B2B Marketing Best Practices 2011

We’ve been fans of MarketingSherpa reports, guides and handbooks for many years, recently reviewing their SEO Benchmark Report for 2011. As passionate B2B Marketers, we’re always on the lookout for qualitative information to improve our B2B client marketing as well as our own. That’s why I’m pretty motivated by the new 2011 B2B Marketing Advanced Practices Handbook from MarketingSherpa.

Led by Senior Research Analyst, Jen Doyle, this Handbook is nearly 200 pages of research based best practices, graphs, worksheets and of course, their FUEL Methodology for elevating B2B Marketing effectiveness. Here’s a rundown of the report:

If you’re wondering, “Who’s Brian Larson?”, you’re not alone. Before I jump into the details of some of the can’t miss sessions at the upcoming SES Toronto conference, I’ll borrow a line from Austin Powers: “Please allow myself to introduce…myself.”

I’m a SEO Account Manager at TopRank Online Marketing – which means I have the enviable job of developing and managing SEO programs for several TopRank clients. One of the many benefits of my job is that I have the opportunity to work daily with some of the most intelligent and forward thinking companies around (you know who you are).  As I head to SES Toronto, I go with my clients’ goals and needs at the front of my mind.

As Google puts the squeeze on traditional ranking signals and subsequently, Search Engine Optimization tactics, the growing emphasis on social signals has many SEO practitioners getting more serious about social engagement.

While search marketing has been a key part of our consulting practice since 2001, our Online Marketing agency’s work with Public Relations and blogging since 2003 has helped us develop an appreciation of the influence and engagement outcomes possible with social media pretty quickly, vs. solely as a promotion channel for links. That sentiment is growing rapidly as of late with many traditional SEOs.

Content Marketing – Tactics and Best Practices

Soon I’ll be starting a new series of practical tips on tactics that marketers can use to complement their content-focused online marketing efforts.

The idea of content marketing seems to vary with different people, so to start, my definition of content marketing is: “Aligning business and consumer information needs with content.” We’ll see if that holds as I go through the next 6 months or so of posts.

A lot of the information on content marketing that we promote here on Online Marketing Blog offers process, strategy and models of approach. This series makes the bold assumption that the reader has already considered goals, audience, strategy and measurement and is looking for tips on tactics that fit within their planned online marketing mix.

I have great news this Friday morning, not only is Online Marketing Summit coming to Minneapolis next week June 6-8, offering a range of training and presentations from brands and expert consultants, but TopRank Online Marketing is giving away TWO free passes!

OMS Minneapolis is focused on practical advice for marketing practitioners with a promising agenda covering: best practices community management from Best Buy plus hot tips & tactics on mobile, display, re-marketing, PPC, video, email, affiliate, user experience from local and national experts.

Of course you can also tap into a Killer Social SEO Strategy with TopRank Online Marketing at 10:15am where you can learn how large and small brands alike have integrated Social Media, SEO and Content Marketing to increase sales and improve customer engagement. This “Killer” session will provide practical examples of both BtoB and BtoC companies overcoming the competition with an agile, customer focused content marketing strategy.

Guides about internet marketing tactics like Search Engine Optimization can be very useful tools; not only for practitioners to gain insight into what’s working and what’s not, but also for the agency/client side people working on the business side of things to understand where a particular tactic fits within an overall online marketing program.

While there are many, many credible SEO bloggers, conference speakers and pundits talking about the virtues of the latest SEO this and that, many business leaders are keen on recommendations that come with the credibility of an established marketing publication. The updated Guide on SEO edited by Jake Hird from Econsultancy, “SEO Best Practice Guide - Comprehensive advice for natural search marketers” is a great example of such a resource.