If you’re a B2B marketer and an expert in your field, there’s a content marketing tactic you should seriously consider: Writing a book. Here’s what makes a book such a powerful element of a smart marketing strategy, as shared by an expert at Content Marketing World in Cleveland, Ohio....
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Here are seven reasons why you still need a blog in a smart B2B marketing strategy, plus a compelling B2B blogging success story shared by Rick Short of Indium Corporation at Content Marketing World 2015 in Cleveland, Ohio. #CMWorld...
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The annual Beloit College Mindset List profiles how incoming college freshmen view the world, offering fascinating insights for marketers into the next generation of consumers. Here are 10 key takeaways for marketers from this year’s list for the Class of 2019....
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In this new, technology-driven world of marketing, do the proven principles of marketing strategy still apply? Or are there new rules for marketing success? Here are five new marketing rules created by the enormous impact of technology plus five time-tested marketing principles -- and the reasons to consider both in a smart marketing strategy....
View MoreAre you looking to create a great advertising campaign for your organization? Come to Cleveland. While we’re not Madison Avenue or even Michigan Avenue, some of the best advertising and marketing campaigns in America are being produced in Northeast Ohio. Here are 10 reasons why Cleveland, Ohio is a terrific advertising town and a great place to create and execute a smart marketing strategy....
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The term “media” used to have a simple definition in marketing: "Media" were the paid advertising channels marketers used to deliver promotional messages to prospects. But today’s definition of "media" is decidedly different. If fact, there are three kinds of media that belong in a marketing plan: Paid, owned, and earned media. Here’s what "media" means today and why paid, owned, and earned media should be part of your smart marketing strategy. New Elements of a "Media" Plan When I studied advertising at Ohio University, my textbook defined a media plan as “the overall...
View MoreThe most important step in developing a business-to-business marketing strategy is the first one: Setting your goals. Why are you investing in marketing? What do you want that investment to achieve for your business? For B2B marketers, the answer to these questions can be surprisingly straightforward. In fact, in my experience as a B2B marketing consultant, there are 10 critical goals that apply to almost every B2B marketing strategy, whether you’re selling manufactured products, professional services, or commodities. Here are the 10 goals that belong in a smart B2B marketing...
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Email newsletters used to be part of almost every organization’s marketing strategy. Then blogging and social media came along and e-newsletters lost their luster. Many marketers stopped producing them. But as more and more companies embrace content marketing and customer relationship management, marketers are rediscovering the value of e-newsletters. In part one of a two-part post, here’s why an e-newsletter can be a powerful tool in a smart marketing strategy and some tips for e-newsletter success. Out of the Trash Heap and into Your Inbox When web technology created dynamic new channels for communications,...
View MoreOne of the trickiest aspects of business-to-business marketing is selling to influencers – people who are not end-users of a product or service but whose opinions influence the purchasing decision. Here are seven tips for marketing and selling to influencers in a smart B2B marketing strategy....
View MoreOne of the most common creative approaches in advertising is making fun of someone or something. When it’s on point, an ad that mocks can engage and entertain. But when it goes too far, it feels mean, casting the marketer in a bad light and unsettling the audience. How do you know when funny goes too far in advertising? Here are five tips for developing a creative approach for your smart marketing strategy that mocks without being mean....
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