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Subscribe in a readerWhy B2B Websites Need More Content
Galen De Young ( @GalenDY ) | B2B Search Marketing | March 31st, 2008Investments in B2B websites have traditionally been much smaller than B2C counterparts. Often the approach has been somewhat minimalistic, incorporating only what is necessary to have a credible presence. The creation and addition of what some deem “supplemental” content often gets pushed aside as other marketing initiatives take priority.
While this may seem prudent in terms of the marketing budget, it is actually hurting your site from a search marketing perspective. (more…)
B2B Blog Links | The Day in B2B | March 31, 2007
admin | B2B Blog Postings | March 31st, 2008Below are some of the better B2B marketing blog posts from around the web in recent days. (more…)
The Importance of Positioning Strategy
Galen De Young ( @GalenDY ) | Positioning | March 27th, 2008Today I ran across a great blog posting at Brandeo regarding positioning strategy. I couldn’t agree more with the sentiments expressed in it. While the blog post mentions two consumer-marketing examples, the issues are equally relevant and critical to B2B marketing.
Concurring with the author, I believe that there is often too little time paid to developing the proper positioning, and that too often positioning strategy is confused by ambiguous talk about the amorphous “brand.” Discussions about the brand usually get people thinking about things they can see, like visual identities and taglines. While brand strategy should be nearly synonymous with positioning strategy, in today’s world it generally isn’t. (more…)
B2B Blog Links | The Day in B2B | March 26, 2008
admin | B2B Blog Postings | March 26th, 2008Below are some of the better B2B marketing blog posts from around the web in recent days. (more…)
The High Steaks of Customer Service
Mike Marn | B2B Ad Agencies | March 20th, 2008
Advertising agencies have been known to take their clients for granted. They believe that since their clients are usually not marketing experts, and are busy operating their businesses, they are somehow less inclined to evaluate agency performance or consider a change. We get too comfortable, thinking they wouldn’t want to have to bring someone else up to speed, learning about their business.
Obviously a very smug and dangerous assumption. In this day and age, everything is assessed constantly. Regardless of the industry, or the lack of sophistication of your clients, if you don’t serve them as well as you once did, someone else will get the chance. (more…)
Starbucks is Closing?!!!
Mike Marn | B2B Marketing | March 12th, 2008Nope. Not happening. No one is taking away your right to overpay for a cup of “the right” coffee. But there is something important we can all take away from the great Starbucks three-hour closing event in February—a reminder that in general, our customers (and our clients’ customers) care a lot less than we do. Cold, but true.
The Aegis Group’s research arm Synovate surveyed a thousand consumers and found that, while 75% of them were aware of the Starbucks closing, fewer than half had any idea why! I would imagine that is a big disappointment to Starbucks.
I can see the strategic thinking behind it quite clearly. “We’ll close for three hours just to (more…)
The Wisdom of Crowds?
Galen De Young ( @GalenDY ) | Positioning | March 10th, 2008
Look all too familiar to you?
Getting input from advisors is important. And necessary. But chiseling and rounding your positioning until it pleases everyone inside the company ensures it won’t mean much to anyone outside the company.
Your goal in positioning should be to make it easier for customers and prospects to understand exactly why your company should be one of their top choices, why there are few credible substitutes for your company in the market. Usually, that means narrowing your focus. And that’s likely to scare you. If it doesn’t scare you…if it doesn’t initially make you feel pretty uncomfortable…it probably won’t create meaningful change in your organization or in the marketplace.
The question is whether you want to be safe or successful.
B2B Marketing Trends for 2008
Galen De Young ( @GalenDY ) | Trends | March 10th, 2008In late 2007, BtoB Magazine published results from its survey, 2008 Marketing Priorities and Plans. Despite growing uncertainties regarding the economy, two-thirds of B2B marketers surveyed indicated they have increased marketing budgets for 2008.
What’s interesting, however, are the areas of increase. Eighty percent of those surveyed indicated increases in online marketing. The area with the fewest marketers increasing their budgets…print. (more…)
