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A New Definition for Inbound Marketing

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Inbound marketing is a hot topic in B2B marketing. However, as more B2B marketers grab the inbound marketing flag, many will miss the two keys to making inbound marketing effective:

  • Be found through the recommendation of others.
  • Delight those that find you.

According to Hubspot, a leader in inbound marketing, the definition of inbound marketing is “marketing focused on getting found by your customers.” The most common functional definition of inbound marketing is the combination of search, social and content. [Read more…]

It’s 10:00 PM. Is Your Content Where It Belongs?

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Comscore recently issued a release showing 31% of banner ads from a sample of advertiser had no opportunity to be seen.

The problem is, advertisers often do not know where their ads are running. Increasingly, marketers don’t know where their content is either.

B2B technology marketers running lead generation programs are finding their content or offers on a wide range of sites they never intended to place their content on, yet they are paying $20 to $60, or more, every time someone downloads their content from these sites.

Here are two examples and four steps you can take to protect your content. [Read more…]

Lead Generation is Crippling Demand Generation

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Conflict (Chess II)Lead generation and demand generation, although related, are at odds with each other. When many B2B marketers say demand generation, they mean lead generation, and the program will be measured on leads and the value of those leads.

The problem is, one is focused on changing the audience’s perspective, the other is focused on capturing their information. [Read more…]

4 Problems Killing Thought Leadership Marketing

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Chris Koch shared Four Reasons to Hate Thought Leadership earlier this week. He made some great points in his call to end the use of the phrase thought leadership, but ultimately I disagree with his conclusion. We don’t need to stop using the phrase, we need to start using it right.

The problem is thought leadership has become a catchall for any marketing that includes content. Unfortunately, looking back, it isn’t surprising that this happened.

Here are four of the underlying problems that created the situation. [Read more…]

Content Marketing Advice: Stop Competing with My Children!

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KELLER LOVES PLAYING IN THE LEAVESToday, marketers are locked in a battle for attention. As individuals, we are flooded with more marketing messages than we can consume. Getting our attention requires something exceptional.

To date, the currency that purchases our attention is content. Content that is useful and connects with our priorities, content that entertains, content that teaches. Content that offers us something beyond your brand and message.

However, content is merely the vehicle. The future of marketing is about attention. Attention that today is focused on our priorities at work and at home. Priorities that include current projects, long term plans and a hug from our children when we get home. [Read more…]

Why Your Content Will Never Be Good Enough

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Desert RoadQuite simply, the marketing content you create will never be good enough. You will need to produce better content every single day.

Today, someone trumped your content. Just now, they become a more useful source of information to your audience.

How Your Content was Trumped

Content quality is relative. As more companies focus on developing and producing quality content, the overall quality of content will improve and the expectations of content will increase. Your content may have been good when it was created, but now it’s merely average. [Read more…]

Marketers Ruin Good Marketing Opportunities

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Innovative marketers constantly put new ideas into practice, and some of the most effective new ideas quickly become marketing best practices or emerging trends.

However, when marketing ideas initially move from early adopters to the majority of marketers, they tend to lose their luster. The incredible results the early adopters reported are not repeated.

This happens for two primary reasons: [Read more…]

12 B2B Marketing Predictions for 2012

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B2B Marketing Prediction PostI was recently informed that every marketing blogger must publish their predictions for the year ahead. So to claim my status as a blogger and not put my right to use WordPress at risk, here are my 12 serious predictions for B2B marketing in 2012.

Content Marketing

1. Name recognition will rule. Flooded with content, audiences will turn to recognized sources. High quality editorial, analysts and recognized thought leaders will rise above the clutter based on their names and reputations. [Read more…]

Five Step Guide: Gaming Google for the Long Term

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Google makes approximately 500 search algorithm changes a year. Looked at another way, Google averages two algorithm changes every business day. Wow.

Many of these changes, like the well publicized rounds of Google’s Panda updates, are designed to remove ways companies have found to game Google’s search results. So how do you keep up with all the changes Google makes?

Focus on the one thing Google is focused on. [Read more…]