It’s time for another edition of B2B Trending Conversations, wherein we sift and sort through social networks and blogs to bring you the best of what’s buzzing in the B2B space for the week. This week, we’ll explore how inbound marketing can boost lead generation, we’ll weigh whether demand gen or brand building is more important, we’ll ask if Snapchat’s ready for B2B and much more. There’s a lot to cover, so let’s get right to it.
B2B Lead Generation
Powering up your B2B Inbound Lead Generation Machine https://t.co/A3w95v2TQQ #B2B #LeadGeneration
— Jason Gordon (@JasonGordons) November 1, 2016
Strong Social knows that getting high-quality leads is harder than ever. Enter inbound marketing — businesses that adopt it and produce high-quality content get 67 percent more leads than those that don’t. Articles, videos, images, posts and tweets that provide real value to potential leads and encourage them to move into your sales funnel should be targeted and personalized for maximum results. Don’t forget to focus on where the target is most likely to absorb your content. Feel good knowing inbound marketing is permission-based — your leads are clicking on your links — and designed to serve leads by answering their questions and solving their problems. Determine who your ideal target is, carefully craft your content and make sure you’ve got a great CRM like Salesforce to help you boost sales. Follow up, run a well-oiled machine and constantly strive to ensure your content is providing enough value that your leads find it worthwhile to sign up via email.
B2B Social Media
Is #SnapChat Ready For #B2B? A Marketer Spends A Month Snapping: https://t.co/D5xyuE348v [#socialmedia via @jasonmillerca]
— Sam Hurley ???????????? (@Sam___Hurley) November 2, 2016
Is Snapchat ready for B2B? Jason Miller at LinkedIn’s Solutions EMEA Blog was skeptical of whether yet another emergent social network could deliver enough value to make it worth his time and effort, yet sufficiently intrigued about its potential to give it a go for a month. Miller’s journey from Snapchat greenhorn to grizzled veteran led him to conclude that for now there’s no value in the app from a B2B standpoint. “With that said, the world just got one more Snapchatter, and I’m pretty much digging it,” Miller writes. “I wouldn’t be surprised if, as GaryVee predicts, Snapchat matures in the next couple of years to become the next YouTube.”
Demand Generation vs. Branding
Demand Gen vs. Branding: Which is More Important? https://t.co/scVLiErA4y # @tbkopp #B2B #Marketing pic.twitter.com/uJMhVlsrnS
— Jill Rowley (@jill_rowley) October 27, 2016
Hyde Park Venture Partners managing partner Tim Kopp weighs whether demand gen or branding is more important for startup founders and marketing leaders in this Huffington Post blog. The answer, Kopp asserts, depends on your company’s developmental stage. Generally, it’s best to focus on “crushing demand gen” to gain the power to concentrate on brand building. “You don’t become a category leader overnight, you get there by focusing on generating demand,” Kopp concludes.
B2B Usability Testing: Podcast
Find your pain points with #UsabilityTesting for #B2B https://t.co/LZRiR80gwD #MarketResearch #Podcast #tech #mrx @SCIP @MRAmrx @QuirksMR
— Sean Campbell (@sean_campbell) November 1, 2016
How can you design B2B usability studies that provide an objective view of where you rank compared to your competitors? In this podcast, Cascade Insights CEO Sean Campbell interviews MeasuringU’s Jeff Sauro, who shares pro tips for anyone interested in usability testing. Sauro traces the evolution and core metrics of such tests and discusses how to better assess your competitors by using them. What’s next for usability testing? “I think we’re going to continue to see more and better refined technological approaches for B2B usability studies,” Sauro predicts. “…That’s going to make testing easier. The methods are going to continue to get better.”
B2B E-Commerce: Infographic
Learn more about #B2B #eCommerce #trends in manufacturing and distribution with this handy #infographic: https://t.co/SbPxaYxAz7
— Handshake (@handshake) October 31, 2016
A majority of manufacturers and distributors say that B2B e-commerce is a priority for their business. Customer demand is driving the implementation of e-commerce solutions, and changes in the way orders are placed has increased both order frequency and value. This Handshake infographic is the result of a survey of 450 manufacturers’ operational challenges, sales and fulfillment processes and technology investments. It found 45 percent of respondents noticed customers placing orders more frequently after they implemented online ordering. Eight in ten also said previously inactive customers were placing orders via their B2B e-commerce portal. Nearly two-thirds of respondents with B2B e-commerce reported customers are able to place online orders using mobile devices.
That’s all for this week. We’ll see you back here again in a week, when we’ll have our next roundup of all the B2B news that’s fit to print. Until then, check out last week’s column here. As always, we look forward to your feedback, pitches and B2B content — contact us at @B2BNewsNetwork and let us know what’s on your mind. Have a productive week
