B2B Ignite USA 2023 Wrap-Up: The Importance of Being Human

Please take it easy on me, fellow human. I wrote this entire blog post myself, without the assistance of AI. In the spirit of man vs. machine, I’ve organized my recap of the B2B Ignite USA conference in Chicago around 3 things that ChatGPT can’t — currently — do:

• Think about something for 2 days and reflect on what it learned
• Look for opportunities to smile
• Ask unprompted questions

My recap:

2 things that made me go “hmmm”
3 things that Made me smile
4 questions that I really want to ask you if you can please just make it to the end of this post

2 things that made me go “hmmm”

 1 — AI AI AI AI AI AI AI AI AI AI AI

A majority of the content at the conference sprinkled in or fire-hosed us with discussions about AI in marketing.  The arrival of AI as a useful tool for content creators has apparently brought about a lot of fear and uncertainty.

Things like AI enter our peripheral consciousness when we first hear about them. And it could be days, weeks, or decades before something science-y becomes so immediately relevant that you need to form an opinion, a stance, a game-plan, or an underground bunker to directly address the coming marketing opportunity and/or hostile takeover by our robot overlords.

Science fiction writers have been writing about AI for a century, while scientists and engineers have been advancing actual capabilities for decades.  But recently, with the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022, it became immediately relevant to marketers and creatives.  At B2B Ignite, the programming was full of opinions, stances and game-plans for AI. There were no serious talks of underground bunkers — yet.  So that tells you right about where marketing is at with regards to AI right now.

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“With the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022, it became immediately relevant to marketers and creatives. At B2B Ignite, the programming was full of opinions, stances and game-plans for AI.” — Ryan Arnholt @ArbenAngstrom
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A great insight came from Dr. Carmen Simon, chief science officer at Corporate Visions.  In her presentation “Could a Robot Replace Your Marketing Team,” she managed to drop some real neuroscience knowledge, book-ended with passably relevant references to George Costanza and Kim Kardashian.

Dr. Simon posited that humans will not be replaced by AI. But humans may be replaced by other humans that embrace the use of AI.  The feelings of “fear” relating to AI are rising due to its ability to be deployed across the human domains of art, music, and love. We fear that our creative and emotional brains can be replaced, much in the same way that robots are replacing physical laborers.

2 — So, umm…are we still going to replace the humans with spreadsheets and CRM’s?

There were limited discussions around the creative side of B2B marketing, and I feel like that is usually the biggest opportunity for brands to differentiate and win. So I really tried to focus my attention when those discussions did happen. Of course, many of those discussions also mentioned AI’s role in creativity, which is going to be exciting, then disappointing, then exciting again to watch.

While it’s generally understood that having the best tools, the biggest budgets, and a complete database of insights on all prospects on planet earth puts you on pretty good footing to hit your numbers, successful marketing will always need a message.

Successful marketing lives and dies on the backs of our ability to spin a compelling value story — a clear value proposition, proven claims, all wrapped up with great creative, and delivered by real humans.

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“Successful marketing lives and dies on the backs of our ability to spin a compelling value story — a clear value proposition, proven claims, all wrapped up with great creative, and delivered by real humans.” — Ryan Arnholt @ArbenAngstrom
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I appreciated presentations from Melanie Deziel, chief content officer at StoryFuel, Andy Crestodina, co-founder and CMO at Orbit Media Studios, and Michael Brenner, CEO at Marketing Insider Group, that touched on the importance of content.

 

3 things that made me smile

1 — Rise & Run

Thank you Richard O’Connor, CEO at B2B Marketing, for organizing the Rise & Run on Wednesday morning.  What was billed as a little 5.5K stroll through the streets of Chicago turned into a 9 mile run out to Lake Michigan, through the prairie, and nearly to Indiana before we decided to head back. It was a great start to the day.  And there was an extra bonus smile on our adventure — I ran into a running buddy from Minnesota, running right by me, In a city of 2.5 million people.

 

2 — CatGPT

Michael Brenner had a thoroughly entertaining and informative presentation on the future of B2B marketing. But I’m all smiles because he introduced me to CatGPT and my whole worldview has changed.

3 — Keep Your Chin Up!

Karen Cooper, Director of Marketing, Content Experience at Wolters Kluwer Health, had an enlightening presentation about “imposter syndrome, perfectionism, fear and certainty”. Considering the low numbers of conversion rates and close rates that sales and marketing professionals encounter everyday, we’re all probably in need of some self-help and support groups to help us regularly re-center ourselves on what success and failure really mean. When we’re down in the data, we can lose sight of the people we impact and the inspiration we can be to others.  I came out of Karen’s session with a rosier outlook on life than when I went in, and I appreciated Karen sharing her perspective.

4 Questions from a human, to other humans, about humans, to convince you of the importance of humans

Who are the top influencers in your industry?

Who are the top influencers for your brand?

Do any of these people work at your company?

Would it absolutely blow your mind if the most trusted experts and voices in your market were talking about you?

In a marketing environment that is becoming increasingly automated and robot-fueled, creating and promoting influencers for your brands and products is as important as ever.  Influencer programs provide a great platform for your employees and advocates to make real connections and tell the stories about the impact your company, products, and people have made.

If you’re open to chatting about influencer marketing, CatGPT, Imposter Syndrome, or running – give me a shout or schedule some time!

Schedule a call

 

You can also learn more from our additional B2B Ignite USA coverage here:

• Evolving and Elevating B2B Marketing in 2023 – Top Marketer Insights from B2B Ignite USA
• Explore the New Frontiers of B2B Marketing at Ignite USA 2023
• B2B Marketing Event Speaker Spotlight: Paul Roetzer for Ignite USA
• B2B Marketing Speaker Spotlight: Melanie Deziel on Content as Evidence for Ignite USA
• Where to Find the New Frontiers of B2B Marketing at Ignite USA

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Elevate B2B Marketing News Weekly Roundup: Most Valuable B2B Brands & Optimized Customer Marketing in B2B

Customer Marketing Is A Key Priority for B2B Marketers This Year
A leading 62 percent of U.S. B2B marketers have said that they have optimized for growth using customer marketing, up-selling, and cross-selling, while 51 percent turned to team-building skills and new competencies, with customer marketing coming in as the second-highest investment target, behind only content creation and strategy, according to newly-published survey data. MarketingCharts

The 10 Strongest and Most Valuable Global B2B Brands
When it comes to global B2B brand strength, Deloitte, EY, Petronas, and PwC led the way, with the most valuable B2B brands being Microsoft and Amazon, while the top 100 B2B brands account for some $2 trillion in combined brand value, according to recently-released research data of interest to B2B marketers. MarketingProfs

Google Announces New Generative AI Ad Tools at Marketing Live Event
Search giant Google has shared information about its newest generation of AI-enhanced ad-creation tools, that can actively analyze website content and create related ad options, along with an array of new image editing features including AI background creation, Google recently announced. Social Media Today

Bing Search Is The Default Search Engine For ChatGPT
Microsoft has made its Bing search engine the go-to search experience within OpenAI’s ChatGPT AI chatbot, while also revealing plans to incorporate AI-powered assistance features into forthcoming Windows 11 updates, in the form of new Windows Copilot tools, Microsoft recently announced. Search Engine Roundtable

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“ChatGPT and Bing Chat are going to have to develop third-party partnerships to scale to the size they need to get the data and insights they want to evolve the product.” — Jordan Koene of @PrevisibleSEO
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LinkedIn Integrates More Buyer Intent Signals into Sales Navigator Alerts
Microsoft-owned LinkedIn has added a robust new Account Hub section to the professional social media platform’s Sales Navigator tool, along with a variety of new product category intent data and buying intent filtering options, LinkedIn (client) recently announced. Social Media Today

Internet Advertising Revenue Report: Full Year 2022
Search advertising revenue climbed by 7.8 percent during 2022 despite search’s overall market share having declined, while mobile revenue increased by 14.1 percent year-over-year, with social media ad revenue growth having slowed — two of numerous statistics of interest to B2B marketers contained in newly-published annual Internet advertising revenue report data. IAB

Meta Adds New Lead Generation Tools on Facebook
Meta-owned Facebook has rolled out a series of new features aimed at lead generation on the platform, with its Lead Ads offering a variety of interactive and auto-updating question tools, while Facebook business pages get new brand Instant Forms overlays and other changes, Meta recently announced. Social Media Today

Marketers under pressure to cut martech spend
While 75 percent of chief marketing officers have said that they faced marketing technology spending cut pressures, some 63 percent plan on greater spending despite those pressures, even as 71 percent of CMOs noted that their budgets were lacking when it comes to being able to successfully execute 2023 strategies, according to newly-published Gartner CMO spending survey data. MarTech

Which Digital Channels Do Marketers Around the World Feel Are Most Effective? [Study]
Social media, online and mobile video, and search were the top three digital advertising channels with the highest perceived effectiveness, according to recently-released Nielsen survey data of interest to B2B marketers. MarketingCharts

Cost Of Advertising Fell in Q1, While Website Visitors Rose, Study Says
During the first quarter of 2023 website visitors climbed by 13 percent year-over-year, accompanied by a 19 percent dip in conversions, while the cost of advertising on a cost-per-thousand (CPM) basis decreased by 33 percent during the same period, according to newly-published digital marketing report data. MediaPost

ON THE LIGHTER SIDE:

A lighthearted look at “Media Context and Brand Suitability” by Marketoonist Tom Fishburne — Marketoonist

Minnesota enacts right-to-repair law that covers more devices than any other state — Ars Technica

TOPRANK MARKETING & CLIENTS IN THE NEWS:

• Lee Odden / TopRank Marketing — Lee Odden: B2B influencer marketing, client/agency side work, evolving your team | Madvertising #10 [Podcast Video] — AdQuick / YouTube
• Katelyn Drake — While creating brand content, collaborate with a diverse set of voices — YouGov America

FRIDAY FIVE B2B MARKETING FAVORITES TO FOLLOW:

Ann Lewnes @alewnes
Alicia Tillman@aliciatillman
Michelle Killebrew@shellkillebrew
Stephanie Stahl@EditorStahl
Tyrona Heath@tyrona

Learn more about TopRank Marketing‘s mission to help elevate the B2B marketing industry.

Have you found your own top B2B marketing news item we haven’t yet covered? If so, please don’t hesitate to drop us a line in the comments below.

Thanks for joining us for this week’s edition of the Elevate B2B Marketing News, and please 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.

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Weekend Favs May 27

Weekend Favs May 27 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.

• Glimpse Extension – Enhances Google Trends by enabling users to discover, track, and receive alerts about new or growing online trends and keywords. It also enriches data and provides insights on any topic of interest.
  
• AudioPen – This tool transcribes and summarizes unstructured voice notes into texts that are easy to read and ready to share. You can use them to write messages, emails, blog posts, and more, in a short time.
• Twinr – An easy-to-use platform designed to help entrepreneurs create ready-to-use apps, eliminating all technicalities in the process. No coding experience is needed, and it supports app development for both iOS and Android.
  

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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Evolving and Elevating B2B Marketing in 2023 – Top Marketer Insights from B2B Ignite USA

The one constant in marketing is change and in B2B marketing that truism is no different. B2B marketers in search of insights into dealing with change and elevating B2B marketing gathered in Chicago this week at the B2B Ignite USA conference. Sessions run the gamut of B2B marketing topics including what has changed for marketers and how to adapt.

When thinking about the changes in the role of Marketing for B2B companies, the list is long including:

Digital transformation. The pandemic accelerated the adoption of digital technologies and channels by both businesses and consumers. B2B buyers now expect seamless and personalized online experiences, similar to those offered by B2C brands. In 2023, B2B marketers must leverage digital tools and platforms to reach, engage, and convert their prospects and customers.

Changing buyer behavior. B2B buyers are more informed, empowered, and independent than ever before. They conduct extensive research online before contacting a salesperson, and they rely on peer reviews, social media, and influencers for recommendations. In 2023, B2B marketers must adapt to this evolving consumer behavior by reaching buyers where they conduct their research, providing relevant content and resources, and demonstrating success for customers.

Brand development. B2B buyers are not only looking for products or services that solve their problems, but also for brands that share their values, vision, and purpose. B2B brands must differentiate themselves from their competitors by building trust, credibility, and loyalty with their audience. In 2023, B2B marketers must focus on developing their brand identity, voice, and story, and communicating them consistently across all channels.

Of course we could also go down the generative AI rabbit hole, but that’s for another post.

For now, I’ll share insights shared on a panel that included moderator Josh Okun from 9thWonder, LaSandra Brill from NVIDIA, Steve Cheliotis from Gravity Global, Bob Hastings from Robert Hastings & Associates and Lindsey Salens from CeriFi.

Steve: The environment is now more complex and there’s more competition. There’s been a shift in share of voice to share of attention. Brands need a heightened share of attention and need to focus on always-on. B2B marketers need to embrace the complexity to make sure they are top-of-mind for the 95% that are out-market and are the first choice when buyers are in-market.

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“B2B marketers need to embrace the complexity to make sure they are top-of-mind for the 95% that are out-market and are the first choice when buyers are in-market.” — Stephen Cheliotis @TCBA_London
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Lindsay: The entire dynamic has changed in B2B. We’re consuming twice as much content as pre-covid. The attention economy is a bigger focus now. And the B2B buying process is hard. In our case, there are 12-13 people involved in the buying process. So it’s important to leverage the tools we have to get the right message out at the right time to customers. We need to figure out how to align brand, demand and buying and operate less in silos.

LaSandra. AI has accelerated our ability to take data and do so much so quickly. B2B marketers need to lean into the tech and focus on how to bring AI into their marketing. NVIDIA is doing that with a custom CDP built in-house.

Bob. As our customers are surrounded by more AI-driven content it is more important to create trust. That trust is created by the human dynamic not only with AI.

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“As our customers are surrounded by more AI-driven content it is more important to create trust. That trust is created by the human dynamic not only with AI.” — Robert T. Hastings @RTHastingsJr
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Beyond the newer challenges happening in the B2B marketing world, some issues persist year after year including the tendency for B2B marketers to be polarized about driving awareness or transactional conversion marketing.

Bob: Leadership influences the marketing culture. The CEO might be brand focused. A VP might be more lead gen focused. In many cases products end up being the same so the question then becomes, which brand will customers trust? You have to use the whole brand and demand toolkit to find out where to best engage customers.

Steve: We cannot underestimate the power and value of brand. We are marketing to humans. As brand builders it’s not just about awareness, it’s about creating competitive advantage. Both brand and demand need to be always-on. Well done brand marketing supports demand generation. It’s not a binary choice.

Lindsay: B2B marketers need to think holistically about the buying journey and use the right tools. The middle is hard — we cannot just focus on awareness and conversion. It’s easy to fall into the trap of instant gratification but it’s important to focus on the buying journey holistically.

Maybe marketing should get commissions on sales the way sales teams do.

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“B2B marketers need to think holistically about the buying journey and use the right tools. The middle is hard — we cannot just focus on awareness and conversion.” — Lindsey Salens of CeriFi
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LaSandra: Most marketers are focused on the lead. The middle is hard because it’s not a lead, it’s at the account level.

Another persistent issue with B2B marketing is the effort to adopt an always-on mindset vs. switching on and switching off. Certainly customers don’t manage their buying efforts according to the on/off marketing cycles of solution providers. Always-on marketing is more consistent with what works for customers but it requires a shift in perspective within B2B brands.

Steve: The data shows that always-on is more effective. The idea that you turn marketing on when times are good and turn it off when times are tough doesn’t make sense.

You have to build a relationships and mental market share. And that comes from multiple touch-points over time. It’s inefficient to do ad hoc activity. It’s more effective to layer understanding and appreciation over time. It’s like a friend that only calls when they need something from you vs. one that is talking to you regularly. It just makes sense.

We have to be effective and responsible with budgets, so be targeted and be consistent but don’t think that turning on / off is going to be as effective as always-on.

Lindsay: To get always-on buy-in internally you have to do a lot of selling. People are addicted to the instant gratification of lead gen and campaigns. Always-on is not just paid SEM that keeps going — there’s a lot more to it. So you have to have clarity about your ICP, strategy and resources. It’s about change management. Results open doors.

LaSandra: An always available budget is not the same as always-on. Enterprise has not adopted always-on yet. Our campaign marketers create the content and drive the on-off of marketing. It’s getting better though.

We use our annual conference to drive always-on to promote for half the year. Leadership is engaged by the results from broad ads that get attendees to the event and then more personalized communications after.

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An always available budget is not the same as always-on. Enterprise has not adopted always-on yet. Our campaign marketers create the content and drive the on-off of marketing. It's getting better though.” — LaSandra Brill @LaSandraBrill
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Lindsay: Give yourself some grace. It’s a process. Take small risks. Work to get partnerships in the organization, iterate and grow.

It’s safe to say that B2B marketing organizations are dealing with a lot including post-covid changes to marketing itself, the rapid escalation of AI in all aspects of digital life and the “do more with less” effect on expectations and budgets that we’ll be facing for the foreseeable future. To elevate B2B marketing in this environment, it’s important to be change agents for support of a holistic approach to marketing while properly valuing and measuring the impact of brand on revenue and showing positive impact of always-on vs. the start / stop approach that doesn’t really sync with buyer behavior.

You can also learn more from our additional B2B Ignite USA coverage here:

• Explore the New Frontiers of B2B Marketing at Ignite USA 2023
• B2B Marketing Event Speaker Spotlight: Paul Roetzer for Ignite USA
• B2B Marketing Speaker Spotlight: Melanie Deziel on Content as Evidence for Ignite USA
• Where to Find the New Frontiers of B2B Marketing at Ignite USA

The post Evolving and Elevating B2B Marketing in 2023 – Top Marketer Insights from B2B Ignite USA appeared first on B2B Marketing Blog - TopRank®.

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TopRank Marketing Elevates B2B Marketing with Brand Refresh & New Website

It’s no secret that today’s B2B marketers are overloaded with information and need the best resources to help them navigate 2023’s higher expectations and fewer resources.

We also know that many marketers are actively looking for more than basic how-to information — they want to be inspired, connected – and belong to something bigger.

To help B2B marketers connect with more information, better insights and best-answer solutions, we’ve revised and refreshed our website and award-winning blog.

With a fresh, clean and optimized experience, you can easily find out everything you need to know about B2B marketing content, search, influence, and more.

Our refreshed brand and new site represent our commitment to elevate B2B marketing to new heights.

“Our goal is to not only provide high-quality content marketing solutions but also to help improve the B2B marketing space as a whole. TopRank Marketing aims to impact and inspire our clients and partners. We are on a mission to elevate the world of B2B marketing through our solutions, conversations, and contributions to the craft of content marketing!”

– Lee Odden, TopRank Marketing

TopRank Marketing co-founder & CEO Lee Odden shares more about the brand refresh and new website

With that core focus, our team is dedicated to creating more authentic, intelligent, and inclusive content that not only educates, but inspires and drives results for our clients.

Our brand refresh and new website reflect this commitment to elevating the world of B2B marketing. After 22 years, our agency was ready to capture some of the magic we usually reserve for our clients, and apply it to our own brand. We’ve conducted extensive research, designed a new website, created new and refined content, and developed a site that highlights our expertise, showcases our resources and successes, and empowers our clients to achieve their marketing goals.

With the new website, we aim to provide even more value to our clients and partners. You’ll find a wealth of resources, including eBooks, case studies, and blog posts, that cover everything from influencer marketing to social media to SEO.

Ready to elevate your B2B brand? TopRank Marketing is the solution!

Speaking of our award-winning TopRank Marketing B2B Marketing Blog, this area of the site has also received a much-needed makeover. The new design is clean, modern, and easy to navigate with an improved user experience that makes it easier than ever to stay up-to-date on the latest B2B marketing news, trends, and insights.

From our latest posts about B2B content marketing, influencer marketing, SEO, social media marketing, measurement, industry news and events and more; TopRank Marketing has been a resource for B2B marketers for 20 years and we’re committed to carrying on our mission to elevate B2B marketing through our insights and resources for the B2B content marketing community.

Our brand refresh also comes with strategic optimizations to our B2B marketing solutions and approach. As we’ve evolved with the times, we’ve further defined our solutions in B2B content marketing, influencer marketing, SEO, and social media marketing, highlighting pain points we’re hearing within the industry and working to provide best-answer, best-in-class solutions.

As we continue to work with some of the top B2B brands in the world, we’re dedicated to each individual who has been part of our community and conversations over the past two decades. We challenge our team and you to join our mission to elevate B2B marketing. And while you’re at it, check out our new site and blog for resources to help elevate your B2B brand to the next level.

Thanks for tuning in to our brand refresh launch. We’re excited to share even more over the next few months, so stay tuned! Let’s lift each other up and create a better world through great B2B marketing.

Ready to elevate your B2B brand?

Contact Us

 

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How to Best Work with a B2B Influencer Marketing Agency

In the B2B world, influence isn’t determined by how you look in a bathing suit or how many exotic locales you can Instagram from. B2B influencers are subject matter experts, practitioners with a proven track record, and consultants with their finger on the pulse of a specific industry.

It’s also trickier to find and engage influencers in the B2B world. It’s not about finding someone with a high follower count and cutting them a check—B2B influencer marketing is based on building relationships with these truly influential titans of business.

In short, B2B influencer marketing is a specialized discipline that requires knowledge and experience that may be outside of your team’s area of expertise. As B2B influencer marketing gets more popular and influencers more choosy about whom they work with, it makes sense to secure some outside help.

In our 2022 B2B Influencer Marketing Report, over half of the enterprise-level respondents said working with an agency to source influencers was effective, versus just 27% who found success with software tools alone.

Here’s how your team can prepare to work effectively with a B2B influencer marketing agency (like, say, TopRank Marketing!).

How to Do Your Best Work with a B2B Influencer Marketing Agency

Getting ‘ready’ to work with an agency is about both mindset and process. Some of the homework here will be about realigning your ideas about influencer marketing. Some of it is gathering information and making preliminary decisions that will speed up your onboarding process.

Expand your definition of influence:

I’ve mentioned a few times on the blog that B2B influencer marketing isn’t about follower count alone. And I plan to keep saying it as long as marketing teams still run in terror from anyone with a four-digit follower count.

The most influential person to your niche audience might be someone with a small but hyper-specialized audience. For example, if you’re marketing to software developers, their thought leaders won’t have massive followings on Instagram or Facebook. Instead, they will be posting code to Github, participating in developer forums, and speaking at events like DrupalCon. 

When your agency partner delivers a list of influencers, be mentally prepared to see beyond network size, and instead look at relevance and resonance. Does this person speak to your specific audience? Does that audience take action based on what they say? Then that’s your most valuable influencer.

Identify your internal experts:

Your employees, executives, and subject matter experts can serve as valuable brand advocates and influencers themselves. These people will be essential for co-creating content with external influencers, as well as promoting the content to their own networks.

An agency will want to put these internal experts to good use throughout the content creation and amplification process, so it helps to start with a few in mind. Look for the people in your organization who:

• Are already building a relevant business following
• Are comfortable representing the brand in public
• Are creative, passionate and quotable
• Are in senior positions and willing to lend their network to the cause

Your agency can help these internal experts to refine their content and firmly establish their thought leadership credibility. 

Dial in your target audience:

Clearly defining your target audience is a fundamental step in any marketing endeavor, and it’s especially important for B2B influencer marketing. Software developers have different pain points, needs and desires than software analysts. Demand gen marketers need different messages than social media marketers. The more you can identify your specific niche, the more relevant your influencer content can be.

Don’t be afraid to get granular with your target audience. Put together a wish list of all the details in your most valuable customer profile. Your agency might help narrow down that list to the most critical components—but you need to give them something to start from.

Set a realistic budget:

Five or six years ago, most of our agency’s influencer marketing was unpaid. We made it easy for influencers to collaborate with us, we worked together on cool content, and the mutual benefit was payment enough. But as influencer marketing matures as a tactic, most influencers will expect financial compensation. In our survey, over half of respondents had made direct payments to influencers.

It’s important to start your agency partnership with an influencer budget range in mind (in addition to the agency’s fees for service). With that starting-off point, your agency can help you navigate the complexities of pricing structures, negotiate fair deals, and make sure you get the most you can for your budget. 

Compile your wish list (and dealbreaker list):

Before you go to your kickoff meeting with your agency, put together a list of influencers you admire and believe would be a good fit. But don’t stop at those names: Consider the specific attributes that make these folks attractive. 

This list will give your agency a good idea of what type of influencer you’re looking for, and they can target the people on your list while also expanding it with their own tools and expertise.

In the same vein, put together a list of attributes or individuals that you don’t want associated with your brand. For example, you might not want an influencer who has worked with a competitor in the past—so it’s important to list your competitors for your agency. Or there may be taboo topics you don’t want to associate with your brand. 

If you can arm your agency with this positive and negative information, they will be better equipped to find the perfect set of influencers for your project.

Who influences the influencers?

B2B influencer marketing has matured from a casual series of one-off collaborations into a  specialized discipline that requires strategy and experience to execute successfully. 

As the popularity of B2B influencer marketing grows, influencers have become more selective about what brands they work with, and how they would like to be compensated. So it makes sense to work with an agency that has a proven track record and an established network of sought-after influencers. 

If you can approach your first agency meeting with an open mind, a clear picture of your target audience, and a good list of dos and don’ts, you’ll be well equipped for a fruitful collaboration.

Speaking of which, if you’re looking for an agency with over a decade of experience in B2B influencer marketing, with some of the biggest brands in the world… TopRank Marketing is here to help.

Ready to elevate your B2B brand?

Schedule A Call Now

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5 Tips to Make Your Content More Accessible & Inclusive

Creating content that is accessible and inclusive is crucial in the work of content marketing, not only for shaping the perception of your brand but also for being socially responsible. Your content should be relatable to everyone in the audience, irrespective of their background or abilities, so that they don’t feel excluded or uninterested in your brand . Therefore, accessibility and inclusion should not be an afterthought but a fundamental aspect of your content creation strategy. In this article, we’ll discuss some key areas to consider while crafting marketing content for your B2B brand that is both accessible and inclusive.

1) Style Guide

At the core, your content team needs to understand what is meant by accessible and inclusive content and your company’s ongoing commitment to it.

You can start with outlining how your business will ensure your content is accessible and inclusive — and what content goes against those standards.

Your style guide should include a specific section about language and images. Many phrases and terms are rooted in our vocabulary, and we don’t think about their undertones. For example, you can specify avoiding the use of gendered jobs (“fireman”) or phrases like “falls on deaf ears.”

Your style guide can also note specific ways that text can be more accessible. “CamelCase” for hashtags (capitalizing the first letter of each word) is better for screen readers. Decorative fonts in social posts are inaccessible to screen readers altogether. And, as Chelsea Castle, who heads up content at Lavender points out, you need spaces on both sides of any emojis.

Additional tips while creating content that follows your style guide include always using clear and concise language: Avoid using overly complicated jargon, technical terms or slang that might be unfamiliar to some of your readers. Keep your language simple and easy to understand.

Friendly reminder that if you aren't adding spaces on both sides of your emojis, you're not producing content that is fully accessible to all humans reading it.

— Chelsea Castle (@ChelseaCastle) February 10, 2023

2) Images

Images can often feel secondary to content teams. You finish a blog post and rush to find an appropriate hero image or add some alt text. But for the reader, images are part of the first impression.

If you’re using stock photography or creating illustrations that include people, make sure that you’re representing diversity: race/ethnicity, gender, age, and abilities. With the vast range of people in modern society, you’ll give off a vibe that your company isn’t paying attention — or doesn’t care — if your images lack diversity.

Give alt text the attention it deserves. For anyone using a screen reader, your alt text should have an impact in the way you expect an image to enhance the content. (Plus, you give context to Google for search engine rankings.)

(Image source)

Write good alt text descriptions for all of your images. And you can use them as a way to enhance your brand content! Some of the best alt text is also fun and playful, in addition to describing the image.

3) Videos

We are in the Age of Video. YouTube, TikTok, Instagram Reels… videos have crept into our LinkedIn feeds and even current sales outreach techniques. And video content can be limiting for people in different ways, ranging from hearing-impaired to neurological disorders to ADHD.

If video is part of your content strategy, remember to make your videos accessible to viewers. That means always including closed captions and considering additional alternative formats like audio versions, audio descriptions. You should also include a transcript for people who prefer to skip the video altogether and read the content instead.

Video can be especially hard for people with sensory issues, so avoid auto-playing, loud default volumes or flashing lights.

4) Interviewees

Collaboration is an important part of content, whether you’re interviewing subject matter experts or hosting a webinar. Do your collaborators represent a diverse group of people?

With our own podcast, Elevate B2B Marketing, we are on a mission, not only to Elevate the B2B marketing industry, but also to elevate the diverse voices making an impact within the space — actively seeking out voices who promote and reflect inclusion (as well as inspire us all).

Representation matters, especially in industries dominated by men, white people, or both. If you only capture the “easy to find” experts in these fields, you’re not getting a range of perspectives. Even if you’re not conducting live interviews but quoting experts based on research, make sure you’re including marginalized people — and actively seeking them out.

Ask any of your collaborators for their correct pronouns. Don’t assume. Use the correct pronouns in anything you write or any interviews you conduct. If your collaboration includes audio — either live or recorded — ask your collaborator for correct name pronunciation.

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“Collaboration is an important part of content, whether you’re interviewing subject matter experts or hosting a webinar. Do your collaborators represent a diverse group of people?” — Katelyn Drake @KB_Drake
Click To Tweet

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5) Website

Many of these elements mentioned will converge on your website. And since websites often contain a lot of content, you’ll want to examine each page in both web and mobile formats.

Colors

Color — and specifically, color contrast — makes your website content more accessible to people with visual impairments or who are colorblind. They have difficulty with certain colors or color combinations, potentially making it hard for them to navigate your site.

If you use a color scheme with good contrast for a wide range of people, you’ll increase the overall user experience, regardless of visual abilities. You can run your colors through a contrast checker to see if your site needs improvement.  This applies to text, images, icons, and buttons.

Fonts

Not all fonts are created equal, and some are very difficult for visually impaired people. If the font is too small, too thin, or has a low contrast with the background, it will be difficult to read.

Sans serif fonts (like Arial) are better for people with dyslexia because the letters are less crowded. If you’re looking for a serif font, a mono-spaced font like Courier is easier to read.

Overall, choose something simple, with good spacing, and don’t use italicized fonts.

Structure

Creating content that flows in a logical order is an important part of website accessibility. Heading twos (H2s) and heading threes (H3s) help screen readers. Breaking up blocks of text with headers also helps neurodivergent readers with information processing.

You can also use bullet points to increase the readability of your posts.

Review and make changes as needed

As Rease Kirchner, senior content marketing manager at Webflow points out: “[Inclusive content] is not a badge of honor you earn with a single initiative or intention — it’s an ongoing and intentional effort.”

As you create your B2B brand content, think about diversity and representation. Overall, make sure your content reflects diversity and avoid stereotypes. Use inclusive language that doesn’t exclude certain groups of people based on gender, race or ability.

As marketers, we’re always on the alert for changes in the world around us. Technology, culture, language, work — they’re all constantly evolving. And that means being aware of additional ways to be more accessible and inclusive in the future.

If you’re looking for a creative partner to support your brand’s content needs, connect with the TopRank Marketing team.

Contact us to learn more

 

 

The post 5 Tips to Make Your Content More Accessible & Inclusive appeared first on B2B Marketing Blog - TopRank®.

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How to Best Work with a B2B Influencer Marketing Agency

In the B2B world, influence isn’t determined by how you look in a bathing suit or how many exotic locales you can Instagram from. B2B influencers are subject matter experts, practitioners with a proven track record, and consultants with their finger on the pulse of a specific industry. It’s also trickier to find and engage influencers in the B2B world. It’s not about finding someone with a high follower count and cutting them a check—B2B influencer marketing is based on building relationships with these truly influential titans of business. In short, B2B influencer marketing is a specialized discipline that requires knowledge and experience that may be outside of your team’s area of expertise. As B2B influencer marketing gets more popular and influencers more choosy about whom they work with, it makes sense to secure some outside help. In our 2022 B2B Influencer Marketing Report, over half of the enterprise-level respondents said working with an agency to source influencers was effective, versus just 27% who found success with software tools alone. Here’s how your team can prepare to work effectively with a B2B influencer marketing agency (like, say, TopRank Marketing!).

How to Do Your Best Work with a B2B Influencer Marketing Agency

Getting ‘ready’ to work with an agency is about both mindset and process. Some of the homework here will be about realigning your ideas about influencer marketing. Some of it is gathering information and making preliminary decisions that will speed up your onboarding process.

Expand your definition of influence:

I’ve mentioned a few times on the blog that B2B influencer marketing isn’t about follower count alone. And I plan to keep saying it as long as marketing teams still run in terror from anyone with a four-digit follower count. The most influential person to your niche audience might be someone with a small but hyper-specialized audience. For example, if you’re marketing to software developers, their thought leaders won’t have massive followings on Instagram or Facebook. Instead, they will be posting code to Github, participating in developer forums, and speaking at events like DrupalCon.  When your agency partner delivers a list of influencers, be mentally prepared to see beyond network size, and instead look at relevance and resonance. Does this person speak to your specific audience? Does that audience take action based on what they say? Then that’s your most valuable influencer.

Identify your internal experts:

Your employees, executives, and subject matter experts can serve as valuable brand advocates and influencers themselves. These people will be essential for co-creating content with external influencers, as well as promoting the content to their own networks. An agency will want to put these internal experts to good use throughout the content creation and amplification process, so it helps to start with a few in mind. Look for the people in your organization who:

• Are already building a relevant business following
• Are comfortable representing the brand in public
• Are creative, passionate and quotable
• Are in senior positions and willing to lend their network to the cause

Your agency can help these internal experts to refine their content and firmly establish their thought leadership credibility. 

Dial in your target audience:

Clearly defining your target audience is a fundamental step in any marketing endeavor, and it’s especially important for B2B influencer marketing. Software developers have different pain points, needs and desires than software analysts. Demand gen marketers need different messages than social media marketers. The more you can identify your specific niche, the more relevant your influencer content can be. Don’t be afraid to get granular with your target audience. Put together a wish list of all the details in your most valuable customer profile. Your agency might help narrow down that list to the most critical components—but you need to give them something to start from.

Set a realistic budget:

Five or six years ago, most of our agency’s influencer marketing was unpaid. We made it easy for influencers to collaborate with us, we worked together on cool content, and the mutual benefit was payment enough. But as influencer marketing matures as a tactic, most influencers will expect financial compensation. In our survey, over half of respondents had made direct payments to influencers. It’s important to start your agency partnership with an influencer budget range in mind (in addition to the agency’s fees for service). With that starting-off point, your agency can help you navigate the complexities of pricing structures, negotiate fair deals, and make sure you get the most you can for your budget. 

Compile your wish list (and dealbreaker list):

Before you go to your kickoff meeting with your agency, put together a list of influencers you admire and believe would be a good fit. But don’t stop at those names: Consider the specific attributes that make these folks attractive.  This list will give your agency a good idea of what type of influencer you’re looking for, and they can target the people on your list while also expanding it with their own tools and expertise. In the same vein, put together a list of attributes or individuals that you don’t want associated with your brand. For example, you might not want an influencer who has worked with a competitor in the past—so it’s important to list your competitors for your agency. Or there may be taboo topics you don’t want to associate with your brand.  If you can arm your agency with this positive and negative information, they will be better equipped to find the perfect set of influencers for your project.

Who influences the influencers?

B2B influencer marketing has matured from a casual series of one-off collaborations into a  specialized discipline that requires strategy and experience to execute successfully.  As the popularity of B2B influencer marketing grows, influencers have become more selective about what brands they work with, and how they would like to be compensated. So it makes sense to work with an agency that has a proven track record and an established network of sought-after influencers.  If you can approach your first agency meeting with an open mind, a clear picture of your target audience, and a good list of dos and don’ts, you’ll be well equipped for a fruitful collaboration. Speaking of which, if you’re looking for an agency with over a decade of experience in B2B influencer marketing, with some of the biggest brands in the world… TopRank Marketing is here to help.

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Weekend Favs May 20

Weekend Favs May 20 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.

• Rephonic – A database with any kind of data in the podcast industry. This tool will help you save time and make better decisions with instant access to data and research of shows in any niche.
  
• Content at Scale – An AI writing platform for marketers, agencies, or freelancers that helps adapt AI content without losing the human touch. This tool is free of charge, detects robotic-sounding content, and adapts it to make the SEO content more profitable and productive.
• QuillBot – A free and easy-to-use AI-powered paraphrasing tool that will help you enhance your writing by using the right words, tone, and style for any occasion. This tool integrates directly into different platforms such as Chrome or Microsoft.
  
   

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: More B2B Buyers Using Social, & Rising Numbers Turn To Influencers

Microsoft Unveils New Mobile-First Experiences For Bing & Edge Microsoft has brought an array of new features such as Skype integration to its mobile Bing search and Edge web browser apps, including integrated social media sharing options, new ways to draft AI-assisted text, better multiple language support, and new AI-rich SwiftKey updates, Microsoft recently announced. Search Engine Journal Survey: In-Person Meeting Attendees Are Younger, Want Personalized Experience When it comes to B2B events, the average age of an attendee was 45 during 2022, a drop from 51 seen before the pandemic, with 39 percent of B2B event attendees preferring presentations that offer innovation and new ways of thinking, while 37 percent pointed to sessions led by industry leaders and experts — three of numerous findings of interest to B2B marketers contained in newly-published event survey data. Associations Now LinkedIn Will No Longer Count Inactive or Restricted Accounts in Connection and Follower Stats Microsoft-owned LinkedIn has refined its follower count methodology, implementing a new system in which accounts that have been deactivated on the professional social platform will no longer be included in follower or connection numbers, LinkedIn (client) recently announced. Social Media Today How to View B2B Customers Through a More Nuanced Lens [ANA Interview] B2B marketers can gain a richer understanding of customers than their B2C counterparts, thanks to having access to a greater variety of data, allowing a finer-grained understanding of customer bases, and the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) recently explored some of the top nuanced approaches that today's B2B marketers can benefit from. ANA [bctt tweet="“Both the challenge and the opportunity about B2B is that we can actually define these three things — retention, repeat interactions, and spend — much more broadly than in a B2C setting.” — Peter Fader @faderp" username="toprank"] Executives fear accidental sharing of corporate data with ChatGPT: Report 46 percent of senior executives have said that they suspect colleagues have unintentionally brought corporate data into ChatGPT-powered AI tools, and while 35 percent noted that ChatGPT was the most-used chatbot tool among enterprise firms, it was also the most likely to be banned by organizations, with 32 percent having forbidden its use — three of numerous statistics of interest to B2B marketers contained in newly-released survey data. Venture Beat IAB: U.S. Podcast Ad Spending To Reach $2.3B This Year A 25 percent increase in spending for podcast advertising during 2023 has been projected, reaching an estimated $2.78 billion by the end of the year, and rising to $3.9 billion by 2025 — pointing to the continuing strong return on investment (ROI) podcast advertising has seen, according to recently-published survey data. MediaPost 1 in 4 Adults Have Made A Purchase Based on an Influencer’s Recommendation 25 percent of U.S. adults have made a buying decision based on a social media influencer, with 42 percent of those in the 30-44 age demographic having done so, while 72 percent said that social influencers should be required to disclose paid partnerships, according to newly-released survey data of interest to digital marketers. MarketingCharts AI Rise: Most Firms Are Using It For Marketing Despite Inaccuracies 73 percent of marketing professionals have said that they use AI tools for the creation of marketing content, with 48 percent using the tools for creating website copy, 44 percent for email copy, and 42 percent for social media messaging — some of the numerous findings in recently-published AI tool survey data. MediaPost The US share of worldwide ad spending will decline this year but remain on an upward trend 39.4 percent of global media ad spending is expected to take place in the U.S. during 2023, reaching $263.89 billion, while also accounting for an even higher 43.8 percent of digital ad spending, share figures down about a percent from 2022 numbers, according to newly-released forecast data. Insider Intelligence More B2B Buyers Turn to Social Media, Mobile Apps to Research Suppliers In 2022 20 percent of B2B buyers reported having used social media to help choose suppliers, up from a scant 4 percent in 2019, while the use of mobile apps to research and evaluate suppliers increased from 4 percent to 18 percent during the same timeframe, according to recent research data. MarketingCharts ON THE LIGHTER SIDE: A lighthearted look at “Upselling and Customer Experience” by Marketoonist Tom Fishburne — Marketoonist Rob Smith Brings Amiga's Famous Boing Ball Off the Screen and Onto His Desk — Hackster.io TOPRANK MARKETING & CLIENTS IN THE NEWS:

• Lee Odden — How To Use BuzzSumo: 15 Things You Can Do In 30 Days — BuzzSumo
• Katelyn Drake — While creating brand content, collaborate with a diverse set of voices — YouGov America

FRIDAY FIVE B2B MARKETING FAVORITES TO FOLLOW: Dr. Scott Cowley @scottcowley Miri Rodriguez @MiriRod Scott Monty @ScottMonty Debra Jasper @DebraJasper Larry Kim @larrykim Learn more about TopRank Marketing‘s mission to help elevate the B2B marketing industry. Have you come across a top B2B marketing news item we haven't yet covered? If so, please don't hesitate to drop us a line in the comments below. Thank you for taking the time to join us for this edition of the Elevate B2B Marketing News, and we hope that you'll 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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5 Tips to Make Your Content More Accessible & Inclusive

Creating content that is accessible and inclusive is crucial in the work of content marketing, not only for shaping the perception of your brand but also for being socially responsible. Your content should be relatable to everyone in the audience, irrespective of their background or abilities, so that they don't feel excluded or uninterested in your brand . Therefore, accessibility and inclusion should not be an afterthought but a fundamental aspect of your content creation strategy. In this article, we'll discuss some key areas to consider while crafting marketing content for your B2B brand that is both accessible and inclusive.

1) Style guide

At the core, your content team needs to understand what is meant by accessible and inclusive content and your company’s ongoing commitment to it. You can start with outlining how your business will ensure your content is accessible and inclusive — and what content goes against those standards. Your style guide should include a specific section about language and images. Many phrases and terms are rooted in our vocabulary, and we don’t think about their undertones. For example, you can specify avoiding the use of gendered jobs (“fireman”) or phrases like “falls on deaf ears.” Your style guide can also note specific ways that text can be more accessible. “CamelCase” for hashtags (capitalizing the first letter of each word) is better for screen readers. Decorative fonts in social posts are inaccessible to screen readers altogether. And, as Chelsea Castle, who heads up content at Lavender points out, you need spaces on both sides of any emojis. Additional tips while creating content that follows your style guide include always using clear and concise language: Avoid using overly complicated jargon, technical terms or slang that might be unfamiliar to some of your readers. Keep your language simple and easy to understand. https://twitter.com/ChelseaCastle/status/1624107962355548180

2) Images

Images can often feel secondary to content teams. You finish a blog post and rush to find an appropriate hero image or add some alt text. But for the reader, images are part of the first impression. If you’re using stock photography or creating illustrations that include people, make sure that you’re representing diversity: race/ethnicity, gender, age, and abilities. With the vast range of people in modern society, you’ll give off a vibe that your company isn’t paying attention — or doesn’t care — if your images lack diversity. Give alt text the attention it deserves. For anyone using a screen reader, your alt text should have an impact in the way you expect an image to enhance the content. (Plus, you give context to Google for search engine rankings.) (Image source) Write good alt text descriptions for all of your images. And you can use them as a way to enhance your brand content! Some of the best alt text is also fun and playful, in addition to describing the image.

3) Videos

We are in the Age of Video. YouTube, TikTok, Instagram Reels… videos have crept into our LinkedIn feeds and even current sales outreach techniques. And video content can be limiting for people in different ways, ranging from hearing-impaired to neurological disorders to ADHD. If video is part of your content strategy, remember to make your videos accessible to viewers. That means always including closed captions and considering additional alternative formats like audio versions, audio descriptions. You should also include a transcript for people who prefer to skip the video altogether and read the content instead. Video can be especially hard for people with sensory issues, so avoid auto-playing, loud default volumes or flashing lights.

4) Interviewees

Collaboration is an important part of content, whether you’re interviewing subject matter experts or hosting a webinar. Do your collaborators represent a diverse group of people? With our own podcast, Elevate B2B Marketing, we are on a mission, not only to Elevate the B2B marketing industry, but also to elevate the diverse voices making an impact within the space — actively seeking out voices who promote and reflect inclusion (as well as inspire us all). Representation matters, especially in industries dominated by men, white people, or both. If you only capture the “easy to find” experts in these fields, you’re not getting a range of perspectives. Even if you’re not conducting live interviews but quoting experts based on research, make sure you’re including marginalized people — and actively seeking them out. Ask any of your collaborators for their correct pronouns. Don’t assume. Use the correct pronouns in anything you write or any interviews you conduct. If your collaboration includes audio — either live or recorded — ask your collaborator for correct name pronunciation. [bctt tweet="“Collaboration is an important part of content, whether you’re interviewing subject matter experts or hosting a webinar. Do your collaborators represent a diverse group of people?” — Katelyn Drake @KB_Drake" username="toprank"]

5) Website

Many of these elements mentioned will converge on your website. And since websites often contain a lot of content, you’ll want to examine each page in both web and mobile formats.

Colors

Color — and specifically, color contrast — makes your website content more accessible to people with visual impairments or who are colorblind. They have difficulty with certain colors or color combinations, potentially making it hard for them to navigate your site. If you use a color scheme with good contrast for a wide range of people, you’ll increase the overall user experience, regardless of visual abilities. You can run your colors through a contrast checker to see if your site needs improvement.  This applies to text, images, icons, and buttons.

Fonts

Not all fonts are created equal, and some are very difficult for visually impaired people. If the font is too small, too thin, or has a low contrast with the background, it will be difficult to read. Sans serif fonts (like Arial) are better for people with dyslexia because the letters are less crowded. If you’re looking for a serif font, a mono-spaced font like Courier is easier to read. Overall, choose something simple, with good spacing, and don’t use italicized fonts.

Structure

Creating content that flows in a logical order is an important part of website accessibility. Heading twos (H2s) and heading threes (H3s) help screen readers. Breaking up blocks of text with headers also helps neurodivergent readers with information processing. You can also use bullet points to increase the readability of your posts.

Review and make changes as needed

As Rease Kirchner, senior content marketing manager at Webflow points out: “[Inclusive content] is not a badge of honor you earn with a single initiative or intention — it's an ongoing and intentional effort.” As you create your B2B brand content, think about diversity and representation. Overall, make sure your content reflects diversity and avoid stereotypes. Use inclusive language that doesn’t exclude certain groups of people based on gender, race or ability. As marketers, we’re always on the alert for changes in the world around us. Technology, culture, language, work — they’re all constantly evolving. And that means being aware of additional ways to be more accessible and inclusive in the future. If you’re looking for a creative partner to support your brand’s content needs, connect with the TopRank Marketing team. Contact us to learn more!

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