Here at Demand Gen Report, we’re constantly highlighting B2B marketing case studies of carefully and thoroughly planned out campaigns. These large ideas take a lot of time and effort from all aspects of the organization to come to life, but let’s face it, sometimes marketers just don’t have the time and bandwidth to develop large campaigns on top of large campaigns on a regular basis.
B2B marketing has no shortage of techniques, methods, and strategies to use at a moment’s notice. Some are new, some are old, and some are finally just now getting their time in the spotlight.
Account-Based Marketing (ABM) belongs to the latter. As a concept, one which hyper-targets accounts likely to convert into revenue, it’s been around for a while — roughly 15 years or more. But, for many, it’s only just now taking off.
The devil’s in the details — or in marketing’s case, the devil’s in the data. Almost every B2B marketer has a data problem, whether it’s getting the right data on target accounts ensuring data is accurate and up to date or aligning sales and marketing around the same data, the list is endless. And thanks to GDPR, the pressure is on to get your data strategies cleaned up and compliant.
As buyers continue to expect more relevant, contextual engagement earlier on in the buying journey from vendors, B2B organizations are digging even deeper into buyer data to ensure they can meet expectations. This includes leveraging intent data alongside other behavioral analytics to provide hyper-personalized messaging and content that resonates with audiences and highlights the brand’s authenticity.
Prospects, leads and customers want everything. They want all the relevant information you can provide them. They want your attention. They want the best deals possible. They want your commitment. They want this every time they interact with your organization. What they want, what they expect, is the everything experience.
Bingeing is no longer confined to weekend marathons of Netflix hits such as “Stranger Things” and “Orange is the New Black.” Instead, consumer preferences are quickly transforming the business world, and forward-thinking brands are racing to create on-demand content hubs that meet modern B2B buyer expectations and are ready for their bingeing pleasure.
This year’s Campaign Optimization Series included nearly a dozen sessions jam packed into one week and filled with tactical takeaways that will help you improve your content strategies, up your direct mail initiatives and create high-converting demand experiences for months to come. Oh, and did we mention there’s a session on Fyre Festival? Yup, we went there.
Webinars continue to be a staple in many B2B demand gen strategies, with studies show that webinars are one of the most useful content formats for generating positive engagement with prospective customers. Findings from Demand Gen Report’s annual Content Preferences Survey show that close to half (47%) of respondents find webinars valuable at the early and mid-stage of their buying process. Also, close to two-thirds (64%) of B2B buyers are willing to spend 20 to 60 minutes watching a webinar — more than any other content format.
There is a recurring question that arises when assessing B2B campaigns and demand gen initiatives: what’s working? Progressive B2B organizations are putting a bigger emphasis on producing relevant messaging and content, as well as making it easier for buyers to research and make purchase decisions on their own terms.