Online Marketing Blog - TopRank®

Should B2B Brands Join the Facebook Advertising Boycott?

Nick Nelson
Nick Nelson on Jul 14th, 2020
B2B Marketing, Facebook

Facebook is Under the Microscope

Facebook has always presented an interesting conundrum for B2B marketers. It’s not a business-centric platform, necessarily. But with so many active users (nearly 2.5 billion at last check), keeping Facebook out of a brand’s social mix has been tough to justify.

Recent developments are making this decision more complicated than ever.

Facebook and Trust: A Rocky Relationship from the Start

When the world’s largest social network first came into existence in a Harvard dorm room, nearly two decades ago, it was known as “The Facebook.” An instant-message conversation between founder Mark Zuckerberg and an unnamed associate around that time later came to light, and … it isn’t pretty (via Business Insider):

Zuck: Yeah so if you ever need info about anyone at Harvard

Zuck: Just ask.


Should B2B Brands Join the Facebook Advertising Boycott?

How Can Marketers Be More Inclusive with Content and Influencers Right Now?

Lee Odden
Lee Odden on Jul 13th, 2020
B2B Marketing

Female Executive

After the tragedy of George Floyd and the following protests and demonstrations, the awareness about the need for equality, inclusiveness and diversity has many companies taking action. Some organizations already have D&I initiatives and resources to guide them but many others are figuring out what is most relevant and meaningful for their business, customers, employees and community.

A lot of the negative bias that exists when it comes to equality is fueled by how people are represented or not in media and in marketing content. Marketers like our agency are in a unique position to make decisions about inclusiveness in the content produced and the people engaged as influencers both for the marketing performed for clients as well as for agency marketing.


How Can Marketers Be More Inclusive with Content and Influencers Right Now?

B2B Marketing News: Digital Ad Budgets To Grow In 2021, Google’s Rich Results Tool Goes Mainstream, & More Listeners Are Paying For Podcasts

Lane Ellis
Lane Ellis on Jul 10th, 2020
Online Marketing News

2020 July 10 MarketingCharts Chart

Gartner CMO Spend Survey Shows How Digital Budgets Will Increase In 2021
Within the next 18 to 24 months digital marketing budgets will return to business-as-usual levels, according to 57 percent of CMOs in recently-released survey data from Gartner, also showing 78 percent aggregate growth for digital ad budgets in the forecast for 2021. 44 percent also said that they face mid-year budget cuts this year due to the global health crisis. MediaPost

HubSpot: A Look Back at How COVID-19 Impacted Businesses in Q2
Up to 60 more sales team email has been sent during the pandemic, seeing open rates 18 percent above pre-COVID levels, with companies sending less email achieving the highest open rates — several of many finding of interest to digital marketers contained in newly-released report data from HubSpot’s weekly performance metrics. HubSpot


B2B Marketing News: Digital Ad Budgets To Grow In 2021, Google’s Rich Results Tool Goes Mainstream, & More Listeners Are Paying For Podcasts

From Mechanical to Meaningful: How to Optimize B2B Case Studies

Joshua Nite
Joshua Nite on Jul 9th, 2020
B2B Marketing, Online Marketing

Optimized half-human half-android woman figure image.

When was the last time a B2B case study made you feel something? 

I mean, something besides mild interest or boredom. 

I ask because, in theory at least, B2B case studies should be exciting stories. There are millions of dollars at stake, people’s livelihoods and professional reputations hanging in the balance. Each one is a three-act story arc of overcoming adversity and solving a problem. 

That sounds like a riveting read, right?

Or at the very least, they should be useful stories. They should help someone with a similar problem be able to find a solution. Yes, even a solution above and beyond “buy our product.”

Here are a few ways that B2B marketers can make their case studies more human, more compelling, and ultimately more effective.


From Mechanical to Meaningful: How to Optimize B2B Case Studies

Social Media Polls For Marketers: 6 B2B Brands Winning With LinkedIn Polls

Lane Ellis
Lane Ellis on Jul 8th, 2020
B2B Marketing, Interactive Marketing, Social Media

Smiling business-woman at computer image.

Polls offer a unique two-for-one value for B2B marketers, providing quality feedback on what customers want while also offering brands a powerful interactive social media content marketing element.

As we first reported in our B2B marketing news, our client LinkedIn recently launched the return of its highly-anticipated poll feature, offering marketers a new platform besides Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for gathering community sentiment using polls — one that may be the best fit for many B2B brands.

With this and other recent changes to social media polls, we’ll take a look at the latest news about online polls, and see how B2B marketers and brands are using polls in innovative ways, including 6 B2B brands winning with LinkedIn polls.


Social Media Polls For Marketers: 6 B2B Brands Winning With LinkedIn Polls

5 Things to Know About Building Trust in the Age of Social Media

Nick Nelson
Nick Nelson on Jul 7th, 2020
B2B Marketing, Social Media

Man Looking at Tablet Amid Storm

Does your company advertise? If so, I have bad news: Your audience doesn’t trust your ads.

I don’t mean to call you out specifically, dear anonymous reader. But statistically speaking, it is a likely reality. A wide-reaching survey earlier this year “found advertising to be the least likely source people would use to garner information about a business, with just 14% saying they trust advertisers in this respect.”

That’s not to say advertising doesn’t work. It just doesn’t work on its own.

Customers are looking elsewhere to form perceptions about your business and what it stands for. Only once they’ve shaped these perceptions are your ads likely to break through and make an impact. Social media is becoming more vital than ever as a proving ground for brands in this respect.


5 Things to Know About Building Trust in the Age of Social Media

Always On Influence: Costs Less and Better ROI – Here’s Why

Always On Influence ROI

Virtually every marketing tactic is under evaluation right now as B2B marketing departments react to the domino effect of changes in consumer spending during the pandemic. Many B2C marketers are putting a pause on their influencer marketing investments as the world of travel, hospitality, retail, sports and entertainment have changed dramatically.

In the business to business world, things have changed as well but not anywhere near as significantly and not always at the expense of lowered marketing budgets. The trend in B2B is digital and self serve from virtual events and prospect engagement to buyers now conducting the majority of their research and interactions on their own before making purchase decisions.


Always On Influence: Costs Less and Better ROI – Here’s Why

B2B Marketing News: COVID19 Impact on B2B, Boost in Online B2B Purchasing, Google Combines Search Console & Analytics Data

Lee Odden
Lee Odden on Jul 3rd, 2020
Online Marketing News

Consumer Recommendations Study

Which Recommendation Types Do Consumers Find Most Compelling? “Based on your favorite” is the most impactful recommendation type, study data shows. MarketingCharts

Google Expands Access to its Business Messaging Tools from Search and Maps. Expanded brand reach to customers via maps and search listings are among features in a new tool rollout.  Social Media Today

COVID-19’s Impact on the B2B Industry. B2Bs are figuring out how to stay in business, operate and recover. This often requires a digital transformation of marketing and sales efforts. eMarketer

B2B Influencer Marketing Research Report

Google to pay some publishers for content; others dubious. Alphabet’s Google on Thursday took a step towards resolving its spat with publishers, saying it would pay some media groups in Australia, Brazil and Germany for high-quality content and expects to do more deals, but others were skeptical.. Reuters


B2B Marketing News: COVID19 Impact on B2B, Boost in Online B2B Purchasing, Google Combines Search Console & Analytics Data

5 Ways to Make Brand Social Media Profiles More Compelling

Joshua Nite
Joshua Nite on Jul 2nd, 2020
Social Media

Optimize Brand Social Media Profiles

As a concerned consumer, I have to admit that I’m ambivalent about social media. On the one hand, it keeps me connected with friends and family. And it provides a platform for those whose voices have been marginalized. On the other hand, it can be a 24-7 outrage machine where I can ruin my blood pressure arguing with strangers.

As a marketer, however, I wholeheartedly celebrate social media. Brands have never had such rich opportunities to interact with customers and potential customers. They’ve never been able to so easily display what the brand is about, what it stands for, and how it can bring value to people.

This is especially important now that virtually all B2B business is done digitally and customers are using digital channels more than ever to find information, learn about brands and solutions.


5 Ways to Make Brand Social Media Profiles More Compelling

Livestream Marketing: 5 B2B Brands Rocking LinkedIn Live

Lane Ellis
Lane Ellis on Jul 1st, 2020
B2B Marketing, LinkedIn, Video

Excited smiling woman at laptop image.

How can B2B brands benefit from using LinkedIn Live, and what are some examples of businesses rocking their LinkedIn Live marketing?

LinkedIn* has seen its live-streaming LinkedIn Live feature being used by more major firms all the time, and we’ll take a look at five top B2B brands that are rocking their LinkedIn Live game.

The sky’s the limit when it comes to how B2B brands can use LinkedIn Live. Here are 12 to get you started:

  • Interviewing a Member of Your C-Suite
  • Answering Frequently-Asked Questions
  • Streaming a Keynote or Session
  • Highlighting Special Events
  • Streaming “Ask Me Anything” Episodes
  • Introducing Various Team Members
  • Deep-Dive Interviews
  • Showcasing Behind The Scenes Workplace Culture
  • Unveiling New Innovations
  • Launching Episodic Content

Livestream Marketing: 5 B2B Brands Rocking LinkedIn Live

Why Content Marketing is More Important Than Ever for B2B Brands

Nick Nelson
Nick Nelson on Jun 30th, 2020
B2B Marketing, Content Marketing

B2B Marketing Content

In his recently published eBook, Corona Marketing, Joe Pulizzi recounts how he and his wife launched the website Content Marketing Institute in 2007 at the exact time as a devastating financial crisis was beginning to unfold in the United States. 

“At the time, we believed things couldn’t have been bleaker,” Pulizzi writes. “Looking back though, this was absolutely the best time for my wife and I to start a business.”

Why is that? Because their commitment to providing useful, helpful and relevant content – even at a time where it was difficult to drive direct revenue with that content – paid major dividends as the market recovered. 


Why Content Marketing is More Important Than Ever for B2B Brands

Three B2B Marketing Tactics That Will Outlast the COVID19 Pandemic

B2B Marketing Pandemic

Without question, the COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on the B2B world with companies generally reducing marketing budgets. At the same time, many B2B companies are maintaining or increasing marketing spend as we’ve seen with most of our clients at TopRank Marketing.

While there has generally been a shift from explicit sales/push marketing content to brand messaging that is more aligned with the times and empathetic to customers, sales expectations still exist for B2B brands during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The challenge many B2B marketers are facing is to understand how to navigate both the short term changes in what works for customers in the current environment as as well as in the long term, post-crisis.


Three B2B Marketing Tactics That Will Outlast the COVID19 Pandemic

Contact Us

10405 6th Ave N, Suite 250
Minneapolis, MN 55441

877-872-6628

Services

Follow Us

Newsletter