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B2B marketing tip of the week

For more than five years, we delivered the B2B Marketing Tip of the Week to subscriber inboxes. Now, we’ve curated the best selection of these short and practical recommendations to improve marketing effectiveness. Enjoy!

Marketing strategy

Content marketing

Lead generation

Coaching & coordination

Marketing strategy

B2B marketing tip #237: Fight the fear
A new project or large initiative can seem daunting—especially when viewed as a whole. Make your next big idea manageable by breaking it into smaller steps. Think about the process: What needs to happen first? Next? Which tasks or information need to precede other steps? An hour at the whiteboard can make a big difference in your outlook. Once you’ve sketched out the major milestones, concentrate on a plan of attack for the first few bite-sized activities.

B2B marketing tip #149: Frame up your strategy
Before you begin your next strategy session, make sure you’re prepared to solve the right problem. How you frame up the situation at hand directly impacts the plans and solutions your team will develop.

Before you begin your next strategy session, make sure you’re prepared to solve the right problem.

For example, the question “In what ways can we transform our product to surprise and delight our customers?” will result in a vastly different strategy than the question “What new features will differentiate our product in the market?” Check out one of my favorite resources for developing the right business questions: ThinkerToys: A Handbook of Business Creativity.

B2B marketing tip #61: Find the wow
Can’t land on the single most important feature or benefit of a new product or service? Try asking the question to stakeholders differently. What’s the “wow factor” that causes every customer or prospect to sit up and take notice? Use the answer to quickly capture your audience’s attention in marketing campaigns. (And if one doesn’t exist, head back to the drawing board in the development cycle.)

B2B marketing tip #177: Schedule inspiration
A hectic day of meetings, emails, calls and projects leaves no time for new thinking or rejuvenating your inner creative. Block out time every month for big-picture ideas and strategic planning. Use a conference room or offsite space to make uninterrupted progress.

B2B marketing tip #206: Measure your brand impact
Fielding an annual perception study arms marketers with demonstrable proof of the impact of less quantifiable efforts like awareness, education and brand-building programs. Establish baseline awareness for your company brand, key products and those of your competition in year one. Then be sure to sample the same audience with a consistent survey each year to quantify progress.

B2B marketing tip #6: Hit the road
Nothing beats firsthand knowledge, and the best place to acquire it is through customer visits. Ask for a tour of your customer’s operations, meet decision-makers and end-users and listen to the language they use to describe your industry and your product. You’ll walk away with a fresh perspective on how to deploy future marketing efforts and improve communications.

There is no substitute for hearing firsthand how a customer describes his or her business, their issues and use of your product.

If geography or the travel budget make it difficult to visit customers regularly, ask the sales and product teams if you can listen in on selected customer discussions. There is no substitute for hearing firsthand how a customer describes his or her business, their issues and use of your product.

B2B marketing tip #108: First, sell the vision
In technical sales, it’s easy to talk about features, especially when planning for a new release or product launch. Avoid this trap by first selling the vision: show prospects how their situation will change for the better once they have your solution in hand. (It’s no different than picturing yourself behind the wheel of that new car or wearing that new pair of shoes!)

B2B marketing tip #68: Cocktail, please
A strong brand resonates when it’s simple and brief. Give yours the cocktail napkin test. See if key staff can articulate your brand promise within that limited space. Convoluted descriptions signal a need to revisit internal brand training—or tighten your key message.

B2B marketing tip #192: Budget bliss
Finance is more involved than ever in marketing. Don’t wait until you’re asked about expenses—be proactive and get to know the staff who handle your payables, forecasting and annual budget allocations right now. Show your willingness to be part of the process and make their work easier.

Synch up on the best way to handle day-to-day activities, such as creating purchase orders, submitting vendor invoices for payment, or preparing for incidental expenses when you’re at an event. Find out your General Ledger (GL) codes and how finance categorizes marketing expenses. Offer to help with forecasting so you can be part of this critical decision-making process.

B2B marketing tip #186: Uniquely yours
Too often, a company’s “about us” boilerplate reads like a dispatch from the legal department: wordy, vague and certainly not memorable. Transform this essential real estate with a focus on specifics. Identify the industry or clients you serve, the key competency that sets you apart from the competition, and 1-2 phrases that support your claims. Test your message by substituting a competitor’s name; the best content applies solely to your organization.

Transform your company’s “about us” boilerplate with a focus on specifics.

B2B marketing tip #67: Effort vs. impact
Need a fast way to pare down the marketing To Do list? Divide a square into four quadrants. Label one axis Effort to Produce, the other Impact to Organization. Plot your proposed activities by High/Low Effort and High/Low Impact, then focus first on those projects that yield maximum benefit with lowest effort to produce.

B2B marketing tip #250: Make status quo the enemy
Instead of positioning your offering as better than another company’s product or service, consider showing its merits compared to the usual way of doing business. Most B2B sales help companies save time or increase efficiency, which means changing a process. Demonstrate why your solution makes change worthwhile and the sale is yours.

B2B marketing tip #95: Get personal
Entering a new market? Introducing a new product? Develop audience profiles to keep your communications on track. Create a persona for each market segment, and for each role in the purchase process, such as decision-maker, end user, financial approver or IT representative. Then tailor your communications to the unique profile of each audience.

B2B marketing tip #153: Get professional about strategy
Even the most experienced marketers can benefit from an outside perspective. Consider hiring a professional facilitator to run your next strategy session. An outside consultant can provide an objective viewpoint, keep discussions focused, and give internal leadership a chance to fully participate.

B2B marketing tip #91: Hey you, whatshisname
There are places in marketing where you can cut corners without a big risk—but naming isn’t one of them. Don’t skimp on quality, and don’t leave something this important to an employee contest. Hire a professional and find a moniker that has staying power and panache. Remember, a name is like a tattoo. You’re going to have it for a long time, and it’s complicated, expensive and painful to change.

A name is like a tattoo. You’re going to have it for a long time, and it’s complicated, expensive and painful to change.

B2B marketing tip #19: It is ours to question why
Swamped by marketing tactics and ad hoc requests? Struggling to create a plan—or stick to it? Regain control with one simple question: “What is the objective?”

Next time sales or management (or even another marketer) asks for an unplanned activity, turn the conversation from tactics to strategy by identifying the goal of the request. Start with why there’s a perceived need, not what the solution is. Then, evaluate whether the new tactic is the best way to meet the objective, and whether it’s more of a priority than your planned campaigns. Be prepared to suggest alternatives that may better reach the goal.

B2B marketing tip #263: Know your metrics
In the era of marketing automation, analytics and big data, it’s possible to measure nearly everything—but do you know which numbers really matter to your organization? Figure out the top five metrics that best tell your marketing department’s story, whether it’s cost-per-lead, campaign ROI or the latest budget savings. Then, make sure everyone on the team can use these data points when meeting with leadership or in cross-functional communications. The more you can quantify and communicate the benefits of marketing, the easier it becomes to garner support for your programs.

B2B marketing tip #128: Inject action into brand values
If your brand values exist solely as a list of adjectives in the company style guide or employee handbook, they’re not really driving value to your brand at all. Revisit these critical attributes and make them tangible. What type of employee behavior would demonstrate the value? Customize these desired actions so staff in every department have clear guidelines.

Revisit your brand values and make them tangible. What type of employee behaviors will bring these critical attributes to life?

B2B marketing tip #88: Beef up the marketing diet
Feeling a bit malnourished when it comes to your marketing messages? When communications are lackluster, first take a look upstream and make sure you’re feeding your marketing team a steady flow of quality information so they can do their jobs correctly. The best marketing comes from a collaborative effort between the product, sales and communications teams.

B2B marketing tip #116: The power of “no”
Struggling to narrow your brand and define your niche? Turn the tables. Instead of brainstorming what you are, list all the things your brand is not. Use these criteria to move the discussion forward.

Content marketing

B2B marketing tip #73: Spoiler alert
Effective marketing copy begins with the end in mind. That’s because writing for marketing and sales is all about persuasion. Don’t put pen to paper until you know exactly what you want your reader to do—in this case, the action you want the prospective customer to take. Then craft every sentence and headline to lead them to that destination.

Don’t put pen to paper until you know exactly what you want your reader to do.

B2B marketing tip #281: Debut the new you
At least once a year, freshen up your social media profiles for your personal and company accounts. Update your headlines and key bullets. Make sure your settings are appropriate for your goals. Take time to review your network, reconnect with important contacts and choose influencers to follow. A current and focused online presence will support your communication efforts in the coming year.

B2B marketing tip #150: Persuade with groups of three
Increase the power of your marketing and sales messages by grouping your claims in threes. A study in the New York Times demonstrates that in advertisements, speeches and other vehicles, a list of three items is most persuasive—while overdoing it with four or more claims triggers skepticism.

B2B marketing tip #143: Let it rest
For most of us, great copy doesn’t happen in a flash. Allow enough time in your schedule to write your draft, then step away from it for at least 48 hours. You’ll find it easier to edit and improve your work when you can review it with a fresh and critical eye.

B2B marketing tip #209: Set your social standards
Don’t wait for an employee to post one personal photo too many on Facebook or share confidential information on Twitter. Establish a company-wide social media policy now, then incorporate it into the employee handbook and new hire training. Give extra guidance to staff who monitor and respond on behalf of your organization’s social media platforms.

B2B marketing tip #53: Stay on the case
Overcome the skeptics and boost your public relations efforts by developing a library of first-person customer success stories. A strong case study presents a before-and-after story that’s loaded with specifics, tangible benefits and a first-person account in the customer’s own words. Do your homework before requesting a customer interview: meet with sales reps or account managers to outline the story, then draft potential questions so customers can respond thoughtfully.

B2B marketing tip #23: Give it a ghost of a chance
Content may be king these days, but busy executives and subject matter experts are unlikely to have enough bandwidth to produce timely, well-written material to fuel your email campaigns, blog, social media, website or public relations needs. Employ a ghostwriter to streamline the process. Look for an experienced individual with excellent interview skills and strong writing samples. The ideal writer should quickly develop a rapport with your stakeholders.

Busy execs are unlikely to have bandwidth to produce timely, well-written material; instead, employ a ghostwriter

B2B marketing tip #257: Success by the numbers
Create strong case studies by focusing on the numbers. Use compelling before/after statistics that show dramatic improvement. Often, a single slide with three of these figures and a short quote from the client will be far more effective—and easier to collect—than a lengthy written interview. Numbers also make for share-worthy infographics.

B2B marketing tip #164: Punch up your copy
Fed up with lackluster marketing copy? Check your verbs. Weed out throwaways like “is” and substitute meatier words. Use active voice to engage readers and avoid clichés.

B2B marketing tip #226: Leverage LinkedIn
Meeting someone new? Most of us now review online information in preparation. In that spirit, beef up the online profiles of your key executives and most visible staff members so they’re in tune with your corporate brand. Provide “about the company” phrases and industry keywords they can cut-and-paste into their profiles. Offer to do a one-on-one profile update for those who are willing, making sure to align each person’s LinkedIn profile with the job description and skills found in their corporate communications bio.

Beef up the online profiles of your key executives and most visible staff members so they’re in tune with your corporate brand.

B2B marketing tip #45: Write for the non-reader
Organize your marketing copy so it’s accessible for text-lovers and skimmers alike. Replace long blocks of text with short bulleted lists. Add compelling headlines and subheads throughout. Use pull-quotes, captions and call-outs to convey key information such as problems solved and benefits of your product or service.

B2B marketing tip #166: Expertise, stat!
Watch out for interesting industry statistics and use them as the foundation for thought leadership articles or blog posts. Show your expertise and understanding of the market by interpreting the statistic.

B2B marketing tip #207: Diagram it
When you sell a complicated or technical solution, how you visualize your product or service can be as important to your image as your logo or tagline. Work with a designer that specializes in infographics or process visuals. Develop standard diagrams and workflow models to streamline the sales process. Create a library of fonts, colors, flowchart symbols and custom iconography that staff can incorporate into presentations and proposals.

When you sell a complicated or technical solution, use diagrams and workflow models streamline the sales process.

B2B marketing tip #146: Recycle and reuse
No B2B audience segment is infinite—so don’t waste the marketing and sales data you gather at events, through campaigns and on your website. Regularly analyze your prospects and your inactive and lost leads. Work with sales to identify challenges that keep these accounts or audience segments from moving to closed sales. Then tighten your criteria to weed out unqualified buyers, and set up new campaigns to nurture cooler leads until they’re sales-ready.

B2B marketing tip #124: Must-see TV
Campaigns today are multi-dimensional: Written materials, in-person events, online activities, and of course, video and podcasts. Review your portfolio of tools and your marketing plan and look for ways to reproduce existing content in an interactive format. A good video team can take one shoot and leverage it for multiple efforts.

B2B marketing tip #121: Pinpoint your social tactics
Too many organizations launch social media simply because “we have to be out there.” But untargeted Tweets and ad hoc YouTube videos won’t generate results. First, identify the points in the sales process where you want social media to deliver—then map out tactics that support these specific goals. You’ll use different online actions to introduce a buyer to your brand, for example, than to reward loyal customers.

B2B marketing tip #103: Sentences that sing
Just like music, good sentences have rhythm. Perfect yours by reading them aloud. This process will also uncover grammatical errors and misspellings that traditional proofreading can miss.

Lead generation

B2B marketing tip #18: Keep it clean
The marketing-sales database is like a teenager’s bedroom: It’s never going to stay clean and organized unless someone enforces the rules. Write up basic standards for data entry, required fields, and how to remove duplicate, inaccurate, or outdated records. Share the rules with all CRM users. Be clear on each individual’s responsibility—then conduct periodic audits to review compliance. Create a recognition program to promote positive results.

The marketing-sales database is like a teenager’s bedroom: It’s never going to stay clean and organized unless someone enforces the rules.

B2B marketing tip #132: Use a freebie, not a discount
Think twice about offering a discount to promote your product. Instead, opt for a giveaway. A Harvard Business Review study found that discounting significantly devalued a product—making it more difficult to charge full price after the promotion ended. A giveaway, by contrast, did not devalue the product.

B2B marketing tip #275: Less is more
We all collect data as part of the lead nurturing process, but are you really using it? Look over your online forms, analyze your marketing database and speak with the recipients of this information within your company. Find out what’s absolutely essential, then pare down your online forms so they’re fast and simple for respondents to complete. The less you ask, the more inquiries you’ll generate.

B2B marketing tip #49: Dictionary, please!
Improve the relationship between marketing and sales by documenting the definition of a qualified lead. Use objective criteria, such as demographic information about the business, yes/no questions a prospect can easily answer or milestones achieved within the marketing automation system. Be clear on which answers indicate a qualified buyer ready to be passed on to sales, and which prospects it remains marketing’s responsibility to nurture.

Improve the relationship between marketing and sales by documenting the definition of a qualified lead.

B2B marketing tip #138: ‘Tis the season
There’s a time and a place for everything—including when your customers buy and use your services. Maximize your marketing efforts by understanding the seasonality in your industry. Determine when budget cycles, fiscal years, annual events and other activities ebb and flow, then align your communication efforts with these critical events. Match lead generation with triggers like budget cycles. Run customer education or loyalty-driven campaigns when product usage spikes.

B2B marketing tip #194: What if_________?
Develop engaging sales copy with language that sells the benefits of your product or service—not its features. Use two simple phrases to develop messaging that helps your audience realize they have a need, then envision the potential solution. “Is it a problem for you that ______________?”

“What if you had the capability to _________________?” Leave the discussion of technical specs and detailed features for much later in the buying cycle.

B2B marketing tip #99: Faster action on leads
What percentage of your leads dissolve each month, simply because no one takes time to follow up on them? Before your next campaign launches, plan the response process. Draft the letters, emails or call script for inbound inquiries, then sit down with sales and agree on roles, responsibilities and turnaround time for lead follow up.

B2B marketing tip #190: Get lost
Close the loop on lost leads and sales. Add a required field to your database, CRM system or sales process that captures the reason(s) your organization doesn’t win business. Regularly analyze this information with sales and product management to improve future campaigns and better understand your market.

B2B marketing tip #93: That unsettled feeling
Recent stats show between 30-60% of all B2B sales end in limbo—a “no decision” decision. Move your sales forward by focusing on that discomfort. Target the risks, emotions and uncertainty associated with maintaining the current course to guide your prospect toward change right now.

B2B marketing tip #46: Need generation
Inject more leads into your sales cycle by focusing on what really triggers a buyer: a problem that your product or service can solve. Save feature-benefit discussions until after a prospect clearly states their pain points. Remember, it’s not a lead unless there’s a need.

Inject more leads into your sales cycle by focusing on what really triggers a buyer: a problem. Remember, it’s not a lead unless there’s a need.

B2B marketing tip #79: Streamline your RFP responses
Empower your sales team to produce winning proposals—without the tedious task of reviewing each document for consistency. Develop a catalog of standard one-paragraph product descriptions, “about the company” language and canned responses to the most common questions they receive. Store the language in a database or Intranet site where sales can easily “cut and paste” copy.

B2B marketing tip #213: Fade to black
With today’s deluge of smart phones, tablets, screens and projectors, the emphasis of a presentation often falls on the visuals, rather than the speaker. For your most critical messages, grab you audience’s undivided attention with a completely black slide. You’ll quickly have all eyes and ears on tuned on you.

B2B marketing tip #184: Ready, set, action
Build a better website by focusing on action first and content second. Think and plan with your prospect’s behavior in mind. What does your ideal web visitor want to accomplish on your site? What actions do you want this visitor to take? Develop interactive content and navigation that lets visitors achieve these tasks with the fewest clicks possible.

B2B marketing tip #74: Connect with everyone at the table
A B2B sale often involves numerous individuals and can take weeks, months or even years. To succeed with a complex and diverse group, first understand each person’s needs, and their role in the buying process. Identify the typical players and develop a persona for each. Look for specific problems your product will solve, objections you will need to overcome, and preferred sources of information for each role. For example, the economic buyer may require a detailed ROI analysis, where the IT decision-maker needs an in-depth technical demonstration.

A B2B sale often involves numerous individuals. Identify the typical players and develop a persona for each.

B2B marketing tip #86: Reduce your bounce rate
Improve the “stickiness” of your online ads and email campaigns with custom landing pages for each initiative. Use a simple first page where the design and message mirror the campaign’s creative, and where your offer is front and center. Assign unique URLs to make testing and measurement painless.

B2B marketing tip #262: Sign up
There’s no better way to monitor the frequency and content of your company’s lead nurturing program than to receive them, just as your customers and prospects do. Subscribe to communications offered on your website, for lead nurturing programs by contacting your sales team, and through other channels. You may be surprised what hits your inbox—especially in large organizations where departments outside of marketing can distribute their own content.

A colleague tested this approach when opt-out rates began to tick upward. Sure enough, five emails hit his inbox within an hour of indicating interest—a quick fix by sequencing timing in the marketing automation system.

B2B marketing tip #198: Let’s make a deal
Need to demonstrate results by generating inquiries and leads? Make sure your creative includes an offer. Remember: “For more information” is not a call to action—it’s a waste of words. Eliminate this generic closing statement from your marketing campaigns. Use this valuable real estate for a compelling close that creates a sense of urgency, adds value to for your audience, and moves prospects forward in the sales cycle.

“For more information” is not a call to action—it’s a waste of words.

B2B marketing tip #105: Spring clean your data
As the flowers start to bloom, take time to freshen up your marketing and sales data. Work with a qualified data consultant or firm to weed out inactive, duplicate or inappropriate records. Review the information you’re collecting and make sure it’s accurate. Prioritize your best leads and give them the attention they need to thrive.

B2B marketing tip #70: Say thanks
Strong word-of-mouth breeds business success. Leads generated from existing customers or referral sources are often the most powerful sales tools—and a lead source that costs significantly less than other channels. Don’t take your referral sources or customer references for granted. Create tools and processes for sales to say “thank you.” A handwritten card, a small gift or gift certificate, or a discount on the customer’s next order can all encourage these important recommendations.

Coaching & coordination

B2B marketing tip #51: Prune your programs
Gardeners know that periodic trimming promotes lush and fruitful growth. The same techniques apply to marketing. At least once a year, review your activities. Sunset or reconfigure those that require the most effort but produce the fewest returns. Freeing up resources leaves room to improve efficiency, expand effective programs or test new techniques.

B2B marketing tip #113: Campaign 101
Creating a marketing campaign takes time—but few outside the marketing team really understand what the process entails. Take time to educate key stakeholders—especially sales—about the steps involved, the time required and why they exist. Go a step further and meet proactively on a quarterly or monthly basis. Identifying upcoming needs and goals can reduce the number of “urgent” project requests and keep marketing plans on track.

B2B marketing tip #89: Take a breather
Stress doesn’t just impact our personal schedules, it can reduce our work performance as well. Take an hour this week to reflect on your marketing accomplishments over the past twelve months, and to recharge for a strong and confident way forward.

Stress impacts the best of us. Take an hour this week to reflect on marketing accomplishments and recharge.

B2B marketing tip #32: Improve the feedback loop
Frustrated with the input you receive when you circulate marketing materials for review? Take control of the approval process by addressing specific requests to the right individuals. Do you want feedback on accuracy of product features? Votes on which headline to use? Debate on font size and colors? Communicate clear expectations on exactly where you’d like input. This approach will optimize reviewers’ time and keep marketing in control of key decisions.

B2B marketing tip #83: Enforce your work ethic
From copywriting to public relations, your agencies and freelance resources learn a lot about your company in the course of day-to-day business. Stay on good terms by developing non-disclosure agreements for all creative resources to sign up front. Outline what constitutes confidential information, how key assets will be stored, and when both sides can promote your relationship.

B2B marketing tip #187: Cross-train for tradeshows
Product specialists are great—except for mixed venues like events where one booth may showcase dozens of solutions. Two weeks before, brief all company attendees on every product and service you’ll be promoting or selling. Everyone needs to know the elevator speech and how to engage customers and prospects.

Create a handout with a one-sentence description of each solution, its target audience, and the name(s) of the booth staff qualified to handle inquiries. Repeat the briefing the day before the show opens. Consider testing staff and awarding prizes. Sales will appreciate the information and event results will improve.

B2B marketing tip #119: Talent management
Marketing is a huge job, encompassing everything from budgeting to project management to complex analytics. Few of us excel at both the strategic and the tactical, the visionary and the technical—yet a successful marketing department needs all these roles. Take time to understand what you need to run your organization and divide the duties appropriately, using both in-house and agency or freelance resources.

B2B marketing tip #189: Rise to the top of the inbox
Busy execs and subject matter experts receive hundreds of emails each day. Make your critical requests easy to understand and respond to with clear subject lines. Include in the subject line the action needed such as “Input required,” “For review,” or “Status update” and the due date. Most importantly, don’t overuse these techniques. You’ll help your reviewers work efficiently and improve your turnaround times.

B2B marketing tip #203: Double up to prevent disaster
An unexpected employee absence can quickly derail a marketing program. Take time to document your key procedures, such as the steps for executing an email campaign, using the marketing automation system, or routing sales leads. Then, make sure to cross-train staff so backup coverage is always available.

An unexpected employee absence can quickly derail a marketing program. Make sure to cross-train staff so backup coverage is always available.

Store contact information for important vendors, ad placements and event schedules in a common area–not a single employee’s desktop. Don’t forget to assign passwords and log-in credentials to multiple employees for any systems, websites or platforms that require marketing access.

B2B marketing tip #264: Find a youthful eye
Worried you’ve lost the passion for your profession? Sharing your expertise with younger colleagues, volunteering as a mentor or giving back through a trade association is a great way to remember what you love about your career. Teaching, training and helping someone else find their way yields great personal rewards.

B2B marketing tip #178: Stamp out acronyms
Give your brands the respect they deserve by spelling out the full company or product name in communications—even on second reference. Avoid abbreviations, acronyms and jargon that erode brand equity. Be vigilant in policing internal communications as well—bad habits within the organization will quickly find their way into confusing external documents, presentations and emails.

B2B marketing tip #134: Elevate your status
The lowly status report can be a great tool to boost your credibility with internal stakeholders. Give yours a fresh look with your target audience in mind, using the same critical eye you would with an external campaign.

The lowly status report can be a great tool to boost your credibility with internal stakeholders.

Try to deliver the key message in the subject line or first sentence, and use a graphical format (such as green, yellow and red color-coding) to make critical items apparent immediately. Lastly, demonstrate your commitment by communicating progress updates before stakeholders need to ask for them. A proactive telephone call or email, even if the news is bad, can save a lot of heartache down the road.

B2B marketing tip #85: Keep performance on track
Make employee performance in your marketing department a year-round goal—not a once a year event centered around a review. Create a job description for each employee that clearly spells out day-to-day responsibilities, and 3-5 specific goals that link to each year’s corporate and departmental objectives. Don’t leave it to one annual sitting; conduct quarterly progress check-ins so there are no surprises.

B2B marketing tip #109: Version control
Streamline the review process for your next marketing campaign with some simple version control. Label all documents with a version number (such as v1.0) on the first page, in the footer and in the file name itself. Not only will the feedback process work more efficiently, your subject matter experts will understand how many drafts their changes require.

B2B marketing tip #41: Maximize your meetings
Before you click “invite” on your next meeting request, set clear expectations that will use everyone’s time wisely. Define the meeting objective in one sentence and make sure it can be accomplished in the time allotted. List as bullet points the take-aways you want to collect from the group discussion. Lastly, identify a clear role for each participant, and invite only those who will be active, essential contributors. Use a summary email to inform others of meeting findings or status updates.

B2B marketing tip #76: Mind your web analytics
We all have Google Analytics or similar tools—but do we use them? Make learning from your web traffic a priority. Identify your top online goals, then assign accountability to monitor performance. (This can be an internal responsibility or a task for your web agency.) What’s critical is taking action while the data is still fresh and relevant, in order to drive program enhancements.

B2B marketing tip #181: Pay it forward
Professional networking extends your circle of resources, provides valuable career connections and helps you stay attuned to trends and opportunities. Stay active in local marketing associations. Use LinkedIn to keep up with colleagues and vendors. Ask for networking introductions, and take time each month to connect face-to-face with new people. Don’t forget rule number one: pay it forward. Be genuine and helpful as you meet new acquaintances and build up your circle.

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