Is Social Advertising Right for Your Company?

Social networks offer plenty of opportunities for reaching more people. Their advertising solutions are targeted and easy-to-use, but which ones make sense for your company?

Here are three factors to keep in mind:

1) While any or all of the platforms might make sense for your business, think about where your target audience is. Which of these social networks are they currently using? What’s their mindset while using each of these sites?

2) Consider the best format for your message—whether it’s an ad, a post or tweet, or a video. How much space do you need? What will best communicate your message?

3) Determine your call to action or what you want your audience to do when they see your ad. Is your goal to increase traffic to your site, gain followers, capture leads or share information?

IF you’re ready to jump into social advertising, we’ve compiled a quick guide to the advertising options on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to get your creative juices flowing:

LinkedIn

LinkedIn’s advertising platform allows members to create and place targeted ads on prominent pages of the site. Ads include a headline, description, image, and company website URL, and they can be targeted based on job title, job function, industry, geography, age, gender, company name, company size, or LinkedIn Group. By setting a maximum daily budget (from $10 to $1000) and a bid (how much you’re willing to pay for clicks or impressions), marketers have the ability to control costs.

Facebook

Facebook advertising begins with building a business Page and gaining followers. The next step is to create ads to encourage engagement with your company Page or direct traffic to your website. Ads can be targeted to your current followers or to other Facebook members based on location, gender, age, likes and interests, relationship status, workplace and education. Advertisers set a daily or “lifetime” budget.

Another option for increased visibility is Promoted Posts. By paying a fee, Facebook members can promote posts, which are then labeled as “sponsored.” Only Pages with 100 likes have the opportunity to promote posts. Though all posts are viewable by your Page’s followers, promoted posts appear higher in your audience’s news feeds, making it an option to consider when you have a special offer, exclusive event, or important update to share.

Twitter

Twitter offers a number of paid advertising options, including Promoted Accounts, Tweets, and Trends. A Promoted Account is featured in search results and in the Who to Follow section, and it can be targeted to the country level or DMA level within the U.S. This advertising opportunity makes sense for companies who want to build their presence and followers. Promoted Trends encourage conversation around a specific brand or product and are listed among other current trending topics. If you’re looking to create buzz around a new launch or event, Promoted Trends is an option to consider.

Promoted Tweets appear in search results or timelines of your followers or users who are like your followers. These tweets appear at or near the top of user’s timelines and are priced by Cost-per-Engagement, so advertisers only pay when someone retweets, replies to, clicks, or favorites your Promoted Tweet. An interesting option is mobile targeting, which allows advertisers to target users on specific platforms including iOS, android, and Blackberry.

YouTube

YouTube advertising is linked to Google Adwords for video. Start by making videos that capture your brand story, customer testimonials, or helpful how-tos. Posting the video is free, but to promote it to the right audience, tap into Google Adwords for video. You select a target audience based on topic, keywords, or demographics and only pay when one of those users chooses to watch your video. If you’re looking to showcase a group of videos and want to encourage further engagement, creating a YouTube channel for your brand—and linking it to your company’s other social networks—is a great option.

Which social advertising opportunities make sense for your company?

Photo Credit: Neeraj Kumar

Three New Ways to Use Your Email List

Not feeling very creative when it comes to your email list? Sending out emails on a regular basis sometimes sends B2B marketers scrambling for fresh content ideas.

But there’s no need to panic. Here are three new ways you can engage with your email subscribers.

1. Review previous content and repurpose it.

If your list has grown significantly over time, check out the early emails that recent subscribers wouldn’t have received. Also, take a look at which of your past emails generated the most leads or sales—or locate quality content that received less attention and might have been overlooked. Is there a fresh perspective or new content to add? Is the information still useful? Consider sending it in an updated format or as a “best of” piece—but be sure to communicate that the content was previously published in part or in full, so you don’t turn off any long-term subscribers.

2. Compile past content into categories and create helpful roundups.

Most likely, many of your previous emails fall into a few different categories. Build a new email that includes content from your top five past newsletters on one specific topic. Or create a “resource guide” by highlighting previous emails that cover each of your most important categories—either include links to each corresponding landing page or compile the content directly into the new email. By constructing “roundup” emails, you’ll give subscribers easy access to actionable information all in one email.

3. Engage readers with an offer, survey, or question.

While emails are often sent from marketers to subscribers, that’s only tapping into one side of the email equation. Encourage readers to respond by posing a question, including a poll, or serving up an exclusive offer. Igniting a conversation helps you gain valuable information about your subscribers and what’s important to them—which in turn, can give you ideas for future content.

How do you plan to use your email list in a new way?

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How to Choose the Best Trade Shows for Your Company

Trade shows allow for the rare opportunity to have face-to-face communication with your target audience. But with tight budgets, most companies have to pick and choose which events to attend or participate in with an exhibit.

To help you determine which trade shows are the best fit for your company, we’ve compiled some key factors to consider in order to make the most of your trade show budget.

Calculate the costs.

Take a look at all the expenses involved with the exhibit materials and space, marketing, sales, and travel. Then determine how much you would have to sell, or how many leads you would have to acquire and convert, in order to deem the event a success. Is it a do-able number?

Invest in the right people.

Zero in on the trade shows with an audience that best matches your target audience or demographic. Reaching the right people will yield more leads and be more cost-efficient than simply reaching a lot of people.

Think about size.

While it may be important to have a presence at your industry’s largest trade show, a slightly smaller event—or even one that’s somewhat unrelated but attracts your key decision-makers—will allow your company to stand out from the crowd.

Location, location, location.

A local show cuts down on transportation costs and could help you build new connections with other local attendees and companies. Alternatively, the cost of traveling may be worth it if the market includes a high volume of customers and prospects.

Tap into the management team.

Ask questions of the trade show organizers if you’re unsure whether the event is a good fit. Or to get the most out of your trade show exhibit, contact the team for guidance on setting up an effective booth, scheduling, and pre-show marketing.

Utilize your top sales talent.

Identify your most effective salespeople and look into trade shows in their areas. With the high volume of traffic, a motivated sales team is crucial for gathering leads at the event itself and following up in the days afterwards.

Generate buzz.

Think about where you can create a strong, relevant community tie-in. Or if you’re introducing a new product or service, choose a key market and time the launch to align with a trade show in that location.

Weigh your options.

Consider the advantages of attending, participating in a panel, or hosting a workshop, rather than exhibiting. You’d have the opportunity to network with prospects, share your expertise, and make connections without shelling out a ton of cash.

How do you determine which trade shows make the most sense for your company?

Photo Credit: ThinkGeoEnergy

2013’s Top Video Sharing Sites for B2B

With an emphasis on sharing content, companies are exploring new distribution channels. Written content and photography still has their place, but video is experiencing major growth as a space for marketers to share content.

There are plenty of options out there, but to help get you started, we’ve rounded up a list of the top video sharing sites. Here’s what each site has to offer for your B2B marketing needs.

YouTube

This Google-owned site is a major player in the video space. Its content can be integrated with blogs, websites, emails, and all kinds of marketing channels. And viewers aren’t required to be a member of the site, meaning easy viewing access and no barriers in communicating your marketing message. While YouTube is full of goofy amateur videos, the community also includes a number of special interest groups, a perfect opportunity for reaching your specific target audience.

Vimeo

Featuring polished original content, this site attracts professional video makers as well as those who simply use their phone or digital camera to capture video. Vimeo does not restrict file size and doesn’t serve ads, which sets it apart from other video sharing sites. With forums, channels, and comments, its members have developed a vibrant, creative community. Users can upload up to 500MB of videos for free—or choose to upgrade to a Vimeo Plus account for $9.95 a month in order to upload up to 5GB of video per week. For business or commercial purposes though, users must sign up for a PRO account for $199 a year. An upcoming feature includes a pay-to-view option, giving users the ability to sell their video content.

Metacafe

This site serves up short-form videos from entertainment categories such as movies, TV, video games, music and sports. Much of the content appeals to a young male audience, meaning it may only make sense for very specific marketers. Metacafe stands out from other video sharing sites due to its content review policy. Its panel of members reviews each video to ensure it meets submission guidelines and doesn’t duplicate already existing content. The result is a curated library of great content and less clutter.

Dailymotion

Dailymotion’s video sharing platform expands your marketing impact to its vast global audience. Professional short-form video pops to the top here, with newscasts, commercials, and short films standing out as most popular. The site offers a B2B solution called Dailymotion Cloud, allowing businesses to host, broadcast and stream video content via an easy-to-use API. Pricing is primarily based on the time videos are streamed, and features include easy upload, encoding, secure hosting, multi-format broadcasting, customization, and statistics.

What are your marketing team’s plans for sharing video content in 2013?

Three Ways to Improve Your Company’s LinkedIn Page

This fall, LinkedIn announced its redesigned Company Pages, which include a number of new features. If you’re looking to reach your target audience and build relationships online, LinkedIn is a powerful resource to do just that.

Here are three simple tips to help you take advantage of the new LinkedIn Company Page features:

1) Add an attention-grabbing photo to your company profile.

Among the recently added features is the opportunity to include a photo on your Company Page. Because this photo helps establish your brand identity, be sure it portrays your company’s brand and appeals to the audience you want to reach.

2) Consistently post and share new content.

With a more prominent update stream, your Company Page can clearly communicate relevant information to LinkedIn members. Encourage them to like, comment, and share your updates by creating content that is current and actionable. To promote important content, tap into the Featured Update function, which posts specific updates at the top of your Company Updates stream. It’s an easy way to highlight current news, job opportunities, or product launches.

3) Consider your audience.

Take some time to become more familiar with the members who follow your Company Page. What industries and job titles do they represent? Based on your findings, tailor the information on your page to your audience’s needs. Keep their interests in mind when selecting which products and services to showcase, which job opportunities to promote, or what types of content to share. LinkedIn Company Pages feature a redesigned navigation experience, which means you can present plenty of information – but it should reflect what your audience finds most relevant in order to keep them engaged and coming back for more.

Bonus tip: Company Pages now appear on LinkedIn’s mobile & iPad apps. Be aware of how people are viewing your page and play with providing bite-size, on-the-go updates and longer-form content.

How do you plan to spice up your Company Page? Which new features are you most interested in utilizing?

Image credit: Nan Palmero

Could Your Marketing Team Benefit From Editorial Meetings?

With the growing focus on quality content, many B2B marketing teams are becoming more like editorial departments. They’re constantly planning, coordinating, creating and distributing content. To streamline that process and foster collaboration, some marketers are adding regular editorial meetings to the calendar.

Does the idea of more meetings make your head spin? When managed well, monthly or weekly editorial meetings have the potential to save time and help your team create better content. To help avoid time-wasting and wheel-spinning, we’ve compiled our top tips for running effective and efficient editorial meetings.

Set an agenda and goals for the meeting’s outcome.

Compile an agenda prior to the meeting with input from those attending in order to keep on track. Kick things off by discussing priorities and what needs to be accomplished during the meeting. Key activities for a productive editorial meeting include: sharing and developing content ideas; selecting top ideas for execution; delegate and assign tasks; and set deadlines and schedules.

Establish a leader.

To keep the team on task, appoint a leader—someone such as the department head or a manager who’s organized and encouraging. This person’s responsibilities would include creating the agenda, moving through discussion items, and making sure all meeting goals are met. He or she may also be in charge of taking notes (or you could choose to rotate that responsibility among team members) so nothing slips through the cracks and topics that aren’t completely relevant get attention outside of the meeting time.

Invite the right people.

Include key people from each point of the content creation process. Inviting representatives from a variety of roles lends new perspectives and ignites brainstorming. Also, cross-department sharing of content means you’re not constantly reinventing the wheel. From time to time, invite “guests” from outside the marketing department to shed light on hot topics. And don’t forget that leaving out an essential team member may just mean wasted time during the meeting or in follow-ups.

Encourage and build teamwork.

A huge benefit of editorial meetings is the opportunity for collaboration. Set the stage for an open forum of questions, brainstorming, and collaborative thinking. By encouraging a team mentality, you’ll also build a collective sense of ownership—which boosts engagement and enthusiasm.

Stay focused.

Coming prepared is crucial for an efficient use of time. Send out the agenda ahead of time so everyone can arrive with ideas. Throughout the discussion, keep your target audiences in mind and look at the big picture. Consider how each piece of content fits into the larger marketing strategy.

Look to the future.

Use the editorial meeting to plan ahead, rather than simply recite what’s going on right now. While you might need quick status recap at the start of the meeting, keep any discussion of in-progress work focused on sharing what’s working well and gathering constructive feedback.

Would your marketing team benefit from regular editorial meetings?

Photo credit: Secretary of Defense

What’s Next in Social Media for 2013?

The world of social media is constantly changing, but with the start of a new year, we’d like to take a look at some recent changes in the social space and share a few platforms and developments to keep an eye on.

Google+: Business Pages and Local Social

A recent post from Forrester points out the rapid growth of Pinterest and Google+ in 2012 but notes that many B2B marketers are still skeptical of their effectiveness and impact on decision-makers. However, as these sites grow and evolve, more relevant opportunities for B2B marketing could emerge. For example, buzz surrounding Google+ and its Pages offering shows potential for local social connections, due to its link to Google Search, Maps and Reviews. While most directly beneficial to retailers and restaurants with storefronts, Google+’s business-friendly features could play a role in the B2B markets as well in 2013. Are you using Google+ at your company yet?

Pinterest: Business Capabilities and Visual Content

With the launch of its business pages, Pinterest has spurred predictions of an API in the near future, which could help businesses manage their marketing and track analytics. Pinterest’s growth also demonstrates the increasing importance of visual content. This past year, we saw the launch of Facebook’s Timeline layout and explosion of both Pinterest and Instagram. Would you use Pinterest for your business if you had more control over its functionality, look and feel.

Tout: Bite-Sized Video-Sharing

In 2013, we expect to see video sharing become almost as popular as photo sharing. One up-and-coming video-sharing service is Tout, which allows users to create and share 15-second clips. Deemed “Twitter for video,” Tout is currently catching on among athletes, celebrities, and news stations. Tout’s loyal fans often post their video clips to Twitter and have seen success as their followings grow at faster rates than average Twitter users. Still small and relatively unknown, Tout is a new channel to keep an eye on. Will you consider Tout or other video-sharing alternatives to YouTube in 2013?

Twitter: Engagement and Lead Generation

As Twitter continues to offer a way for marketers to engage with key audiences, it’s another platform for B2B marketers to explore. Staying on top of follower interactions may be time-consuming, but according to a recent PCMag article, more than 30 percent of marketers were able to generate leads via tweets. Do you use Twitter for lead gen yet?

Facebook: A Browser for Search + Social

While many marketers have lost faith in Facebook’s business capabilities, 2013 may bring new developments if the network integrates a browser into its portfolio of social media tools. Whether Facebook builds its own or acquires one that already exists, having a browser would allow Facebook access to more data on users’ online behaviors and help it compete with Google. Some experts have pointed to the browser RockMelt as a potential match. At this time, it’s not for sale, but because of RockMelt’s seamless integration with Facebook and Twitter, the browser is built for both social and searching. How do you feel about Facebook having more access to user data?

And finally, the most important question of all: which networks or social media elements do you think will play an important role in 2013?

Three Reasons You Should Bring Back Direct Mail This Year

Whether your 2013 marketing strategy is currently in the works or almost firmed up, chances are you’ve already given some thought to whether it’s worth it to include direct mail in your plans. Direct mail has dropped off in popularity due to the Internet’s vast array of marketing opportunities, but the recent over-saturation of email marketing has made direct mail an effective tactic again. We think 2013 might be the year that direct mail makes a comeback.

Here are three reasons you should consider incorporating direct mail in your 2013 marketing plan 

1) Email and social media are becoming over-saturated with marketing messages.

A physical piece of mail won’t get lost in the midst of an overflowing email inbox or constantly-updated social media newsfeeds. After all, it’s tangible and targeted. Direct mail also offers a trusted channel, especially for messages from insurance and financial services, in light of increasing privacy issues in the online space.

2) There are new opportunities to microtarget and track direct mail.

With new ways to target prospects, direct mail enables B2B marketers to reach decision-makers efficiently and effectively. More advanced analytics allow for higher lead generation and conversion rates than in the past. And recent technology innovations—plus a clear, unique call-to-action—let marketers accurately track responses and more importantly, measure (and boost!) ROI.

3) Given the increase in demand, mail lists are now available even for small budgets.

If you don’t have a database of qualified prospects already, mailing list providers are now serving up targeted contact lists for all budget levels. By using the microtargeting capabilities referenced earlier, these lists yield even more bang for your marketing buck than those of the past. A small-scale direct mail effort can also act as a test, and depending on the success of that campaign, it may make sense to allocate additional funds to a larger mailing in the future.

2013: The Year of the CMTO?

As the world of marketing becomes more integrated with technology, companies have begun to allocate more money to tools for analysis, automation, and analytics in the marketing space. With the need for a leader who truly understands this technology, many B2B companies are creating a new C-Suite role this year—the Chief Marketing Technology Officer.

What is a CMTO?

This new position of CMTO combines aspects of the traditional chief marketing officer and chief technology officer, adding a quantitative aspect to the CMO role and signifying the growing importance of technology and analytics for marketers.

In this new role, CMTOs will be tasked with analyzing consumer and market data and then translating that information into insights—and sales. Now that data is available from sources beyond the traditional sales database, information gleaned from social media and the company blog will be a part of the CMTO’s realm. And all these sources of data are also channels for pushing out marketing messages, placing further emphasis on multi-channeled marketing plans.

CMTOs not only need to be well-versed in all types of technology, but they are more and more involved as an influencer in technology-buying decisions. With a strategic eye, they must integrate and execute the company’s vision across both marketing and technology.

So what does this mean for current CMOs?

To take things up a notch this year and remain relevant to your company, pay attention to how technology can contribute to your marketing campaigns and stay informed of new developments. Start incorporating relevant tools into every aspect of the marketing process—from data analysis, digital marketing, automation, mobile, e-commerce, and analytics. There are many types of technology out there—and it’s now your job to determine which ones to adopt and how they are best utilized.

In many cases, the CMTO role is actually replacing the traditional CMO job responsibilities. Unfortunately, if you aren’t learning, adapting, and integrating technology into your marketing efforts this year, you may soon be searching for a new job. Even if CMTO is not yet an official title at your company, it’s time to realize that technology is your competitive advantage, so we encourage you to take steps to become a leader in this space in the new year.

What do you think about the new role of Chief Marketing Technology Officer? How do you plan to incorporate technology into your job this year?

Image credit: Sean Loyless