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Facebook beats its rivals to become number one for B2B purchasing info…
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Beating tough competition from the likes of LinkedIn and Twitter, Facebook has been voted as the number one social platform for B2B marketers to find information to aid sector purchasing decisions.

The joint ‘Changing Face of Influence‘ report conducted by the global communications and PR agency, Hotwire, Active Digital Marketing Communications and technology market research provider, Vanson Bourne, found that out of 1,000 B2B decision-makers, 24 per cent actively choose Facebook as their main source in finding purchasing information; compared to 17 per cent preferring to use LinkedIn.

Group head of engagement at Hotwire, John Brown, commented: “Social media has eroded these divides and created an environment where what matters is how compelling the story is, not where decision makers see the story. We need to stop making assumptions about what our audience want and allow research and insight to guide how we create multichannel campaigns. B2B businesses who ignore channels because they view them as only being for consumers are in for a rude shock when they realise no one cares about the channels they’ve lovingly invested in.”

Download the full report here

‘Dark Social’ most popular in sharing publishing and marketing content…
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A study from the San Francisco-based digital advertising company, RadiumOne, has revealed that 80 per cent of UK mobile clickbacks evolve via ‘Dark Social’ channels, such as Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, compared to 23 per cent of content being shared via public social networks such as Twitter and Facebook.

The company analysed the actions of 940 million global users – pinpointing the UK’s social content sharing activity – who shared content from sources where RadiumOne’s sharing software is utilised.

European managing director at RadiumOne, Rupert Staines, said: “Dark Social is a big piece of the sharing universe. This interest and intent data source is particularly powerful when it comes to mobile, where the majority of interacting with shared content is occurring. The opportunity for brands is to track, gather and activate these valuable signals to connect their owned and earned media investments with paid media effectiveness.”

RadiumOne’s worldwide figures found that ‘Dark Social’ content sharing is also popular outside the UK, with 84 per cent of all sharing is happening through this medium.

 

ANA: B2B marketers need to ‘step up’ their game in order to succeed…
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The US-based Association of National Advertisers (ANA) has concluded from their recent research that marketers specialising in the B2B sector have a duty to uphold strong leadership skills and ‘deep’ marketing experience in order to drive brand awareness, customer loyalty and ‘play a key role’ in sales operations.

The online survey, which was conducted in partnership with the market and consumer information group, GFK and represented 237 B2B professionals, found that 39 per cent believe their roles are to ensure that the voice of the customer shapes the business strategy and to bring expert marketing competencies to the table. However, marketers also indicated that they are struggling to be viewed as important and strategic assets; fearing that all efforts made are viewed only as an extension of their companies’ sales divisions.

CEO and president of the ANA, Bob Liodice, said: “Our study shows that B2B marketers have much to offer, but that message is not getting through to the right people within their own organisations. These marketers need to implement growth leadership initiatives, put forth a clear vision of their brands, and develop strategies to remove barriers.”

The survey also found that only 42 per cent hold a position the ‘top management’ board of a company, and 37 per cent of respondents enjoy strong recommendation from senior management. Meanwhile, 35 per cent claim that senior management professionals are highly focused on the product and price; ignoring customer insights.

Read more on the research, including the ANA’s top recommendations, here

Guest Blog, Laura England: Email marketing – here to stay…
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We have come a long way since Gary Thuerk sent the first mass e-mail in 1978. It might have only reached a few hundred people, but back then, that figure was impressive. Almost 40 years later, we continue to use the same technique to reach customers, staff and stakeholders. Laura England, account executive at technical PR agency, Stone Junction, details its substantial transformation

Advances in SEO, content marketing and sophisticated automation tactics have slowly pushed some traditional techniques into digital obsolescence. Despite this, e-mail marketing continues to remain relevant. Throughout its 40-year life span, the medium has seen some questionable techniques. Nevertheless, a few changes and improvements that come to mind are definitely here to stay.

Responsive design

According to Experian, a large percentage of e-mails are now read on mobile devices – two thirds, to be precise. In fact, the growth in use of mobile phones and tablets is part of the reason e-mail marketing has remained so popular. Without a doubt, most of us understand the importance of responsive design. Despite this, just eleven per cent of commercial e-mail templates are optimised for mobile viewing. If e-mail marketing is part of your marketing strategy, responsive design should be a top priority.

A personal touch

In today’s society, everything is personalised, from TV adverts to Starbucks cups, everything is tailored for you. While personalisation of e-mails certainly isn’t a new phenomenon, we’re finally beginning to see this tactic done well.

E-mail marketing has gained a relatively bad reputation when it comes to personalisation. Even luxury brands have fallen victim to the easy but detrimental mistakes of poor tailoring in their campaigns. While it is true that brands could easily scrap this technique and avoid embarrassing mistakes, according to various studies, e-mails containing personalised elements have transaction rates six times higher than those without. Despite this, less than 30 per cent of brands use this tactic in their campaigns.

Long live the light box

Most of us will have experienced a pop up box on our screens whilst browsing online. Often referred to as a light box, the tactic is a pet hate of some marketers because they consider it a nuisance to the customer. However, using a light box is no different to a call-to-action in your sidebar or including a subscribe option in your e-mails. Perhaps, just a little more direct.

Aside from providing a useful platform to notifying the user of a deal or promotion, the sign-up function through light boxes has been known to expand e-mail lists between five and ten times faster than traditional sign-up fields. For me, that is worth disrupting the browsing experience for a few seconds.

Now, more than ever, e-mail marketing is a tool to be embraced and used to its full potential by marketers. Outliving the likes of affiliate programmes, pop-up ads and classified advertising, there is no doubt that e-mail marketing is here to stay.

Laura England is an account executive at technical PR agency, Stone Junction. The award-winning agency, based in Staffordshire, focuses on public relations and marketing for businesses operating in the technology sector. Laura was appointed the company’s e-mail marketing specialist in 2015.

Industry Spotlight: Leaders in online content show support for EU hate speech Code of Conduct…
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In the wake of recent terrorist attacks threatening to devastate the safety of Europe, such as in Paris last November as well as Brussels in March this year, the likes of Facebook, Microsoft, YouTube and Twitter have publicly declared their support to a new Code of Conduct established by the European Commission in a bid to instill an aggressive clamp down on hate speech posts.

With implementation of online hate speech policy already discussed in the US earlier this year, where Google and Apple held meetings with government officials to confer on an effective protocol, the European Commission has set clear guidelines with the assistance of the online media companies to take immediate action within a 24 hour time period of being notified of a hate post.

Some of the methods recommended in the Code to handle such content include the consideration of disabling a user’s account; in addition to providing regular training ‘on current societal developments and to exchange views on the potential for further improvement’. The Commission also stresses the importance for media companies to have ‘clear and effective processes’ in place in order to ‘prohibit the promotion of incitement to violence and hateful conduct.’

Head of public policy for Europe at Twitter, Karen White, said in a statement: “Hateful conduct has no place on Twitter and we will continue to tackle this issue head on alongside our partners in industry and civil society. We remain committed to letting the Tweets flow. However, there is a clear distinction between freedom of expression and conduct that incites violence and hate. In tandem with actioning hateful conduct that breaches Twitter’s Rules, we also leverage the platform’s incredible capabilities to empower positive voices, to challenge prejudice and to tackle the deeper root causes of intolerance.”

According to figures released by Twitter, the social media platform has had to suspend 125,000 accounts to date on the grounds of Tweets containing threatening content surrounding terrorism acts.

Read more about the Code here

Campaign Monitor launches email marketing solution for publishers…
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The email marketing software provider, Campaign Monitor, has launched a specifically for publishers which aims to provide a simple and effective solution to building email marketing campaigns, as well as drive audience engagement and extend subscription lists.

Campaign Monitor for Publishers claims to boast ‘easy-to-use’ integrations such as flexible sign-up forms; a drag and drop tool for a quick and easy way to navigate campaign features; and an email automation tool for publishers to create personalised campaigns. CMO at Campaign Monitor, Kraig Swensrud, said: “Publishers have unique email marketing needs because their audience has expectations for email content, length and frequency that differs from other industries. With more than 10,000 customers in the publishing industry, we have prescribed the best practices and simple do-it-yourself technology to help publishers deliver messages that resonate with their audience.”

Read more about Campaign Monitor for Publishers here

Discovering content the most popular method with consumers…
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A recent report conducted by the US video platform company, Rapt Media, has found that the majority of consumers prefer to find content themselves, even if the content sent out is personalised to the individual and their preferences.

Surveying 1,000 consumers, the report analysed consumer attitudes to marketing content and revealed that 43 per cent completely reject online ads, and an overall 95 per cent claimed to take some action against receiving ads. Moreover, 67 per cent complained that brands are sending too much content; 55 per cent stating that much of it is not relevant; and 46 per cent claiming that the content information comes across as ‘pushy’.

Read the full report here

Geometry Global Intelligence extends consultancy service to EMEA region…
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The international brand activation agency, Geometry Global, has rolled out plans to extend its bespoke marketing consultancy service, Geometry Global Intelligence to the Europe, Middle East and Africa region (EMEA).

Designed to support and advise marketers on a number of key areas including; the customer journey, market analysis and new product development, the service will launch in France, Italy, Russia, Germany, United Arab Emirates and South Africa after a successful piloted 12 months in the UK. Chief executive of the EMEA region at Geometry Global Intelligence, Pietro Leone, commented: “Media fragmentation has significantly increased the complexity of brands’ ability to invest marketing budget exactly where it is needed to drive growth. Geometry Global Intelligence works with clients to help transform their business performance by identifying efficient and effective solutions using a unique methodology.”

Business Marketing: Physical Vs Digital
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In recent years, more and more emphasis is being placed on digital marketing, sometimes to the detriment of more traditional (often tried and tested) marketing methods.

This is due, at least in part, to the newness of many digital platforms and the constantly advancing functionality of various social media and communication channels.

Nevertheless, campaign tracking and consumer research findings tell us that some of the more traditional marketing approaches, such as print advertising and solus campaign, are still effective ways to reach receptive target audiences.

Both physical and digital activities will have a place in most marketing campaigns, but it can be tricky to decide on the best combination of the two. Ultimately, this will depend on the nature of your business and the products and services you’re promoting. However, there are advantages and disadvantages to both physical and digital methods and these will need to be given full consideration before settling on your marketing mix.

Physical Marketing

Print campaigns, leaflet drops, print advertising, direct mailings, solus distribution and “outdoor” ad campaigns are all physical approaches to marketing that have yielded results for businesses in the past.

If yours is the type of business that publishes a brochure or catalogue, then this is likely to account for a significant portion of your annual marketing spend.

By comparison with digital alternatives, traditional marketing can seem costly and the temptation is sometimes to switch all of your efforts to bolstering your digital campaigns. However, when you consider the demographics that you’ve identified as target markets, it may well be that certain physical marketing methods are more appropriate.

Digital Marketing

Your business website, PPC (Pay Per Click) advertising, social media channels, banner advertising on other websites or on search engine results pages, SEO (Search Engine Optimisation), blogging and email marketing are all examples of digital marketing methods that have come into their own in recent years.

The most immediate and apparent benefit of digital marketing is the seemingly lower cost. Email is often touted as having the highest ROI (Return on Investment) of any marketing activity. However, it’s important to monitor your digital efforts to make sure you’re getting worthwhile results.

Banner advertising is attractive to many business owners and marketing managers simply because it seems so cheap compared to print advertising. However, just because a website with ad space boasts a high volume of traffic, doesn’t necessarily mean that their traffic will be receptive to your product or service.

Another pitfall is the assumption that social media marketing is free. Although it’s possible to create and execute a highly effective social media marketing strategy for very little outlay, nurturing and growing your online audience takes time and effort – precious resources which must not be overlooked.

At the end of the day, the particular mix of physical and digital marketing techniques you choose will depend on your product/service, your budget and the size of your team. However, the best approach is to keep an open mind. To get the most from your marketing campaigns will involve a certain amount of trial and error and a constant willingness to adapt and refine your activities.

Go digital at the Internet Marketing Summit
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Rapidly revolutionising the dynamics of the business world, the use of the internet has become increasingly critical to the success of organisations. Businesses need to take advantage of this new medium to interact with their consumers by incorporating digital into their strategies and adopting the latest technologies available.

Traditional marketing approaches; snail mail, trade shows and print advertising, have become a thing of the past. Businesses now need to go digital to connect with their customers. Marketing strategies and tactics must therefore be conceived with today’s digital nature in mind.

Opening up the world of business, the internet has significantly contributed to the removal of trade barriers. Through the use of the internet, companies are able to reach a wider audience by trading globally. Though this is largely advantageous, there are also limitations businesses must keep in mind. With over 30 million domain names online trying to reach out to potential consumers, competition has never been higher.

Now more than ever, businesses need to optimise their marketing strategies to improve their visibility and name recognition worldwide. To be on the forefront of digital, businesses need to be innovating constantly. The challenge is for brands to connect with customers through all these devices and networks in real time, creating campaigns that work across social media, display advertising and eCommerce.

The Internet Marketing Summit is an event designed to draw on the combined skills, knowledge and expertise of the digital community to develop new strategies and tackle the challenges that the digital future presents.

Offering invaluable digital insight to senior marketing professionals; the Internet Marketing Summit provides unparalleled industry access to the latest products and services to help businesses enhance their marketing strategies. Maximising productivity with face-to-face meetings; the Internet Marketing Summit uses a unique matchmaking formula to bring delegates and the most innovative product and service providers together.

Featuring a comprehensive seminar programme, this year’s Summit will be welcoming prominent industry influencers, including speakers from Metropolis International, The ID Group and many more, to provide an update on policy and share best practice strategies on all facets of digital marketing.

Welcoming senior representatives from Bupa Global, Hilton Worldwide, Tesco, Vision Express, yoomoo and many more; the Internet Marketing Summit is a well-established platform to learn from the experts on how to encompass the latest technologies into a marketing strategy.

Returning for its 8th year, the Internet Marketing Summit is a day of ideas, inspirations, tools and tactics to help businesses succeed in today’s fast-paced business environment, giving marketers the expertise to transform their strategies in line with the latest technologies. Featuring keynote speakers, leading brands and the biggest brains in the industry, the Internet Marketing Summit is the ideal place for industry professionals to get their fix on the latest trends, updates and innovations in the ever-changing world of digital marketing.

The annual Internet Marketing Summit will take place on May 9th at the Grange Tower Bridge, London. Attendance to the Internet Marketing Summit is exclusively limited to senior marketing professionals and product and service providers in the industry, to secure your place at the event please contact:

Amy Ktori
Event Sales Manager
E: a.ktori@forumevents.co.uk
T: 01992 666729