Integrated Communications Still Vital for B2B Marketers.

By Steve Fodor

Business-to-business companies are dedicating more and more marketing funds to online marketing, SEO strategies and social mediums like Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube. Some in the industrial marketing sector have even coined the term “SMO” (social media optimization) which refers to the integration of social media and search engine optimization.

But even though the media landscape has changed dramatically in just a few short years, should B2B industrial companies put all or even most of their marketing efforts into just SEO or SMO strategies? There’s no doubt that investments in SEO, SMO and content development strategies will help more customers and prospects find your Web site, but consider these media usage statistics before you put all of your eggs in the online basket.

More than 50 percent of companies today are blocking access to social media in the workplace. Why? It has to do with productivity. A recent study showed that up to two hours per day per employee are lost due to social media, and 87 percent of employees said they had “no clear business reason” for using social media in the workplace.

A 2010 study from Palo Alto Networks, a network security firm, revealed that at least 88 percent of traffic on social media sites like Facebook and LinkedIn comes from users simply reading their own personal pages. That’s a lot of checking to see if anyone has “liked” my latest status update.

Please don’t get me wrong here. I am all for B2B industrial marketers utilizing online video and social media marketing to develop thought leadership positioning and for raising search engine rankings. But, I also believe that the usage habits and true role of social media marketing is still being defined for B2B marketers. I still have yet to see a bona fide case study with a measureable ROI for social media marketing in the B2B space.

Social media, online marketing and content development strategies most definitely have their place in the marketing mix for B2B industrial companies. But it’s estimated that 75 to 80 percent of people find Web sites through “other” marketing mediums like print, direct mail, and personal contact (i.e. – trade shows). No matter how much things change, an integrated marketing communications strategy is still vital.

Flickr Photo Credit: ivanpw

Boosting Online Presence for B2B Marketers on a Budget.

By Steve Fodor.

I don’t pretend to know everything, but I know one thing to be true: B2B marketers today need to boost their online presence with less funds, fewer people and in an ever-increasingly cluttered online environment.

What’s the point of having invested in a Web site if it does not get found? Or if it doesn’t sell? Content development strategies continue to grow as a way for increasing SEO and telling a brand story. And it’s a great strategy, if you have the time, people and resources to do it. A recent study points out that 60% of B2B companies have no marketing staff dedicated to content development, and 24% of companies have only one person dedicated to the task.

So what to do? A colleague of mine and I were discussing this dilemma the other day. The problem we’re trying to solve is: how can we create greater online presence for a client with minimal funds and not enough resources to really implement a content development strategy? Here’s some food for thought.

Give your Web site a “call to action.” - So many Web sites are basically, well, online brochures. If I come to the site once, I’ve seen about everything there is to see. Your Web site…regardless of industry… must first and foremost sell your products or services. Call-to-action specials, sweepstakes, promotions and “new” items that are available should be seen in a big and bold way. It’s easy and relatively inexpensive to frequently feature new items and promotions with calls to action on your home page.

Better yet, create micro sites for specific promotions. – Adding micro sites to support specific product or service specials and/or new promotions puts new content out there to be found, and can be created at a fraction of the cost of a new Web site.

Expand your presence through promotion on third-party e-newsletters. – Third party e-newsletters are often overlooked when developing online media strategies. But, just about every industry has online newsletters authored by credible industry experts. They usually are opt-in (meaning people actually request the content) and present promotional opportunities at a fraction of the cost of other more “mainstream” venues. In our experience, we’ve actually seen some online newsletters perform better than established publication Web sites.

These are a few ideas a B2B marketer can do today and on a relatively small budget to boost online presence. We call making the most of available marketing funds our Industrial-Strength Marketing® approach. Having been in business since 1985 and working exclusively with B2B marketers, we know that just throwing money at a marketing problem is not always possible (or advisable). We have a few more Industrial-Strength ideas to share. If you’ve got a few, let us know.

Flickr Photo Credit:28 misguided souls

The need for content is driving marketing.

By Steve Fodor.

“The biggest challenge is the mentality shift within marketing organizations. Marketing execs are always in the mind set of selling product. But we need to think and act like magazine editors. This type of thinking and approach is new.”

That’s not a quote from me, although I agree with it 100 percent. It’s a quote from an article titled, “Content needs drive organizational changes.”

Developing content that customers and prospects are seeking has become the new lifeblood of marketing. The need for content development is the result of the changing paradigm of sales. It used to be that the media controlled information and sales took the form of “going out and hunting.” Now, marketers can control information, bypass the media and invite prospects in through SEO strategies.

Sounds, easy, right? Well, apparently not.

Over the last few months, I’ve seen, heard and read about two very BIG NEEDS in the marketing world. First is the need for tighter alignment between sales and marketing. One source cited that only eight percent of companies feel that marketing departments are in touch with customers. Second is the need for developing relevant content that meets the unmet information needs of customers and prospects. Personally, I think these two needs are really one in the same.

Developing content in the form of Web site copy, blogs, videos and white papers takes time, talent and, most of all, people dedicated to the task. Companies typically look for content development insights by monitoring key words and search phrases and through Web analytics. But, here’s another suggested method for determining the direction of your content development strategy: know thy customer. Whatever happened to good, old-fashioned field research where marketing people actually went out into the field, talked to end-users and the distribution channel and asked questions? Or (and don’t make a gasping sound here) actually interviewed field sales and customer service for content development topics? After all, sales and customer service are on the front lines. And, judging by the two biggest marketing needs I keep hearing over and over again, I would suggest it’s a sensible place to start.

We call our roll-up-your-sleeves process of getting out into the field to identify unmet information needs and then creating and delivering desired content “Sales Diagnostics.”

What’s your strategy for developing content?

Flickr Photo Credit: MatthewRad

Politics and Media.

By Steve Fodor

I’m writing this at 9:45 a.m. on April 7, 2011. Other than getting up for coffee, I haven’t left my desk.

As usual per my morning routine, I checked on some news sources via the internet. I also reviewed my professional groups on LinkedIn and a few trade publications.

This morning, I’ve come to the conclusion that politics and the changing media environment are alike. Why’s that? Because both so-called “new” and “old” marketing mediums are desperately vying for attention and legitimacy the way politicians do.

As I’m writing this, we are one day away from the federal government shutting down because of budget disagreements. I’ve seen and heard all the politicians shift blame and proclaim there is no viable solution or point of view other than “their own.”

I’ve also read the following this morning regarding marketing and media:

Traditional, interruption-based marketing is dead (pro “new” media)

Print advertising is still relevant (pro “old” media)

Spending on inbound marketing should be three times as much as outbound marketing (pro “new” media)

Nine out of 10 adults average 43 minutes reading the publication of their choice (pro “old” media)

The average budget spent on social media and company blogs has doubled from 2008 to 2011 (pro “new” media)

Can anyone provide a real case history with a real ROI on marketing via social media (pro “old” media)

It seems like the back and forth battle of “I’m right, you’re wrong” among politicians is similar to the back and forth battle for relevancy among marketing mediums. Both politicians and marketing mediums are working very hard these days to confirm their relevancy and imply that they provide the “best” solution.

Politics and media are alike. What you hear from any one of them is usually slanted and based on furthering their particular agenda. We have a two-party system in this county because there is no one “best” solution. Integrated points of view benefit society as a whole. And just as we have a two-party system to create integration, a sound marketing and media strategy is most often based on an integrated approach, as well.

Do you agree?

Flickr Photo Credit: DWallis

You’re still right, David Ogilvy.

By Steve Fodor.

I decided to go into advertising when I was introduced to David Ogilvy. Not literally introduced. I read his book, Ogilvy On Advertising, during my younger, more impressionable years.

Now, though I say David Ogilvy created quite an impression on me, I don’t really have much in common with the man. He was suave and referred to as a “gentleman with brains.” I’m, well, not referred to in that way. I don’t smoke a pipe or drive a Rolls Royce or own a chateau in France, either.

How would David Ogilvy, a man who arguably knew more about crafting and creating brand appeal than any other adman to don a grey flannel suit, fair in today’s world? Would his principles and techniques for creating “advertising that sells” persuade today’s information-intensive buyers?

Consider these two thoughts from Mr. Ogilvy…

“I run the risk of being denounced by the idiots who hold that any advertising technique which has been in use for more than two years is ipso facto obsolete.” David Ogilvy uttered this quote in 1953 when TV was changing how society lives and interacts with media. I interpret David Ogilvy as implying that it’s the message, not the medium or the communication tactics, that sell. Without a well-crafted message that connects with the audience you’re trying to persuade, the medium is, well, irrelevant.

“Body copy is seldom read by more than 10 percent of the people. But that 10 percent consists of prospects – people interested enough in what you’re selling to take the trouble to read about it. Don’t be afraid to write long copy. It actually attracts more readers than short copy.” I recently had a discussion with someone who insisted that today’s viewers of Web sites, blogs and social media don’t take the time to read long copy. This person insisted that today’s consumer will only read “short, bullet-point” text. I would contend that today’s viewers of Web sites, blogs and social media are actually seeking even more information, and long copy (provided it is of relevance to the reader) will be appreciated and read more than “bullet points” that don’t really tell a story.

Media will keep changing. How we communicate with one another will keep evolving. But we’re still in the business of trying to persuade human beings through well-crafted messages. I think you’re still right, Mr. Ogilvy.

Photo Credit: www.advertisinghalloffame.org

Another case for direct mail.

By Steve Fodor

Pick up any trade magazine from the marketing world and you’ll read about how social media is the “latest and greatest,” even in the B2B world. A recent conversation on LinkedIn even asked, “Is social media overtaking marketing?” No doubt, social media presents B2B and B2C marketers with dynamic venues for optimizing search results and developing conversations with customers.

But, even in the new media world, “old” and proven communications venues still have their place. I’ve always been a fan of direct mail…done right. I’m not of fan of postcards and letters that are not personalized or do not have a relevant offering (I’m also not a fan of push email, either, for the same reasons). Direct mail, when done right, is engaging. Human beings are tactile creatures and direct mail can involve the senses. Direct mail can be read in a more passive environment, which is especially advantageous if you’re selling a technical or information-intensive product or service. Direct mail can (and should be) entertaining and visually interesting. And, with creative use of different paper stocks and printing techniques (remember printing?), direct mail can create brand ambience.

I opened my mailbox the other night and found a nice direct mail piece from a financial planning organization. Actually, the mailing was addressed to my wife, but I was so intrigued by a three-dimensional direct mail piece that I had to open it to see what it was. It’s engaging. It’s interactive. It presents information in a way that’s easy to understand and makes good use of a three-dimensional visual device (the spinning wheel). All in all, it delivers an effective and informative marketing message that got my attention.

Another good use of direct mail is something we did for one of our B2B clients (see photo above). It’s for a new kind of slip -resistant flooring that’s applicable in the trucking industry, as well as many other industries. The marketing challenge is that the product is “alien,” according to the marketing manager. With our help, we put together a targeted mailing list, an engaging three-dimensional mailer that tells the story, and these are being mailed to select prospects with a follow-up call for a personal visit.

We see social media continuing to evolve in the B2B marketing world. It’s a big part of what we do and we’re working with clients to expand how they use and think about social media to tell their brand stories. But, don’t overlook the power of so-called “old school” mediums. The right tool used in the right situation will still work wonders, no matter how old it is.

Photo Credit: Badertscher Communications

Just what do marketing people really do?

By Steve Fodor

Do a Google search on “bringing marketing and sales together” and you’ll get a plethora of content. Sales and marketing working in sync seems to be on the minds of a lot of folks these days, begging the question, just what do marketing people really do?

Forrester Research conducted a study of B2B companies recently and found that only eight percent reported “tight alignment” between sales and marketing. Forrester Research noted that “too often, marketing does not have a deep enough understanding of the buyer’s needs because they don’t have enough interaction with buyers themselves.”

Having spent most of the past 20 years of my life in the agency business working for clients looking to create stronger brand connections with customers, I have to say these findings about sales and marketing do not surprise me. I have on a number of occasions tried to get insights into why customers buy or don’t buy by going through marketing only to hear, “we’re too busy to get out in the field and learn about our customers.” On another occasion, when working as a district sales manager for a safety products company and attending a sales meeting, I was flabbergasted when the marketing director said during her presentation that she “wasn’t aware” of a new marketing communications campaign that was launched by a primary competitor (at that moment, I could see the gap between sales and marketing getting even bigger).

I’ve always been of the opinion that marketing starts with understanding the customer. If marketing people are not out in the field talking with customers about how they get information, how they would like to get information, and what type of information they find most useful, what’s the point of marketing? We call the process of understanding how B2B customers make purchasing decisions and how they would like and need to be communicated with Sales Diagnostics ^TM. There’s nothing “magical” about it. Sales Diagnostics is the process of getting out into the field to meet with end-users and channel members to uncover their needs, and then develop sales and communications strategies to meet those needs. Yet, apparently, from all the recent uproar over the disconnect between sales and marketing, it sounds as though a lot of marketing departments are not partaking in this seemingly simple task. It seems more like a lot of marketing people are staying busy in meetings talking about everything except customers’ needs.

Agree? Have a different point of view on how to bring sales and marketing together? Let us know.

Flickr Photo Credit: HIRAOKA, Yasunobu