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Nick Nelson

B2B Marketers: It’s Time to Make Inclusive Language a Priority. Here’s How.

Nick Nelson
Nick Nelson on Jan 19th, 2022
B2B Marketing

Diverse Marketing Team Collaborating on Inclusive Language

If you’re in the business of marketing, I don’t need to tell you that words have power.

They have the power to influence. The power to endear. The power to alienate.

If you’re in the business of marketing, I don’t need to tell you how undesirable that last effect is.

It’s the risk today’s brands are running if they fail to make inclusive language a priority. The words used in content and communications speak volumes about a company’s values.

Following a few simple guiding principles can make a big difference in projecting a brand culture and community that are welcoming to all, both externally and internally.


B2B Marketers: It’s Time to Make Inclusive Language a Priority. Here’s How.

Broadcast Your B2B Marketing with a Brand Voice that Rings True

Nick Nelson
Nick Nelson on Jan 3rd, 2022
B2B Marketing

Sports Broadcaster Holding Microphone

Last month, the sports world mourned the loss of John Madden, an iconic broadcaster who – for many of us – became the voice of NFL football.

Overshadowing his illustrious career as a head coach, which included a Super Bowl victory, Madden is best known as a legendary color commentator – likely the most recognizable and beloved in the history of football, if not all of professional sports.

What is it about Madden that made his voice and narration so resonant with fans? If you read through some of the various tributes to emerge since his passing, a few recurring themes stand out.

  • He made things simple for his audience, while still managing to educate them on the nuances of the game.

Broadcast Your B2B Marketing with a Brand Voice that Rings True

Boosting B2B Marketing Credibility with Social Proof and Influencers: 4 Tips

Nick Nelson
Nick Nelson on Oct 5th, 2021
B2B Marketing

Customer Leaving Online Review image.

This is gonna be the greatest blog post EVER.

Did you believe me there? You probably didn’t.

Sure, I might think it’s an awesome piece of content. But I’m not exactly an objective source. Now, if you were to come across a post on social media from someone you know and trust, linking to this blog post and saying it’s the best thing they’ve read all year? That’s a different story.

Therein lies the immense value of social proof, which is only growing more impactful as businesses and society evolve into a new era. A survey from Kantar Media last year found that 93% of people trust brand recommendations from family and friends, while only 38% trust information from advertisers. Meanwhile, 84% of people say they trust online reviews as much as their friends.


Boosting B2B Marketing Credibility with Social Proof and Influencers: 4 Tips

Fuel Your Passion for B2B Marketing with These Famous Baseball Quotes

Nick Nelson
Nick Nelson on Sep 1st, 2021
B2B Marketing

Baseball Stadium with Lights

A few weeks ago, Major League Baseball enjoyed a historic moment with its Field of Dreams Game, played at the cornfield-surrounded site in Iowa where the legendary movie was based.

Naturally, this event brought on waves of nostalgia among those who cherish the 1989 classic and its many memorable quotes.

“If you build it, he will come.”

“Hey dad, you wanna have a catch?”

“This field, this game: it’s a part of our past, Ray. It reminds us of all that once was good and it could be again.”

via GIPHY

Baseball is a complex and strategically sophisticated game that has evoked many wise and thought-provoking words over the years — often with applicability beyond the ballpark. I’ve noted in the past baseball’s parallels to marketing: methodical and rhythmic pursuits driven by patience, sequencing, and learning from failure.


Fuel Your Passion for B2B Marketing with These Famous Baseball Quotes

How to Accelerate Reach and Engagement of B2B Content Through Co-Creation

Nick Nelson
Nick Nelson on May 12th, 2021
B2B Marketing, Content Marketing

Co-create B2B Content

“Look, I made this!”

Sharing things we create is a human compulsion that traces back to childhood. Whether you’re showing your mom a drawing so she can pin it up on the fridge, or linking social media followers to your latest blog post, it’s natural for people of all ages to proudly broadcast their creative output.

Therein lies the power of co-creation for content amplification. “If you want your content reach to be great, ask your community to participate.”

Let’s explore this approach to content collaboration from a B2B marketing perspective.

Why Co-create Content for B2B Marketing?

There are many benefits to collaborative content creation. TopRank Marketing CEO Lee Odden covered several in his writeup last year on winning at B2B influence with the magic of content co-creation. Among them:


How to Accelerate Reach and Engagement of B2B Content Through Co-Creation

Brave New World: The Model for B2B Marketing Success, Post-Pandemic

Nick Nelson
Nick Nelson on Apr 15th, 2021
B2B Marketing

Business Meeting in Office with Masks Image

“The new normal.”

I believe that’s what we would call the opposite of a compelling lede. Nobody wants to hear that phrase anymore, I know it. While that may be the case, it’s an unavoidable truth that our world does, and will, look different in many ways following a globally disruptive pandemic.

Savvy business and marketing leaders are already planning proactively for what lies ahead. They’re assessing what’s changed in the past year, analyzing trends and indicators, and optimizing their strategies to thrive within an altered economic and social environment.

We’re here to help. Read on for research and recommendations that will help you equip your B2B organization for maximum success going forward.


Brave New World: The Model for B2B Marketing Success, Post-Pandemic

4 Ways B2B Marketers Can Spring Forward And Grow Content Marketing Success

Nick Nelson
Nick Nelson on Mar 16th, 2021
Online Marketing

Woman Looking Upward Optimistically

We’re more than a year into the pandemic, and things are looking up. Vaccines are rapidly rolling out, states are dialing back restrictions, and a massive government stimulus is about to be distributed across the country. There is a hope, if not an expectation, that the economy will get on a roll this summer.

Nothing can be taken for granted, but the outlook is bright. Numerous industries may experience rises in demand during the months ahead. This is a good time for companies serving those industries to be positioning themselves with smart growth strategies and ambitious marketing plans.

With that in mind, here are some ideas and recommendations to springboard your B2B marketing into the summer months:

Spring Ahead: 4 Tips to Drive Fast Marketing Growth

#1. Let your raving fans guide you forward


4 Ways B2B Marketers Can Spring Forward And Grow Content Marketing Success

Problem Solved: Increase B2B Content Marketing Success by Conquering 4 Conundrums

Nick Nelson
Nick Nelson on Feb 23rd, 2021
B2B Marketing, Content Marketing

Content Marketer Deep in Thought Image

In his recently-published book, What’s Your Problem: Become a Better B2B Marketer by Enhancing Your Problem-Solving Skills, Steve Goldhaber argues that the discipline of content marketing boils down to a simple consistent objective: solving problems.

It’s a reasonable framing. Almost every piece of marketing content is essentially aimed at solving a problem. This really gets to the fundamental intent of B2B content marketing as a practice: by helping our audience solve day-to-day problems and overcome business challenges, we hope that they’ll eventually consider using our product or service to solve a bigger problem.

But content marketers can’t focus solely on solving problems for customers. We also need to look inward and address key challenges that threaten the value and impact of our problem-solving content. The old saying about “getting your own house in order” comes to mind.


Problem Solved: Increase B2B Content Marketing Success by Conquering 4 Conundrums

6 Eye-Opening B2B Content Marketing Statistics for 2021

Nick Nelson
Nick Nelson on Feb 16th, 2021
B2B Marketing, Content Marketing

Content Writer Drafting Copy on Laptop

“You can come up with statistics to prove anything, Kent. Forty percent of all people know that.” – Homer Simpson

Homer might be right, generally speaking. But I still maintain that good, accurate, timely statistics from trusted sources can serve as vital guideposts and benchmarking tools, especially when it comes to business strategy.

This certainly applies in my own corner of the business world: the fast-changing and critically important field of B2B content marketing.

Trends in content marketing tend to reflect broader truths, since we’re talking about the ways in which companies and customers interact and communicate. Because of this, I like to keep a close eye on new research and data as it surfaces, filing away nuggets that strike me as especially telling.


6 Eye-Opening B2B Content Marketing Statistics for 2021

5 Standout Traits of the Best B2B Content Marketers

Nick Nelson
Nick Nelson on Jan 24th, 2021
B2B Marketing, Content Marketing

Traits of the Best B2B Content Marketers

My favorite part of playing a sports video game is the “Create a Player” function. It gives me the opportunity to set realism aside and dream up the most legendary, dominant athletic specimen imaginable. On the basketball court, no real-life point guard would be able to match up against “Dimes McGee,” my customized 7-foot-10 wunderkind with 99 ratings for shooting, passing, ball-handling, speed, and defense. Talk about optimization!

What if you could “create a player” in B2B content marketing? Which attributes would you want to max out in order to fabricate the most successful practitioner possible? It’s a fun and interesting question to contemplate, in large part because the answers now are different than even a few years ago.

Which traits and characteristics define the most effective B2B content marketers in 2021?


5 Standout Traits of the Best B2B Content Marketers

Pitfall! Steering Clear of 5 Common B2B Content Marketing Missteps

Nick Nelson
Nick Nelson on Jan 5th, 2021
Content Marketing

Woman Jumping Over Pitfalls Image

It’s been almost 40 years since Pitfall!, the classic side-scrolling platformer for the original Atari, was first released. David Crane’s creation went on to become one of the first console video game hits, selling more than 4 million copies, and is now remembered as an influential breakthrough for the medium.

Why did Pitfall! gain such rampant popularity? Because it was realistic and relatable!

I’m not talking about the pixelated 2D graphics or exotic jungle setting. I’m talking about the basic premise of problem-solving. The game is full of traps, hazards, and challenges, but there’s always a way around them. “Oh hey, a giant pit full of alligators. How will I get to the other side? Perhaps by grabbing hold of that swinging vine…”


Pitfall! Steering Clear of 5 Common B2B Content Marketing Missteps

Top B2B Marketers Share their Content Marketing Predictions for 2021

Nick Nelson
Nick Nelson on Dec 22nd, 2020
B2B Marketing, Content Marketing

B2B Content Marketing Predictions 2021

Even in the steadiest of times, content marketing can be a difficult field to project forward. The craft is fluid and fast-changing by nature. When customer preferences and behaviors are evolving, which is always, so too must the ways we reach and engage them.

Needless to say, predicting what lies ahead for content marketing is especially tough right now, as we wrap up a chaotic year of 2020 and stare into the uncertainty of 2021.

That doesn’t mean we won’t try!

As organizations lay out plans and strategies for the coming year, it’s vital to get a bead on trends and threadlines that will shape the terrain. Where should content marketers and strategists be setting their sights? Which challenges and opportunities stand out? What will be the keys to success?


Top B2B Marketers Share their Content Marketing Predictions for 2021
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