123 eGuides

1 Minute Advice: B2B Lead Funnel Strategies

As a B2B marketer, you're likely quite familiar with the lead generation funnel, but you may not think about the fact that there are different strategies that apply to top-of-funnel vs. mid-funnel lead generation.

According to recent research cited in MarketingProfs, B2B marketers in North America and the United Kingdom said that, in 2021, the top three most successful tactics for generating quality leads at top-of-funnel were social media, email and live/virtual events. However, when it came to generating or progressing leads at mid-funnel, the top three most successful tactics were webinars, live/virtual events and white papers/eBooks. Not surprisingly, this suggests that mid-funnel leads have a deeper interest in more substantive information.

Read more here (free subscription required): https://www.marketingprofs.com/charts/2022/47055/the-top-tactics-for-generating-quality-b2b-leads?

This post is brought to you by 123 eGuides, publisher of authoritative, affordable guides to help small businesses get the most from your marketing. Now available: The updated, revised Third Edition of the popular eGuide, Branding 123, that details a 3-part system for how small marketers can build a breakthrough brand. Included in the Third Edition are profiles of 5 small brands that grew up using techniques similar to those outlined in Branding 123. Read more about this eGuide here.

1 Minute Advice: Don't Overlook B2B Communities

If you're a B2B marketer, you should know that 2/3 of B2B users (66 percent) said "they appreciate belonging to online B2B communities because it allows them to connect with others who have relevant interests," according to a recent study cited in MarketingProfs.

Justin Levy of Demandbase writes:

"Customer communities offer benefits for brands, such as the ability to engage with clients on a one-to-one basis for customer service or sales purposes. Marketers can use a 'soft-sell' approach to develop customer interest in their offerings, sign people up for communications, and offer promotions to members.

"Online communities also give brands a priceless opportunity to address customer problems and questions early. Doing so enhances brand differentiation, boosts transparency and accountability, grows customer loyalty and improves the customer journey."

Read more here (free subscription required): https://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2022/47057/the-importance-of-b2b-communities-whats-in-it-for-marketers?

This post is brought to you by 123 eGuides, publisher of authoritative, affordable guides to help small businesses get the most from your marketing. Now available: The updated, revised Third Edition of the popular eGuide, Branding 123, that details a 3-part system for how small marketers can build a breakthrough brand. Included in the Third Edition are profiles of 5 small brands that grew up using techniques similar to those outlined in Branding 123. Read more about this eGuide here.

 

1 Minute Advice: How to Become Customer-Centric

Becoming a customer-centric company isn't just about gathering customer feedback. Chris Benham writes for MarketingProfs, "True customer-centricity means treating customers as individual people rather than as an aggregate." He discusses five steps to becoming more customer-centric:

1. Start at the top
   "Executives are the role models within an organization, and their philosophy on customers will permeate the business—from processes to software choices to branding—and inform decision-making."
2. Appoint a customer champion
   "The customer-centricity champion should be well versed in the company's customers and should support the company's objective to give them a richer customer experience."
3. Make customer feedback transparent and accessible
   "Don't relegate customer feedback to your customer relationship management tool. Instead, so that it's top of mind, add customer feedback to the various systems and tools people use every day."
4. Act on customer feedback
   "...make sure customer feedback is wired into the organization across all applications and communications tools that teams use daily."
5. Discuss customers in every meeting
   "When every meeting starts or ends with a customer story or data point, it reminds the organization that they exist because of their customers."

Read more here (free subscription required): https://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2021/44475/five-steps-to-becoming-a-more-customer-centric-company

This post is brought to you by 123 eGuides, publisher of authoritative, affordable guides to help small businesses get the most from your marketing. Now available: The updated, revised Third Edition of the popular eGuide, Branding 123, that details a 3-part system for how small marketers can build a breakthrough brand. Included in the Third Edition are profiles of 5 small brands that grew up using techniques similar to those outlined in Branding 123. Read more about this eGuide here.