There are nearly 11 times more companies with marketing automation today than there were in early 2011[i]. And yet, 85% of B2B marketers using a marketing automation platform feel that they’re not using it to its full potential[ii].

For quite some time now, marketers have felt confident in their use of social media as a marketing channel. LinkedIn is the network for professionals, Twitter follows closely behind, Facebook is more for personal use, and sites like Pinterest and Instagram are more for companies selling consumer products. This has been the case for quite some time, but sadly things are changing again.

So… it’s been an exciting couple of weeks at Really B2B, and an unbelievable couple of years. Here’s why…

Back in the year 2014, we were shortlisted for 3 awards at the annual B2B Marketing Awards. From these nominations we scooped two highly coveted accolades - Best use of Content Marketing and Best SME-targeted Campaign. When we finally peeled ourselves off the ceiling and got our heart rates back to normal, we decided to refocus on our marketing activities and aim for more awards the following year.

With the 2016 Rio Olympics over, it's clear to see that Team GB really did us proud. The final medal tally was a whopping 67 medals; 27 gold, 23 silver and 17 bronze, and the country is still united in unparalleled support and admiration for our athletes.

Over two-thirds of B2B customers are actively disengaged with the companies they purchase from – B2B Marketing

Life for sales and marketing teams is all about new business. It’s about generating leads and converting them to sales. Ultimately, getting the buyer’s signature on the dotted line is the objective. But what happens after this? What happens when a lead actually becomes a customer and you have to start fulfilling all the things you said you would? Based on the statistic above, it would seem that most businesses lose the enthusiasm towards leads as soon as they become customers. And as expected, the buyers become jaded and disconnected from the brand. If you’re wondering if this is really a big deal, just consider this…

According to the Hays UK Salary & Recruiting Trends 2016, 60% of millennials in marketing anticipate leaving their jobs within the next 12 months and 34% expect to leave within six months[i]

With an industry-wide skills gap already having an impact on marketing teams, what will this exodus of millennial workers mean for marketing in future? Well, firstly, it simply cannot be allowed to happen. Millennials and digital natives are vitally important to modern marketing, and their ability to adapt to frequent and rapid changes makes them ideal employees. So the question then, is how to stop them leaving the industry? The only real way to solve this issue is by finding out exactly what is driving them away.

In a February 2016 report, 83% of B2B marketers said they were focusing on lead quality over lead quantity[i]

So, what is considered a high-quality lead, and why are B2B marketers turning their attention to quality over quantity? Well firstly, a high-quality lead is one which meets all of the BANT criteria (Budget, Authority, Need Time), and adheres to the sales team’s lead conditions. But most importantly, a quality lead is one which is easily converted to a customer and spends money with the organisation. The reason B2B marketers are more focused on this outcome rather than generating multiple leads is because, you can’t pay bills with engagement.

Unless you’re one of the seemingly few people on the planet who’s never seen it, fantasy drama series Game of Thrones is the TV show of the moment. With millions tuning in to each episode, especially the season finale this week, and fans enthusiastically taking to social media to discuss their favourite actors, plot theories, and (spoiler alert) who’s going to die next, the show’s popularity shows no signs of fading[i].

So, unless you’ve been hiding under a rock with your fingers in your ears for the past few months, you’ll no doubt be aware of the Brexit referendum today. This is, of course, the UK’s opportunity to choose whether it stays as part of the EU or not. Now, disregarding all of the apparent ‘scaremongering’ and campaign ‘spin’, some marketers may be thinking that leaving the EU will mean we can avoid the new GDPR… but that’s possibly not the case. Whether the country Brexits or not, any UK that has dealings with the EU will likely still have a responsibility to comply with the new data laws. Following a departure from Europe, the UK will likely negotiate a new data framework, but in the meantime, it’s safer to just assume GDPR is still on its way. So what does this mean for you?

After a 4 year wait, the UEFA European Championship is back to fill our TV screens and conversations for the next month. With 24 countries across Europe sending their best teams, there will be a selection of the world’s greatest players on show for the rest of the globe to watch admiringly. But, as we’ve seen in recent years, a single superstar isn’t enough to secure success for the rest of their team. The fact is, only teams which have talent throughout their squad are likely to progress to the latter stages of the event, and potentially win it. In order to achieve success in football and in B2B marketing, you can’t just rely on a single high-performing element of the team – you must ensure all elements are functioning to a high degree in unison.

Data is key to how every business performs in the 21^st century. But so much has changed in the last few years that now, your sales and marketing teams have to be working together with your data teams to ensure success. So what key steps can you take to be sure this is the case and that you maximise your marketing productivity?

During the early stages of inbound marketing and marketing automation implementation in the business-to-business space, sales were left somewhat ‘out in the cold’. Marketing were gathering huge amounts of information and very little of it was being passed over to the sales team with the lead’s contact details. There was then another shift whereby marketing were providing every piece of information on each lead to the sales team – ultimately overwhelming them.

The world of B2B sales is changing… rapidly. Where salespeople were once the go-to contacts for information and advice during the buying process, content and personal research are now taking their place. As buyers educate themselves and manoeuvre through the first 70% of the sales cycle, B2B salespeople are side-lined and left feeling underutilised.

Have the changes in buyer behaviour and the introduction of inbound marketing put B2B salespeople out of a job? Not quite. Granted they may not have the same approach to their role as before, but with simple changes they can now perform better than ever…

This weekend celebrates not only annual Top Gun Day, but also the 30^th anniversary of the movie’s release. So, we thought we’d see how a maverick approach to your B2B marketing (i.e. failing to focus on ROI) can result in a less-than-happy ending. Instead of being a hero, your targets could end up more like Goose.