Brand & Capture

We measure a lot of KPIs in marketing, but none are more important than sales revenues directly attributable to marketing. We marketers really haven't accomplished anything until we've delivered a sustained, measurable increase in sales leads that our sales team can easily close and meet their sales targets. The trouble starts when these objectives aren't met. What's the problem? Rather than point the finger at the sales team, let's take a look at some things we could be doing better.

There seems to be a disconnect between how similar or dissimilar B2B and B2C content marketing really are. Some think there are just minor nuances, some think there are so many differences that the two should not even be compared, and a few even think that there are absolutely no differences. (Check out Page 10 here.) I would venture to say that the 3 percent who say there are no differences are wrong, but who is right when it comes to the other two schools of thought? Are the two markets so completely different that I am committing a crime writing about them in the same blog? Or are they more similar than we think? 

This week we talked Google Tools, SlideShare views and B2B customers. We also focused on Content Marketing tips, tactics and analytics. There is no doubt there's some useful information here, so read on! And don't forget to hit us up next week for more inbound marketing knowledge.

In several excellent posts on B2B Buyer Behavior and Buyer Persona, Tony Zambito points out how little most marketers know about their actual and potential customers. Buyer behavior has evolved dramatically in recent years, yet sales and marketing organizations are still inclined to use the same old tactics and hope for the best. Understanding actual behaviors and preferences, as opposed to assuming them, can make a huge difference in the effectiveness of content marketing and its impact on lead nurturing and sales conversion rates. Here are some avenues we marketers need to explore in order to better leverage this data.

This week we focused on the power of content, broaching topics such as using it to get people to stay on your website longer and getting noticed on LinkedIn. We also discuss the seven deadly sins of content marketing. You will also learn about implementing blog modules as resource libraries, balancing your inbound marketing efforts, starting Twitter automation and using the best tools for B2B marketing. Read on!