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7 Must-See #MPB2B Sessions Plus Exclusive Insights From Top B2B Marketing Speakers

The air is crisp and the leaves have fallen which means it’s time for one of my favorite Fall events: MarketingProfs B2B Forum.

Each year, B2B marketers from around the globe gather for this epic event. And this year, the forum is moving to San Francisco (we’ll miss you Boston) for the very first time.

At the conference, TopRank Marketing CEO Lee Odden will be guiding an expert panel of B2B influencer marketers who will dig into what it REALLY takes to create and scale a successful program. Shortly after, I will be taking the stage to share how you can identify influencers and tap into their superpowers with my Stranger Things themed presentation. We’d love to see you at both sessions if you can make it!

7 Must-See #MPB2B Sessions Plus Exclusive Insights From Top B2B Marketing Speakers

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B2B Influencer Marketing Interview: Whitney Magnuson, IBM

Lee Odden on Nov 12th, 2018 B2B Marketing, Influencer Marketing

Whitney Magnuson IBM

Our journey into the world of B2B influencer marketing continues this week with an interview featuring Whitney Magnuson, Global head of social and influencers at IBM Systems.

Overall, IBM has a long history working with influencers ranging from the Midsize Insider blogging program to the IBM Futurists. For her part at IBM Systems, Whitney has overseen the creation of a first-of-its-kind external influencer outreach program that has since become the model for IBM company-wide among many other accomplishments.

In this interview, Whitney talks about the differences between B2C and B2B influencer marketing, how influencer marketing is positioned within her company, a favorite influencer marketing campaign and tips on tools and measurement.

What brought you to the world of Influencer Marketing?

B2B Influencer Marketing Interview: Whitney Magnuson, IBM

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Digital Marketing News: Google’s Demographic Targets, People Analytics, Pinterest’s Carousel Ads, & the Psychology of Social Sharing

Lane Ellis on Nov 9th, 2018 Online Marketing News

2018 November 9 News CallMiner Image

The Importance of Listening to Customers [Infographic]
How customer interactions affect your bottom line, why they leave, and the important of listening are all examined in a new infographic from CallMiner. HubSpot

With B2B Marketing, It’s Back to the Basics
Going back to the basics can pay off in the B2B marketing world, and the benefit of segmentation is the focus of a new customer-relationship-management-centric take on this sector of digital marketing. destinationCRM

Better People Analytics
The analytics of people has become increasingly important, with over 70 percent of firms now saying people analytics is a high priority, and the Harvard Business Review takes a close look at the trend. Harvard Business Review

Digital Marketing News: Google’s Demographic Targets, People Analytics, Pinterest’s Carousel Ads, & the Psychology of Social Sharing

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How Data Insights Can Lead Your B2B Content Marketing Strategy

Anne Leuman on Nov 8th, 2018 B2B Marketing, Content Marketing

There’s little doubt among seasoned B2B content marketers that strategy is the key to success. In fact, according to the 2019 B2B Content Marketing Report produced by Content Marketing Institute (CMI) and MarketingProfs, the most successful content marketers (65%) are far more likely to have a documented strategy than their less successful peers (14%).

The kicker? That same report revealed that just 27% of B2B marketers say their content marketing efforts are very or extremely successful in achieving their organization’s desired results. The next largest chunk, 51%, say their content marketing is only “moderately effective.”

What’s causing the disconnect? The report points to content marketing maturity: The more sophisticated your content marketing efforts become, the more success you’re likely to have.

How Data Insights Can Lead Your B2B Content Marketing Strategy

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Don’t Blink: 3 Often-Overlooked Practices for Highly-Effective Content Creation

Lane Ellis on Nov 7th, 2018 Content Marketing

Green hedge row maze with hut.

Welcome to the fourth installment in our multi-part “Collective Wisdom” series of content marketing strategy articles.

In this episode, we’ll take a look at the value of specific strategy practices that are sometimes overlooked or underutilized when it comes to creating strong content, featuring insight and examples from some of the world’s best digital marketers.

We kicked off our series with the planning process in “How to Boost Your Content Marketing Efforts By Planning Ahead,” went forward with content creation in “The Art Of Crafting More Powerful Content: 5 Top Tactics from the Experts,” and then dug even deeper into messaging with “5 Powerful Messaging Tactics For 2019 And Beyond From Marketing Experts.”

Don’t Blink: 3 Often-Overlooked Practices for Highly-Effective Content Creation

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5 Content Marketing Shortcuts That Cost You in the Long Run

Joshua Nite on Nov 6th, 2018 B2B Marketing, B2C Marketing, Content Marketing

You know what they call a shortcut that actually saves time?

The route.

That was the wisdom my dad gave me the first time we went hiking together. Sometimes when you look at the map, it looks like there’s a better path. But the route is the route for a reason. Chasing a shortcut feels like making progress — but it might not get you to the trail’s end.

Marketers dig shortcuts. Or, as we call them, “hacks.” It makes sense: We’re usually overworked, understaffed, and expected to work wonders. A content marketing hack promises to cut a straight line through a tedious process, increasing efficiency and boosting results.

5 Content Marketing Shortcuts That Cost You in the Long Run

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B2B Influencer Marketing Interview: Rani Mani, Adobe

Lee Odden on Nov 5th, 2018 B2B Marketing, Influencer Marketing

Rani Mani Adobe

For this week’s installment of B2B influencer marketing interviews, we get to meet Rani Mani, Head of Social Influencer Enablement at Adobe. Besides her accomplishments working with cross functional teams and developing strategies for cultivating and nurturing community engagement so that Adobe can be a community driven business, she has an amazing and inspiring personal story.

In this interview, Rani shares how working with B2B influencers can drive marketing results, how influencer engagement is organized at Adobe, tips on recruiting and engaging influencers, and some her favorite B2B influencers to work with.

What brought you to the world of Influencer Marketing?

I am passionate about community building and shining a light on the people doing amazing things in the world with our products and services. Influencer Relations is a perfect fit for that passion.

B2B Influencer Marketing Interview: Rani Mani, Adobe

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Digital Marketing News: Google’s Parallel Tracking, Content Marketing DemandGen Study, LinkedIn’s Google Integration, & Twitter’s Growth

Lane Ellis on Nov 2nd, 2018 Online Marketing News

2018 November 2 News XCart Image

The Influence of Instagram [Infographic]
MarketingProfs takes a look at the increasing influence of Instagram among digital marketers, including a new infographic showing the Facebook-owned service’s growth and other influencer statistics. MarketingProfs

LinkedIn Sponsored Content can now be tracked via Google Campaign Manager
Sponsored content on LinkedIn (client) is one of the items that can now be tracked with Google’s Campaign Manager, along with video, lead-generation forms, and carousel ads, among others. Marketing Land

Google Will Make Parallel Tracking Mandatory On Oct. 30 – But What Is It?
Google has made parallel third-party tracking its default, the start of a rollout expected to make the method mandatory for video and display ads by March 2019, and AdExchanger takes a look at the changes. AdExchanger

Digital Marketing News: Google’s Parallel Tracking, Content Marketing DemandGen Study, LinkedIn’s Google Integration, & Twitter’s Growth

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Just Getting Started with Influencer Marketing? 6 Things You Should Know

Lee Odden on Nov 1st, 2018 Influencer Marketing

Smarter Influencer Marketing
According to the World Federation of Advertisers, 65% of multinational brands will increase their influencer marketing spending in the next 12 months. Mediakix reports that influencer ad spending alone will increase from $5 billion to $10 billion in the next 5 years.

Clearly, more companies are moving into the world of influencer marketing. Recent research from Traackr and Brian Solis from Altimeter group offers evidence of this momentum with the number of companies moving from experimenting to implementing tactical influencer marketing programs increasing from 28% to 47%.

While there’s a lot of inertia towards influencer marketing, it’s still early days for many companies, especially in B2B industries. Fortunately, B2B influencer content is a speciality area for us and if you’re thinking about starting or evolving your business influencer engagement and content program, here are a few things to consider:

Just Getting Started with Influencer Marketing? 6 Things You Should Know

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6 Scary Good Tips to Take Your Content Marketing ‘Beyond the Grave’

Caitlin Burgess on Oct 31st, 2018 Content Marketing

After conjuring all the budget, talent, and creativity you can muster, the moment you release your content marketing campaign into the digital wild is devilishly satisfying. All your hard work comes alive right before your very eyes, and that’s certainly cause for celebration.

via GIPHY

But after the campaign lives its best life, what will its fate be?

Oftentimes, all that spooktastic work is retired to the content marketing graveyard. However, with the right mix of will and witchcraft, your campaigns can be saved from the digital depths of darkness and be given new life.

How? Below we offer several frightfully fantastic tips to take your content marketing campaign well beyond the grave.

6 Scary Good Tips to Take Your Content Marketing ‘Beyond the Grave’

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20 More Dumb Jokes for Smart Marketers

Joshua Nite on Oct 30th, 2018 B2B Marketing

A great pun is like a great digital marketing campaign: If you do it right, it will stick with people until they’re compelled to share it — even the simplest ones require a level of sophistication to make and to appreciate.

Every marketer I know is incredibly smart — whether it’s my team at TopRank Marketing, the influencers and thought leaders we work with, or the folks I’ve met at marketing conventions. Marketers are sharp, detail-oriented, intellectually rigorous, and susceptible to flattery.

So, if you’re a smart digital or content marketer, take a break from your challenging, rewarding work and enjoy these jokes. And remember: If your colleagues don’t laugh, they’re just not as sophisticated as you.

20 More Dumb Jokes for Smart Marketers

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B2B Influencer Marketing Interview: Martin Jones, Cox Communications

Lee Odden on Oct 29th, 2018 B2B Marketing, Influencer Marketing

Martin Jones

I’ve known Martin Jones casually through marketing conferences for several years. Martin occupies that unique position of being someone who manages influencer marketing programs for his brand and is also an influencer himself.

In fact, it is through an influencer engagement for IBM that both Martin and I were involved with that I had a chance to get to know him in earnest. His climb at Cox Communications is a classic American success story and at the same time, Martin is incredibly humble and one of the nicest people in the industry.

In this interview, Martin shares his journey into working with influencers, tips on identifying, recruiting and managing relationships with influencers as well as insights on measurement and his thoughts towards the future.

B2B Influencer Marketing Interview: Martin Jones, Cox Communications

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