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As marketers, we know how quickly the industry changes. In the past year even, we’ve seen SEO refocus to prize social media-active and mobile-optimized sites and the advent of new forms of marketing like streaming video and interactive content. But while we can adapt to these new innovations quickly, it’s more important to anticipate them and ensure we’ve got the skills needed to take advantage of them and stay up-to-date.
Today, we’re discussing the top skills marketers need to succeed in 2016. It should come as no surprise that the majority of them are digitally-focused as digital talent is in more demand today than ever before.
Coding
Don’t make the mistake of leaving coding and web design to the developers. It’s essential for today’s marketers to gain a basic understanding of coding languages like HTML and CSS. HTML and CSS are the backbones of every landing page, marketing email and website you work on, and being able to make at least basic code edits yourself will make you much more efficient and effective. Key basics to master include editing meta descriptions, optimizing content for SEO and editing CSS to change the look of a landing page or email. Invest your time in building the following skills in 2016.
SEO
No matter what industries you operate in, there’s incredible competition to get onto the first page of Google search results. Search engine optimization can still produce striking results, but it’s most impactful when the entire marketing team has a working knowledge of SEO principles and practices.
SEO is commonly thought of as mere keyword searching and wordsmithing, but it entails a lot more than just those tasks. For example, today, developing and maintaining a social media presence, optimizing your site for mobile viewing, and staying up-to-date on the latest algorithm changes and mandates from Google all have the potential to make a huge difference.
For some of our favorite resources on getting started with SEO, take a look at this vintage Movéo blog.
eCommerce
Managing partner Bob Murphy wrote about how to prepare for the coming B2B e-commerce boom last year, and it’s time to take his advice to heart. Today, it’s essential to plan for digital-first buyers by rethinking how you target, structure and deliver content to reach those already deep into the sales cycle—and who are only a click away from your competitors. Create seamless sales/marketing integration to keep the eCommerce process running smoothly and make sure mobile buyers can check out as easily and efficiently as desktop buyers.
Data and analytics
If we had to choose just one skill from this list, it would be data analysis. This should come as no surprise given Movéo’s ever-growing focus on the power of data and insights. Are you comfortable enough with your marketing data to assess the impact of your tactics on everything from web traffic to conversions? Do you know how to optimize your efforts based on key insights found in your data? Today’s most successful marketers are those who can answer yes to both questions. With access to data and new analytical approaches increasing every day, marketers have no excuse not to prove the impact of their work and make smarter decisions based on key insights.
If you’d like to read more about why we see data and analytics as the next frontier in marketing, revisit Movéo analytics director Jiani Zhang’s blog post on the subject.
Let us know: what skills are you committed to developing in your marketing department this year?
If you’re looking for more information on how Movéo integrates new digital tactics into our marketing, take a look at our new case study profiling our work with Hallstar.
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If you follow our blog, you know that we love new and innovative content types, from interactive storytelling to live-streaming video. But when it comes to adding a new type of content to your marketing department’s repertoire, you’ll need to plan ahead and stick to the following guidelines in order to find success.
Assess your competition
Before you launch a new content initiative, take a look at what your competition is doing. Will this new content offering set you apart from your competitors? If your competitors are already offering something similar, what can you add that will make an impression to your audience? If your competitors aren’t using this type of content, do they have a good reason that you should take into account? These questions are all crucial.
Assess current goals
One of the first things you need to ask yourself when considering a new content type is how it will fit into your current content strategy and overall marketing goals. Are you interested in this type of content simply because it is trendy or because it will truly add value for your audience?
Figure out also how these content offerings will fit into your buyer’s journey. Will they be positioned at the top of the funnel, or in the decisionmaking stage of your marketing/sales funnel? Plan accordingly as you determine the tone of the piece and allocate your resources based on the impact you expect a piece of content to have on moving a prospect toward a sale.
Assess department resources
Before committing to a content plan, take a good look at the resources you will need to allocate and whether your department is prepared to do so. This evaluation should include financial, human and technological resources. Remember, you will need to test any new content program and adjust accordingly, so be sure to include time to “pivot” in your planning.
Strong content can help you reach buyers long before they are ready to make a purchase and nurture them through their decisionmaking. For more insights, read our white paper, Engaging B2B buyers before the buying process: 4 key steps.
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Harvard Business Review recently reported that happy employees have, on average, 31 percent higher productivity, 37 percent higher sales results and 3 times higher creativity than unhappy employees. It’s statistics like these that inspire us to take culture seriously at Movéo. We believe that fostering the happiness of our employees and building a great environment for our team is crucial to our success.
We’re proud of the many ways we mixed work with play, contributed to our community as a team and celebrated employee achievements in 2015, and we can’t wait to keep strengthening our culture in 2016. Here’s a glimpse at three initiatives that have become core to our company culture at Movéo.
Giving Thanks: Worksgiving
At Movéo, our Worksgiving festivities provide a great way to kick off the holiday season. While the food is always the center of attention, it’s the chance to give thanks for our clients and colleagues, and have fun as a team during this busy time of year that makes Worksgiving an important tradition at Movéo.
Giving Back: Movember
Movéo is a longtime supporter of the Movember Foundation, an organization focused on raising funds for men’s health issues like prostate and testicular cancer research. Movember encourages workplaces and community groups to get involved through their “Moustaches in Movember” and “Move in Movember” programs, both of which we participated in last year. A group of male employees grew out moustaches to raise funds for Movember last November, and many team members also participated in an office ping pong tournament in support of the foundation. As a group, we raised over $2,000 for men’s health causes in 2015, and we look forward to raising even more in 2016.
Celebrating milestones
At Movéo, we make a point of acknowledging our employees’ dedication to our firm. This year, six employees reached 15 years with Movéo. Our firm would not be what it is today without the contributions of these team members, so we threw a party to celebrate their service. We believe that by honoring our employees’ achievements, we both reward their work and inspire our team to conquer the next challenge.
Interested in learning more about Movéo’s culture approach? Read more about who we are.
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Does your 2016 marketing budget include room for investment in new technologies? It probably should—marketing tech changes quickly and has a major impact on your work. But simply investing in the latest innovations isn’t enough to keep your organization competitive. To succeed, you need to be able to integrate new technology into your existing strategy and ensure all employees are well-trained on how to leverage its full capabilities. In 2016, this may mean switching to a new CRM system, marketing automation tool or project management software, among other options. While you’re gearing up to ring in the new year with an investment in new digital programs, keep these best practices in mind.
Plan the switch to a new marketing technology
Setting your team up for a smooth transition is a crucial part of implementing a new tech tool. When selecting the solution that’s right for your marketing team, talk to employees across your organization about how they use your existing tools and what they need out of new technologies.
Once you’ve made a selection that takes these insights into account, lay out a detailed implementation plan. On what date will the new tool be available to the team? What training will it require and who will be in charge of that training? Will you be sunsetting the department’s use of an existing tech tool in order to transition to a new one? If so, make the appropriate arrangements to promote a seamless move from the old tool to the new one and ensure a consistent line of communication with employees so they know what to expect when.
Train the marketing department
With every new marketing technology you introduce, ensure your team knows both how to use it and why. The success of a new tool requires compliance from the whole team. That compliance will come when the team understands and agrees with your purpose for making the change, and when they know that the tool is likely to improve their productivity. Show everyone the value of the new tool you’ve chosen, and they will support you in its implementation.
Determine ahead of time whether the appropriate training can be accomplished in a single meeting or during a longer time period, as well as whether it is better done in a group or in one-on-one sessions.
Follow up as the organization adjusts
Don’t drop the ball once your new solution is in place. It’s likely there will be some hiccups along the way to your new tool’s full, successful integration into your marketing toolkit. In the meantime, it’s up to you to support your team.
Express your willingness to answer any questions your team may have about the new technology. Solicit feedback on it from each member of your department. If you see the same concerns from many people, you may decide to hold another training session or address the problem with the group as a whole. Develop a relationship with your new technology provider’s customer support team, and don’t hesitate to reach out for help when you need it.
In short, think of the implementation of new marketing technologies as a journey, not a single event. Take time now, at the beginning of the year, to consider how adopting new technologies can fit into your goals and schedule.
Remember, the digital world is evolving at a rapid pace. For more thoughts on how B2B marketers can keep up with constant change, read our white paper, Return on acceleration.
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For those of you who lead the marketing department at your organization, January is a perfect time to check in with direct reports. As the year begins, solicit feedback. Ask your team members about the marketing operations in which they feel secure, and those they feel could use improvement in the year ahead. Here are some ideas to get you started:
Team-building
- Where does our team need more support in the coming year?
- How can we improve alignment within marketing operations?
- How can our team improve communication with other departments?
- Are there areas in which ongoing training programs could help us do our best work
- Do you feel that you have a voice in our operations?
Marketing impact
- Are there areas in which you are concerned about meeting our goals in 2016?
- What marketing efforts do you feel have had the most impact on our organization’s reputation?
- Where do you feel our work is not achieving its full potential and what would you change to improve it?
- How can we improve marketing ROI reporting?
Marketing changes
- What training do you feel would better prepare you to address recent and ongoing marketing changes?
- What marketing changes do you feel are on the horizon and how do you feel we can better prepare for them?
- What trends do you see on the horizon you’re most excited about? How do you want to pursue them?
Marketing tools
- What tools do you feel could improve the team’s marketing operations in the coming year?
- What tools are we using that need to be retired?
- How can we more effectively harness the tools we have to improve our marketing?
- Do we need to implement new trainings or professional development offerings to get people up-to-date on the tools we’re using?
Do you have questions about how your team could improve marketing operations and impact in 2016? We’d love to talk with you. Give us a call.
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Ongoing professional development is a critical area in which to invest for the long-term success of your organization and your team. The beginning of a new year is an ideal time to consider where your team might need to grow their marketing knowledge in the coming year.
Of all the areas in which your team can benefit from further training, these three are key:
Data Analysis
While your department ought to include highly trained data scientists, every member of the team should have a basic knowledge of data analysis. In addition to providing training to help your data scientists keep their skills up-to-date, make it a priority to bring learning opportunities in this area to the rest of the team as well.
Shape your training opportunities to the needs of your team members. Do they have a solid grasp of the theory and purpose behind data analysis? If so, you may be able to go into more detail than you would with a team that needs to start with the basics and gain an understanding of why data is critical to marketing operations.
Writing
Everyone can benefit from strong writing skills, no matter their job function. Marketing is all about strong, effective communication. This year, dedicate some time to helping each member of your team brush up their writing skills. You’ll find it pays off in better internal communications as well as external-facing messaging.
It’s likely that there are some members of your team whose main job function is writing, and others who are more focused on technical or design aspects of marketing and may not write as much in their work. Again, tailor the training as much as possible to suit each team member’s needs.
Market Research
Marketing research ranges from SEO analysis to industry surveys, encompassing everything from online searches to in-depth interviews. Does your team understand when each type of research is appropriate? Even if outside researchers provide key information to your organization, the marketing team needs to know how to interpret it.
You may also want to create an in-depth training to address the best ways to use research findings in your marketing messages and campaigns. For example, what guidelines does your organization follow to make sure they are known as reputable? Does your company have certain tests in place to make sure research fits their needs? For example, does all your research need to meet a certain level of statistical significance to be considered credible in your industry?
What other areas do you plan to better train your team in this year? To prepare them for today’s marketing landscape, read our white paper, Return on acceleration.
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Happy New Year! As the celebrations die down and you return to work, it’s time to focus on your top priorities for your marketing department in 2016. From entering the new year with a sense of purpose to making sure your team is prepared for new marketing opportunities, there are plenty of ways to brush up your team’s performance in the coming year.
In 2016, direct your efforts in towards these three initiatives:
Streamline reporting for better data collection and analysis
These days, marketing success means next to nothing if it can’t be proven with data. And proving marketing success cannot be achieved without a robust system for data collection and analysis. How can you improve these aspects of your operations in 2016?
Perhaps it’s time to invest in a marketing automation tool that can offer further insights by producing reports that display all the information you need in one place. If you already have such tools in place but still want better data analysis, it may be time to invest in better data analysis, either via new employee hires or through an agency. Then, work with the sales team to combine marketing and sales reporting efforts, bringing together insights from both teams so that they can be usefully visualized together.
Set goals for ongoing marketing learning
Is your team up to speed on the latest trends, technology and best practices in B2B marketing? Since it’s an ever-changing field, we’re guessing they could use a regular refresher, and the beginning of the year is the perfect time to start.
Don’t approach marketing learning haphazardly. Instead, set goals for your department in the coming year, including what skills you’d like the team to polish, what new tech tools you’d like them to learn and more. Then, draft and refine an actionable plan to impart all of these lessons. Make sure your plan fits into your team’s schedule and does not interfere with other marketing must-dos so that it is more likely to succeed.
Consider whether and how to successfully partner with an outside firm
Even the strongest marketing departments can benefit from assessing strategies and results, and getting an outside opinion on how they could be stronger. In 2016, explore ways your department might benefit from an outside contribution.
The type of work your organization needs from a partner firm will depend on your own internal resources and goals. For example, for some organizations, a partner marketing firm can offer access to people with specialized skills, such as data analysts, that the marketing team at the organization itself may not be able to bring to their own staff in a full-time capacity. For other organizations, a partner firm can serve as an outside consultant for strategic direction and advice. Whatever your needs, it’s worth exploring your options in 2016.
Did you find these insights useful? Learn more about what we do.
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It’s that time of the year again! Everyone’s talking about their plans for the new year, resolving to commit to a new habit or make a change for the better. Don’t stop with your personal development goals — set some New Year’s resolutions for your marketing.
In 2016, commit to:
Be more data-driven
Without data, content marketing cannot do its job successfully. With data, your team can take marketing creativity to the next level, driven by insights on what really engages prospects and drives conversions.
“Rules and tools” marketing is dead and gone. Modern digital marketing is all about building data-driven strategies. It’s about determining the KPIs you need to measure, tracking them, analyzing the results in detail and then putting your findings into action.
For more on data-driven marketing, revisit our white paper, The New Marketing Value Chain.
Better align with business purpose
Your organization ought to have a clear statement of purpose that lays out your values and the way your organization intends to benefit your customers, your employees and the rest of the world.
Once you create this statement of purpose, you still have to communicate it, internally and externally. It’s critical to your messaging to leads and to your employment brand. Marketing is the chief way to take that statement of purpose and share it widely.
To learn more about how a strong, well-communicated business purpose can benefit your employees, your community and your bottom line, read our white paper, COR Value: Higher Purpose Means Higher Profits.
Add new content forms to your toolkit
There’s so much marketing content out there that marketing teams have begun to worry about “content shock,” a fear that content is losing its effectiveness because there is simply more out there than people can consume.
Don’t despair. Instead, make more engaging content by trying something new. Rather than producing the same old content types, experiment with innovative content forms, such as interactive storytelling, digital games or live streaming video. Even better, pair an innovative content form with other best practices for creating compelling content, such as performing original research.
For ideas on how to craft a clickable interactive content campaign in 2016, read our post, What marketing lessons can you learn from unbranded interactive content?
For more marketing ideas and lessons, browse our past blog posts.
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Last week, we shared some marketing opportunities on the horizon — but 2016 will also be a time of marketing challenges. Could it be that for every new content form or channel that is opening to marketers, an old one is falling in relevance or utility? Join us as we take a look at some of the challenges facing marketers in the coming year — and share some thoughts on how savvy marketers can combat them.
Content marketing overload
Have you been seeing recent articles about “content shock” or “content burnout”? First of all, it’s nothing new — some marketers have been foretelling the fall of content as the top marketing tactic for years now. And yet, content continues to be key to digital marketing. According to the 2016 B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets and Trends report, today’s B2B organizations use an average of 13 types of content.
So let’s take a look at the facts. With 88% of B2B marketers utilizing content marketing, there is indeed more content out there than any prospect can be expected to consume. It’s true the organic social reach has declined, and that audiences are more discerning about the content they engage with than they were just a few short years ago. So what’s a marketer to do?
Fear not. Content is still a productive way to engage your leads and guide them through the buyer’s journey. You just need to get creative.
In 2016, commit to developing new types of content to entice your audience and offer value. Whether it’s using new technologies like virtual reality or tapping into existing technologies in new ways, such as through episodic content, your organization can cut through the noise with high-quality, innovative pieces. Be sure to rigorously track KPIs so that you can evaluate your new content’s performance and replicate your success.
Online advertising disruption
If you’ve been paying attention to marketing and advertising news, you are no doubt aware of the recent, dramatic rise in the use of ad blockers. For marketers, this is a scary thing.
But ask yourself, would people block ads if they felt ads were delivering what they wanted to see? Let’s face it, too often marketers have alienated the very people they have wanted to woo with intrusive, difficult-to-close ads. Marketers should take the rise of ad-blocking as an impetus to do two things: adjust strategy to reach people in ways that are not affected by ad blockers, and create ads that won’t drive more people to adopt ad blockers.
Plenty of types of marketing content are not affected by ad blockers, including native Twitter, Instagram and Facebook ads. If you see a major drop in qualified traffic related to ad blockers, reevaluate where and how you advertise, and do some research on how you can continue to reach your audience. Moreover, consider taking some of your ad budget and repurposing it to organically reach your audience through tactics like SEO improvements and educational content creation.
When you do create ads in 2016, take extra care to create visually attractive, compelling ads that respect the viewers’ wishes. Avoid techniques like ads that mislead users who wish to close them. Base your ad strategy, like your content strategy, on offering value.
What other marketing challenges are you expecting in 2016? Are you looking for strategies to deal with them? Contact us — we’re always happy to talk.
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As 2015, draws to a close, it’s time to take a look at what’s shaping up to become the center of marketing conversations in 2016. While only time will tell what will become the next industry buzzwords and tools of choice over the coming year, here are a few concepts we’re intrigued by:
Micro-moments
Google’s Lisa Gevelber defines a “micro-moment” as an “intent-filled” moment when someone turns to their smartphone to fulfill a want or need. By focusing these windows into consumers’ intent, marketers can go beyond limited, sometimes misleading demographic targeting to engage with the people who really want to interact with their content.
Search beyond search engines
HubSpot predicts that search will soon move beyond traditional search engines, with many people beginning to turn to social networks with their queries as social search capabilities improve. This trend will only accelerate as integrated payment methods improve, encouraging those looking to buy to do so directly within their preferred social channels. In such an ecosystem, marketers will need to reevaluate how content is optimized for search, developing strategies for creating content that ranks well in every channel.
Refining of multi-touch attribution models
With B2B customer journeys becoming increasingly complex and customer-controlled, it’s more important than ever for marketers to have a worthwhile method for attributing conversions. The problem? There’s some debate as to what methods work, and every campaign and organization is in a slightly different position when it comes to what needs to be measured. In 2016, we expect to see further development of the methods that marketers do use to measure multi-touch attribution, from weighted touchpoint values to W-Shaped attribution models.
Relationship marketing
Marketing has always been about relationship-building, and in today’s always-connected era there are more ways than ever to go about it. HubSpot predicts that “intrusive, mass-target approaches to marketing will slowly dwindle as marketers who focus on relationships grow their businesses.” Instead, marketers will use data to create ever more personalized, valuable experiences for each prospect.
Are there marketing trends that intrigue you? Do you want to put your organization at the cutting edge of digital marketing? Let’s talk.
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