Online Marketing Blog

Smooth Sailing: Our Guide to Effective Project Management for B2B Marketers

Anne Leuman on Mar 17th, 2020
B2B Marketing

What does the word “work” mean to you?

A dictionary would tell you that work is, “activity involving mental or physical effort done in order to achieve a purpose or result,” or maybe, “a task or tasks to be undertaken; something a person or thing has to do.”

But how do we know which tasks to tackle first? Or what specifically needs to happen in order to achieve our purpose?

That’s where project management comes in.

And for B2B marketing agencies or teams, there are a lot of nuances when it comes to project management. Launching several campaigns at once. Racing to meet tight deadlines. Ensuring important milestones are met and in the right order. These are not your typical projects. And the typical approach to project management just won’t cut it.

Smooth Sailing: Our Guide to Effective Project Management for B2B Marketers

Should COVID-19 Stop B2B Marketers From Marketing?

Lee Odden on Mar 16th, 2020
B2B Marketing

You’ve read the news, seen the reports, remarkable real-time graphs and updates from the CDC. Virtually all industry conferences are cancelled or postponed, major sporting events are postponed, most schools and many stores are closed and just about any venue for large crowds from malls to theatres are as empty as the toilet paper aisle at Target.

COVID-19 is serious business and is undoubtedly having an impact on business. Should it stop companies from marketing to other businesses?

We all have an obligation to make the changes necessary to minimize COVID-19 transmission through closures, postponements and having employees work from home like we just implemented at TopRank Marketing this week along with many other companies.

Should COVID-19 Stop B2B Marketers From Marketing?

Digital Marketing News: B2B Purpose & Brand Awareness Studies, Twitter Tests Fleets, Gen Z Turns to Influencers, & Apple’s New Push Ads

Lane Ellis on Mar 13th, 2020
Online Marketing News

B2B Companies See Purpose As A Path to Success
Some 82 percent of B2B executives see companies with purpose having more success than those without, with 86 percent saying that purpose is important to their business — two of the insights contained in a recently-released B2B brand purpose survey. MarketingCharts

Content Consumption and Production Trends for B2B Marketers
Creating brand awareness, educating audiences, and building credibility and trust are the three top B2B content marketing goals, according to a new report on content consumption and production trends. Blog posts, customer testimonials and reviews, and whitepapers were the most effective methods for moving prospects along the sales funnel, the report revealed. Chief Marketer

Digital Marketing News: B2B Purpose & Brand Awareness Studies, Twitter Tests Fleets, Gen Z Turns to Influencers, & Apple’s New Push Ads

Jumpstarting a Pilot B2B Influencer Marketing Program in 5 Steps

Nick Nelson on Mar 12th, 2020
B2B Marketing, Influencer Marketing

The hardest part is getting started.

Has there ever been a more relatable expression? I know we can all think of a task or obligation that we put off endlessly out of some perceived dread, only to find that once we actually buckled down and got to it, the act was rather quick and painless.

The spectre of starting from scratch can also stall a lot of decisions in the business world. Take B2B influencer marketing as an example. You might’ve seen the stats showing how effective it is, or how it drives shocking ROI. Maybe you’ve even seen TopRank Marketing CEO Lee Odden out on the speaking circuit, articulating the approach and sharing some of our success stories.

Jumpstarting a Pilot B2B Influencer Marketing Program in 5 Steps

14 Search Marketing Influencers at Top B2B & B2C Brands

Lane Ellis on Mar 11th, 2020
B2B Marketing, Search Marketing, SEO

Search marketing strategy is undoubtedly vital for most B2B brands today, yet there are several elements that play important roles in its ultimate success that may surprise you.

Leading the search engine optimization (SEO) program for a major brand is a vital role that’s only taken on greater importance over the years, as even the rise of social media marketing hasn’t eliminated the need for B2B marketers to have a strong search marketing strategy.

With search marketing influencers at top brands facing a nearly constant barrage of new SEO challenges, how do smart search industry leaders build successful campaigns?

Non-paid organic search efforts have some of the lowest website visitor traffic bounce rates for B2B and B2C campaigns alike, which is why SEO practitioners at major firms continue to play such an important role in successful marketing efforts.

14 Search Marketing Influencers at Top B2B & B2C Brands

What Is B2B Influencer Marketing in 2020? Change Is Coming

Anne Leuman on Mar 10th, 2020
B2B Marketing, Influencer Marketing

You already know what B2B influencer marketing is. It is “the practice of a B2B brand engaging internal and industry experts with active networks to help achieve measurable business goals.”

But how is that changing in 2020 with social media distrust, the spread of misinformation, advertising regulations, and more?

B2B influencer marketing in 2020 has seen new challenges arise, requiring a shift in approach. From trust to transparency to accessibility, 2020 is set to be a transformative year for influencer marketing programs.

What is B2B influencer marketing in 2020 and how is it changing? We share the answers with you below.

In 2020, B2B influencer marketing is… niche and targeted.

That big-name influencer you’ve been working so hard to grab? You might want to pivot to a smaller, more niche expert.

What Is B2B Influencer Marketing in 2020? Change Is Coming

How B2B Marketers Can Enter the Circle of Trust

Lee Odden on Mar 9th, 2020
B2B Marketing, Influencer Marketing

Buyer distrust of advertising and brand communications is one of the top challenges of our time for marketers.

As TopRank Marketing’s Nick Nelson has shared, “trust is currency” and that trust is “arguably the most valuable currency in today’s B2B marketing environment.”

Studies continue to show that business peers and experts have customer attention over brands. 95% of B2B buyers say they prefer credible content from industry influencers according to a study from Demand Gen Report.

As a result, it is more important now than ever for marketers to find ways to become part of this new “circle of trust” for buyers.

But how?

How B2B Marketers Can Enter the Circle of Trust

Digital Marketing News: B2B Brand Purpose, LinkedIn’s New Stories, CMO & Authoritative Content Reports, & B2B’s Expanding Verticals

Lane Ellis on Mar 6th, 2020
Online Marketing News

More vertical marketplaces are dotting the B2B landscape
There are more than 70 B2B vertical industry marketplaces today comprised of over 13 industries, and due largely to millennial business buyers, the number is expected to grow, according to recent-released report data. Digital Commerce 360

3 Secrets To B2B Marketing Success: Winning Inside To Win Outside
A recent study examining brand purpose within B2B showed that 73 percent of purpose-centric employees are satisfied and see output some 100 percent higher, while inspired workers exhibit even higher output, at 225 percent — several findings in a recent Association of National Advertisers (ANA) report. Forbes

LinkedIn Begins Internal Testing of Its Version of the Stories Format
LinkedIn (client) has conducted internal trials of its own professional business flavor of the popular Stories content type, with the new conversational format test aimed at eventually augmenting conversations on the Microsoft-owned platform. Adweek

Digital Marketing News: B2B Brand Purpose, LinkedIn’s New Stories, CMO & Authoritative Content Reports, & B2B’s Expanding Verticals

10 SEO Books for B2B Marketers in 2020

Birdie Zepeda on Mar 5th, 2020
B2B Marketing, SEO, SEO Training

There are plenty of resources online that can break down what search engine optimization (SEO) is, how search engines work, and how to improve your website to rank better in search engine results pages (SERPs). This is the age where you can Google every question that pops into your head and receive an answer in roughly 280 characters, after all.

Call this millennial old-fashioned, but some questions are worth buying, borrowing, or downloading a book for and deep-diving into a subject. Nothing beats the ability to physically highlight, write in the margins or flyleaf, and dog ear as one learns.

In 2020, over 64% of marketers are actively invested in SEO. With organizations funding SEO improvements in hopes of inbound marketing growth, this year may be the perfect opportunity for B2B marketers to learn more about what they’re investing in and understand the secrets behind the search engines that run our info-driven world.

10 SEO Books for B2B Marketers in 2020

4 Qualities Only Great B2B Marketing Agencies Possess

Alexis Hall on Mar 3rd, 2020
B2B Marketing

Is your agency a vendor or a partner?

In response to the shifting market and evolving role of the CMO, agency-brand partnerships are shrinking in average duration, less than three years now, compared to over seven in 1984. But strategic, strong partnerships between brands and agencies have become increasingly important as 64% of CMOs expect to feel more pressure to demonstrate tangible short term results in the next 2-3 years.

This pressure also signals a big opportunity for CMOs to demonstrate the value of marketing as a strategic function with organizations. The right agency, that can support the brand in a true partnership, can be critical in helping CMOs achieve their goals and win over the rest of the C-suite.

4 Qualities Only Great B2B Marketing Agencies Possess

B2BMX 2020 Wrap Up: B2B Marketing Evolved

Lee Odden on Mar 2nd, 2020
B2B Marketing, Marketing PR Conferences

Over the past 10 years that our marketing agency has been focused on B2B marketing, there have been many changes: From the advent of marketing automation and social media to the growing popularity of interactive content, ABM and influencer marketing.

Staying on top of trends and best practices requires continuous innovation, education and cycles of marketing optimization. The reward for this continuous effort is staying one step ahead of the competition in the form of quality and performance.

Events play a big role in the ongoing effort to draw on the collective wisdom of the B2B marketing industry and last week TopRank Marketing wrapped up speaking and attending our 8th B2B Marketing Exchange conference. In case you missed the conference, here are a few highlights:

B2BMX 2020 Wrap Up: B2B Marketing Evolved