The Right Creative Media Mix to Feed Your B2B Sales Funnel
by MGB2B
With so many advertising options out there, it can be difficult to sift through the clutter and decide what the right B2B media mix is for your business. A media mix is the combination of communication channels you can use to market your business. It can include print and online ads, radio, television, billboards, websites, email, and social media. The mix will vary depending on your specific marketing goals; however, there is always one commonality: we want the consumer to take action.
That action could be visiting a landing page, filling out a contact form, or making a purchase. Whatever the desired action may be, the goal of your marketing mix is to drive as many customers as possible to that action. How? By feeding each step of the sales funnel with the right media tools.
Step 1: Awareness
What It Is – The customer is aware of the existence of your product or service, but doesn’t know much about it. Yet.
Media Tools – Broad reach media such as print ads in trade publications, radio, and television ads on targeted channels.
Step 2: Interest
What It Is – The customer begins actively expressing an interest in your product or service, but may still be skeptical.
Media Tools – Targeted, informational media such as paid social media posts with industry-related topics, informational webinars with affiliate trade publications, sponsored e-blasts through trade publications, paid search.
Step 3: Decision
What It Is – The customer is interested, engaged, and ready to make their decision. The goal is to make sure it’s you they are choosing.
Media Tools – Targeted, sales-focused media such as direct email campaigns, paid social media, targeted online display advertising, paid search.
Step 4: Action
What It Is – The customer is ready to take the next step towards purchasing your product.
Media Tools – Continuation of media from Step 3, with renewed focus on driving customers to your point of sale (website, contact form, phone number, etc.).
There is no absolute formula for making a sale. But by putting together an enticing media mix instead of putting your eggs all in one basket, you can guide your potential customer through the sales funnel – and increase your likelihood of closing that sale.
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Continue Reading5 Ways Smart B2B Marketers Prepare for Q4
by MGB2B
We’re officially into September, and while the long Labor Day Weekend beckons, there are a few things smart B2B marketers should do before closing up shop. Check these off your list so you can sit back, relax, and confidently march toward Q4.
Here are 5 smart ways to kick your B2B marketing plan for Q4 2016 into high gear:
- Follow these 8 steps to find your brand’s voice.
- Try AdRoll Call and Callout extensions to connect with your audience through search.
- Use this trick to create more effective B2B ads.
- Perfect your B2B email segmentation strategy.
- Make your social media content more effective.
- BONUS: Don’t fall victim to these common B2B marketing myths.
Before you know it, Q4 will be here in full force. Make sure you’re ready by following the advice above. Looking for more? Mascola B2B Marketing has been helping businesses succeed since 1987. Drop us a line to see how we can help you grow in Q4 and beyond!
Continue ReadingA Call to Arms: AdWords Ad Extensions Can Be Your Greatest B2B Digital Marketing Ally
by MGB2B
HEY YOU!!!
Did I catch your attention? One of the overall goals of any B2B digital marketing campaign is to catch the audience’s eye and stand out from the competition. In a highly competitive arena like Google paid advertising, where our opportunities to attract quality attention are governed by strict rules like not being able to write something cheesy like “HEY YOU!!!” in an ad’s headline, and even stricter character limits, although this is getting a bit better lately with Google’s addition of new Expanded Text Ads, finding a way to separate yourself from the playing field can often be daunting. But fear not: Ad Extensions are here!
Any AdWords marketer worth their digital salt knows about ad extensions. They’re those complimentary bits of information that can show next to or below a text ad. There are a wealth of these extensions, and each allows the marketer the opportunity to give their audience a bit more info connected to their ad. But let’s focus on two that often go overlooked when setting up a B2B digital marketing campaign in AdWords.
AdWords Ad Extensions: Your Greatest Ally in the Fight for B2B Audiences’ Attention
Call Extensions: Call extensions allow you to show the phone number of your company alongside a text ad. This is a great way to improve your audience’s engagement with your ads. If a customer is using a desktop computer, your text ad will show your company’s phone number below the headline. If they’re searching on a smart phone, a “Call” button will show next to the add, allowing the customer to call you directly from the Google search results page with just one touch of their screen. This can be particularly handy in the B2B market, where an on-the-go salesman or contractor is searching for your company’s offerings.
Callout Extensons: Callout extensions run below a text ad providing added details about your company or offers, like the “Free Shipping” etc. in the ad below. These extensions offer you a fantastic way to highlight the key elements of your business in a structured line, and can be set up on an account, campaign or ad group level. And unlike their cousin Sitelink extensions, Callout extensions aren’t a clickable link and don’t require a unique attached URL. This allows you to single out special offers and calls to action, while still directing the audience to the landing page you’d originally chosen for your text ad. When trying to catch the attention of a busy B2B searcher, this can make or break an ad’s performance.
While both of these extensions offer their own specific audience engagement opportunities, they also provide an even more valuable service: they grab the searcher’s attention and make your ad stand out from the rest. On a search results page any available space is valuable, and both of these extensions allow you to take up more space than a stand-alone text ad would. And they add an air of authority and credibility to your ads, encouraging click confidence in your audience.
Historically, ads that show extensions like these can expect to see above average click-thru-rates and lead to conversions with lower cost-per-acquisitions, which are metrics any B2B digital marketer likes to see. Couple Call and Callout extensions with a well written, relevant text ad and you’ll be seeing better return-on-investment in no time.
The B2B paid advertising landscape on Google can often fell like a battlefield. Call on these ad extensions to help you win the fight! Need reinforcements? Drop us a line.
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