by tradesmeninsights | Jul 22, 2014 | Marketing Tips, Traditional Marketing
Interesting question, isn’t it? I think everyone thinks because they built one, everyone will like and trust what you have up there.
I read an article from the Content Marketing Institute written by Dianna Huff entitled, Why 55% of Potential B2B Buyers Might Not Trust Your Website that highlights some interesting findings. These findings were from a KoMarketing Associates usability report and are worth discussing. The key in a B-to-B relationship is that trust and credibility be established up front. The more transparent you are, the better. Here are some highlights:
It’s the little things that can either make or break the next steps in the process. Their study showed that lack of phone number or contact info was the biggest stumbling blocks in building trust (55%). That one made me wonder. The next few were expected – lack of a true message, do it yourself sites and tiny texts were no surprises.
Content assets that helped establish credibility were lead by thorough contact and about us page. So I guess we need to carefully look at what we say about ourselves and give them several options on getting in touch with us. Email was the most preferred way (no surprise there) and phone came in second. The reality is vendors source suppliers online and if you don’t have a clear cut message and contact info, you’ll be passed over.
Here are a few key takeaways:
- Remove all barriers from people contacting you
- Include email and phone number on each page for easy access
- Include info about the people behind your company
- Consider the strategic importance of the “about us” page
by tradesmeninsights | Jun 4, 2014 | Marketing Tips
I think we all struggle with understanding ways to match content with the sales process to help the prospect through the sales funnel.
I recently read an article by Paul Gustafson about mastering effective B-to-B content. His points are thought leadership, content that’s easy to consume and the ability to listen to what the customer is saying.
B-to-B audiences can be demanding and we need to help the prospect through the sales funnel. At each stage we have the appropriate content to move them down the line.
Thought leadership – you need to focus on 3 components:
Expertise
Original
Comprehensive
Teaser content – pique the interest to refine audience, and then when you have them hooked, you can engage them with more meaningful content.
Listening and engaging – give your audience an opportunity to respond. Then listen and react. More comments mean more discussions.
Paul leaves us with a final thought:
“Effective B-to-B social content starts and ends with thought leadership. The resulting social engagement can refine that voice, strengthen your future content and expand your audience base.”
by tradesmeninsights | May 27, 2014 | Marketing Tips, Social Marketing, Traditional Marketing, Uncategorized
We all are working hard to create content in various forms, but what can we do to create the demand for it? If we build it, it will come philosophy won’t work.
In the b-to-b space where selling cycles can be long with numerous folks involved, you need to address several different issues along the way down the sales funnel, but do you know what they are?
I’ve long been a proponent of sales and marketing working closely together. After all, the objective of both is to sell more stuff.
I’m amazed that folks in the marketing department spend little or no time in the field talking with customers. I always recommend marketing folks spend time with the salesmen in the field, and I don’t mean a day or two. Spend a week or so and you’ll see customers in various stages of the buying process.
More importantly, you as a marketer have the unique opportunity, while in front of a prospect, to ask some really relevant questions that the salesman might not ask.
Questions like:
- What other types of info would be helpful in your decision-making process?
- What triggers a buyer to start the process?
- What kinds of concerns do your colleagues have that we might address?
- Focus on customers needs and concerns.
Why do I keep harping on getting in front of the customer? Let’s be honest. Most companies don’t know their customers well enough. They don’t know or understand the buying process well enough. They don’t have content framework to communicate with the potential buyer.
I read an interesting article recently by Jay Hidalgo in the Chief Content Officer magazine that outlines 3 steps to create a process to create demand for your content.
His User’s Guide consists of 3 things:
- Developing a buyer’s persona (know your customer)
- Define their buying process
- Developing a content framework for communicating with a buyer
He takes you through a process that engaged the combined efforts of sales and marketing resulting in a well-thought-out strategy, and content that will be on target that users will want to pass it on. You can read his entire article here.
by tradesmeninsights | May 22, 2014 | Marketing Trends
By Matt Sonnhalter, Vision Architect
The Content Marketing Institute (CMI) and MarketingProfs recently released their fourth annual report on the content marketing practices of business-to-business (B2B) marketers working in the manufacturing industry.
In this report you’ll find answers to questions such as: What percentage of manufacturing marketers have adopted content marketing? What tactics are they using? How does their approach to content marketing differ from that taken by other B2B marketers?
This report also looks at how manufacturing marketers approach content marketing when compared with a wider group of B2B North American marketers representing a range of industry segments.
Here are some key highlights from this most recent study on manufacturing marketers and their content marketing efforts:
- 86% have adopted content marketing
- Only 30% say they are effective at content marketing
- Use the same number of tactics (13) as other B2B marketers
- 81% use YouTube to distribute content and rate it as the most effective social media platform
- Cite different goals for content marketing when compared with other B2B marketers
- Top challenges faced for their content marketing programs: 1. Lack of time, 2. Producing the kind of content that engages and 3. Producing enough content
- 46% plan to increase their content marketing budget over the next 12 months
Click here to read more details and download the full report.
by tradesmeninsights | Jul 31, 2013 | Marketing Tips, Marketing Tools, Marketing Trends, Social Marketing, Traditional Marketing
If you’re not utilizing this tool to reach the contractor and professional tradesman, you’re missing a great opportunity.
Some recent studies show that videos are on the rise in the B-to-B world. B-to-B Content Marketing: 2013 Benchmarks, Budget and Trends North America found that video had the largest increase of any market content in 2012.
Software Advice’s recent 2012 B-to-B demand generation survey found that video was the second most type of content used across channels.
I recently read a 3-part article in Content Marketing Institute by Mark Walker that outlined how to use video to drive awareness, leads and sales. He gives great tips on how to develop and execute a video strategy.
Here are some highlights:
- Define your purpose. What do you want to accomplish – educate, entertain, sell?
- Define your message. You’re better off doing targeted messages which will be shorter and on point. It’s better to do several short targeted videos than one catch-all one.
- Don’t overlook existing video. You might be surprised at what already exists on your products, training, etc.
- Leverage event’s show interviews, live demos, contractor interviews.
- Keep it short. 3-5 minutes is the ideal length to hold someone’s attention.
- Promote videos. Other than SEO, promote on your blog, website and social platforms, along with the appropriate tagging so folks can find you.
- Ask your Audience to share and make it easy for them to do.
Mark does an excellent job educating those who may not be familiar with all the ins and outs of videos.
If you like this post, you might like:
B-to-B Marketers: Are you Taking Advantage of Online Videos?
Busy Executives Prefer Videos Online
Make Videos Part of your Direct Marketing Plans to the Professional Tradesman
