B2B Myth of the Week: Using Humor in B2B Marketing Is A Bad Idea
by MGB2B
Myth: B2B Brands Can’t Be Funny
Truth: Humor Can Be Effective, It Just Needs to Be Done Right
Who says B2B brands can’t be funny? Not us. True, using humor in B2B marketing requires a deft hand (think: wry smile versus a big-knee slapper). But since most B2B brands shy away from being funny, adding a dash of mirth to your marketing can make you stand out from the rest.
What Can Humor Do For Your Brand?
1. Develop Brand Affinity
It’s important to remember your audience is made of up real people with personalities. At the end of the day, your advertising and social media content is targeted at these real people, and they’re making buying decisions daily. Serving up a smile amidst copious amounts of other content can spark an affinity for your brand, giving your company a toe-hold that might not have been there before. To do so, you don’t need to whack your audience over the head. Go for subtlety rather than over-the-top comedy.
2. Get A New Spin on a Service
Many B2B brands try to include everything they do or get super technical to make a hard sell. But overwhelming your buyer isn’t going to be very helpful to them – or to you. So why not take a different approach? Cisco promoted their router by offering it up as a Valentine’s Day gift. While that seems illogical (and according to them, it is), the ad did its job by making a mark. Cisco suddenly had something it was known for, this extremely creative and humorous ad. That got people thinking about their brand – and looking at their more informative content.
3. Garner Likes – And Shares
You develop content because you want people to see it. The more eyes on your content, the higher the chance of getting the right people interested and clicking. By algorithm alone, a mere like from your audience can expand the reach of your content significantly, even more so if the content is shared. A little well-timed humor can increase your chances of both.
4. Enhance Your Story
Oftentimes, what your brand is promoting isn’t easy to explain. Especially now, when marketing is all about story-telling. Being funny adds the perfect opportunity to make your content engaging and boost your brand’s story. Tim Washer, comedian and corporate humorist, has stated, “Comedy can cut through all the noise, it makes the point in a very clever way, and it connects with people so they listen.” When done right, humor is relatable and understandable. And that adds tremendous strength to the content your brand puts out. Want to see a great example? Check out Slack Communication’s outdoor campaign.
Where can you use humor?
This depends on your brand voice, but humor can live across your content – from ads to blog posts to video content. But remember, your attempts need to back a solid message – and be distributed in the right places. Facebook is an easy place to insert a little levity, like Park New Haven does here. And although LinkedIn is a more professional channel, you can still benefit from a bit of strategically placed wit. Remember, the key is a light touch. You’re not looking to define your brand as the class clown. You’re simply looking to elicit an appreciative response. Need help getting started? Drop us a line.
Continue ReadingThree Reasons Why LinkedIn For B2B Marketing Can Set You Ahead Of The Pack
by MGB2B
While you might not realize it, LinkedIn for B2B marketing is nothing to sneeze at. In fact, it’s the most dominant social media channel when it comes to B2B marketing. It offers a unique opportunity for brand promotion and lead generation to an audience whose mind is already on business. That alone should make it a must for B2B marketing strategies. Don’t believe it? According to LinkedIn Marketing Solutions, 80% of B2B marketing leads from social media come through LinkedIn. On top of that, 92% of B2B marketers use this platform. What’s more, LinkedIn is responsible for 46% of all social media traffic to B2B websites.
Now that you understand it’s breadth, here’s three ways LinkedIn can work for you:
1. Your Company Page
First and foremost, let’s talk about your main company page. It heightens brand awareness and legitimacy just by the sheer fact of having one. But the more engaging your page, the better it will perform. Here’s where you can share your company story, showcase your executive branding, and create compelling content that establishes trust, authority, and thought leadership. Company and industry news, videos, tutorials, helpful white papers, and infographics all have a home here. And thanks to easy-to-use analytics, you’ll be able to see what is working (and what isn’t) so you can shift your strategy to be more effective.
2. LinkedIn Groups
One of the biggest benefits of LinkedIn for B2B marketing is the group feature. In 2013, 81% of users belonged to at least one group, and that number has only grown. Groups are the epitome of targeted marketing: instead of just having a generic public page, you can develop a niche closed community that connects with individuals with shared interests. Not only are they a great place to foster brand recognition, you can position your company as an industry leader within different sectors. Better yet, groups are a great place to get a micro view of marketing trends and monitor the needs of those you are targeting.
3. LinkedIn Pulse
Pulse gives users daily news related to their specific interests. So if your brand posts about your industry frequently, your stories have a higher chance of being featured on a potential lead’s Pulse feed. This means keeping a regular schedule of consistent, meaningful posts is extremely valuable for increasing your reach – and leads.
Off all the social networks, LinkedIn is the best place to interact professionally with your target audience. Keep in mind, it’s not a place to sell or make deals. Instead, it’s a place to establish your brand as a trustworthy and reputable resource. When you use LinkedIn for B2B marketing, you can attract higher quality leads, create targeted connections, and continually reinforce relationships with prospects and current customers. But like all social media (and marketing for that matter), to succeed, you have to have a strategy in place. If you need help getting off the ground, start by reading this piece on content strategy – or by giving us call.
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4 Ways to Feed Your B2B Sales Funnel in 2018
by Emily Swet
Few things are worse for B2B business growth than a stalled out sales funnel. Even though your company may be using the same funnel-feeding tactics as before, what once worked may not be as successful now. To keep it going strong, we’ve compiled four ways to feed your B2B sales funnel in 2018.
1. Align Sales and Marketing Teams
Sometimes sales and marketing teams clash, despite having the same end goal. And this misalignment can lead to staggering losses. To get everyone on the same page, start facilitating communication between the two groups. Ask marketing to sit in on sales calls. Encourage sales to share their customer details with marketing. And encourage uniformity with constant updates between both departments. (Get more tips on sales and marketing collaboration here).
2. Consider Predictive Lead Scoring
Predictive lead scoring is a scoring methodology that leverages historical data and predictive analytics. It takes the data from successful leads (ones that you have won) and adds digital footprints from third-party sources to pool as much data as possible. By crunching the numbers, predictive lead scoring can identify patterns or relationships you’ve never seen before. It also aids in aligning your sales and marketing teams (see above) by providing data-backed reasoning behind lead qualifications. And last but not least, it reduces the margin of error in traditional lead scoring.
3. Don’t Forget the Mid-Funnel
Most marketing and sales teams focus on the top (lead quantity) and the bottom (the percentage of leads closed) of the sales funnel. However, when the middle is unattended to, the information and goals get murky. You could be losing leads without knowing why. To clear this up, ask: how many touches does the average lead need before they move to the next stage? Where do your leads seem to leak out? What is the difference between the ones that leave and the ones that move on? Diagnosing and addressing the issues mid-funnel will have a big impact on your results.
4. Use Video
We’ve made it clear in past blogs how important video has become. You can use it throughout your funnel to keep moving prospects to the bottom. To attract leads at the top, consider how-to’s, thought leadership videos, and any content that showcases your brand’s personality or authenticity. As your leads move to decision mode, product demos, client testimonials, and video case studies can be very compelling. Close the deal with nurture videos, FAQ’s, and instructional videos – and be sure each has a strong CTA (like signing up for a demo or webinar).
No matter what, it’s essential to keep the customer at the center of each stage. Every small fix you can make will help produce better results, and help grow your leads as well as your revenue.
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