Marketing Insider Group

NOVEMBER 4, 2010

The curious and cautious B2B buyers B2B buyers are curious about how a product can make life easier and business better; however, they are also more cautious when making purchases because a mistake can be costly both for the company and their career. Each B2B customer will be thinking about products in the context of his or her own position.

Landing Pages 100

Landing Pages Top of Funnel Paid Search Agency Work Management 100

Marketing Insider Group

NOVEMBER 4, 2010

The curious and cautious B2B buyers B2B buyers are curious about how a product can make life easier and business better; however, they are also more cautious when making purchases because a mistake can be costly both for the company and their career. Each B2B customer will be thinking about products in the context of his or her own position.

Landing Pages 100

Landing Pages Top of Funnel Paid Search Agency Work Management 100

Marketing Insider Group

MAY 3, 2010

Having started my career and spent 9 years in a B2B company serving some of the world’s top brands in the consumer space, I have often rejected the B2B label because too often, B2B marketers forget to focus on consumers. But B2B Marketing is complex with a need to appeal to both emotion and intellect. And the truth is far from it.

Planning 100

Planning Paid Search Agency Customer Satisfaction Enterprise Management 100

Marketing Insider Group

MAY 3, 2010

Having started my career and spent 9 years in a B2B company serving some of the world’s top brands in the consumer space, I have often rejected the B2B label because too often, B2B marketers forget to focus on consumers. But B2B Marketing is complex with a need to appeal to both emotion and intellect. And the truth is far from it.

B2B Marketing 100

B2B Marketing Planning Paid Search Agency Customer Satisfaction 100

Marketing Insider Group

SEPTEMBER 15, 2010

The reason I believe marketers are so confused about social media is because of this paradox. This misses the point, of course, since social media is about customer relationships and not really about the technology at all. They are: Customers: something that is missing from many social media plans is the focus on customers.

Social Media 100

Social Media Media Customer Satisfaction Web 2.0 100

Marketing Insider Group

JUNE 18, 2010

All this is starting to create massive and revolutionary changes in the way businesses in general and marketers in particular interact with customers. The web did not replace either. Customer lists provide a tremendous opportunity for selling additional solutions and services or upgrades. Absolutely not.

Tactics 100

Tactics Paid Search Agency Demand Generation Agencies Leads 100

Marketing Insider Group

JULY 13, 2010

“As user-generated content becomes a greater part of professional workflow, it is important for B2B marketers to understand not only where their customers are interacting, but also their motivations when they are consuming or participating in these communities.

Social Media 100

Social Media Peer-to-peer Social Marketing B2B Marketing 100

Marketing Insider Group

AUGUST 24, 2010

These chats can also allow a brand/product to create significant social capital. Consumers will see directly through tactics that result in a one-sided chat that focuses solely on the brand and it will turn them off almost instantly.

Organization 100

Organization Planning Paid Search Agency Allocation 100

Marketing Insider Group

DECEMBER 1, 2010

The result of all this was redundancy like B2B marketing has never seen before. Opt-outs increased and our brand image suffered — all because we were spamming our customers. “The best laid plans…&# We did not plan for this. But unfortunately too much of our marketing is done based on gut feel.

B2B Marketing 100

B2B Marketing Planning Paid Search Agency Top of Funnel 100

Marketing Insider Group

DECEMBER 16, 2010

It has to be integrated into the existing editorial process and production process. What I think Jennifer and Mallary are suggesting is that only through real integration can we accomplish the value of customer engagement. I’m convinced that’s the only way we’re going to crack the engagement nut.”

Social Media 100

Social Media Media Enterprise Management Paid Search Agency 100

Marketing Insider Group

DECEMBER 16, 2010

It has to be integrated into the existing editorial process and production process. What I think Jennifer and Mallary are suggesting is that only through real integration can we accomplish the value of customer engagement. I’m convinced that’s the only way we’re going to crack the engagement nut.”

Social Media 100

Social Media Media Enterprise Management Paid Search Agency 100

Marketing Insider Group

OCTOBER 7, 2010

Time Line Close The Time Line close is effective when a product or service will impact a prospect’s project plan, especially if the purchasing decision is a prerequisite to other activities in the project plan. is a great closing tool with a product that has many clear benefits. I am sure it will help many of our agents.

Top of Funnel 100

Top of Funnel Telemarketing Work Management Marketing Management 100

Marketing Insider Group

AUGUST 10, 2010

Too many times, the reaction of B2B Marketers is to pull out the fire house and start fighting the latest fire. I think one of the most important factors to success in B2B markets is simple: Strategic and Integrated Marketing Plans. And if you want to get something done, plan for it.

Marketing Strategy 100

Marketing Strategy Marketing & Strategy Planning Paid Search Agency 100

Marketing Insider Group

AUGUST 10, 2010

Too many times, the reaction of B2B Marketers is to pull out the fire house and start fighting the latest fire. I think one of the most important factors to success in B2B markets is simple: Strategic and Integrated Marketing Plans. And if you want to get something done, plan for it.

Marketing Strategy 100

Marketing Strategy Marketing & Strategy Planning Paid Search Agency 100

Marketing Insider Group

MAY 12, 2010

Social media is hot mainly because it is new news to lots of folks in marketing and across our organizations that “the customer is indeed in charge”. Customers decide when and how to engage with us in the buying journey. Step 2: Create your marketing plan. Ask your current customers. Ask your partners.

Lead Generation 100

Lead Generation Sales Management Lead Ranking ROI 100

Marketing Insider Group

AUGUST 12, 2010

As I stated before in Why am I in Marketing? our job is to support sales in their goal to acquire more customers and to keep our customers. Our marketing processes should support and even expect this natural shift by our sales colleagues. So when our “customers&# in sales ask for more leads, give them more.

Work Management 100

Work Management Marketing Management Sales Qualified Leads Lead Ranking 100

Marketing Insider Group

JULY 19, 2010

One responder can lead us to several opportunities within the company if the discussion we have is centered around the needs and pains of the company and not only one product or service. The representative needs to have many assets at the ready, as people like to view products or services in various ways.

Work Management 100

Work Management Marketing Management Lead Scoring Lead Ranking 100

Marketing Insider Group

OCTOBER 12, 2010

Simplicity Of Programs These programs are notoriously simple to create as you only need to provide a list of target companies and a product, solution or service you want to sell. The company will not incur any expense until the meeting takes place, and you can be assured that if the meeting is valueless, you will not pay for it.

Sales Management 100

Sales Management Telemarketing Work Management Campaigns 100

Marketing Insider Group

MAY 17, 2010

This is a unifying principle for both marketing and sales teams and should act as the starting point for all of our discussions. In B2B marketing organizations, the single most important way to keep customers is to build satisfaction and loyalty. So, how do we build customer satisfaction and loyalty?

Customer Satisfaction 100

Customer Satisfaction Loyalty B2B Thought Leadership Paid Search Agency 100

Marketing Insider Group

MAY 17, 2010

This is a unifying principle for both marketing and sales teams and should act as the starting point for all of our discussions. In B2B marketing organizations, the single most important way to keep customers is to build satisfaction and loyalty. So, how do we build customer satisfaction and loyalty?

Customer Satisfaction 100

Customer Satisfaction Loyalty B2B B2B Thought Leadership 100

Marketing Insider Group

NOVEMBER 18, 2010

While some have predicted the consolidation of Twitter and Facebook or the demise of Foursquare, I am sticking to the practical topics most B2B Marketers I know are talking about: Marketing automation and automated lead nurturing will become a foundational B2B marketing activity as we are expected to accelerate deals through our funnels.

Paid Content 100

Paid Content B2B Marketing Paid Search Agency B2B 100

Marketing Insider Group

JULY 27, 2010

Include thought leadership whitepapers, customer videos, podcasts, case studies, demos and product comparison guides. The cost will be low since you used existing content, house-list emails and a general desire to help your customers make a quality buying decision. Make sure you cover each buying stage.

Sales Management 100

Sales Management Paid Search Agency Lead Scoring Lead Ranking 100

Marketing Insider Group

JULY 29, 2010

A company brand is directly impacted by the voice of its employees, along with customers, partners and the larger community and ecosystem in which it participates. Michaels B2BMarketingInsider blog is dedicated to sharing the ideas, topics and marketing strategies that drive real results like sales, leads, and higher customer loyalty.

Social Media 100

Social Media Personalization Brand Identity Branding 100

Marketing Insider Group

MAY 10, 2010

In many ways, Social Media is simply another proof point of the power of customer-driven, inbound marketing. Push vs. Pull The battle has raged within B2B Marketing departments since the dawn of the web: push vs. pull, traditional direct marketing vs. newer inbound techniques like search.

Social Media 100

Social Media Social Marketing Optimization Paid Search Agency 100

Marketing Insider Group

MAY 10, 2010

In many ways, Social Media is simply another proof point of the power of customer-driven, inbound marketing. Push vs. Pull The battle has raged within B2B Marketing departments since the dawn of the web: push vs. pull, traditional direct marketing vs. newer inbound techniques like search.

Social Media 100

Social Media Social Marketing Optimization Paid Search Agency 100

Marketing Insider Group

JULY 8, 2010

So why is this important for B2B Marketers? Innovation is not necessarily about new products or technical developments but can be just as much about people, marketing approaches, and processes. The wants and needs of the market are not always serious and sometimes are downright frivolous.

Marketing Management 100

Marketing Management Peer-to-peer Burn Rate Customer Satisfaction 100

Marketing Insider Group

JULY 8, 2010

So why is this important for B2B Marketers? Innovation is not necessarily about new products or technical developments but can be just as much about people, marketing approaches, and processes. The wants and needs of the market are not always serious and sometimes are downright frivolous.

B2B Marketing 100

B2B Marketing Marketing Management B2B Planning 100

Marketing Insider Group

SEPTEMBER 30, 2010

MarketingSherpa released a 2-part series called “Bridging the Gap: 5 Objectives for Improving Relations between Sales and Marketing” (Part 1) and (Part 2). Or as I say “Sales is the customer of marketing.” I have also seen this exponential inclrease in performance when marketing and sales align behind the customer!

Sales Management 100

Sales Management Top of Funnel Planning Paid Search Agency 100

Marketing Insider Group

JUNE 4, 2010

In his purely interactive session, Frank received this question: Do you see social media creating a convergence of marketing, PR, and customer service? She even references Frank and @ComcastCares as an example of Customer Service folks doing some PR. Frank answered that he did not believe these areas would “converge”.

Social Media 100

Social Media Demand Generation Agencies Media PR 100