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6 QR Code Mistakes Marketers Make

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QR CodeI was sitting in a conference hall and everyone around me had a smartphone, tablet (often with a keyboard) or laptop out.

The title on a sponsors flyer on the table caught my attention. I really did want to look them up at the break and learn more. But when I looked closer, my only option was a QR code. To use it, I needed to set my laptop aside, pull out my phone, scan the URL, and then use a tiny screen. When my laptop was open and ready for more comfortable viewing.

Marketers, stop it! Yes, QR codes can offer a convenient alternative to URLs or contact information, but stop making these QR code mistakes. [Read more…]

5 B2B Marketing Mistakes That Are Hard To Avoid

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Marketing Mistakes: But it looked like a good decision!The hardest mistakes to avoid are the ones that initially look like the right decision.

We all make mistakes. Sometimes you can see them coming, other times you only see them in hindsight unless you already know what to look for.

What mistakes should you see coming? Here are five mistakes that often don’t look like mistakes until after all is said and done, pulling from my own (regrettable) experiences. [Read more…]

A Guide to Creating a Thought Leadership Campaign

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Desert LeaderSituation: Your B2B company is not seen as a thought leader in your industry. You have been asked to develop a campaign to establish your company as a thought leader and become one of the leading voices within your industry.

Normally I am opposed to the idea of thought leadership and campaign being used together.

However, establishing thought leadership is a common objective and many B2B marketing organizations continue to work within a campaign framework. Ideal or not, many B2B marketers need solutions that deliver real recognition as thought leaders within a campaign structure. [Read more…]

6 Free Ways to Find the Best B2B Advertising Opportunities

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An efficient and well targeted online advertising program often means the difference between merely average and outstanding results. However, there is very little quality research available for online planning in B2B.

Here are some of the common challenges marketers face planning a B2B advertising program: [Read more…]

7 B2B Content Marketing Lessons from Call of Duty 2

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A documentary-style video featuring Oliver North? That definitely would not be marketing.

The video is entertaining. It is educational. It isn’t about a video game. But it is.

If you have not seen the documentary video for Call of Duty 2, you can watch it below. It is an example of content marketing that many B2B marketers can learn from. [Read more…]

7 Steps to Find Your Content Marketing Sweet Spot

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The Content Marketing Sweet SpotYou are ready to take your content marketing to the next level. Until now, you have been producing mostly mid and late stage content.

Your content supports the sales process and effectively communicates the value of your solutions to prospects.

Now, you are ready to use content marketing to raise the profile of your company overall.

Content that drives overall visibility for your company is different. To broadly improve your visibility within your market, you need to focus [Read more…]

42 B2B Marketing Acronyms and Abbreviations

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Some days B2B marketing discussions seem more like a reading of alphabet soup. With lines like “we need SME commitment before developing DDMs for the ABM program”, it is no wonder marketers often struggle to communicate internally.

If you are new to B2B marketing, or just have to work with a B2B marketer, these acronyms and abbreviations may help decode the conversation. [Read more…]

4 B2B Marketing Scenarios: One Size Does Not Fit All

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Join #B2BChat on Twitter every Thursday at 8:00 PM EasternB2B marketing discussions on Twitter and blogs have a tendency to focus on singular topics, such as Twitter, marketing automation, or lead generation, as if they are right for everyone and we just need to do them well.

However, the people B2B marketers want to reach are ultimately trying to solve a challenge or embrace an opportunity based on their unique business.

Shouldn’t B2B marketing solutions be just as unique? [Read more…]

10 Lessons From Mom To Make You A Better B2B Marketer

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B2B marketing can quickly become complicated. Scoring leads, establishing marketing automation, building thought leadership, creating demand… it isn’t easy.

Far too often, the complexity masks the important foundational elements. Remembering the things dear Mom taught you before you were old enough for school will make you an infinitely better marketer.

Here are ten lessons from Mom that B2B marketers (and really all marketers) would be wise to remember. [Read more…]