteer efforts, which has led to some 4.4 million hours of employee time dedicated to volunteering since 2018, as the company outlined on its volunteering impact page. [bctt tweet="“Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.” — Muhammad Ali @AliCenter" username="toprank"] via GIPHY

7 — Microvolunteering’s Bite-Sized Help

It’s not only National Volunteer Month — this week is also National Volunteer Week, all the more reason to take a closer look at what you can do to share your expertise and time, whether through large international or national organizations, or local community groups, such as we have here in Minnesota with the Minnesota Historical Society and many others. It was also recently Microvolunteering Day, a day dedicated to promoting awareness for the microvolunteering movement, which the Canada-based group Skills For Change detailed in “Microvolunteering: What is it and Should You Try it?” The movement emphasizes “bite-sized tasks that you can participate in right here, right now,” which makes it easy for even the busiest of B2B marketers to take a few minutes to make a difference. Cause Corps is another group that strives to make doing good a daily habit.

8 — LinkedIn Learning For Expanding Your Realm Of Support

LinkedIn* has long been a top social platform for B2B marketing professionals, and through its LinkedIn Learning online video courses, a variety of on-demand classes about mentoring and volunteering are available. In “Expanding Your Support To Strangers,” writer Maxie McCoy has explored how being generous to connections is a reciprocal process, and has looked at how professionals can go beyond specific mentoring and volunteering efforts to extend our support to include the new connections and associates we meet in everyday life. [bctt tweet="“Get into public service. Sign up to volunteer. Knock on doors. Whatever it is that matters to you most, get into action and be a part of groups trying to change the reality that you’re feeling so passive about.” — Maxie McCoy @MaxieMcCoy" username="toprank"]

9 — SCORE One For The Mentors

Since 1964 the U.S. Small Business Administration has helped operate the SCORE Mentors volunteer mentor corps, a longstanding non-profit organization actively seeking marketers and others looking to serve during National Volunteer Month and beyond. During 2021, SCORE’s network of over 10,000 volunteers helped start more than 25,000 new businesses and create over 95,000 jobs, as SCORE Houston chairman Willy Verbrugghe recently shared.

10 — MovingWorlds & Meeting Global Challenges

B2B marketers looking to learn more about some of the ways that mentoring can take place will do well by reading the Harvard Business Review’s “How to Build a Great Relationship with a Mentor,” by Mark Horoszowski, CEO at MovingWorlds — a global group that helps change the world through efforts to scale impact with “experteering” professionals and more. Mark points out that most professionals don’t have mentoring relationships, even though more than three-quarters believe mentoring is an important part of growth. [bctt tweet="“It’s important to remember that while people are certainly busy, being asked to be a mentor is a massive compliment. People might say no, but it will be a positive exchange and you shouldn’t be shy about thinking big.” — Mark Horoszowski @markhoroszowski" username="toprank"]

11 — Reddit’s Mentoring & Volunteer Boards

Social news aggregator and discussion platform Reddit features dedicated groups for both mentoring and volunteering, popular message boards listing opportunities that B2B marketers may wish to explore, while groups such as Community Change focus on efforts helping low-income people — especially people of color — achieve a society where everyone thrives.

12 — Mindful Mentoring: Spark Lifelong Learning

By mentoring the next generations of marketers, you’ll not only help new subject matter experts develop, but also continue your own lifelong learning. B2B marketing is a two-way street when it comes to mentoring opportunities. “I think it’s really important that people seek out a person who is going to be a champion for them if they want to advance and grow their career,” Jen Holtvluwer, chief marketing officer at 3Gtms shared in our “Inside Influence 5: Jen Holtvluwer on Award Winning B2B Influencer Marketing” video and podcast. “I’ve had so many that I still keep in touch with today that have been that champion for my cause. So I think it’s really important to not to do it alone and make sure you put in the time and that your time is noticed. And make sure that you’re marketing yourself to the right champion in the business. Then they’ll stay with you and refer you as other opportunities come up,” Jen explained. We can do a great service to future generations by sharing our insight with aspiring young B2B marketers. If we can spark an interest by mentoring a younger colleague, client or associate, we’ll contribute to a future of marketing that is more robust with your own personal knowledge passed along to the next generation. We can do this by inspiring and mentoring young professionals by imparting our own passion for B2B marketing, as Peggy Smedley, editorial director and president at Specialty Publishing Media, shared with us in “B2B Influencer Marketing Advice from 9 Top B2B Influencers.” “As influencers we are here to serve the mission and [know] that our influence on people comes from our ability to be a role model. We need to be very mindful about what we say and how we say it. We are always leaders and mentors and we need to focus on the needs of others first because we have been tasked with leading others. We always need to serve others and by doing that we are doing the best for ourselves,” Peggy shared. [bctt tweet="“We are always leaders and mentors and we need to focus on the needs of others first because we have been tasked with leading others.” — Peggy Smedley @ConnectedWMag" username="toprank"]

Giving Is A Two-Way Street For Inspiring B2B Marketers

via GIPHY Whether it's through the opportunities we've explored here from Malcolm's List, Adweek’s Executive Mentor Program, Start Small Think Big, microvolunteering’s bite-sized help, LinkedIn Learning, or the experienceship movement, we hope that you've found a way to give back that works well for you. Creating award-winning B2B marketing that elevates, gives voice to talent, and humanizes with authenticity takes considerable time and effort, which is why an increasing number of firms are choosing to work with a top digital marketing agency such as TopRank Marketing. Contact us to learn how we can help, as we’ve done for over 20 years for businesses ranging from LinkedIn, Dell and 3M to Adobe, Oracle, monday.com and others. *LinkedIn is a TopRank Marketing client.

The post Elevate B2B: 10+ Mentoring & Volunteering Opportunities For B2B Marketers appeared first on B2B Marketing Blog - TopRank®.

Article Source: http://bathseoexpert.blogspot.com/2022/04/elevate-b2b-10-mentoring-volunteering.html

Content Contemplations: How We Process Information & Why B2B Marketers Must Craft Content That Elevates

How can B2B marketers craft content that elevates, and what role do our preferred digital formats play in making it happen? Recent study data looking at content formats has deep implications when it comes to creating online experiences that will not only be noticed, but delight the senses while also answering our most important questions. Let’s take a look at how we process information, and how written, static images, video, and audio can work cohesively to create B2B marketing content that elevates with hope and delights with hyper-relevant answers delivered at the right time.

1 — Brain Science & Marketing Content Preferences: Formats, Styles & Relevance

via GIPHY Understanding the human brain, with its exquisitely complex computational and filtering mechanisms, can go a long way towards learning the types of content that can perform the best in B2B marketing. The digital online content we experience everyday is in essence simply information that our brains process — swiftly weeding out data that:

• Doesn’t catch our attention
• Isn’t relevant
• Goes against our life values

Content that passes these initial filters in our brains then begins a second phase, where greater focus is given to information. During this round of consideration, we look at:

• Does this answer a question I have?
• Can this be useful to me?
• Can it be helpful to others I know?

If your marketing passes muster during this crucial moment, people will take action by interacting with your content in ways that include:

• Visiting a link to learn more
• Bookmarking or saving a digital asset for sharing or further study
• Sending a message to get more information

Survey data from three annual reports can help us learn more about marketing content preferences. The volume of requested B2B content consumption grew by over nine percent year-over-year from 2020 to 2021, with total demand expanding by over 33 percent, while the average time professionals used to consume content climbed to 33.3 hours— an increase of over three hours. (1) More people are consuming more content, and spending more time processing and taking action on what they take the time to engage with. Among corporate executives, content consumption rose by 15.8 percent in 2021. (1) Some 31 percent of content topics came from the information technology category, followed by finance with just over nine percent, and human resources with 8.8 percent. (1) If you're a B2B marketer working in the IT sector, you face the inherent challenge of having more content competing with yours, making it even more important to craft content that stands out to even get your foot in the door. Some 62 percent of marketers said they rely more on content when it comes to researching and making purchase decisions than they did a year ago. (2) 44 percent of marketers consumed between three and five pieces of content before engaging with sales, while some 32 percent said they felt overwhelmed at the sheer amount of content available. (2)

2 — Written Information: Content Traditions

via GIPHY While video and static visuals have made huge inroads in being able to convey information, written content remains the most-used format overall. eBooks were 4.8 times more likely to be requested than traditional white papers. While white papers represented over 20 percent of content, they drove just 7.4 percent of registration activity. (1) Among those in immediate buying positions, the top content formats included white papers, survey reports, and research papers. (1) Most other content formats incorporate written information, whether it's text in videos or images, or transcriptions from podcasts and webinars — a telling sign of the enduring power of the written word. B2B executives have said that research reports, white papers, and articles are the top content formats for those looking to buy within three months, while tips and tricks guides, eGuides and cheat sheets came out on top for buyers with timelines of a year or longer. (1)

3 — Static Visuals: Getting Deeper

Sitting firmly between written and video content, static visual content holds its own power to captivate and ultimately convert browsers into buyers. Information technology professionals are 435 percent more likely to consume content when it’s in “special report” format, while 75 percent of those in all industries saw an increase in content consumption. (1) A key element of reports and surveys is the visual presentation of information in easy-to-digest and share formats, which is why charts and photos are featured in successful marketing efforts in 2022. When it comes to researching B2B purchases, 45 percent of marketers said that research surveys and reports were the most valuable content formats, followed by 42 percent who pointed to white papers, 40 percent for eBooks, and 35 percent for webinars. (2)

4 — Flowing Video: Making Marketing Memories That Last

When it comes to meeting advertising campaign objectives, digital video, paid search, and paid social occupy nearly 90 percent of the top eight media content types. (1) As we've highlighted often in our own weekly TopRank Marketing B2B industry news, both the use and conversion power of video content has continued to grow in B2B marketing. Some 48 percent of marketers say that they are not using their organization’s existing video content to its fullest potential, despite 88 percent of content marketers who use video reporting that their organization achieves either excellent results from video or results that met expectations, according to CMI data. Webinars represent another increasingly important video content format. Professionals registering for webinars are some 29 percent more likely to have a purchase decision within six months than for any other content format. (1) 57 percent of marketers said that webinars and eBooks were their top content format, followed by white papers at 55 percent, research reports at 52 percent, blog posts at 46 percent, and case studies at 46 percent. (2) 68 percent of content marketers said they used pre-produced video in efforts over the past year. (3)

5 — Listen Up: Audio & Podcasting In B2B Marketing

An analogy I’ve used for more that 30 years is that I’d rather listen to music I love on a cheap $5 transistor radio than music I hate in one of the most high-end audiophile listening rooms — and as a long-time owner of massive Minnesota-built Magneplanar loudspeakers, I really do believe this. The same is true in marketing, where even brilliant no-holds-barred campaigns backed by practically unlimited spending can’t quite crack the nut if it’s promoting a dismal, shoddy product or service. On the other side of the coin, savvy use of small campaigns with limited budgets that smartly feature the content preferences we’ve explored here can reach virtually unlimited heights when they are applied to a stellar, class-leading service or product. Podcast advertising revenue is slated to top the $2 billion threshold by 2023, with more B2B brands turning to the format each year. Additionally, some 40 percent of marketers said they listened to audio content during the past year, representing an increase of three percent from the year before. (2)

Elevate With Your B2B Marketing Red Balloon

via GIPHY Through a newfound understanding of how we process information and how written, static images, video, and audio can work cohesively, B2B marketers can elevate content to new heights — as we find our own red balloon of marketing hope and delight. The marketing magic happens when you deliver the right information in the formats that people want, and the formats can often be changed to provide the same answers in a variety of formats. “Reshare. If something was done really well in the past, remix it into a different format and share it,” Purna Virji, senior content marketing evangelist and content solutions consultant at LinkedIn* recently observed. [bctt tweet="“Reshare. If something was done really well in the past, remix it into a different format and share it.” — Purna Virji @purnavirji" username="toprank"] To learn more about elevating your B2B marketing efforts, check out our CEO Lee Odden's "Three Steps to Elevated B2B Marketing in 2022: Innovate, Collaborate, Accelerate." Creating award-winning B2B marketing that elevates, gives voice to talent, and humanizes with authenticity takes considerable time and effort, which is why an increasing number of firms are choosing to work with a top digital marketing agency such as TopRank Marketing. Contact us to learn how we can help, as we’ve done for over 20 years for businesses ranging from LinkedIn, Dell and 3M to Adobe, Oracle, monday.com and others.

SOURCES:

1. Netline’s 2022 State of B2B Content Consumption & Demand Report (1)
2. Demand Gen Report’s Content Preferences Survey Report (2)
3. Content Marketing Institute’s B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets & Trends (3)

* LinkedIn is a TopRank Marketing client.

The post Content Contemplations: How We Process Information & Why B2B Marketers Must Craft Content That Elevates appeared first on B2B Marketing Blog - TopRank®.

Article Source: http://bathseoexpert.blogspot.com/2022/04/content-contemplations-how-we-process.html