Online Marketing Blog

5 Essential Questions to Guide Your B2B Influencer Marketing Strategy

Greetings friend! If you’re here, I assume it’s for one of three reasons:

You’re interested in the concept of influencer marketing and want to identify if it’s a fit for your B2B brand.
You’re dabbling in influencer marketing and are looking for ways to formalize your strategy.
You fell down some crazy internet rabbit hole and you aren’t quite sure how you got here.

Regardless of the reason, I’m happy you’re here.

Today, we’re going to dig into five essential questions that many B2B marketers are asking themselves about influencer marketing—everything from what it actually is (very important) to how to gain leadership buy-in and show value.

So dig in, enjoy the ride and be sure to add any of your own questions in the comments!

5 Essential Questions to Guide Your B2B Influencer Marketing Strategy

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20 Podcasts To Elevate Your B2B Marketing

Lane Ellis on Apr 10th, 2019 B2B Marketing

Gaining insight, advice, and new perspectives from top B2B marketing industry leaders is an incredible way to help scale your marketing skills and efforts to new heights. And podcasts, which are exploding in availability and popularity, can be a fantastic medium for getting access to those talented and seasoned industry leaders.

From the emerging B2B marketing trends to heartfelt stories of life’s great successes and bitter failures, there is so much we can learn by listening to people who have persevered and thrived. And lucky for you, we’ve compiled 20 of the best podcasts for B2B marketers right here.

via GIPHY

20 Podcasts To Elevate Your B2B Marketing

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How to Get It Done: Project Management Tips for Content Marketing Managers

Nick Nelson on Apr 9th, 2019 B2B Marketing, Content Marketing

When I was in high school, we had a science class project in which we were grouped into teams, and tasked with building a catapult. Whichever contraption could launch a tennis ball the farthest would win the contest.

We quickly learned that the hardest part wasn’t constructing the actual catapult. It was wrangling all the team members, divvying up assignments, and keeping a collective group of energetic teenagers on track. In hindsight, maybe that was the point.

Managing Content Marketing Projects and People

Content marketing managers deal with these types of responsibilities on a daily basis. There are so many roles and functions typically involved with a time bound content initiative that we often must act as project managers, facilitating collaboration and ensuring that everyone is in a position to succeed.

How to Get It Done: Project Management Tips for Content Marketing Managers

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The Future of B2B Content: Data-Informed, Interactive, and Influential

Lee Odden on Apr 8th, 2019 B2B Marketing, Content Marketing, Influencer Marketing

Before starting on any new marketing initiative or trying a new tactic, B2B marketers need to answer and essential question: Why?

While most B2B marketers won’t admit it, many still practice some “spaghetti/wall marketing” wherein each year they throw new digital tactics “against the wall” to see what sticks without really knowing why a tactic would work for their audience over another.

This is not to say that you should slow down on innovating and trying new things. But it’s important for success to be strategic and test. I challenge marketers to do more research around customer insights and preferences so that any changes they make are driven by data and informed hypothesis—rather than simply trying new things just to see if they will work.

The Future of B2B Content: Data-Informed, Interactive, and Influential

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Digital Marketing News: Online Ad Spend’s Speedy Growth, Google’s Podcast Transcriptions, & Adobe’s LinkedIn Push

Lane Ellis on Apr 5th, 2019 Online Marketing News

2019 April 5 Buzzoole Chart

Adobe, Microsoft to take on Salesforce’s marketing software, with LinkedIn as a weapon
Adobe* and Microsoft have joined forces to better compete against Salesforce.com in the sales and marketing software arena, with the LinkedIn* platform’s recently-expanded targeted audience advertising featuring heavily in the new alliance. Reuters

What CMOs Are Focusing On in 2019 [Infographic]
74 percent of CMOs plan to encourage peer engagement and the transfer of knowledge among talent, while improving digital marketing capabilities and boosting go-to-market processes are the most important agenda items for 2019, according to newly-released research data from the CMO Council. MarketingProfs

What the Numbers Say About Mobile’s Place in B2B Marketing
The opportunity for more mobile-friendly B2B content is ripe for progressive B2B marketers, especially those working to offer greater trust and understanding, according to research of interest to digital marketers from MarTech Advisor. MarTech Advisor

Digital Marketing News: Online Ad Spend’s Speedy Growth, Google’s Podcast Transcriptions, & Adobe’s LinkedIn Push

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Q1’s a Wrap, B2B Marketers: Where We’ve Been & What’s Next in 2019

Caitlin Burgess on Apr 4th, 2019 B2B Marketing, Digital Marketing

We made it, B2B marketers. Spring is finally in the air and Quarter 1 is officially a wrap. Take a moment to bask in your individual, team, and business successes—you earned it.

As is tradition, in just a few short months the digital marketing industry has experienced some newsworthy shifts—from a big Google algorithm update in March to a host of new targeting and advertising features across several platforms.

To build on the Q1 successes we just celebrated—and take full advantage of new opportunities—let’s take a look back at what 2019 has gifted us so far.

What’s new and worth paying attention to? What opportunities and challenges have arisen? And what do we all need to keep in mind as we move into and beyond Q2? Let’s dive in.

Q1’s a Wrap, B2B Marketers: Where We’ve Been & What’s Next in 2019

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B2B Marketers, Are Your Content Marketing Efforts Sparking Joy for Your Audience?

Anne Leuman on Apr 3rd, 2019 B2B Marketing, Content Marketing

Best-selling author, tidying expert, and star of a massively successful Netflix show, Marie Kondo, is really on to something. Her simple yet effective tidying method is brilliant, but what it stands for is what’s truly inspiring.

All over the world, people are asking themselves a simple yet powerful question: Does it spark joy?

via GIPHY

But be honest, B2B marketers: When’s the last time you stopped to consider whether your marketing efforts were sparking joy for your audience? (Was it before, during, or after you dropped your latest white paper?)

Joy is a powerful emotion—it signals happiness, triumph, and exuberance. And in a time where delivering amazing, personalized experiences to our buyers is the new bar, we need to commit to delighting our audience throughout their journey. When we do this, we not only give them what they want and need, but we can also build a stronger connection with our brands.

B2B Marketers, Are Your Content Marketing Efforts Sparking Joy for Your Audience?

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How B2B Marketers Can Strategically Test New Digital Marketing Tactics

Alexis Hall on Apr 2nd, 2019 B2B Marketing, Digital Marketing

When it comes to testing new marketing tactics, B2B marketers often find themselves in one of two camps:

Chasing the new, shiny object. (Their motto: Let’s innovate, innovate, innovate!)
Maintaining the status quo. (Their motto: We don’t mess with what’s working.)

Whichever camp you currently find yourself in, chances are high that you’re intrigued by what the other has to offer. The chasers are fearless innovators who are eager to test any new platform, media type, or strategy—and the keepers of the status quo are methodical budget managers who have proven tactics and processes on lockdown.

However, we’d suggest finding a middle (camp)ground: Testing strategically. (Your motto: I test to add to my success.)

How B2B Marketers Can Strategically Test New Digital Marketing Tactics

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Hey Alexa: How Do I Bake Voice Search Into My B2B Marketing Strategy?

Nick Nelson on Apr 1st, 2019 B2B Marketing, SEO

Can you imagine if we actually talked to one another the same way we’ve historically talked to search engines? It would make for some awkward interactions.

“Minneapolis movie showtimes.”

“Um… come again?”

“Showtimes Captain Marvel 55441.”

“Are you –”

“Movie showtimes cheapest theater arcade games. I’m feeling lucky.”

“Sir, this is a Wendy’s.”

It’s only fitting I suppose that our adherence to Google’s robotic algorithms has, in turn, made us more robotic. Searchers became trained to speak in the engine’s keyword-driven language. Marketers crafted SEO strategies accordingly.

Today, the advent of voice search is making our conversations with search engines more… conversational. It’s not incidental that we activate this feature on our smartphones or voice assistants by addressing “Alexa” or “Siri” — this dynamic is very much intended to humanize the devices, which is a little creepy and dystopian if you think about it, but it’s best not to think about it.

Hey Alexa: How Do I Bake Voice Search Into My B2B Marketing Strategy?

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Digital Marketing News: LinkedIn’s Lookalike Launch, B2B’s Social Responsibility, & Twitter’s B2B Crackdown

Lane Ellis on Mar 29th, 2019 Online Marketing News

2019 March 29 LinkedIn Chart

LinkedIn Announces New Data Partnership with Adobe to Improve Ad Targeting
LinkedIn announced a new partnership with Adobe that will bring a greater selection of LinkedIn’s (client) account-based marketing features to users of Adobe Experience Cloud, and expand ad targeting with Marketo Engage and Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Sales. Social Media Today

The Colossal Amount of Time Spent Consuming Media May Finally Be Flatlining, According to Nielsen Report
U.S. adults are still spending an average of 10 and a half hours consuming media — the same as in 2017 and 2018 — a signal that consumption time has plateaued, according to newly-released report data from Nielsen. Adweek

Digital Marketing News: LinkedIn’s Lookalike Launch, B2B’s Social Responsibility, & Twitter’s B2B Crackdown

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Inspired Marketing: Interview with Kirsten Allegri Williams, CMO at SAP SuccessFactors

Lee Odden on Mar 28th, 2019 Interviews

Interview Kirsten Allegri Williams CMO SAP SuccessFactors

One of the great things about my job is connecting with inspiring marketers. While attending SAP’s annual SAPPHIRE conference last year, I had the good fortune to meet Kirsten Allegri Williams @kirstenallegriw thanks to Amisha Gandhi @AmishaGandhi. At the time, Kirsten was VP, Corporate Marketing at SAP Ariba.

In our short time meeting, we covered a lot of ground, from the need to elevate trust in marketing within the c-suite and on the street with customers to the role of purpose in marketing. She was highly focused, present and very smart. She made enough of an impression, that I included her in our annual list of Women Who Inspire in Digital Marketing.

Inspired Marketing: Interview with Kirsten Allegri Williams, CMO at SAP SuccessFactors

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Unconventional B2B Marketing: 5 Of The Most Woke Marketers

Lane Ellis on Mar 27th, 2019 B2B Marketing

Bearded punk man in glasses with purple hair image.

Five of the most unconventional marketers are infusing a punk rock ethos and energy into their marketing efforts—and B2B marketers and brands should take notice.

The examples we’ve lined up here skirt the marketing norms and represent unconventional marketers who shoot for the moon and win. Using wit, humor, bold actions, and tales of death-defying feats, lessons from these marketers may just inspire you to push beyond boring and into breathtaking territory.

With messaging and tactics that might seem more at home in the mosh pit than the corporate boardroom, these marketing revolutionaries are dead set on breaking free of boring by replacing stodgy campaigns or yawny white papers with marketing messages that would have made Joey Ramone wail a speedy “Hey! Ho! Let’s Go!” and “Gabba Gabba Hey!”

Unconventional B2B Marketing: 5 Of The Most Woke Marketers

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