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3 Key B2B Marketing Themes from #MPB2B

Katelyn Drake
Katelyn Drake on Oct 14th, 2022
B2B Marketing, MarketingProfs B2B Forum

The content and conversations at MarketingProfs B2B Forum this week were beyond inspiring for a #MPB2B newcomer like me. The energy within this B2B content marketing community is intoxicating and to quote Jacco van der Kooij’s closing keynote, “What you have in this room – this is a community. Communities bring happiness. Joy unlocks when we are together. It is contagious, and it spreads.”

After day one, I asked 5 questions for B2B marketers, but as this event wraps, here are three key themes I heard over and over from the B2B content marketing experts:

BRAND

Brand voice does not get enough attention in B2B marketing.

Following the sentiments shared in the first episode of the Elevate B2B podcast, Ann Handley , chief content officer at MarketingProfs, opened #MPB2B stressing the importance of brand: “brand voice is the new logo. If you cover up the logo, do others recognize you?”


3 Key B2B Marketing Themes from #MPB2B

5 Questions B2B Marketers Need To Ask: Top Take-Aways From My First #MPB2B — Day #1

Katelyn Drake
Katelyn Drake on Oct 13th, 2022
B2B Marketing, MarketingProfs B2B Forum

5 questions B2B marketers need to ask #MPB2B collage image

When asked to attend the MarketingProfs B2B Forum, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’ve been to conferences as an attendee, an exhibiting sponsor and as a speaker, but never specifically within the B2B content marketing space, and this group can be an intimidating one.

Sure, I’ve admired the long list of content marketing rock-stars, storytellers and B2B influencers, but memories crept up from being the new kid in town.

To no one’s surprise, the marketers at this event in downtown Boston have embraced and welcomed newcomers like me into their conversations. I’ve been taking furious notes, engaging on social channels more than I have in years, and have soaked up every ounce of content and inspiration possible like a sponge.


5 Questions B2B Marketers Need To Ask: Top Take-Aways From My First #MPB2B — Day #1

7 Keys To Successful B2B Influencer Marketing #MPB2B

Lane Ellis
Lane Ellis on Nov 11th, 2020
B2B Marketing, Influencer Marketing, MarketingProfs B2B Forum

Businessman looking intently at computer image.

MarketingProfs educational content director Kerry O’Shea Gorgone kicked off an insightful #MPB2B Forum 2020 session with our CEO Lee Odden exploring B2B influencer marketing, “New Research: How to be Successful With Influencer Marketing.”

Lee began by explaining that when it comes to B2B influencer marketing, to create and maintain a successful program you’ve got to do the hard work and be smart about it, and set about to demystify some of the lesser-known aspects of B2B influencer marketing by sharing what he’s learned from having been deeply involved with the practice for the past eight years.

Let’s take a look at the new B2B influencer marketing research Lee explored in his insightful MarketingProfs B2B Forum #MPB2B 2020 session.

1 — Utilize Influencers to Rise Above Pandemic Uncertainties

Kerry & Lee Odden #MPB2B


7 Keys To Successful B2B Influencer Marketing #MPB2B

LinkedIn’s Ty Heath: 3 Enduring B2B Marketing Trends #MPB2B

Lane Ellis
Lane Ellis on Nov 5th, 2020
B2B Marketing, MarketingProfs B2B Forum

Woman at computers looking at trend data image.

While MarketingProfs B2B Forum’s Ann Handley was introducing Ty Heath, director of market engagement at The B2B Institute at LinkedIn*, for her keynote, “Evolve your Strategy: 3 Mega Marketing Trends to Outperform Your Competition,” she shared that one of the advantages of holding the event virtually for the first time was that you could be three places at once by being able to watch all sessions once the conference concludes.

2020 marked Ty’s third year speaking at #MPB2B, and her first keynoting the event, and for the occasion Ann shared her hand-drawn portrait of Ty.

Ty Heath Screenshot A


LinkedIn’s Ty Heath: 3 Enduring B2B Marketing Trends #MPB2B

Adobe’s Rani Mani: 5 Tips For Creating Your B2B Influencer Marketing Love Affair #MPB2B

Lane Ellis
Lane Ellis on Nov 4th, 2020
B2B Marketing, Influencer Marketing, MarketingProfs B2B Forum

Woman making heart sign with her hands image.

Rani Mani, head of global employee advocacy at Adobe* delivered an impassioned presentation filled to the brim with B2B influencer marketing insights, with a special focus on how the best influencer relationships are in essence not that different from successful personal relationships.

Rani explained how she’s come to have a love affair with influencer marketing, and shared the process she uses to help turn mere social media heavyweights into long-term and deeply-engaged Adobe advocates — a plan than can be implemented by any brand willing to put in the time, effort, and especially the passion that Rani and her team have.


Adobe’s Rani Mani: 5 Tips For Creating Your B2B Influencer Marketing Love Affair #MPB2B

10 Must-See Sessions at MarketingProfs B2B Forum 2020 #MPB2B

Lane Ellis
Lane Ellis on Nov 4th, 2020
B2B Marketing, MarketingProfs B2B Forum

Woman With Illuminated Fingertips Image

MarketingProfs B2B Forum 2020 will be the center of the B2B marketing world this week, as many of the world’s leading B2B marketers gather virtually on November 4 – 5 to learn and exchange the industry’s latest research and insight.

This year’s first-ever virtual edition offer a vast array speakers and sessions relating to all areas of B2B marketing, and while we’ve already shared our handy list of “25 Top B2B Marketing Influencers To Follow In 2021 #MPB2B,” we also want to provide you with a list of some of the sessions that we’re most looking forward to this week during #MPB2B.

Here are 10 sessions that stand out to us as must-see presentations as we head towards 2021 and beyond.


10 Must-See Sessions at MarketingProfs B2B Forum 2020 #MPB2B

Imagine What’s Possible: Top Insights & Favorite Marketing Moments From #MPB2B 2019

Ashley Zeckman
Ashley Zeckman
B2B Marketing, MarketingProfs B2B Forum, Online Marketing

If we had to describe the experience at this year’s MarketingProfs B2B Forum in one word, we would probably have to go with “neighborly.”

Yes, this vibe was intentionally embedded by the event organizers, who constructed the main stage and supporting elements at MPB2B around a “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” theme. But the speakers and attendees at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center all did their parts to foster a helpful, friendly, and kind environment. 

As a result, we’ve returned home with our mental batteries recharged, full of inspiration and motivation to help our clients, partners, audience, and coworkers achieve new heights with B2B marketing strategy.


Imagine What’s Possible: Top Insights & Favorite Marketing Moments From #MPB2B 2019

How Intuit Surmounted Stagnating Lead Gen with Customer Insight

Nick Nelson
Nick Nelson
B2B Marketing, MarketingProfs B2B Forum

Here’s something you might already know about Intuit: The leading financial software company has been around for 35 years, buoyed by its primary software offerings, TurboTax and QuickBooks.

Here’s something you might not know (at least it was news to me): While Intuit does market to consumers, B2B customers comprise a large portion of the company’s base – its ProConnect division sells products to tax and accounting professionals, while Intuit, in general, is reliant on such pros to recommend TurboTax and QuickBooks to their own clients.

And on this B2B front, Intuit was facing a challenge: Leads had been flat for five years. Despite extremely high product awareness (I doubt anyone reading this hasn’t heard of those two main products) and strong tax firm industry retention rates around 90%, Intuit simply wasn’t bringing in new business at the desired rate.


How Intuit Surmounted Stagnating Lead Gen with Customer Insight

Tales from the B2B Influencer Marketing Trenches with Leaders from Dell & SAP #MPB2B

Ashley Zeckman
Ashley Zeckman
B2B Marketing, Influencer Marketing, MarketingProfs B2B Forum

When was the last time you made a purchase without reading multiple reviews, asking your friends for recommendations or relying on an endorsement from someone that you know and trust? The likely response is: “I can’t even remember that far back.”

While trusting the insights of others to inform our purchasing decisions has become second-nature for both personal and business purchases, influencer marketing for B2B organizations is still fairly new. In fact, only 24% of marketers are currently partnering with influencers to expand their reach (CMI & MarketingProfs). 

Last week at MarketingProfs B2B Forum, seasoned influencer marketing leaders Konstanze Alex and Janine Wegner from Dell* and Amisha Gandhi from SAP* teamed up to share tales from the trenches of influencer marketing at their respective organizations. Below is just a sampling of the insights they shared that can help guide your approach for your brand. 


Tales from the B2B Influencer Marketing Trenches with Leaders from Dell & SAP #MPB2B

Breaking Down Barriers for Healthy B2B Marketing with Lee Odden #MPB2B

Nick Nelson
Nick Nelson
B2B Marketing, Content Marketing, MarketingProfs B2B Forum

On Thursday morning at MarketingProfs B2B Forum, TopRank Marketing CEO Lee Odden asked a room full of marketers, “Who here has tried starting a diet or exercise program before?” Pretty much every hand in the room shot up.

The percentage of those individuals who would rate their efforts as a satisfying success? Not quite so high.

Falling short of aspirations with fitness endeavors is an almost universally relatable experience. We embark on a diet plan, but we slip. We go all-in on a workout regimen, but we stop. Life gets in the way, and other priorities demand our attention. Alas, any temporary progress we make ultimately proves to be only that.

Many marketers are familiar with this pattern in their jobs: Campaigns yielding strong results, which quickly fade and leave us unfulfilled.


Breaking Down Barriers for Healthy B2B Marketing with Lee Odden #MPB2B

A Primer on Combining Account-Based Marketing and Social Selling, from LinkedIn’s Ty Heath #MPB2B

Nick Nelson
Nick Nelson
B2B Marketing, MarketingProfs B2B Forum

Lines are blurring. The B2B funnel is no longer tidily divided between marketing (top) and sales (bottom) because the buying process has grown more complex and less linear. 

Account-based marketing and social selling are both practices built for the new era of convergence, encouraging marketers to think more like sellers and vice versa. On Wednesday afternoon at MarketingProfs B2B Forum, Ty Heath of LinkedIn* offered her perspective on bolstering alignment by combining ABM and social selling, while calling out tools and tactics that can aid these efforts.

ABM, Meet Social Selling

At B2B Sales and Marketing Exchange a couple months ago, Sangram Vajre of Terminus kicked things off with an opening keynote in which he declared “ABM is B2B.” He argued that the principles of account-based marketing have become so ingrained in the fabric of B2B marketing that virtually everyone operating in the space is adopting an ABM framework to some degree. This was a sentiment echoed by others at the conference.


A Primer on Combining Account-Based Marketing and Social Selling, from LinkedIn’s Ty Heath #MPB2B

The Truth About Marketing Personalization, According to Arm Treasure Data’s Tom Treanor #MPB2B

Nick Nelson
Nick Nelson
B2B Marketing, MarketingProfs B2B Forum

Personalization is one of the most-discussed topics in marketing today, B2B or otherwise, and with all the chatter it can be a little tricky to separate fact from fiction. At MarketingProfs B2B Forum on Tuesday afternoon, Arm Treasure Data’s* Global Head of Marketing Tom Treanor took the stage to serve up some truth. 

By offering clarity around what separates the leaders from the learners on this critical frontier, his session provided a blueprint for refining and improving our efforts to get in sync with customers and prospects.

B2B Personalization Is Challenging (But Critical!)

During another session earlier in the day, Samantha Stone of The Marketing Advisory offered up some truth of her own, which resonated with Tom and I: “We need to worry less about creating scale, and more about creating relationships in our marketing.”


The Truth About Marketing Personalization, According to Arm Treasure Data’s Tom Treanor #MPB2B
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