3 Key Ways Authenticity In B2B Writing Helps Solve People Problems

Being given direction over and over again without clarification or elaboration can be downright frustrating. We’re guilty of this in marketing. When we repeatedly suggest that authenticity is the secret sauce to writing amazing content, what are we actually saying? The word “authentic,” as the wise and witty Ann Handly argues, is a lovely but vague directive, but “no one knows what it means.” It has become a marketing buzzword — but buzzwords do have their place. They offer nice, concise ways to say what we mean without having to spell it out every time. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t occasionally revisit the definition to ensure we haven’t gotten off track. That’s why we wanted to offer this deeper dive into what it means — what it REALLY means — to write authentic content.

1 — What is Authenticity, Anyway?

The thing about authenticity is that everyone wants it from other people, but it can be hard to do the self-work to identify it from within. That sentence? That’s authenticity. It’s the unvarnished truth, but not cruelty. Authenticity is derived from boiling down who you are — whether that be your brand, your workforce, or simply (and most importantly!) yourself — and mixing the distillate with a pinch of who you hope you are when you connect with others. [bctt tweet="“The thing about authenticity is that everyone wants it from other people, but it can be hard to do the self-work to identify it from within.” — Theresa Meis @TMeisWrites" username="toprank"]

2 — Identifying Your Authentic Voice

This top-down checklist of roles you fulfill as a writer should help you find center again when you’re searching for your authentic voice.

You Are The Brand

B2B content writers are masterful performers, donning the robes of brand identity and addressing the audience as the personification of whatever product, service, or idea the brand offers. Brand authenticity is accomplished by honoring an organization's agreed-upon values and mission through your writing. The good news is that more organizations are clarifying what those people-centered values are at the brand identity level, and you get to help amplify that to the world. [bctt tweet="“Brand authenticity is accomplished by honoring an organization's agreed-upon values and mission through your writing.” — Theresa Meis @TMeisWrites" username="toprank"]

You Are the People

The organization you write for may be an industry leader, composed of thousands of workers spread across the entire globe. Or, it could be a handful of visionaries working night and day to launch the next great thing. You might be asked to write on behalf of any number of leaders or experts within your organization. Authenticity is important for adding the flavor of their voice to your brand messaging.

You Are Yourself

As B2B content writers, we write from behind a mask, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have truths to offer. When you allow yourself to tap into your own deep well of personal experience, you elevate your writing from brand pitch to engaging storyweaving. And, yes, even if you’re writing about the most niche software solution. The insights into human nature learned from, say, bartending in college have given you wisdom that informs the way you approach problem-solving for people who are overworked and stressed (your Monday to Thursday clientele) and how to communicate unabashed exuberance (the Friday/Saturday crowd). Now, you probably shouldn’t tell those stories (I mean, it really does depend on the brand voice at your organization), but while you’re drawing on those memories while writing, your brain is in a human-centered space. That, right there, is the secret sauce of authentic writing.

3 — Why We Need Authenticity In B2B Marketing

People don’t think of B2B purchases as an emotional buying decision, but if humans are involved, so are emotions… It’s no longer enough to inform customers, we’ve got to make them feel.” – Lee Odden, CEO at TopRank Marketing

These words from TopRank Marketing co-founder and CEO Lee Odden reflect the movement within B2B marketing to enrich content through connecting with customers at the human level. This sentiment also reflects the reason why human-centered content is now and will continue to be invaluable for B2B marketing.

Your B2B Audience Is People, Too

This is the biggest reason why content marketing should strive to be authentic. For far too long, B2B marketing was focused on connecting the cogs of industry, forgetting that we’re the cogs! A recent Gartner customer study revealed some startling truths about the B2B buyer journey:

1. 89% of buyers felt the information they encountered in a recent purchase was generally of high quality, relevant, and evidenced. However…
2. Over half of all B2B buyers surveyed reported feeling overwhelmed by the volume of trustworthy information they encountered as part of their purchase journey.

Rising above the noise requires a different approach, and the best way to differentiate yourself as a brand, as a seller, or as an individual human being is to embrace authenticity. [bctt tweet="“Rising above the noise requires a different approach, and the best way to differentiate yourself as a brand, as a seller, or as an individual human being is to embrace authenticity.” — Theresa Meis @TMeisWrites" username="toprank"]

It’s About Solving People Problems

Behind every B2B problem is a people problem. A machine goes down on the factory floor. The floor manager doesn’t know about it until it’s too late and serious damage has been done. The part is stuck in a shipping container somewhere, so the run of parts is behind, meaning everyone has to pull overtime to make it work. A lot of family dinners and little league games are being missed. Software that alerts the floor manager to potential machine problems could have helped them avoid this whole cascade of problems. But, which problem in that list is the one that matters most? B2B always has been about solving people problems. [bctt tweet="“B2B always has been about solving people problems.” — Theresa Meis @TMeisWrites" username="toprank"]

Your Brand Needs You

You are the secret sauce for authenticity in content writing, and authentic content writing is the secret sauce for exceptional B2B marketing. A final fascinating insight shared by Gartner looked ahead to the state of B2B marketing and selling over the next five years. “The best sales organizations will equip sellers to engage customers very differently with information. Sellers will pivot from being the source of information to helping customers make sense out of everything they’re learning, irrespective of source.” Brands that solve people problems will stand apart. Dig deep, embrace your authenticity, and get to solving people problems! If you are looking for a strategic partner to help elevate your current marketing strategy, claim a time to connect with our team of experts.

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Weekend Favs April 15

Weekend Favs April 15 written by Felipe Orrego 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.

• MakerBox Bundle – A collection of marketing resources for Solopreneurs to improve positioning, marketing funnels, and operations. It includes 5 resources: A workbook with 100 marketing ideas, a library of 50 marketing frameworks, a video course to improve positioning, a database of Newsletters ready to use, and a list of 650 useful tools.
  
• SocialPilot – An easy-to-use social media marketing tool that helps professionals, teams, and growing businesses automate their social media management and analyze their performance; more economical compared to other tools.
• DataQ – Provides data-driven insights and predictive analytics that are essential to understanding customer behavior insights that drive business campaigns to consistently outperform.
   

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 Buying Cycles Lengthen, Multilingual Benefits B2B, & Google’s New Conversational Search

The Case for Boosting B2B Customer Experience With Multilingual Support 56 percent of consumers have said that getting information in their own language is of greater importance than price, with 70 percent more likely to purchase a product or service that includes information in their own language — two of several findings of interest to B2B marketers contained in newly-published survey data. MarketingProfs Google Plans To Integrate Conversational AI Into Search Engine Search giant Google is preparing to enhance its primary search engine with the addition of conversational artificial intelligence (AI), as the firm seeks to offer a feature similar to that already in use by Microsoft's Bing search engine, Google recently announced. Search Engine Journal [bctt tweet="“Google’s decision to include conversational AI in its search engine shows a significant change in the industry.” — Matt G. Southern @MattGSouthern" username="toprank"] A Look at the B2B Buyer in 2023 [Infographic] 75 percent of B2B buyers have said that the average buying cycle has gotten longer over the past two years, with 20 percent noting that it has increased significantly, while 35 percent said buying cycles have increased somewhat, according to recently-published B2B survey data. MarketingProfs Meta Moves And Implications For Influencer Marketing Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta has changed the way its Branded Content tool deals with creator and brand content collaborations, now requiring brands to grant access to their organization's Instagram account in order for co-created content to tag both the brand and creator, Meta recently announced. MediaPost LinkedIn Adds New ID Confirmation Elements to Provide More Assurance and Security Microsoft-owned LinkedIn is rolling out the option for its users to use the CLEAR biometric travel document verification platform to authenticate their identity, along with additional new employer verification features, LinkedIn (client) recently announced. Social Media Today Where Are Businesses Seeing Opportunities with Video Marketing? 81.2 percent of businesses have said that they use video marketing to build engagement, with 74.6 percent pointing to increasing brand awareness, while 69.6 percent use video marketing to increase lead generation — three of numerous findings of interest to B2B marketers contained in newly-published survey data. MarketingCharts Twitter Inc. Merged into X Corp. As Part of the Next Evolution of the App Twitter Inc. has changed its name to X Corp., however the social media platform has kept its Twitter branding, at least for the time being, with some expecting a future shift to the name X, the firm recently announced in a legal filing. Social Media Today IAB: 2022 Internet Ad Growth Slowed To 10.8%, Video Logs Largest Dollar Gain In 2022 search advertising held the largest share of overall ad revenue at 40.2 percent, a decrease from 41.4 percent in 2021, while overall Internet ad revenue growth came in at 10.8 percent during 2022, reaching $209.7 billion, according to newly-released Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) ad revenue report data. MediaPost Facebook Tests AI Generated Stories Based on Your Previously Shared Images Meta-owned Facebook has begun testing the ability to create new Story-format content with the assistance of AI that assesses previously-shared content on the social platform — a change that could offer brands additional ways to generate digital assets, Facebook recently announced. Social Media Today B2B Buyers Outline Their Most Valuable Content Types At Each Stage of the Purchase Journey Webinars, reports, and infographics typically see success in the early stages of B2B buying, while demos, reviews, and case studies tend to be the most valuable during the final stages of buyer journeys — two of numerous statistics of interest to B2B marketers contained in newly-published survey data. MarketingCharts ON THE LIGHTER SIDE: A lighthearted look at “7 Deadly Sins of Innovation” by Marketoonist Tom Fishburne — Marketoonist DIY IBM Selectric type balls give ’60s typewriters new life (and Comic Sans) — Ars Technica TOPRANK MARKETING & CLIENTS IN THE NEWS:

• Lee Odden / TopRank Marketing — How To Build A World-Class B2B Ambassador Program In 5 Easy Steps — Forbes
• Lee Odden — How B2B Brands Can Succeed at B2B Influencer Marketing - An Interview with TopRank Marketing CEO Lee Odden — The Social Media Hat
• Harry Mackin — This Week in Marketing: Small Changes, Big Results — LinkedIn (client)

FRIDAY FIVE B2B MARKETING FAVORITES TO FOLLOW: Katie Martell @KatieMartell Tiffani Bova @Tiffani_Bova Meghan Biro @MeghanMBiro Sally Eaves @sallyeaves Sarah Barnes-Humphrey @bevictoryus 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 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.

The post Elevate B2B Marketing News: B2B Buying Cycles Lengthen, Multilingual Benefits B2B, & Google’s New Conversational Search appeared first on B2B Marketing Blog - TopRank®.

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The Fastest And Least Expensive Way To Double Your Sales

4 Keys to Targeting and Personalization as Data Privacy Evolves

Targeting and personalization driven by data are cornerstones of today’s marketing. That isn’t going to change anytime soon. What will be changing, however, is how we make that targeting and personalization happen. It’s getting a lot more complicated to find the data marketers traditionally use for their targeting and personalization campaigns. Google keeps threatening to finally pull the plug on third-party cookies. Consumers everywhere are growing more protective of their data. A recent Prosper Analytics survey reported that 64.5% of respondents would like to see legislation enacted that prevents social media sites and search engines from selling their data. Many nations are implementing new, stronger data protection laws which will set a precedent for data regulation moving forward. The rising demand for data privacy presents marketers with a unique challenge: how do we continue to target our audiences without the data we use to find them? Marketers aren’t waiting to have this question answered for them. The industry has been hard at work developing alternative means of targeting and personalization. The opportunities they’ve discovered have proven to be more than a simple means of preserving a status quo. These four new keys to modern targeting and personalization represent a chance to gain even better data and use it to target and personalize even more effectively. Here’s how:

Getting the data we need

First-party data

You’ve probably read plenty about “the end of cookies.” That frame is actually a bit of a misnomer. Google isn’t doing away with all tracking cookies at all — just “third-party” cookies. Third-party cookies are browser extensions that are designed to follow the user from site-to-site. Meanwhile, first-party cookies only follow and store information on certain actions the user takes on a single site. First-party cookies also require the explicit consent of the user to activate. First-party allows organizations to collect the same kind of information third-party cookies did without privacy concerns. Even more importantly, however, they also offer more valuable intent-based data. After all, everyone who you collect data on using first-party cookies opted into giving you that information.

Zero-party data

Zero-party data is data your audience gives you explicitly. Form fills are an example of zero-party data. Your audience actually writes in this information, usually in exchange for some gated content. First-party data is more valuable than third-party data because the users that provide it are more intentional. Zero-party data is the next step up. Users who take the time to give you information about themselves are obviously very interested in your content. That makes them highly-qualified potential leads. The key to gaining zero-party data is providing the kind of content your audience highly values. The more they want what you’re providing, the more they’ll give you in exchange. Ask them for the right information, and you’ll get customer information more valuable than anything third-party cookies could provide. [bctt tweet="“The key to gaining zero-party data is providing the kind of content your audience highly values. The more they want what you’re providing, the more they’ll give you in exchange.” — Harry Mackin @Shiitakeharry" username="toprank"]

How to use the data we find

Buyer-intent data and hyper-personalized outreach

First and zero-party data tracks the intentions of interested parties more specifically and closely. The key to better targeting and personalization is to lean into this value. “Account-level” data is information about whole organizations. B2B companies use it to identify whole organizations that may benefit from their products and services. Buyer-level data is information about single, specific buyers — ie: decision makers within the organization you’d find with account-level data. First-party data and especially zero-party data each provide more information about specific buyers. Depending on what you ask them for, therefore, you can use that data for more incisive and effective personalization than ever. For example, if a potential lead tells you who they are and why they’re interested in downloading a guide on your site, you can use that information to reach out to them with hyper-personalized content from the first time you contact them. [bctt tweet="“First and zero-party data tracks the intentions of interested parties more specifically and closely. The key to better targeting and personalization is to lean into this value.” — Harry Mackin @Shiitakeharry" username="toprank"]

Intent-based marketing

When audience members visit your site or find your content in search engines, they have a certain intent for doing so. First and zero-party data is, at least in large part, as valuable as it is because it allows you to understand this intent better. The better you understand why your audience is interested in your marketing, the better you can speak to their interest going forward. Intent-based marketing maximizes the value of first and zero-party content by making personalization more effective than ever before. Instead of just marketing toward demographics or what you think your audience is looking for, you’ll be able to respond to specific queries your audience supplied you with themselves. The result is true marketing-as-a-service: you can find the audience who needs your products and services and explain how you can help them on their terms. And all with their help. To learn more about the exciting possibilities intent marketing represents, check out our new guide: Marketing with Intent: The Future of SEO and Qualified B2B Traffic.

The post 4 Keys to Targeting and Personalization as Data Privacy Evolves appeared first on B2B Marketing Blog - TopRank®.

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How To Get What You Want By Helping Others Get What They Want

Digital Harmony: The Secret Power of Consistency in B2B Marketing

What is consistency’s secret power in the 2023 world of B2B marketing, and why aren’t more marketers taking advantage of it? It’s well established that consistency is a key component in the world’s most successful B2B marketing efforts. The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity — in existence since the 1950s and beginning last year the home of the Cannes Creative B2B Lions awards — highlights consistency as a vital ingredient in the most creative marketing. “The rudiments of the most effective creative work have not changed - topicality, building intrigue, and consistency and commitment to a universally appealing brand platform, are proven qualities of the most impactful work,” the organization noted in its most recent event wrap-up. Consistency is especially important during uncertain times, when we tend to seek out the surety and comfort of the tried and true. "Brand is purpose and the purpose is the brand,” Michael Park, chief marketing officer at ServiceNow recently observed during LinkedIn's* inaugural B2B Summit event, B2Believe. “Without consistency, you produce a thousand points of dim light. The recession is a known pattern; we’ve seen this before. Use the macro crisis as an opportunity; have the courage to align to a new vision; we own the narrative and can address concerns with a positive tone," Park added. TopRank Marketing was at B2Believe, where our CEO Lee Odden shared insight from LinkedIn vice president of marketing Jim Habig, on the challenges uncertain times present and more, in "LinkedIn #B2Believe and The Playbook for Promise Making in B2B Marketing with Jim Habig." The secret power of consistency, however, comes when it is used with the right combination of other marketing qualities to form a unique state of digital harmony. Let’s jump in and find out four of the top ways to incorporate consistency into your B2B marketing efforts and built a more harmonious strategy. [bctt tweet="“Without consistency, you produce a thousand points of dim light.” — Michael Park CMO at @ServiceNow" username="toprank"]

1 — Increase Consistency With Your B2B Marketing Tool-Belt

B2B marketers in 2023 have a wealth of tools at our disposal — AI and otherwise — that can sometimes prove overwhelming, however finding the ones that perform the best for your particular way of working and adding them to your tool-belt can take your marketing efforts to new levels. Using the right tools not only makes life easier for B2B marketers and helps them create better client outcomes, but can also help marketers create consistency through efficiency – especially when certain tasks can be automated using the ideal tool for a particular task. Some see consistency as one of the most vital elements in 2023 B2B marketing efforts. “Consistency is more important than genius,” Mark Schaefer, B2b marketing author and speaker, recently observed. “To become a habit with your audience, you have to show up on time,” Schaefer added. 37 percent of enterprise content marketers said that achieving consistency with messaging was a top challenge at their organization, according to Content Marketing Institute’s recent “Enterprise Content Marketing: Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends – Insights for 2023.” To help you find the right B2B marketing tools, we've published lists such as "Marketer’s Toolkit: 10+ New Tools To Enhance Your B2B Marketing Stack," and looks at some of the key tools being put to use in the generative AI side of  marketing in 2023, in "Humanize, Organize, Strategize & Personalize: 4 Ways To Boost B2B Influencer Marketing With Generative AI." [bctt tweet="“Consistency is more important than genius. To become a habit with your audience, you have to show up on time.” — Mark Schaefer @markwschaefer" username="toprank"]

2 — Ingrain Consistency With The Habit Of Scheduling

Turning something new into an ingrained habit will come more naturally to some people than others. Achieving harmony in your consistency takes time and effort, and with it comes the ability to recognize just the right content publishing cadence, as our own senior content marketing manager Joshua Nite examined in “How B2B Content Marketing Can Build Trust that Stands the Test of Time.” “Customer experience expert Shep Hyken says the secret to creating a raving fan is to consistently exceed expectations,” Nite observed. “It’s the ‘consistently’ part that makes all the difference. For B2B content, that means establishing a regular cadence for publishing high-quality content and continually following through. It’s much better to publish one amazing content piece a month than four mediocre ones. Set your content calendar to a level of commitment that combines consistency and quality,” Nite added. A harmonious consistency can apply equally well to customer and internal experiences, as Patrick Bosek, CEO at Heretto recently suggested. "The key is consistency. We need to deliver the same knowledge to employees and customers consistently throughout their journey," Bosek noted. Diligently building consistency by making certain tasks part of your daily routine also takes time, yet the rewards can last a lifetime, as we explored in "Enduring Engagement: 5 Easy Ways To Build New B2B Marketing Connections & Make Them Last." [bctt tweet="“It’s much better to publish one amazing content piece a month than four mediocre ones. Set your content calendar to a level of commitment that combines consistency and quality.” — Joshua Nite @NiteWrites" username="toprank"]

3 — Differentiate With Consistency and Influence

Once you have it in place and running smoothly, don’t be afraid to promote the consistency of your B2B marketing content. With so much content being produced hourly — by human hands and by AI — efforts that stand the test of time have the opportunity to rise above less consistent efforts. In B2B influencer marketing consistency is also important, as our own Lee Odden recently observed in a new Partnershup Unpacked podcast interview with Mike Allton, head of strategic partnerships at Agorapulse. “To be successful at influencer marketing in the B2B space, invest in the relationships with people, and that means an always-on, ongoing effort. It doesn’t mean a lot of effort, but it does mean a persistent effort, just like any other kind of relationship. It requires care and feeding,” Odden shared in “Why So Many Brands Fail At B2B Influencer Marketing w/ Lee Odden.” Allton has also recognized the power of consistency, especially when it comes to building trust. “Consistency is key: Regularly sharing valuable content with your audience is crucial for building trust and credibility. Develop a content strategy and commit to consistently posting on your chosen platform,” Allton recently observed. [bctt tweet="“Consistency is key: Regularly sharing valuable content with your audience is crucial for building trust and credibility. Develop a content strategy and commit to consistently posting on your chosen platform.” — Mike Allton @Mike_Allton" username="toprank"]

4 — Elevating Your B2B Marketing With Consistency

When is the right time to expand on what you have already made a consistent part of your B2B marketing? Once a tactic or task has become ingrained in your business routine, consistency has been achieved, yet do find digital harmony you'll want to take on new challenges, try new techniques, or expand on an existing element of your B2B marketing strategy. 80 percent of the top-performing technology marketers said organizations that give customers a consistent experience across their journey was a top priority, while just 62 percent of all technology marketers agreed, according to Content Marketing Institute’s most recent “Technology Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends: Insights for 2023.” “Maintaining brand consistency may be challenging, but the benefits are worth it,” May Habib, co-founder and CEO at Writer, recently shared in Advertising Week’s “3 Reasons Why Brand Consistency Should be Top Priority.” “Don’t miss out on growth opportunities by underestimating this powerful element in a marketing strategy,” Habib added. You can learn even more about the importance of consistency in B2B marketing in our “Steady As She Goes: Why Consistency Builds Better Long-Term B2B Marketing.” [bctt tweet="“Maintaining brand consistency may be challenging, but the benefits are worth it.” — May Habib @May_Habib" username="toprank"]

Make Harmony Your B2B Marketing Secret Power

via GIPHY As important as consistency is, it’s also good to keep in mind that practicing it doesn’t have to mean giving up on creativity, new ideas, or exploration. One of the reasons for consistency’s great power is its versatility, as it can easily be applied to an endless stream of new digital marketing tactics. We hope you've found this look at the usefulness of consistency — especially when taken to the next level with a well-rounded digital harmony — to be helpful, and that you'll be able to incorporate some or all of these insights into your own B2B marketing efforts. More than ever before, creating consistent 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. *LinkedIn is a TopRank Marketing client.

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