The B2B Sales Brochure Is Not Dead
by MGB2B
Like everything else in the world of marketing, a lot has changed for B2B companies since the advent of the Internet and email communication. A LOT. But the next time you hear someone say that sales brochures for your company should disappear completely in this age of marketing technology, take it with a grain of salt. B2B sales brochures are still extremely useful tools; you simply need fewer physical copies today, and the ones that you do print need to work harder than ever.
Here are three recommendations for creative B2B sales brochures:
Continue ReadingFive Don’ts of B2B Email Marketing
by MGB2B
As a B2B marketer, maintaining a positive relationship is vital to your sales funnel. One of the best ways to do that is through B2B email marketing. It’s one of the most productive lead generation tools, but there are many ways to overstep your boundaries. When it comes to content, accessibility, and frequency, here are five things to keep in mind as you construct your next email campaign.
1. Sending Too Frequently
Many things are better in moderation, and marketing emails are no exception. We know what you’re thinking: we just told you that staying in touch with your customers is important. But flooding their inbox can have the opposite effect. Your customers receive hundreds of emails like yours, and it’s your job to ensure your email doesn’t get lost in the clutter. By sending emails less frequently, your customers will be less likely to feel badgered and opt out of future communications.
2. Lack of or Excess Personalization
There’s lots of talk of personalization these days, and with good reason. Consumers want to feel attended to and known. In fact, 82 percent of marketers reported an increase in open rates through email personalization, while 75 percent believe that personalization yields higher click-through rates. But keep in mind, this is more than simply a “Dear So & So.” It’s about knowing what your customers want. Sending them emails with products that match their previous interactions with you is one way to do it. But if you send them emails for products that don’t match their interest, or worse, products they’ve already purchased, your emails will become more white noise in their inbox.
This has to be done with a deft hand, however. Too much personalization can be a turn off in a creepy, big brother sort of way. It’s all about balance, folks. Fine tune your efforts so personalization is gradual, purposeful, and accurate.
3. Mobile-Unfriendly Layout
Though people still use their desktops, more and more people stay on top of their email from their phones. It’s important to make sure your content is optimized for all devices. If your images don’t load or your text is wonky, you can expect a swift delete.
4. Poorly Written Content
Customers are savvy. An elementary voice, grammatical errors, or poorly written content suggest your company shouldn’t be taken seriously. Furthermore, body copy that’s too wordy will be a turn off because no one has the time to read a tome.
5. Bad Subject Line
The subject line is the first written content your customer sees, and will define whether they open or delete it. Short, to the point, with just enough hook to pique their curiosity is the way to go. Otherwise, your email content will never be seen.
Considering that today’s marketers need to do more with less, email marketing gives us a whole lot of bang for our buck. And while other marketing trends come and go, email marketing remains a workhorse. To use it to its fullest potential, make sure you keep yours in line with the tips above.
Continue ReadingB2B Myth of the Week: Any Video Is a Good Video
by MGB2B
The Myth: Any Video Is Good Video
The Truth: Good Video Starts with Good Strategy
Video! Video! Video!
“Everyone wants video. We better get one made pronto!”
Sound familiar? It’s a sentiment echoing in conference rooms and boardrooms all across the country. Everyone knows that video is important because it’s what most customers like to consume.
But before you dive into the world of video, it’s important to determine a few things. You need to build a video strategy. Because not all videos are effective for every brand and every industry. Every company’s needs and goals are different. So the best way to get started is by asking yourselves – and possibly your customers – some key questions.
Here Are 6 Questions to Drive Strategy and Inspire B2B Video Ideas for Your Brand:
- What Kind of Video Do My Customers Want/Need? This is the most important question you can ask. Sure, everyone loves a good cat video. But what kind of video do your customers crave that is relevant to your brand or products. Presumably, you have a database. Send your people an incentivized survey. They’d be happy to tell you if they want to see product training videos, Q&A with an industry expert, or a simple whiteboard video with tips on certain types of projects. After all, these are the people you want to look at your videos. Why deliver them something generic when you can actually give them helpful insights that establish your brand as a thought leader?
- What Is the Purpose of the Videos We Are Creating? Developing video content without knowing why you’re doing it is a waste of money. Hence, it’s important to have clear goals in mind. Are you simply trying to build awareness of your brand? A factory tour or brand video might work best. Or do you want prospects to take some sort of action based on what they see? In this instance, you might want to use a video case study. By figuring out what you want to get out of the videos you create, you can be more effective. Plus, you’ll be able to measure your success to determine which types of videos you should create down the road.
- Are There Videos That Can Be Helpful Internally as Well as to a Broader Audience? Sometimes your internal salespeople or reps can use video to sell or train clients. Ask them what they would find helpful for closing a sale. Sometimes the answers to Questions 1 & 3 can result in a video that serves both purposes.
- What Resources Do We Have Access To? Do you have someone internally that can produce and edit videos? Do you work with an agency or a freelancer who can do it? Perhaps you have a ton of footage on file and just need help making it flow better. You can also tap production people for ideas. Sometimes those who touch video every day can see things from a different perspective you haven’t considered. Therefore, it’s a good idea to make a list of everyone who can help. Then figure out where the gaps are, and start researching who can fill them.
- What Is Our Budget for Video? Obviously, the type of video you create depends on your budget. If you have a pie-in-the-sky budget, there are no limits to what kind of video you can produce. But if you have a tight budget, you’ll need to tailor your ideas to what you are capable of producing without sacrificing quality. A day of professional filming on-site, for instance, can cost a lot more than a video that uses vector art. So you’ll have to examine the demand from your audience against your budget and come up with ideas that satisfy both.
- How Will We Distribute the Videos We Create? Are you creating a video just to put on your Facebook page? Then you might want to do something geared specifically toward an audience that is already in your sales funnel but may not have converted. A case study or how-to video might be more effective in this case. Are you planning on putting it on your website for everyone to see? That’s where your general brand video or product demos might work best.
There are lots of things to take into consideration. You can scan the Internet for B2B video ideas all day long and come up with an extensive list. But in order to create good videos that guide prospects into and through your sales funnel, you need to sit down, look at the big picture, and answer the questions above. It’s the difference between video content that sits on YouTube collecting dust and video content that converts into sales.
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