Weekend Favs December 31

Weekend Favs December 31 written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing

My weekend blog post routine includes posting links to a handful of tools or great content I ran across during the week.

I don’t go into depth about the finds, but I encourage you to check them out if they sound interesting. The photo in the post is a favorite for the week from an online source or one I took on the road.

• Beams – Beams helps you stay focused and reduce distractions during your day. You can see your daily schedule, join calls and take breaks with one click from your Menu Bar. Work smarter, not harder with Beams.
• Whereby – Join a meeting in just one click with easy-to-remember and use links. Or embed a video conference directly on your website, platform, or app with Whereby’s Embedded Video API.
• Noty.ai – Noty.ai is an AI-powered meeting assistant that can transform your meetings into transcripts, action items, summaries, and follow-ups in seconds. With Noty.ai, you can also collaborate with your team members on a shared transcript and seamlessly delegate follow-up tasks in real time.

These are my weekend favs; I would love to hear about some of yours – Tweet me @ducttape

If you want to check out more Weekend Favs you can find them here.

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How To Improve Your Local Marketing Strategy

Elevate B2B Marketing News: Top-Growing Ad Channels For 2023, Marketing Narrative Study, Google’s New Landing Page Report, & Broad Reach In B2B Data

5 Major Takeaways From This Year's ANA B-to-B Marketing Virtual Conference B2B marketers can achieve market share expansion and greater outcomes when they focus on a broader reach, while a connection between data and creativity builds more emotional connectivity — two of several findings of interest to B2B marketers contained in newly-published insight from a recent Association of National Advertisers (ANA) event which featured marketers from LinkedIn (client) and other B2B organizations. Adweek Marketers Are Adjusting Their Brand vs. Performance Budgets Amid Economic Woes 63 percent of marketers have said that the economic recession has had an impact on consumer concerns that will affect their 2023 marketing strategies, with 33 percent pinpointing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) along with social justice issues, according to recently-released survey data. MarketingCharts [bctt tweet="“In 2023, it is high time for B2B influencer marketing to become less of a gray area and embraced more as a solid strategy. Part of this will be the development of job titles that include 'influencer marketing' in them.” — @JustinLevy" username="toprank"] Google Analytics 4 Rolling Out Built-In Landing Page Report Search giant Google has begun rolling out a new set of features for the latest version of its Google Analytics data analysis system, with the biggest addition being an array of new reports centered around website landing page performance, Google recently announced. Search Engine Journal Research: Consumers Value Fate in Marketing Narratives Marketers who tap into a product or service's component pieces to uncover and build an intriguing story of discovery may find unexpected value, according to newly-published research, with initial findings released by the Harvard Business Review. Harvard Business Review HubSpot’s November releases: A manager’s guide Meta-owned global messaging platform WhatsApp integration and more efficient data collection are among an array of new features added to HubSpot, joining a new email approval process and updates to HubSpot’s Campaigns 2.0 features, HubSpot recently announced. MarTech Publishers, Ad Buyers Face Big Challenges In 2023: Study 54 percent of digital media experts who utilize programmatic advertising have said that digital audio will be a top priority in 2023, with 50 percent pinpointing digital video, 48 percent social media, and 47 percent noting mobile — some of the findings of interest to B2B marketers contained in newly-published survey data. MediaPost Infographic Design Trends for 2023 [Infographic] Personalized data, bright palettes, animated elements, and nostalgic visuals are three infographic ingredients that are poised to see greater implementation in 2023, according to recently-released infographic trend data, which has also predicted more visual representation of data as art. Social Media Today The Most Important Tech and Societal Trends for Marketers in 2023 [WARC Report] 31 percent of marketers have said that they expect an increased investment in brand marketing over the next year — up from 23 percent in 2021, while 46 percent expected increased investment in performance marketing, up from 41 percent in 2021, according to newly-published global marketing forecast data. MarketingProfs New Instagram Templates: Create Year-In-Review Highlight Reels Meta-owned Instagram has begun rolling out a new year-end feature that allows marketers to create narrated best-of highlights in the platform's Reels short video format, Instagram recently announced. Search Engine Journal These Advertising Channels Look Set for Growth in 2023 Paid search advertisement spending is expected to rise 14.4 percent in 2023, with digital video and social media ad spend each expected to rise by 6.5 percent — two of several statistics of interest to digital marketers contained in newly-published forecast data. MarketingCharts ON THE LIGHTER SIDE: A lighthearted look at “how to do strategic planning” by Marketoonist Tom Fishburne — Marketoonist Christmas Break Nowhere Near Enough Time to Fix All of Parent’s Tech Issues — The Hard Times TOPRANK MARKETING & CLIENTS IN THE NEWS:

• Lee Odden — Top 50 B2B Thought Leaders & Influencers You Should Work With In 2023 (North America) — Thinkers360
• LinkedIn Marketing Solutions — Maersk’s Anne With Damgaard on how B2B marketing can be innovative and creative — The Drum

Have you found your own B2B marketing news item for the week that we haven't yet mentioned? If so, please don't hesitate to drop us a line in the comments below. Thanks for taking the time to join us this week for the Elevate B2B Marketing News, and we hope you'll return next Friday for another selection of the most up-to-date and relevant B2B and digital marketing industry news. In the meantime, you can follow us on our LinkedIn page, or at @toprank on Twitter for even more timely daily news.

The post Elevate B2B Marketing News: Top-Growing Ad Channels For 2023, Marketing Narrative Study, Google’s New Landing Page Report, & Broad Reach In B2B Data appeared first on B2B Marketing Blog - TopRank®.

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A Guide To Building An Authentic And Powerful Personal Brand

25 Women Who Rocked as B2B Industry Influencers in 2022

Over the past few years aka "the Covid years" the role of influence in B2B marketing has grown significantly. Our 2022 research report, The State of B2B Influencer Marketing, reported that 85% of B2B marketers believe that interest in working with influencers in the coming 12 months will increase. On top of that, of the B2B marketers that do engage in influencer marketing programs, 86% consider their efforts successful. There's a lot to be optimistic about, especially in a business environment that requires B2B marketers to find every advantage they can to grow in a potentially down market. The rising tide of influencer marketing popularity amongst B2B brands has also seen a shift towards a more diverse group of influencers. Now don't get me wrong, the majority of influencers I'm seeing from B2B brands are still the usual suspects which doesn't exactly represent 100% of the audiences brands are trying to reach. So there has been movement towards engaging more women and people of color as influencers in the B2B space. At TopRank Marketing we're doing our small part to shine a light on more diverse talent within the B2B marketing world and with this 13th edition of our Women Who Rock list, we're highlighting a mix of women that are influential in various B2B industries. From rising stars to north stars, from Bay Area to Zurich, we have a sample of the fast growing segment of influencer talent B2B brands should be considering as partners in their marketing programs. Ann Handley /in/annhandley/  @MarketingProfs Chief Content Officer at MarketingProfs Ann is a speaker, author, and member of the LinkedIn Influencer program. She is the author of the Wall Street Journal best-seller on business writing, "Everybody Writes," and the co-author of the best-selling book on content marketing, "Content Rules". Talks about #content #contentmarketing #b2bmarketing #CavalierKingCharlesSpaniels  Charlene Li /in/charleneli/  @charleneli Chief Research Officer at PA Consulting, NY Times Bestselling Author Charlene's role is to catalyze transformation as an expert on disruption strategy and leadership by writing books, speaking, and advising companies and their leaders. Talks about #disruption, #leadership, #futureofwork, #digitaldisruption, and #digitaltransformation Duena Blomstrom /duenablomstrom/  @DuenaBlomstrom Author, Keynote Speaker, CoFounder, Chief Product Officer at People Not Tech London based Duena is the author of “Emotional Banking” and “People Before Tech: The Importance of Psychological Safety and Teamwork in the Digital Age”. She is a doer, an entrepreneur, an industry influencer, a blogger with cutting edge opinion style, a writer for Forbes, an international keynote speaker and the creator of the Emotional Banking™ and Human Debt™ concepts. Talks about #teams, #devops, #humandebt, #technology, and #psychologicalsafety  Efi Pylarinou /in/efipylarinou/  @efipm Founder of Pylarinou Advisory Currently based in Zurich, Efi is a seasoned Wall Street professional and ex-academic who has become a Top Global Fintech and Thought Leader with a Ph.D. in Finance. She is also a prolific content creator, a Host, an Author, and a Speaker. Talks about #fintech, #innovation, #digitalassets, and #artificialintelligence  Cathy Hackl /in/cathyhackl/  @CathyHackl Founder & Chief Metaverse Officer at Journey Known as the Godmother of the Metaverse, Cathy is a globally recognized metaverse/ web3 strategist, tech futurist, sought-after business executive, speaker and media personality with deep expertise working in metaverse-related fields with companies like HTC VIVE, Magic Leap, and Amazon Web Services. Talks about #nfts, #metaverse, #technology, #augmentedreality, and #spatialcomputing Kimberly Bryant /in/kimberlybryant/  @BlackGirlsCode Founder and CEO Ascend Ventures and Founder Black Girls CODE Kimberly has been nationally recognized as a thought leader for her work to increase opportunities for women and girls in the technology industry and has received numerous awards for her work with Black Girls CODE. Talks about #culture, #leadership, #technology, and #diversityequityandinclusion  Katie Martell /in/katiemartell/  @KatieMartell Marketing Communications Consultant, Speaker, Host and Emcee Leaving it up to debate whether she is a hologram or real, Katie partners with brands to amplify stories of transformation, and trends in customer experience. Talks about #cx, #b2b, #marketing, #digitalmarketing, and #customerexperience  Tiffani Bova /in/tiffanibova/  @Tiffani_Bova Growth & Innovation Evangelist at Salesforce As a Keynote speaker, WSJ Bestselling author, What's Next Podcast host. Tiffani works with some of the most innovative companies in the world as they look to transform the way they engage with customers, grow their business and create amazing customer experiences. Her role is to look out to the future for disruptive trends while at the same time scanning the near horizon for the real world impact. Her current conversations center around 2 objectives: customer success and growth. Talks about #sales, #growth, #leadership, #customerexperience, and #employeeexperience  Meghan Biro /in/meghanmbiro/  @MeghanMBiro Founder at TalentCulture Meghan is host of the #WorkTrends Podcast, Author, Speaker and a HRTech Evangelist that also contributes regularly at Forbes, Huffington Post, and several other media outlets. Talks about #hr, #leadership, #worktrends, #workculture, and #futureofwork  Sally Eaves /in/sally-eaves/  @sallyeaves CEO and Director Sally Eaves Consultancy, Keynote Speaker and Author A member of the Forbes Technology Council, Sally is an award winning international keynote speaker, author and influencer with globally leading rankings across all advanced technology disciplines, digital transformation, future of work and social innovation aligned to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. Talks about #5g, ##cloud, #techforgood, ##cybersecurity, and #artificialntelligence  Sarah Barnes-Humphrey /in/sarahbarneshumphrey/  @bevictoryus Founder/Host Lets Talk Supply Chain podcast Posting daily supply chain, diversity & inclusion, and leadership content that reaches millions. Talks about #thoughtsandcoffee, #womeninsupplychain, #letstalksupplychain, #diversityandinclusion, and #supplychainmanagement  Theodora Lau /in/theodoralau/ @psb_dc Founder - Unconventional Ventures Theodora is a book author, podcast host, startup advisor and public speaker on DEI, Fintech, Financial Inclusion, and Tech for Good. Talks about #ai, #fintech, #longevity, #inequality, and #financialservices Kimberly Ellison-Taylor  /in/kimberly-n-ellison-taylor-b1a13a2/ @kellisontaylor CEO KET Solutions Kimblerly is a Global Technology and Finance Leader, Volunteer Leader, Corporate Board Director, and Keynote Speaker on finance and technology topics. Talks about #governance #risk #compliance audit #cfo #globalleadership  Ty Heath  /in/tyronaheath/ @tyrona Director, Market Engagement, The B2B Institute at LinkedIn Ty's role focuses on researching, teaching and writing about B2B marketing, social selling as well as leadership, diversity and inclusion. Talks about #b2binstitute, #b2bmarketing, #b2bcreativity, #entrepreneurship, and #diversityequityandinclusion Helen Yu  /in/tigonhyu/ @YuHelenYu Founder & CEO at Tigon Advisory Corp Helenn is a Board of Director; Fortune 500 Advisor; Top 50 Women in Tech; Wall Street Journal Best Selling Author; Keynote Speaker; and Host of CXO Spice among many other responsibilities. Talks about #ai, #cybersecurity, #manufacturing, #customerexpereince, and #digitaltransformation Shelly DeMotte Kramer  /in/shellydemottekramer/ @ShellyKramer Principal Analyst + Founding Partner, Futurum Research and The Futurum Group Shelly has worked with some of the world’s largest brands to help them embrace disruption and the reality of the connected customer, and to successfully understand and navigate the process of Digital Transformation (DX). Talks about #cloud, #security, #futureofwork, #collaboration, and #cybersecurity Jo Peterson  /in/jopeterson1/ @digitalcloudgal Vice President Cloud & Security Services at Clarify360 Jo is a digital transformation expert, board member, advisor, philanthropist, and United States Air Force veteran. Talks about #cio, #ciso, #cloud, #cybersecurity, and #edgecomputing Kamales Lardi  /in/kamaleslardi/ @grattongirl Managing Director at Valtech Swiss based Kamales is an author and keynote speaker with over 22 years of deep cross-industry experience with the latest digital and technology solutions and a strategic thinker on digital and business transformation. Talks about #digitalacceleration, #blockchaintechnology, #emergingtechnologies, #digitaltransformation, and #artificialintelligence Maribel Lopez  /in/maribellopez/ @MaribelLopez Founder & Analyst at Lopez Research Maribel tech is an industry analyst, speaker and business advisor focused on helping companies understand and navigate digital transformation. Talks about #tech, #edgecomputing, #futureofworkplace, #digitaltransformation, and #artificialintelligence Kate O'Neill  /in/kateoneill/ @kateo CEO: KO Insights, Keynote Speaker and Author Kate is an Author; host of The Tech Humanist Show and keynote speaker focused on the future of human experiences amid tech & other changes at scale. Talks about #future, #humanity, #strategy, #experience, and #techforgood  Christina Trampota  /in/christinatrampota/ @tektalk Managing DirectorManaging Director at Innovate :: Grow :: Scale As an award-winning digital, mobile, and fintech industry leader and influencer, Christina provides global corporate strategy and insights for connecting businesses with customers through unique touchpoints that grow lifetime value - living and working at the intersection of people, platforms and payments. Talks about #web3, #fintech, #commerce, #payments, and #innovation Linda Grasso  /in/linda-grasso/ @LindaGrass0 Founder of digital transformation blog, DeltalogiX Based in Naples, Italy Linda is a rising star Digital Creator & Tech Influencer, Infopreneur, YouTuber, #Sustainability Advocate & Life Enthusiast. Talks about #innovation, #technology, #sustainability, #entrepreneurship, and #digitaltransformation Dr Sarah-Jayne Gratton  /in/sarahgratton/ @grattongirl Founding Partner, The Influencers Sarah is host of the Tech Uncorked Podcast, Editor of Agritech Future Magazine and a leading technology evangelist, specializing in emerging technologies and covering trends in artificial intelligence, machine learning, IoT, agritech, digital transformation and mixed reality. Talks about #5g, #iot, #agritech, #customerexperience, and #artificialintelligence Jessie Medina  /in/jessiemedinaofficial/ @jessiemedinaoff Founder & CEO @FEMXQUARTERS Jessie is a speaker & consultant, podcast host and community builder. She speaks on intersectionality such as women in business, women in corporate, and equality. as women in business, women in corporate, and equality Talks about #speaker, #femaleceo, #femalefounders, and #femaleentrepreneurs Tamara McCleary  /in/tamaramccleary/ @TamaraMcCleary CEO at Thulium A long time B2B tech influencer, Tamara's focus is on academic research: science, technology, ethics & public purpose. She is currently a research scientist and technology ethicist and recent graduate (5/2022) of Harvard University's Kennedy School and continuing dual degree student at the Harvard Divinity School. Talks about #science #technology #ethics #publicpurpose  Please be sure to check out the LinkedIn profiles of this impressive group of influencers in the B2B world. In case you missed it, here are the latest findings from our research on trends, strategies and best practices for B2B Influencer Marketing to guide you into 2023. If you're wondering about how to organize a program that effectively activates a small or large group of influencers for a project or program, look no further than the team at TopRank Marketing. We've worked with some of the influencers on this list for many years and some more recently - and we can help architect the right kind of content activations that will be as inspiring to the influencers as it will be to your customers. Ping Tony at tmascarenas@toprankmarketing.com for more information or contact us. To see the previous 12 years of our Women Who Rock lists, check out the links below:

• 2010 – 25 Women That Rock Social Media
• 2011 – 25 Women Who Rock Social Media
• 2012 – 25 Women Who Rock Social Media
• 2013 – 25 Women That Rocked Social Media
• 2014 – 25 Women Who Rock Social Media
• 2015 – 50 Influential Women in Digital Marketing
• 2016 – 50 Influential Women in Digital Marketing: North Stars & Rising Stars
• 2017 – 25 Women Who Rock at Digital Marketing
• 2018 – 25 Influential Women in Digital Marketing Who Rocked and Inspired
• 2019 – 50 Women CMOs Who Rock in Marketing
• 2020 – 50 Influential Women in B2B Marketing Who Rocked in 2020
• 2021 - 25 Women of Color Who Rocked B2B Marketing in 2021

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What To Know Before Starting A Podcast

Elevate B2B Content: Learn From Our Top 10 Content Marketing Posts

What were the top B2B content marketing articles that published on the TopRank Marketing blog this year? Content encompasses nearly everything we read, watch, or listen to, and as our CEO Lee Odden said years ago, it also represents a significant part of the reason the need for search technology began in the first place. We're proud of the continued content marketing successes our team of marketers at TopRank Marketing have achieved during another unique year, for a wide-range of major B2B clients. As 2023 draws ever closer, we wanted to take time to share our top 10 content marketing articles of the year — each filled with insights, best practices, research, examples, and a look at the future. We're also fortunate to have a wealth of talented B2B marketing professionals contributing to the TopRank B2B Marketing blog — which will celebrates its 20th year in 2023. This selection of our top 10 content marketing posts of the year can serve as a valuable resource, filled with practical examples and relevant topics for digital B2B marketing professionals from CMOs to creators and copywriters. We hope that you'll find these articles useful well into 2023 and far beyond. Now, sit back and join us as we move on to the top 10.

Our Most Popular Content Marketing Posts of 2022:

1. Fast-Forward: 4 Business Problems Solved by B2B Content Marketing — Joshua Nite

In our top content marketing post of the year, our senior content marketing manager Joshua Nite shares how content can help build relationships, purpose, empathy and more. Businesses face unique problems connecting with buyers, and B2B content marketing is well-positioned to solve more of them that you might think. You can check out all of Josh's posts here, and follow him on Twitter and LinkedIn. [bctt tweet="“Be a caring companion to your audience. After all, marketers are the keepers of data — we know these people and what they’re struggling with. We’re in a unique position to create uplifting content.” — Joshua Nite @NiteWrites" username="toprank"]

2. The Business Case for Awesome B2B Content — Joshua Nite

What is the business case for creatively awesome B2B content? In our second most popular content marketing post of the year, Joshua shares how awesome content with smart amplification gets results, including four convincing examples that show why awesome is better for B2B. [bctt tweet="“Awesome content doesn’t overwhelm the story you’re telling the audience — in fact, it makes your message more likely to stick.” — Joshua Nite @NiteWrites" username="toprank"]

3. Triple Take: How to Make B2B Content Marketing More Influential, Authentic, and Credible — Nick Nelson

When content is credible, authentic, and influential, it’s built to achieve any B2B marketing objective. In our third most popular content marketing article of the year, our senior content marketing manager Nick Nelson examined what the data and experts in our comprehensive 59-page 2022 B2B Influencer Marketing Research Report had to say about making it happen. You can check out all of Nick's posts here, and follow him on Twitter and LinkedIn. [bctt tweet="“The #B2BIMReport from @TopRank found that relevance and trust outweigh expertise in terms of essential influencer qualities. It’s all about connection. #B2BInfluencerMarketing.” — Nick Nelson @NickNelsonMN" username="toprank"]

4. The Gated Content Dilemma in B2B Marketing: Here Are the Best Practices — Joshua Nite

Q: How many lead gen marketers does it take to change a lightbulb? A: Please fill out the form below and we will email you the punchline. In our fourth most-read B2B content marketing article of the year, Joshua Nite shares best practices for when you should put your best content behind a lead generation form, and when you definitely shouldn't. [bctt tweet="“It’s not just about gated vs. ungated. It’s about how much content you gate, which content in the campaign should go behind that lead gen form, and how you bring the right audience to the content.” — Joshua Nite @NiteWrites" username="toprank"]

5. B2B Content Marketing: Making Small Budgets Do Big Things — Nick Nelson

When marketing budgets are reduced, waste can be more costly than ever. Make sure you’re steering clear of inefficiency, as our own Nick Nelson shared in our fifth most popular content marketing post of the year, offering up five key pointers to make the most of limited resources. [bctt tweet="“The most reliable way to drive marketing results is to smartly invest more. This can lead to more ambitious campaigns and more robust promotion. But when a big budget isn’t available, B2B marketers can still do big things.” @NickNelsonMN" username="toprank"]

6. Top 25 B2B Content Marketing Influencers and Experts To Follow #CMWorld 2022 — Lane R .Ellis

In our sixth most popular content marketing article of the year, we shared 25 top B2B content marketing influencers and experts to follow and learn from, including:

• Ann Handley
• Tequia Burt
• Jay Acunzo
• Amanda Todorovich
• Amber Naslund

Many thanks go to all the people who are actively sharing knowledge about content marketing by engaging and helping to elevate others with keen insight and expertise on the social web. This list is a helpful starting point to expand your own B2B content marketing universe. You can check out all of my posts here, and follow me on Twitter and LinkedIn. [bctt tweet="“A classic TopRank Marketing tradition that has been imitated in recent years but never duplicated is our annual list of content marketing experts ranked according to their social influence.” — Lane R. Ellis @lanerellis" username="toprank"]

7. 5 Ways to Build B2B Content That Resonates With Your Audience, and Why They Work — Harry Mackin

B2B Marketing has a content problem: decision makers are starting to tune it all out. The bad news? The problem isn’t them, it’s us. The better news? We can fix it, and it won’t even be that hard. In the seventh most read content marketing piece of the year, our own content strategist Harry Mackin shares five ways to build better B2B content that resonates with your audience, and why they work You can check out all of Harry's posts here, and follow him on Twitter and LinkedIn. [bctt tweet="“Great thought leadership works because it doesn’t stand alone. It’s contextual, it’s engaged with the industry and moment in which it was written, and, above all, it’s actionable.” — Harry Mackin" username="toprank"]

8. The Secrets of Creating Inspired B2B Content Experiences, Revealed — Nick Nelson

B2B marketers have grown accustomed to selling with facts instead of stories, and leading with features instead of outcomes. In our eighth most-read content content marketing post of the year, Nick takes a close look at one of our CEO Lee Odden's most popular presentations that illustrated why that just doesn’t work anymore. [bctt tweet="“Use emotion, storytelling, and soundtrack to grab attention in a way that will resonate with all category buyers.” — @Tyrona #B2Bcontent #storytelling #CMworld" username="toprank"]

9. Content Contemplations: How We Process Information & Why B2B Marketers Must Craft Content That Elevates — Lane R. Ellis

How can B2B marketers craft content that elevates, and what role do our preferred digital formats play in making it happen? Recent study data looking at content formats has deep implications when it comes to creating online experiences that will not only be noticed, but delight the senses while also answering our most important questions. By understanding how we process information, we can craft content in formats that elevate, inspire, and answer key questions. In our ninth most popular content marketing post of the year, I dug in with data from three recent studies. [bctt tweet="“Understanding the human brain, with its exquisitely complex computational and filtering mechanisms, can go a long way towards learning the types of content that can perform the best in B2B marketing.” — Lane R. Ellis @lanerellis" username="toprank"]

10. Here, There & Everywhere: What Does Best-Answer Content Mean For B2B Marketers in 2022? — Lane R. Ellis

What does today's best-answer B2B marketing content look like? Providing that best solution — or to use the term our CEO and co-founder Lee Odden has been using since at least 2011 — being the best answer, may indeed be a singular solution, however the effort that B2B marketers need to make in 2022 to achieve it has changed in several important ways. From expanding digital channel touch-points and collaborating with experts to elevating with authenticity, and presenting in experiential formats and more, I took a look at today's best-answer B2B content to round our our list of the top content marketing article of the year. [bctt tweet="“If you want to be a trustworthy company, it can’t be just a marketing philosophy. It has to be a business philosophy.” — Margaret Magnarelli @mmagnarelli of @MorganStanley" username="toprank"]

Thanks TopRank Marketing Readers & Writers

Thanks to you our readers, and to all of our top content marketing authors for contributing this strong group of the 10 content marketing posts of 2022. We published dozens of posts this year specifically about the unique nature of B2B content marketing, and plan to bring you even more in 2023, so stay tuned for a new year of the latest helpful search industry research and relevant insight. Please let us know which content marketing topics and ideas you'd like to see us focus on for 2023 — we'd love to hear your suggestions. Feel free to leave those thoughts in the comments section below. Many thanks to each of you who read our blog regularly, and to all of you who comment on and share our posts on the TopRank Marketing social media channels at Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

The post Elevate B2B Content: Learn From Our Top 10 Content Marketing Posts appeared first on B2B Marketing Blog - TopRank®.

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How To Create The Perfect Self-Employed Ecosystem To Attract The Success You Want

Why Being Human Is Your Brand’s Biggest Asset

Elevate B2B Search: Optimize Your 2023 With Our Top 10 SEO Posts

Search marketing has elevated and grown in numerous ways throughout 2022. At each of the shifts and changes in the search marketing landscape along the way, we've done our best to not only cover each twist and turn, but to also offer relevant insight and research-based strategy that will help B2B marketers meet the increasing challenges placed in front of us. We're fortunate to have a wealth of talented B2B marketing professionals contributing to the TopRank Marketing blog covering the state of search marketing — which will celebrate its 20th year in 2023. To help our blog community grow its search marketing knowledge, we’re thrilled to offer our annual list of the most popular search marketing and search engine optimization (SEO) posts of 2022 we've published throughout the year.

Our Most Popular Search Marketing Posts in 2022:

1. Conference Collection: Top B2B Marketing Events To Learn From In 2022 — Lane R. Ellis

What are some of the top events, conferences and industry trade shows — whether virtual, in-person, and hybrid — for B2B marketers to learn from this spring and beyond? In our most popular search marketing related post of 2022, we shared over 40 search, influencer, content marketing, and related B2B marketing conferences. Marketing conferences offer a true wealth of benefits to marketers seeking the latest learning, new networking opportunities, and the latest industry research and insight to increase brand awareness, but sometimes finding events that match your business and B2B search marketing needs can be challenging. You can check out all of my posts here, and follow me on Twitter and LinkedIn. [bctt tweet="“We’re all the same size rectangle on the Zoom screen.” — Vanessa Colella of @Citi" username="toprank"]

2. 10+ Top Content & Search Marketing Insights from MnSearch Summit 2022 — Nick Nelson

In the second most popular search marketing post of the year, our Nick Nelson shared the top SEO and search marketing take-aways for B2B marketers from the MnSearch Summit 2022 MnSEARCH event, featuring:

• Jenny Halasz on Ecommerce Pitfalls & Solutions
• Niki Mosier on Building a Content Strategy for a Niche Industry
• Brian Massey on Getting Started with A/B Testing
• Bob Sparkins on the Anatomy of a High-Converting Landing Page
• Christina Garnett on Harnessing Brand Affinity Through Community
• Alina Benny on Winning with Content Operations

You can check out all of Nick's posts here, and follow him on Twitter and LinkedIn. [bctt tweet="“I cannot emphasize enough how good tests are, and the importance of testing your site constantly.” — @JennyHalasz #SEO #MnSearchSummit" username="toprank"]

3. Ongoing Optimization: Strategic SEO Tips For B2B Marketers In 2022 — Lane R. Ellis

How can B2B marketers improve their SEO strategies and focus in the fast and furious digital landscape of 2022? From tapping into both the minute and the monumental and utilizing process checklists to keeping track of industry best-practice changes, in the number three spot on our top search marketing posts of 2022 list, we shared a collection of top tips to help B2B marketers improve SEO focus and strategy. The more aligned your organization’s SEO and marketing efforts can become, the greater their combined power is — to build and promote content that can reach heights that aren’t possible when using just one of these two important ingredients. [bctt tweet="“SEO is a constant swirling sea of activity. Sometimes this sea is murky and tumultuous, and at others — at least for a brief while — clear and calm.” — Lane R. Ellis @lanerellis" username="toprank"]

4. How the Most Successful B2B Marketers Work with Influencer Marketing Agencies — Lee Odden

How are top marketers successfully working with B2B influencer marketing agencies? In our fourth most popular search marketing post of 2022, our CEO Lee Odden shared new insight and data on how top B2B brands are inspiring customers with powerful B2B influencer marketing agency collaborations. B2B marketers are searching for more than the topic of B2B influencer marketing. They want to find:

• B2B influencer marketing examples
• B2B influencer marketing in 2023
• B2B influencer marketing case studies
• B2B influencer marketing statistics
• B2B influencer marketing on LinkedIn
• The best B2B influencer campaigns

[bctt tweet="“The best SEO advice in the world is not so great if it never gets implemented.” — Lee Odden @LeeOdden" username="toprank"]

5. 5 New Search Opportunities B2B Marketers Need To Know In 2023 — Lane R. Ellis

What do B2B marketers need to know about search in 2023? B2B marketing and search have always had a complex relationship, and 2023 will undoubtedly see new shifts arise in numerous areas, from how search engines deal with human versus AI-generated content, to indexing a partially or fully-siloed metaverse, combating dwindling organic search opportunities, where to best invest paid search advertising dollars, and key SEO fine-tuning challenges. In the fifth most popular search marketing post of 2022, I took a look at each of these opportunities. [bctt tweet="“I think what ultimately works best is that you prove to Google — and users — that the updates you’re providing are valuable: unique, compelling, high-quality, and not something that’s already published elsewhere.” — John Mueller @JohnMu" username="toprank"]

6. New Google Search Updates & How B2B Marketers Can Use Them To Elevate Efforts — Lane R. Ellis

In 2022 Google has made changes that affect what B2B marketers are able to accomplish with its search and advertising offerings, but how can these sometimes subtle changes be utilized to elevate marketing efforts in the year ahead? Google’s search updates offer B2B marketers new opportunities and challenges. From sustainable crawling and improved guidelines to industry event plans and the evolution of content delivery, In our sixth most popular search marketing post of 2022, I shared five ways to elevate your efforts. [bctt tweet="“B2B marketers can all too easily get caught up in wrapping up content in the flavor-of-the-month social platform or app formatting. It's good to step back and make sure that the actual messaging is relevant.” — @lanerellis" username="toprank"]

7. Press Play: How Marketers Who Invest in B2B Video Earn Greater ROI — Lane R. Ellis

How is B2B video marketing continuing its ascendancy and generating greater return-on-investment (ROI) than ever — including search — and where are B2B marketers finding the sweet spot when it comes to video success? From the increasing prominence of video in search and social to the growing power of video to tell more memorable stories, in our seventh most-read search marketing article of the year,  I shared seven new insights into B2B video. [bctt tweet="“We see that people love videos and authentic images in search results, so we try to show them more.” — John Mueller @JohnMu of @Google" username="toprank"]

8. How to Foster a Strong B2B Brand Digital-First Experience That Differentiates — Nick Nelson

Why should B2B marketers dare to be different? The bar is raised for breaking through with B2B customer experiences in this densely-populated digital-first brand landscape, and in our eighth most popular search marketing related post of 2022, Nick shared how to meet the challenge with a collection of insights on the power of differentiating. Yes, we should always aspire to be the best, and that mandate has been ingrained in many of us throughout our careers. But simply aiming to be better means we’re trying to improve upon an existing model or archetype. Is that the path to standing out in an increasingly crowded digital space, amid changing customer expectations? Dive into your search performance data to find any distinct or unexpected keywords that are bringing people to your website. In the complex, competitive, and interconnected world of B2B, identifying your actual points of differentiation is not always straightforward. But doing so holds the key to capitalizing on them. [bctt tweet="“In B2B, identifying your brand’s actual points of differentiation is not always straightforward. But doing so holds the key to capitalizing on them.” — Nick Nelson @NickNelsonMN #B2BMarketing" username="toprank"]

9. 20 Ways to Build a B2B Marketing Super-Stack of Skills — Lane R. Ellis

How can B2B marketers build a super-stack of marketing technology skills — including search and SEO — to create the most value and efficiency in 2023 and beyond? Today’s B2B marketers who possess a wide array of marketing technology skills are more valuable to organizations then ever, as brands look both to increase bottom-line efficiency and retain top talent. Don’t let the complexities that SEO efforts sometimes entail deter you, however, as there are still bountiful and easy-to-achieve benefits for the B2B marketer in many aspects of optimization. From social listening and live-streaming to mentoring, influencer, and search marketing, in our ninth most popular search marketing article of 2022, I share 20 ideas for building a B2B narketing super-stack, [bctt tweet="“Don’t let the complexities that SEO efforts sometimes entail deter you, as there are still bountiful and easy-to-achieve benefits for the B2B marketer in many aspects of optimization.” — Lane R. Ellis @lanerellis" username="toprank"]

10. Faster Frontiers: How Does 5G Technology Affect B2B Marketers? — Lane R. Ellis

How will 5G technology change the way B2B marketers tell brand stories, and what new opportunities will the speedier forthcoming mobile standard offer? With impacts that will range from slight in some areas to deeply significant in others, the upcoming rollout of 5G cellular network technology is poised to change how the world of B2B marketing operates. For B2B marketers, the SEO advantages of being compliant with Google’s mobile-first initiatives form a naturally harmonious pairing with the benefits of 5G technology and what it will bring to the table. Rounding out our top ten list of search marketing posts for the year, in this article I shared a look a how 5G technology will affect B2B marketers. [bctt tweet="“5G will unlock a raft of new applications: IoT, process management, and utility metering for enterprise; and augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), immersive haptic and 3D holographic experiences for consumers.” — @Kevin_Jackson" username="toprank"]

Thanks TopRank Marketing Readers

Many thanks to each of you, our TopRank Marketing blog readers, for reading and learning from us, including these top 10 search marketing posts of 2022. We published many posts this year specifically about search marketing, and plan to continue doing so in 2023, so stay tuned for a new year of the latest relevant search industry research and insight. Please let us know which SEO-related topics and ideas you'd like to see us focus on for 2023 — we'd love to hear your suggestions. Feel free to leave those thoughts in the comments section below. Thanks to each of you who read our blog regularly, and to all of you who comment on and share our posts on the TopRank Marketing social media channels at Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

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Weekend Favs December 24

Weekend Favs December 24 written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing

My weekend blog post routine includes posting links to a handful of tools or great content I ran across during the week.

I don’t go into depth about the finds, but I encourage you to check them out if they sound interesting. The photo in the post is a favorite for the week from an online source or one I took on the road.

• Chatsonic – Chatsonic is a new way to create content, easily and quickly. You can chat with your computer, giving it commands in plain English. It’s like ChatGPT, but better!
• Chron – Cron is a next-generation calendar for professionals and teams. It streamlines workflows, integrates other productivity tools, and builds collaboration right into your calendar. Cron is helping make the modern workspace more efficient.
• Readitfor.me – is the world’s leading book summary service for executives and entrepreneurs who want to stay on top of the latest thought leadership. Their platform allows you to consume hundreds of best-selling books in less than 15 minutes a week.

These are my weekend favs; I would love to hear about some of yours – Tweet me @ducttape

If you want to check out more Weekend Favs you can find them here.

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Elevate B2B Marketing News: B2B Data Quality Investments, Google Updates Quality Guidelines, & Ethnic Diversity In Marketing Study

Changes to California's Privacy Law Will Affect B2B Brands When B2B exemptions to the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) end in January 2023, privacy notices when engaging leads and other changes will be required for compliance with the California law, and the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) has taken a look at how the new requirements will affect B2B brands and marketers. ANA B2B Leaders Are Facing More Headwinds in Data Quality Investments Budget concerns, lack of internal resources, and the inability to show return-on-investment (ROI) proof were cited as being among the biggest obstacles when it comes to B2B data quality investments, according to newly-released survey data. MarketingCharts Google Tests Text Search for Segments in YouTube Clips Google has implemented new video caption text search options as the focus of its latest feature trial for its YouTube platform — a change which could lead to more optimization options and video exposure possibilities for B2B marketers when eventually rolled out to the public, Google recently announced. Social Media Today Diverse representation in video ads receded in 2022, analysis finds Representations of Black people in video advertising dropped from 16.5 percent in 2021 to 14.3 percent in 2022, newly-published diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) survey data has shown. When it comes to the people appearing in video ads, men represented some 65 percent of ad appearances, and 73 percent of voices in ads, the report data also showed. Marketing Dive How Do Customers Feel About Algorithms? Customers have noted that they aren't as happy about receiving positive news when it is delivered by an algorithm or by a combination of a human and an algorithm, preferring instead to receive such positive news solely from a human — one of several findings of interest to B2B marketers contained in recently-released report data. Knowledge at Wharton [bctt tweet="“The negative consequences of using algorithms for companies seem to be, in fact, when the news is good.” — Stefano Puntoni @PuntoniStefano of @whartonknows" username="toprank"] E-E-A-T and major updates to Google’s quality rater guidelines Experience has been added as a factor in Google’s search engine Quality Rater Guidelines (QRG), joining the previous elements of expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness that made up the primary portions of the search giant's EAT program, Google has announced. Search Engine Land Reddit Launches New Reddit for Business Website to Provide Additional Guidance for Marketers Social news aggregator and discussion platform Reddit has published 38 case studies to augment a new set of advertising best practices, as Reddit has launched a new business-focused resource in its shift to attracting more businesses to the platform, Reddit recently announced. Social Media Today The State of Ethnic Diversity in the Marketing Industry [ANA / AIMM Report] A recently-published survey of some 20,000 marketers has found that the amount of ethnic diversity among marketers and advertisers in 2022 reached 32.3 percent, up from 30.8 percent in 2021, and 29.4 percent in 2018, according to the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) data. MarketingProfs More women are becoming regular podcast listeners, research says 48 percent of monthly U.S. podcast listeners in 2022 were women, an increase from 44 percent in 2017, with 35 percent of women over age 18 having noted that over the past month they had listened to a podcast — a figure that represents some 47 million listeners, according to newly-published survey data of interest to digital marketers. Marketing Brew Global Mobile Ad Spend Growth To Slow To 7.5% In 2023 Global mobile advertising spending is expected to reach $362 billion in 2023, growing by 7.5 percent — a drop from the 14 percent growth seen in 2022 which is expected to be driven by economic headwinds, according to recently-released mobile advertising forecast data. MediaPost ON THE LIGHTER SIDE: A lighthearted look at “Safe is Risky” by Marketoonist Tom Fishburne — Marketoonist Custom Google Jenga Set — Search Engine Roundtable TOPRANK MARKETING & CLIENTS IN THE NEWS:

• Lee Odden — Top 50 B2B Thought Leaders & Influencers You Should Work With In 2023 (North America) — Thinkers360
• TopRank Marketing — This Week in Marketing: Remodel Your Measurement for 2023 — LinkedIn (client)

Have you come across a B2B marketing news item for the week that we haven't yet mentioned? If so, please don't hesitate to drop us a line in the comments below. Thank you for taking the time to join us this week for the Elevate B2B Marketing News, and we hope that you will return again next Friday for another array of the most up-to-date and relevant B2B and digital marketing industry news. In the meantime, you can follow us on our LinkedIn page, or at @toprank on Twitter for even more timely daily news.

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Scaling Your Agency Without Adding Overhead

The Definitive Guide To Instagram Marketing

Happy Holidays from the TopRank Marketing Team

We are so thankful for our clients, partners, family and friends like you that have helped us rock 2022 with innovative content, authentic experiences and countless opportunities to bolster diverse talent, highlight industry voices and elevate the B2B industry! Thank you for letting us be a part of your brand over the last twelve months. Our team has added major new B2B technology industry, global telecommunications and IT firms as clients. We’ve also continued to grow and expand partnerships with existing clients such as LinkedIn and many others. The trust that many new and long-time clients continue to place in us has led to record levels of client results and retention. We are truly humbled to be able to do the work that we love. 2022 has reminded all of us just how important communities are — communities of clients, associates, creators, influencers, executives, our fellow B2B marketers, as well as our local communities here in Minnesota. When we collaborate, magic happens — and we wish each of you a joyous holiday season and a little extra magic. TopRank Marketing can't wait to see what we will do together in 2023.

TopRank Marketing Wishes You the Happiest of Holidays

This holiday season, TopRank Marketing wants to make sure your jingle bells rock — and that you don't take yourself too seriously! Between hall-decking, snow-dashing, nog-chugging, and nut-cracking, we hope this video gives you a little extra jolly! PSSSST:  We’re also continuing to grow in 2023. Take a look at our careers page for a full list of opportunities.

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5 Top Tips To Drive SEO & PPC Fusion

How can B2B marketers make the best use of marketing budgets in the face of economic challenges? When it comes to online marketing, search engine optimization (SEO) and pay-per-click (PPC) advertising weigh in as two of the most important strategies in the playbook, with their combined one-two punch acting as the kind of force multiplier that B2B brands are increasingly seeking. SEO is the fundamental fine-tuning process that helps websites ensure that their relevant content is findable by search engines, and can help a brand’s information rank higher in the search engine results pages (SERPs), while PPC is the longstanding advertising method where companies pay for each click their ads receive. When these two powerful yet decidedly different tactics are successfully combined, SEO and PPC form a cohesive tool for any business looking to make a bigger impact on its target audience. As with many areas of marketing and professional life, bringing together two techniques that are in some ways opposite sides of the same coin can be easier said than done. Thankfully, through the use of practical best practices B2B marketers can successfully walk that fine line.

SEO Budgets Rising In 2023

In 2023 SEO marketing budgets are uniformly expected to rise, with 55.4 percent of SEO professionals in agency or freelance roles planning to increase spending, while an even higher 58 percent from in-house teams expect to spend more on SEO in 2023, according to Search Engine Journal's recently-released State Of SEO: Performance, Salaries & Budgets For 2023 report. With SEO and PPC working harmoniously together, businesses can reach more potential customers with less effort than they would by relying solely on only one. By smartly leveraging both SEO and PPC tactics simultaneously, B2B marketers can drive more qualified leads to your organization’s website — both more efficiently and quickly than using just one of these strategies. Better yet, SEO and PPC are by nature highly complementary to one another. A smart SEO plan helps drive higher organic search results, while well-implemented PPC allows the targeting of specific keywords and phrases with ads that appear at the top of SERPs. PPC allows businesses to get their message in front of their target audience faster and more effectively than when utilizing SEO alone. "Whatever their intent, optimize a seamless path for your searcher, and using both SEO and PPC to connect with them in their decision-making moments can result in more revenue for your organization," Lemuel Park, co-founder and CTO of BrightEdge has noted. [bctt tweet="“Whatever their intent, optimize a seamless path for your searcher, and using both SEO and PPC to connect with them in their decision-making moments can result in more revenue for your organization.” — Lemuel Park of @BrightEdge" username="toprank"] When it comes specifically to the world of B2B, can marketers best combine SEO and PPC? To make the most out of SEO and PPC working together, let’s jump right in with five best practices.

1 — Set Measurable Goals

Before beginning work on any SEO or PPC campaign, it’s especially important to set measurable goals that align with your overall marketing objectives. This will ensure that you'll be able to track performance and measure those return on investment (ROI) elements that are most important to your organization.

2 — Utilize SEO To Inform PPC

SEO goes a long way in helping to understand which keywords and phrases are most important for your business, which will in turn help you so that you know the best areas to focus your PPC ads.

3 — Leverage Re-Marketing

Re-marketing is a powerful way to reach people who have already taken that first step and visited your website or interacted with your brand in some other way — whether through social channels or via other digital touch-points. This will allow you to deliver content that's more relevant, and to achieve higher conversion rates from SEO and PPC campaigns that are smartly fused in a cohesive fashion.

4 — Optimize Landing Pages

To get the most out of the fusion of SEO and PPC, it’s also important to take the time to make sure that the relevant landing pages for both strategies are fully optimized for conversions. How is this done? By making sure they load quickly, have mobile-friendly designs, and feature clear calls to action.

5 — Monitor performance

It's true that SEO and PPC campaigns can be complex — with many pieces in play at any one time — so it’s also important to monitor the performance of both strategies over time to make certain they are each working as expected. This will help your organization identify those areas that need improvement, and allow you to make adjustments to your SEO and PPC strategies accordingly. "When you’re reviewing your SEO performance, think about ways to take optimization to the next level and create even better experiences for customers. Make content findable but also credible," our Lee Odden suggested in "Trust and the Search for Answers: How Influence Optimizes SEO Performance." [bctt tweet="“When you’re reviewing your SEO performance, think about ways to take optimization to the next level and create even better experiences for customers. Make content findable but also credible.” — Lee Odden @LeeOdden" username="toprank"]

Amplify B2B Marketing With The Fusion Of SEO & PPC

via GIPHY As you think about your 2023 B2B marketing strategy and how to get the most bang for your buck, keep in mind what we've covered here, and that SEO and PPC advertising are two powerful tools when fused together. By combining SEO with PPC tactics and following best practices including setting measurable goals, leveraging re-marketing, optimizing landing pages, and monitoring performance, businesses in 2023 can reach more potential customers faster than ever before. When it comes to B2B content, crafting award-winning B2B marketing that elevates, gives voice to talent, and humanizes with authenticity takes considerable time and effort, which is why more brands are choosing to work with a top digital marketing agency such as TopRank Marketing. Reach out to learn how we can help, as we’ve done for over 20 years for businesses ranging from LinkedIn, Dell and 3M to Adobe, Oracle, monday.com and many others.

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Why Great Top-of-Funnel Content Matters for Lead Generation

When a storm is on the horizon, everyone battens down the hatches, boards up the windows, and hunkers down to wait it out. Right now there’s a recession on the horizon for B2B businesses, and we can see the storm preparation starting. Budgets are getting leaner, new requests met with more scrutiny, and marketers are under more pressure than ever to prove the effectiveness of their work. This is when many marketing departments focus on lead gen, throwing everything they’ve got at the bottom of the funnel. It’s a common response. But it’s a mistake. Here’s why top-of-funnel marketing matters for lead generation, even if — especially if — the economic future is uncertain.

1 — The vast majority of your audience is out-of-market

What percentage of your audience is actively seeking a solution, ready to make a purchase? According to the B2B Institute at LinkedIn*, it’s about 5%.  In other words, lower-funnel content will be lost on 95% of your potential future customers. If we ignore 95% of the audience, we’re robbing the future to pay the present. Top-of-funnel content is an investment in future revenue. Image credit: The B2B Institute at LinkedIn The people who aren’t in the market right now are still consuming content. They’re looking for ways to do their job better. They’re researching industry trends. They have concerns your brand can help them resolve. Now is the time to serve up high-quality content that keeps your brand in their recent memory. 

2 — There’s an ideal mix of brand and demand marketing

This doesn’t mean, of course, that you should give up on bottom-of-funnel content. It’s important to strike a balance between marketing intended for your out-market (‘brand’) and that intended for your in-market (“demand”). Research suggests that for B2B, a 45% brand, 55% demand mix is most effective at reaching both markets without sacrificing one for the other. While it seems tempting to increase the demand side of the equation in a downturn, that would mean throwing off the mix for the foreseeable future. Even if you need to scale down your marketing operations, preserving that mix is the best way to prepare for the inevitable upswing. How much does the brand/demand mix matter? Data suggests that brands that have a robust brand and demand strategy see 6x the performance, compared to those who are focused on acquisition.

3 — Memorability is the key for long-term success

Top-of-funnel content is ‘brand’ marketing, a crucial part of the mix, as we’ve seen. The goal of this type of content should be securing mental real estate with potential customers. This process can’t always be measured in metrics like site visits or link clicks, but it’s a crucial part of the B2B buyer’s journey. At the recent Marketing Week’s Festival of Marketing, Jon Lombardo shared why he thinks “memorable” is better than “clickable:” 

“Advertising is not persuasion, it is publicity. It’s just making people aware of the product or service and at some later date when they need the product or the service, they will think of your company and they will buy your company, generally. There will not be a click in that process. It’s actually about memory, not clicks.” - Jon Lombardo, Head of Global Research, B2B Institute at LinkedIn

The key to this kind of memorability is what we call “best-answer content.” In our new Guide to Full-Funnel Lead Gen,  we define four essential elements of this type of content:

1. 1. Credibility: Speaks from a brand’s area of expertise, includes customer & prospect voices and trusted, relevant influencers.
   2. Quality: Created based on proven demand, to speak to urgent and critical needs, useful for even those not ready to buy.
   3. Authenticity: Written with a human-to-human voice, consistent with brand values and action, empathetic and positive.
   4. Experience: Beautiful design, easy to read or skim, with interactive/multimedia components.

Compared to a white paper or list of features and benefits, this type of content is much more memorable. Six months or a year from now, when your prospective buyer is ready to make a decision, they’ll remember your amazing content experience. 

4 — Quality creative leads to better business outcomes

You heard it right: Not only should you keep producing top-of-funnel content, and not only does that content boost your lead gen efforts, you should also create great content. And by amazing coincidence, there’s some really compelling evidence of the measurable business value of memorable, creative content.  The B2B Institute joined forces with System1 to review 1,700 B2B ads. They rated the ads in terms of their creativity and memorability, based on direct first-party interviews with consumers. The first finding was that of the 1,700 ads, only .5% earned a 4 or 5-star rating. Memorable, creative content, especially in B2B, is vanishingly rare. But the second finding is that brands in that 4-5 star range earned an average of 2.5% market share growth, while 1-2 star creative earned .25%.  What’s the market value of high-quality, creative content? About 10x the growth.  That’s an outcome worth investing in. 

Weather the storm with creative top-of-funnel content

B2B marketers are all in the same storm. But we’re not all in the same boat. If your marketing department is slowing down on top-of-funnel content, focusing on lower-funnel, you have a higher chance of capsizing. If your brand focuses on building future revenue, on the other hand, you're not in a boat at all. You're in a lighthouse, guiding prospective buyers to you, lighting their way on the buyer's journey. Want to learn more about full-funnel content marketing? Download our latest guide, B2B Full-Funnel Lead Gen: A Guide for Optimized Quality & Conversion

*LinkedIn Marketing Solutions is a TopRank Marketing client. This article is not endorsed or sponsored by them, though; they just have good research.

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