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Five reasons to attend the Digital Marketing Solutions Summit

There’s a complimentary place for you to attend the Digital Marketing Solutions Summit this May – and we’ve got five very good reason why your should claim it today!

Wednesday 8th May

Hilton London Canary Wharf

Your complimentary pass includes;

🤝 An itinerary of pre-arranged meetings

💰 1-2-1 access to innovative, budget-saving solution providers

💭 Insightful seminars led by industry thought leaders

👋 Informal networking opportunities with peers

☕ Plus our networking lunch and refreshments

Request the current networking list here.

Places are filling up fast!Confirm your reservation here!

Is email-only outreach a thing of the past?

Lead rates from email-only outreach fell drastically last year, while those from multi-channel continued to climb.

That’s according to new research from Sopro, which noted a 22% drop in success rates for email-only outreach occurred in 2023 vs 2022.

This corresponded to an increase in the number of marketing emails by 49% as businesses battled for attention from prospects.

Three quarters of B2B companies surveyed believe that marketing results are better when email prospecting is combined with other outbound marketing channels, while 68% agree that email prospecting complements inbound marketing channels.

Email still holds a vital role in outreach strategy, however. 67% of buyers said they prefer to be contacted by email than any other channel, while 88% want to hear from suppliers when researching a purchasing decision.

The landscape remains challenging. An average of four stakeholders are now involved in the decision-making process, up from 3.6 in 2023. 11% of companies have between six and nine people involved. When asked to list their main marketing concerns in 2023, respondents cited lead generation (46%), lead quality (38%) and generating quality content (36%).

Sopro analysed data from more than 75.2 million emails and combined them with insights from over 350 sales and marketing professionals, outlined in the State of Prospecting 2024 whitepaper.

The study comes as businesses prepare for new regulations by Google and Yahoo, which are due to be enforced from February 2024. These will apply to anyone who sends more than 5,000 emails per day, in a bid to clamp down on spam.

Ryan Welmans, CEO and co-founder at Sopro said: “It is clearly a tough environment for businesses and marketing professionals, with increased competition and stricter regulations on the way, against a constantly evolving economic backdrop. But this also presents an opportunity for those who have the knowledge and tools to follow best practice and stand out from the crowd.

“The new regulations echo a belief that we have always held at Sopro – that emails should be personalised, relevant and value-driven. When combining expertise with new tools – in particular AI – businesses can offer recipients real personalisation that goes beyond email and that can be maximised across all relevant channels. We hope that the information in this new whitepaper will act as a practical guide for sales and marketing professionals, prompting them to set strong multi-channel strategies for 2024 and beyond.”

Another new development is that 18% of people are happy to be contacted by post, which is more than double the number in the previous year. This suggests that personalised direct mail could be highly valuable for intelligent prospecting.

The research indicated that gifting can increase lead quality by 36.1%. Branded merchandise was reported to be the next most successful gift (49%), with beers, wine, or spirits at 44%. Disappointingly for the planet, tree planting was the least used gift option, with 45% of survey respondents failing to redeem the gift.

CONTENT MANAGEMENT MONTH: Establishing and maintaining an effective framework

Efficient content management is an essential elements of the best marketing departments. It’s not just about producing high-quality content; it’s about managing it in a way that maximises its impact and reach. For marketing professionals looking to establish and maintain effective content management systems, here are some top tips…

  1. Develop a Clear Content Strategy: Before diving into content creation, it’s crucial to have a clear strategy in place. This should outline your goals, target audience, content themes, and key messages. A well-defined strategy ensures that all content is aligned with your organisation’s overall objectives and brand voice.
  2. Implement a Robust Content Management System (CMS): A good CMS is the backbone of efficient content management. Choose a CMS that is user-friendly, flexible, and scalable. It should allow for easy collaboration, scheduling, and publishing of content across various platforms.
  3. Create a Content Calendar: Planning is key. Develop a content calendar that outlines what to publish, when, and on which channels. This not only helps in maintaining a consistent posting schedule but also ensures that your content is timely and relevant.
  4. Understand and Segment Your Audience: Different segments of your audience may respond to different types of content. Understanding your audience’s preferences and behaviours will allow you to tailor your content accordingly. Segmentation can lead to more targeted and effective content strategies.
  5. Prioritise Quality and Relevance: In the rush to produce more content, don’t compromise on quality and relevance. High-quality, relevant content will engage your audience more effectively and strengthen your brand’s reputation.
  6. Optimise Content for Search Engines: SEO should be a key consideration in your content strategy. Use relevant keywords, meta descriptions, and tags to ensure your content ranks well in search engine results, thereby reaching a wider audience.
  7. Leverage Analytics: Use analytics tools to track the performance of your content. Metrics such as engagement rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates can provide insights into what works and what doesn’t, helping you refine your content strategy over time.
  8. Encourage Collaboration Across Teams: Content creation shouldn’t be siloed within the marketing team alone. Encourage collaboration across different departments – such as sales, customer service, and product development – for diverse and more insightful content.
  9. Regularly Update and Repurpose Content: The digital world is ever-changing, and so is the relevance of your content. Regularly review and update your content to ensure it remains accurate and relevant. Also, look for opportunities to repurpose content into different formats to maximise its utility.
  10. Stay Adaptable and Agile: The content landscape is constantly evolving with new trends and technologies. Stay adaptable and be willing to tweak your content strategy in response to new developments and audience insights.

Efficient content management requires a strategic approach, robust systems and processes, audience understanding, a focus on quality and SEO, use of analytics, cross-departmental collaboration, regular updates, and adaptability. By adhering to these principles, marketing professionals can establish and maintain a content management system that drives engagement and achieves organisational goals.

Are you searching for Content Management solutions for your organisation? The Digital Marketing Solutions Summit can help!

Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash

Can ‘fin-fluencers’ play a role in your B2B tech PR strategy?

By Lee Simpson, Head Of Technology Practice, Skout

Whether you call them Key Opinion Leaders, influencers or simply celebrities, leveraging the reach of influential people in various industries has long been part of PR strategies. The definition of what an ‘influencer’ is varies and the concept is nothing new; in our business a journalist can be an influencer, able to shape public opinion and raise awareness of new products and services. And we don’t need to tell you that the proliferation of social media over the past 20 years has given rise to a new breed of influencers using these free platforms to promote themselves and endorse products, in return for an often handsome fee.

For B2B businesses, the role of the influencer and where this sits in the PR and marketing mix has had varying results. Big name celebrity endorsements for B2B brands is still in its relative infancy when compared to the consumer world, and the jury is out as to the ROI in engaging with them. Gordon Ramsay lent his star power to the contact centre software company NICE back in 2019. Deep pockets are a necessity for such an endorsement, something which will be beyond the reach of most tech companies.

For fintechs specifically, or businesses targeting financial services, working with a financial influencer, or ‘fin-fluencer’, could be beneficial. However, there are a number of things to consider before you take the plunge.

Introducing the fin-fluencers

There are a wealth of individuals who make a living offering consumer finance advice. From Martin Lewis, to Suze Orman, consumers now often take these fin-fluencers’ word as verbatim. During the energy bills crisis of 2022, for example, Martin Lewis’s status as the oracle on all things consumer finance had never been greater. But when it comes to the B2B world, fin-fluencers are less prolific, but the power they can unleash for your fintech brand can be enormous.

Take Jim Marous as an example. Marous has built an around being a financial influencer, speaking about digital banking, banking transformation and the finance industry at events around the world. His platform allows him to align himself with certain fintech brands, primarily through sponsored thought leadership content opportunities. For example, Qorus published this whitepaper through Marous’s publication Digital Banking Report. His name instantly adds a layer of credibility to the brand and serves as something of an endorsement, with the content being viewed by potential Qorus customers. But again, the investment in such a package will not be insignificant.

Finding the right fin-fluencers

Before you embark on your search for a fin-fluencer to endorse your fintech, clearly map out objectives and consider the why. What do you want to achieve and will a financial influencer be the appropriate route to go down?

It’s important to remember that trust is key when it comes to recommendations for new technology vendors. Your prospective customers will need proof points – the endorsement of a thought leader or respected industry voice will only get you so far. So lean on your customers first and foremost and leverage their testimonials and case studies. Then consider if a fin-fluencer can add weight, and ultimately value, to your story.

If you’re doing this independently, you can use X and LinkedIn to research relevant individuals. You could even post a #journorequest or #prrequest for a #finfluencer on these platforms and then explore how you could work together. It may be there are reciprocal benefits to the engagement, content that can be shared on your site and theirs, so don’t be afraid to ask the question.

How influential this will really be among your target audience – which can be niche, to say the least – is where robust analytics and attribution modelling are a must. Using UTM tracking links across any shared content by your fin-fluencer so you can track ROI will be key.

If you specialise in Lead Generation & Tracking we want to hear from you!

Each month on Digital Marketing Briefing we’re shining the spotlight on different parts of the print and marketing sectors – and in February we’ll be focussing on Lead Generation & Tracking solutions.

It’s all part of our ‘Recommended’ editorial feature, designed to help marketing industry professionals find the best products and services available today.

So, if you specialise in Lead Generation & Tracking and would like to be included as part of this exciting new shop window, we’d love to hear from you – for more info, contact Kerry Naumburger on k.naumburger@forumevents.co.uk.

Feb 2024 – Lead Generation & Tracking
Mar 2024 – Email Marketing
April 2024 – Digital Printing
May 2024 – Social Media
Jun 2024 – Brand Monitoring
July 2024 – Web Analytics
Aug 2024 – Conversion Rate Optimisation
Sept 2024 – Digital Signage
Oct 2024 – Brochure Printing
Nov 2024 – Creative & Design
Dec 2024 – Online Strategy
Jan 2025 – Content Management

Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash

UK Global Screen Fund awards £3.3m to support global marketing efforts

The BFI has made a further 30 awards through its UK Global Screen Fund, backing seven new international co-productions and supporting 23 UK screen content businesses to boost their international marketing activities and enhance the success of their content globally.

Financed through the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), the latest batch of awards sees over £1.3 million being allocated through the fund’s International Co-production strand and over £2 million being allocated through the fund’s International Business Development strand.

This latest round of International Co-production awards sees the UK co-producing with 12 territories and will be the first time the fund has supported collaborations with Hungary, Norway and Spain. The funding will also support partnerships with Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Lithuania, New Zealand, Poland and Sweden.

The awards, in the form of non-recoupable grants, support UK independent companies as minority co-producers for feature films of all genres, and as majority and minority co-producers for TV projects in animation and documentary genres. This latest funding round supports seven feature films, including one documentary.

Financial support for International Business Development will provide the 23 companies from all over the UKwith funding via one of two tracks:

  • Film Transformation, for internationally-focused transformational business strategies related to independent UK films, with strategies spanning three to five years
  • General, for business strategies to create, acquire and/or exploit intellectual property (IP) across film, TV, animation, documentary and interactive narrative video games, with strategies spanning three years

The funding, awarded in the form of non-recoupable grants and ranging between £50,000 and £150,000 in total over a three year period, is focused on helping companies achieve new international business partnerships, enhance their profile and reach in the global marketplace, and increase revenue generation through export and international expansion.

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said: “The UK’s film, TV and video game firms are global trailblazers and we are determined to maximise their potential to drive economic growth and showcase their creative excellence across the world. Thanks to our investment through the UK Global Screen Fund, independent films – like the BAFTA-nominated Scrapper – are getting the support they need to develop international partnerships, attract investment and reach new audiences on a global stage.”

Denitsa Yordanova, BFI Head of the UK Global Screen Fund and International Funds, said: “This latest round of awards demonstrates the inspiring global ambitions of our unique independent screen sector, supporting companies across the UK to forge new international collaborations and implement exciting growth strategies. It is fantastic to also see such a strong slate of co-production projects, working with a diverse range of international territories, many for the first time. The UK Global Screen Fund is proud to back such a wide variety of ambitious plans for creating new content with international resonance and for developing business strategies to reach international audiences and I look forward to following these ambitious projects and companies as they reach their full potential in the global marketplace.”

Photo by Gordon Cowie on Unsplash

Immersive technologies set for ‘transformative impact’ across sectors

The growing demand for immersive experiences is transforming how people engage with content and their environment, offering captivating virtual worlds and enhancing education, training, and various sectors like healthcare, consumer, retail, automotive, travel & tourism and games.

That’s according to Saurabh Daga, Associate Project Manager of Disruptive Tech at GlobalData, who summarised the firm’s latest report by saying: “The demand for platforms infused with technologies like AR, VR, and mixed reality has been growing across sectors due to their ability to enhance training, consumer experiences, and operational efficiency. In healthcare, they enable realistic medical simulations, boosting skills and safety. E-commerce benefits from interactive product visuals, enhancing decision-making. The automotive sector uses them for design, manufacturing, and customer engagement. In travel & tourism, they enrich tourist experiences. Moreover, immersive platforms are finding greater use in industrial sectors bridging the divide between physical and digital for enterprises.”

GlobalData’s “Immersive enterprise: the sector impact of alternative reality technologies” report delves into over 60 real-life implementations of immersive technologies. The report categorizes these implementations based on the end-use sectors and use cases.

GE Healthcare partnered with medtech company MediView XR to create the OmnifyXRTM Interventional Suite System, which will integrate mixed reality solutions into medical imaging. The resultant platform combines augmented reality visualization, remote collaboration, and clinical insights with medical imaging using spatial computing and mixed reality. This collaboration aims to advance the use of augmented reality in clinical settings for improved patient care and medical interventions.

Nestle uses VR for product development, creating and testing virtual prototypes in the metaverse. This streamlines the process, tracks key metrics, and gauges consumer reactions. The consumer goods company has also applied VR to optimize Purina’s pet food division’s shelving and merchandising.

Mercedes-Benz has integrated AR glasses into its Vision One-Eleven concept car. These AR glasses enhance the driving experience by overlaying real-time information, navigation, and contextual data onto the driver’s field of view, creating an immersive heads-up display. This technology aims to improve situational awareness, offer dynamic navigation guidance, and introduce greater interactivity in the vehicle.

Daga concluded: “Advanced immersive platforms are poised to revolutionize various sectors. While these technologies offer substantial benefits in training, consumer engagement, and operation streamlining, challenges like high costs, hardware limitations, and data security need to be addressed. Nonetheless, by combining with emerging technologies like AI, enterprises can overcome these challenges, leading to a more engaging and efficient future.”

CONTENT MANAGEMENT MONTH: Unlocking the doors to customer engagement

Content management as a term in marketing encompasses the processes of creation, distribution and analysis. Approaches are driven by technological advancements, changing consumer behaviours, and the ever-increasing importance of a company or brand’s digital presence. Let’s explore how content management practices look in 2024…

Traditionally, content management in marketing was often a straightforward process. It usually involved creating standardised content, such as brochures and adverts, which was then distributed through traditional channels like print media, television, and radio. The focus was more on the quantity of content rather than its relevance or engagement value.

However, as digital technology advanced and consumer habits shifted towards online platforms, the approach to content management underwent a radical change. Today, content is no longer just a means to convey information about products or services; it is a tool to engage, inform, and entertain potential customers, building a relationship with them.

One of the significant changes in content management is the shift towards personalised and targeted content. Marketing professionals now use data analytics to understand their audience’s preferences, behaviours, and pain points. This data-driven approach allows for the creation of content that resonates more deeply with the target audience, thereby increasing engagement and conversion rates.

Another key evolution is the diversification of content formats and channels. With the proliferation of digital platforms, marketers are no longer limited to traditional formats. They are now creating a wide variety of content, including blogs, videos, podcasts, infographics, and social media posts. This diversification helps in reaching a broader audience and catering to different content consumption preferences.

Moreover, there has been a growing emphasis on content quality and storytelling. High-quality, engaging content that tells a compelling story is more likely to capture the audience’s attention and foster a connection with the brand. This approach marks a shift from overt selling to building brand affinity and loyalty through storytelling.

The rise of content management systems (CMS) has also been pivotal. These systems provide marketers with tools to efficiently manage, publish, and analyse content across various platforms. With features like SEO optimisation, workflow management, and analytics, CMS has made content management more streamlined and effective.

Finally, the integration of content management with overall digital marketing strategies is now more pronounced. Content is seen as a key component of SEO, social media marketing, email marketing, and inbound marketing. This integrated approach ensures that all marketing efforts are cohesive and strategically aligned.

In conclusion, content management in marketing has evolved from a one-size-fits-all approach to a sophisticated, data-driven, and audience-focused strategy. By embracing personalisation, diversification, storytelling, technological tools, and integration with broader marketing strategies, marketing professionals are creating content that not only reaches but also resonates with their audience.

Are you searching for Content Management solutions for your organisation? The Digital Marketing Solutions Summit can help!

Photo by Firmbee.com on Unsplash

Digital Marketing Solutions Summit – Join us for our 15th anniversary event!

The Digital Marketing Solutions Summit will provide you with a rare full working day of industry networking, learning and connection building, in an intimate format – Confirm whether you will be attending right here.

Taking place on 8th May 2024, at the Hilton London Canary Wharf, this unique event will give you the opportunity to meet with new suppliers who can help with your upcoming plans and projects.

Your pass will be fully funded by us to attend as our guest, which includes:

A personalised itinerary of 1-2-1 meetings with industry leading suppliers, access to our insightful seminar programme, complimentary lunch and refreshments, multiple networking opportunities with likeminded digital marketing professionals & personalised attendance options to suit your schedule.

There will also be some added surprises throughout the day, to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the event!

Book your free pass >>>

Still unsure? If you would like to find out more information please contact us here, and we’ll will be happy to provide more insight on what to expect at the Summit!

Access online courses for marketers and build your skills

We have a wide selection of online courses tailored specifically for marketers, enabling you to both amass new skills and improve existing ones in 2024 and beyond – start learning today! These are specially-curated online courses designed to help you and your team improve expertise and learn new things. The Sales & Marketing and Management, Leadership & Business Operations online learning bundles, provide you with over 100 courses, which cover all areas of both professional and personal development:
  • Converting Leads into Sales Certification
  • Creating a Marketing Plan Certification
  • Closing Techniques Certification
  • Cold Calling Certification
  • SEO for Business Certification
  • GDPR in The Workplace Certification
  • Project Management Foundation (Small Projects) Certification
  • Project Preparation Certification
  • LinkedIn for Business Certification
  • Vlogging Certification
  • Customer Retention Certification
  • Negotiation Skills Certification
  • Networking for Sales Professionals Certification
  • Online Reputation Management Certification
  • PR Certification
  • Presentation Skills Certification
And many more! Find out more and purchase your course online here. For just £99 (usually £149), you can share the courses with your colleagues over a 12-month period. Additionally, there are a variety of bundles available on all spectrums;
  • Personal & Professional Development
  • Healthcare
  • Sports & Personal Development
  • Human Resources
  • Customer Services
  • Health & Safety
  • Education & Social Care Skills
  • Sales & Marketing
  • IT & Personal Development
Book your courses today and come out of this stronger and more skilled!