Why are B2B buyer personas so important for B2B marketing? We take a quick look in this short video discussing exactly why buyer personas are a marketer's best friend and how to create them successfully. Video not for you? You can read the full transcript below and download the how-to guide today to learn more about how to create revenue-generating buyer personas. 

Topics: B2B, B2B marketing, B2B Buyers, B2B video, Buyer Personas, B2B Buyer Personas

It’s easy to shout about the benefits of outsourcing B2B marketing. I’m sure that in your quest for a successful marketing strategy and business growth plan, you’ve done plenty of research into the options available for in-house marketing versus outsourced. So this blog post isn’t intended to repeat the top 10 reasons you should consider working with a B2B marketing agency. The intention of this blog is to look at exactly what B2B marketers and business owners are risking when opting to work with a marketing agency and even more so; why the risk should still be taken.

Topics: B2B Lead Generation, B2B, B2B marketing, B2B Marketing Agency, Marketing Agency

Topics: B2B Inbound marketing, B2B, B2B marketing, B2B Outbound Marketing, B2B Sales Funnel, B2B Marketers, Kirsty Dawe

On June 18^th approximately 400 marketers and business owners descended into The Brewery in London for the B2B Summit 2014, hosted by B2B Marketing. The day was filled with sessions from B2B marketing experts covering the hottest topics in the B2B world; inbound marketing, multi-channel marketing, demand generation, social media and all the emerging trends. Not only did this day offer a huge amount of insight for many B2B marketers looking to improve their marketing practice and further develop their lead generation strategies, but it really gave some food for thought regarding the exciting future of B2B marketing and where we’re all headed.

Topics: B2B, B2B marketing, LinkedIn, B2B Summit, B2B Content, B2B Summit 2014

It’s the day before the 2014 FIFA World Cup kicks off (literally) and fans worldwide are eager to see just what formation and strategy each team uses to achieve their goals in this tournament. Similarly, B2B marketers are scouring the internet and constantly researching to achieve their own goals, a large part of which is using social media as a platform for B2B lead generation. In the case of marketing, common questions are along the lines of; how do I generate leads for my business using social media? Which networks and tactics should I be using to get the best results? How do I measure ROI?

Topics: B2B social media marketing, B2B Lead Generation, B2B Leads, B2B Marketing ROI, B2B Social Media

With just 8 days until the start of the FIFA 2014 World Cup and billions of viewers ready to tune in worldwide, what better way to look at the topic of B2B lead generation, than in relation to one of our other favourite topics; football. Now, when it comes to football, a foul is generally defined as, 'an unfair act by a player which is deemed by the referee to contravene the game’s laws'. The rules of effective B2B lead generation are not quite so clear-cut, but the repercussions of committing a ‘foul’ are clearly shown in a lack of consistent, high-quality leads that convert to paying customers. In order to generate B2B leads that result in ROI, understanding the acts that harm a marketing campaign, as well as those that benefit it, is vital. So, what are the fouls of B2B lead generation and are you committing them? 

Topics: B2B Lead Generation, B2B Leads, B2B marketing, Marketing ROI, Generating B2B Leads, B2B New Business, ROI

If you’re a B2B marketer, keeping up to date with all the latest channels and social media networks is a job in itself. When you add to this every other task social media requires, such as posting, responding, measuring and optimising every platform you have a company presence on, time and resource becomes an issue. If you’re anything like me, having a handy shortcut to managing a social media network is always welcomed. That’s why I’ve put together this quick breakdown of Twitter lists and how they can help you manage your time on Twitter more effectively.

Topics: B2B social media marketing, Twitter, B2B tips, B2B marketing, Twitter marketing, B2B Twitter, B2B Social Media

In B2B marketing, visual content is arguably the most effective way to engage with prospects. According to MDG Advertising, articles that contain images result in 94% more total views than those without. As a visual piece of content that turns otherwise complex or dull topics into easy to absorb and engaging information, infographics are just one great tool B2B marketers can use to make content marketing more appealing for prospects. That is, of course, when they are done well.

What is an effective infographic?

Topics: B2B Inbound marketing, B2B Content Marketing, B2B tips, B2B marketing, Infographics, B2B Marketers, B2B Infographics

It’s a platform both loved and loathed by B2B marketers who debate the relevance of Twitter as an effective B2B lead generation channel. Regardless of our thoughts on this matter, it’s hard to disagree with the fact that Twitter allows instant, easy access to some of the most influential people in the B2B marketing space. With this access comes the ability to keep up to date with the huge array of changes, developments and debates the B2B marketing industry brings, and to use this gained knowledge to fuel our own marketing plans, strategies and goals.

Topics: Twitter, B2B marketing, Twitter marketing, B2B Twitter, B2B Social Media, B2B Marketers, B2B Influencers

There is a vicious rumour being spread, that outbound marketing for lead generation is no longer effective. Tactics such as emails to purchased data lists and the traditional channels such as direct mail and telemarketing have been given quite a hard time. There seems to be a common theme in the advent of new marketing disciplines, that the old methods are now redundant. But is it a case of one or the other? Is it inbound versus outbound? Actually, no. It is the integration of strategic outbound and inbound marketing techniques that will prove most successful for B2B lead generation. B2B marketers that can successfully achieve this will reap the benefits.

Topics: B2B Inbound marketing, B2B Lead Generation, B2B marketing, B2B Marketing ROI, B2B ROI, B2B Outbound Marketing

The relationship between B2B sales and marketing teams has always been a precarious one. Sales aren’t satisfied with the number of leads passed to them by marketing, while marketing argue that sales fail to convert the leads they do pass over. Aligning sales and marketing is a challenging task, but as the B2B buying cycle changes and the boundaries between these two teams become continuously blurred, it’s one that can’t be avoided.

Topics: B2B, B2B marketing, B2B Sales, B2B Sales and Marketing, B2B Buying cycle

When it comes to B2B content marketing, it’s broadly acknowledged that a blog is a key tool for inclusion. As stated by Social Media B2B, ‘companies that blog generate 67% more leads per month than those who don’t’, while a recent study from the CIM and Marketing Profs tells us 79% of the most effective B2B marketers rate blogs as their top tactic. So, we’re agreed – blogging as a B2B lead generation channel is paramount. For many, it’s not the ‘why you need a B2B blog’ that needs to be explored but the ‘how-to’. How do you implement a B2B blog that successfully generates B2B leads and delivers ROI? 

Topics: B2B Lead Generation, B2B Content Marketing, B2B tips, B2B Leads, B2B Blog, How-to, B2B Blog Content B2B

As the new year approaches and B2B marketers finalise how and where to allocate their 2014 marketing budget, Base One and B2B Marketing have revealed the ‘Buyersphere Report 2013’. It provides insight into which processes buyers follow and the motivations behind supplier choices in the B2B buying process. While this knowledge is of huge benefit to marketers thanks to the identification of preferred content channels and formats, specified by buyers themselves; the true validity of the data needs to be considered. In a long and complex B2B sales cycle, in which marketers implement numerous lead nurturing techniques, is a buyer completely aware of which content most influences their purchasing decision? Should B2B marketers be relying on industry statistics or using their own analysis to determine which forms of content work to generate leads and ROI for their business? 

Topics: B2B Content Marketing, B2B, B2B marketing, B2B Buyers, B2B Buying cycle, Buyersphere Report