How we deliver a message is certainly important. In fact, I could write an entire post just on that subject. Here however, I’m going to flip that statement and focus on WHAT we say because this is becoming increasingly important in the world of B2B marketing.

I’m talking about content. Content marketing is the development and presentation of words and images that will engage and inspire prospective and current customers. The goal is to build awareness, deliver a positive impression of your company’s products/services and compel action (request more information, share your message or optimally, make a purchase). Some examples of content include social media, blogs, branded articles, online video, collateral (brochures, catalogs), case studies, website pages, reference guides, in-person events and webcasts, e-newsletters and white papers.

As more and more content becomes available online, it is increasingly challenging to get your content to show up on a potential buyer’s radar (or computer) screen. Smart marketers have recognized this fact. An estimated 26 percent of current B2B marketing budgets are being spent on inbound marketing content development, and that percentage is expected to grow, according to an August 2011 survey by the Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProfs. Your competitors are quickly discovering the importance of quality content. Have you?

So, what puts quality in what you say?  Here are a few guidelines to gauge your current content or to consider as you are developing new content.  Your content should:

• be educational, not promotional
• be fresh or current
• be relevant or of specific interest to your readers, considering their business as well as their personal needs
• solve a problem
• build trust (offer proof through case studies and testimonials)
• be well-written and free of grammatical and typographical errors
• align with your company’s business objectives (If the content doesn’t, then why are you putting it out there?)
• offer insights that lead thoughts to action (i.e., request more information, share your message or make a purchase)

Now that I’ve built the case for WHAT you say, HOW you say it – or how you deliver your content – is equally important. Look for more on this subject soon!

Email can be an effective direct marketing approach – how effective depends heavily on just how good your messages are. So when you’re creating your next email piece, here are some important points to focus on:

Avoid spam filters

Worse than a recipient deleting your email immediately is having it diverted to the spam folder before it even has a chance to be read. All reliable email providers offer spam checking software; don’t be afraid to use them to sort out potential issues. Not only can they  identify potential issues with your copy and subject lines, but they can also help you with potential spam triggers in your design (especially if you’re sending from templates) such as text-to-image area ratios. Whenever possible, make sure you’re mailing to a clean, permissioned list to avoid spam reports.

A headline that works

This is far easier said than done. However, consider a few focused characteristics for your headline to be effective:

• Is the message useful or valuable to the reader? Do they gain something from opening?
• Is it detailed? Does the reader understand what they are about to read?
• Does the message offer something unique or interesting enough to warrant opening?
• Is it timely enough to make the reader open it now?
• Is it brief? Don’t forget the value or the detail, but shorter is better.

Involving all of these components can be extremely difficult. When writing a headline, focus on the value and detail most importantly. If you can incorporate something truly interesting or unique, that’s excellent. Worry about adding urgency to the piece only when it’s useful, rather than forcing arbitrary time frames on it.

Make good use of the “From” field

It’s always important to make sure your recipient knows from whom and why they are receiving the email they are. Keep the name consistent during the duration of your send/campaigns. By doing so you build trust in your contacts that you are somebody they want to receive an email from (and it helps you avoid getting spam reports and  unsubscribes).

Have an effective CTA

Ideally you need your emails to have a single, clear call-to-action. I recently read a really informative article that speaks specifically about crafting a CTA, and here are some of the article’s main points to consider:

• Start with a verb. Get to the action right away, avoid hiding a “click here” in the bottom corner.
• Use numbers. Find a way to sound compelling or demonstrate value using digits.
• Stick to mostly nouns [subjects] and verbs. Adjectives and adverbs are far less valuable in a CTA.
• Keep it between 90-150 characters. It doesn’t have to be brief just for brevity’s sake.
• Go practical, not technical. Emphasize the benefits of the offer, not the complexity.

If you combine all of these features, you can turn a mediocre, mundane email into something that actually delivers results. Email is still one of the strongest mediums available for lead nurturing and both inbound and outbound marketing. It would be a shame if you weren’t making the most out of it.

What are some of the biggest challenges you were having with your email content? Do you find these email marketing tips make it easier or harder to generate content for your distributions?

But being a good poker player requires many different skills; many of those skills are the same you need to be successful in the B2B marketplace. Confused? Let me explain, and let’s shuffle up and deal.

There are many skills you need to possess to become a successful poker player. It’s good to be outgoing, focused, use critical thinking, and be hands-on, with an amazingly quick ability to learn. In the poker world you must be able to read your competition, as well as make a plan of action to outwit your opponent.

Compare that to a successful marketer. In a crowded B2B marketing field, there are different ways to position yourself above the competition. Your position at a poker table can determine what call of action you play. In both poker and marketing, information is key – you must always be on the lookout for the next nugget.

I usually begin my time at a table with a checklist. There are certain questions I will ask myself at the table as I watch each player – noticeable habits, tics or other giveaways. You can never be sure what cards your opponent is holding, but if you pay close attention to other players’ behavior at the poker table, you can catch clues that can turn the game in your favor. The more you pay attention to the actions of your opponents, the more successful you will be.

In the marketing world, we’d call this a competitive analysis. What is the competition saying, and why? What claims are they making? And how do you differ from those claims? In essence, how does your hand compare? The strategic thinking involved in both games is essentially the same.

In both worlds, it serves you to be a sponge; soak up as much as you can and use it to your advantage. You need to use logic to help understand why your competitors are making the play based on the information that you have seen. That same logic applies when you’re plotting your next campaign. Logic, logic, logic is key to making good decisions, and the stored information you’ve accumulated will influence your decisions positively.

See you at the tables!

It begins by building a foundation of confidence.

• Provide outstanding service – under-promise and over-deliver through every phase of the order or project, including estimating, approvals, production, delivery and billing.
• Show concern for their satisfaction after you’ve delivered. Find out how it’s going and what they liked or didn’t like. Were there any surprises?
• Did you meet the objective? Showcase your contribution to their growth.

Take the relationship to the next level by continually adding value.

Value is a journey – not a destination. There will always be new opportunities to add value – if you make it a practice to look for them. Remember that every win builds confidence but memory fades quickly.

• Be proactive and provide ideas to help your customers grow their business. Continually dig and listen to identify and understand their needs and to uncover new opportunities.
  • Apply what you’ve learned on previous projects and find ways to replicate or expand your winning solutions.
  • Keep your eyes open for news that affects them. Read the trade publications and business journals. Forward articles of interest that point to a new business opportunity or threat. Always include the implication and a solution.

• Understand your client’s job and find ways to make it easier and more pleasant. The more you understand their business and their job, the more opportunities you will find to add value.
  • Are processing invoices eating up much of their valuable time? Perhaps there is additional information you could show on the invoices, or you could submit them in a different format or on a different day of the month.
  • If you’re handling multiple projects for them, don’t bombard them with separate emails regarding each project. Summarize for them weekly (or daily if needed) to show status and next steps required.
  • Are they getting in trouble with their receiving department because they can’t figure out where deliveries should go? Doing something as simple as adding PO numbers to the attention line in your shipping labels versus just the packing lists can make a big difference.

• Help them overcome a problem. Roll up your sleeves, be a part of their team and fix things.  Own the situation – even if you didn’t create it.

• Build a personal relationship
  • Learn what motivates your client. Does he or she want to get promoted? Or does he or she want social recognition? Is their number-one goal to cut costs or do they want to drive revenue? Your ticket to loyalty is helping them achieve their goals.
  • Become their friend. Know what they love and show genuine interest. Knowing small details about their life gives you an opportunity to build a personal relationship. Remember that all things being equal, people prefer to buy from people they like.
  • Resist the temptation to let technology replace the human touch. Make time for personal meetings and conversations. Today, it’s much too easy to rely on email and text messaging to communicate. While it’s quick and provides the benefit of documentation, the convenience comes at a cost because it diminishes opportunities to develop the personal relationship that’s so crucial for learning and discovering more opportunities to build loyalty and sustainable business.

What are some of your favorite or special ways of continually providing value to your clients? Or as a client what is something you enjoy having and consider valuable?

Author Susan Cain contends in her recent New York Times opinion piece, “The Rise of the New Groupthink,” that can be the way to go even as today’s culture overlooks “the quiet part of the creative process.” According to Cain, the New Groupthink – continually collaborating in teams to think, learn, work and socialize without time to be alone – is transforming business, education, religious institutions and other areas to the detriment of creativity and innovation.

I’m a newbie at Canyon Communications but have more than 20 years’ experience in PR and journalism.

Even in my short time, I’m already impressed by the work environment that my fellow Canyonites have created here. It’s an ideal mix of having the room to work autonomously and develop top-flight B2B marketing communications resources coupled with the ability to have fun, exchange ideas and collaborate effectively within a team environment.

What that means for our clients is that they’re receiving the best of both worlds: talented individuals thinking and working on their own piece of the puzzle and then putting their collective expertise and creativity together to devise marcom solutions that deliver results.

Interestingly, Cain claims that brainstorming sessions are one of the worst possible ways to stimulate creativity. What’s your experience?

Derek informed me of an article he recently published on how manufacturers can use social media to win business. He found in Forrester’s report that only 30 percent of global manufacturers planned to increase social media spending in 2012. What about local manufacturers? He believes that small to

mid-sized manufacturers have the most benefit in building social media outlets compared to global manufacturers. Why? Read his article as he outlines tools to help small and mid-sized manufacturers generate brand awareness, engage/share information and gain more business:

• Think strategically when developing a social media plan
• Use Facebook and Twitter to brand your company and build an audience
• Promote your brand with YouTube or a blog (i.e. share a factory tour or customer testimonial)
  • Love this idea!!
• Expand your network to target sales prospects via LinkedIn

In response to my last post on the debate if social media works in B2B, I think this article proves that social media can be successful in B2B if you use the right tools in front of the right audience.

Big thanks to Derek for reading the Canyon B2B fishbowl and pointing out a helpful resource to our readers!

Performing an annual review of your SEO strategy is essential to the performance of your website(s), and there is no time like the New Year to do so. Inevitably through the course of the year, you’ve added to your site, little by little. This is a good thing, because it obviously means you were adding new content to take advantage of new and potential SEO opportunities. But as new trends and opportunities emerge, you may find adding content a little at a time may leave your site and overall strategy looking a bit pieced together.

Image credit of SEObook.com

While additions are great, every now and again we need to evaluate and assess whether everything is working together to enhance the original goal and focus. In the SEO game it’s easy to be focused on the overall metrics, but it is equally as important to take a look back to clean up things that may have slipped past us. Things such as over- or under-usage of target keywords, proper linking, etc., can use a quality assurance check now and then as more and more content goes up on your site.

Think of it like decorating a room. Maybe you wanted to have a contemporary Southwestern-themed room in your home. You paint, add furniture and the basic artwork that sets the tone you want. Then your family gets you Southwestern décor for Christmas and your birthday, or the Southwestern section at the Black Friday sale was too good to pass up.

Next thing you know, your room is filled with, albeit cute and attractive, an array of Southwestern décor. What you now have are several items that may all fit the genre, but do they not alter the original image you set out to create? Does that bright-colored poncho your sister-in-law bought you really fit the theme without stretching it?

By revisiting your site (or your room) and evaluating its performance and attributes against the focus and message you wish to present, you create the opportunity to pursue the best changes and strategy into the coming year.

So with this New Year, make it a point not only to evaluate your website’s performance, but also make sure you’re doing your best to meet and exceed your SEO goals.

Clearly, SMS text messaging can be an annoyance to me, but it got me thinking about what experts are saying about SMS marketing and if it provides value in B2B.

Best Text Marketing, a site that provides reviews and ratings of SMS marketing services, outlined the benefits of SMS marketing in an article this past year. These benefits include:

• Cost control
  You can control the cost through your choice of plan, whether it is domestic/international, the number of texts per month you require and the service features.

• Control message arrival
  SMS text messages are nearly instantaneous to transmit, and the character limit means they will open more quickly. You can send a message at the exact time you see fit for your marketing campaign.

• Freedom to do it yourself or hire an expert
  You have the choice to set up the marketing campaign that is appropriate for your target audience.

• Target your audience more effectively
  Use an opt-in marketing method so you’re targeting only those people who are interested in your product or service. Use short codes so you can segment your audience and send to customers who you know are interested in your product or service.
  

I agree that SMS marketing can be effective in the B2C space as long as the right customers are opting in to receive information about the company’s products or services. For me, I need to make sure that I have a high interest in the company’s product or service before I opt in to receive text messages.

So how does SMS marketing provide value in the B2B platform? I found a great article that outlines specific uses for text messaging to                                                                                B2B customers:

• Share information
  Provide customers with industry-specific news updates, white papers, etc.

• Product updates
  Make decision makers the first to hear about product launches, updates, etc.

• Trade shows
  Keep customers informed of your trade show appearances—notify them of booth changes, contests and promotional items

• Appointments
  Send appointment reminders to prospects that include parking info, directions and other details via text

• Customer service
  Set up an automated system where customers can receive order status

• Polls and surveys
  Give customers the option to provide their opinion about you

• Promote your other offerings
  SMS can be a great way to promote a new tool or resource

• Emergency notifications
  Inform your customers of a serious problem with a product

I think these uses for text messaging to B2B customers are all  great ways to find a qualified lead. Do you agree or disagree?

You can see this is not a typical blog post intended to educate you on ways to grow your client base or build brand loyalty. This one is aimed at your heart and personal wellness.

As I said, the New Year can get busy quickly – rushing to secure new business to meet this year’s budget, getting the kids back into the swing of school and homework, doing the taxes. Add this to our usual list of responsibilities, and the struggle to take

care of ourselves seems overwhelming. Finding time to take care of ourselves – go to the gym, prepare a healthy meal, read a book with your child, make an appointment with the doctor or even get a full night of sleep – seems impossible. The key word here is “seems”.

The Dalai Lama summed it up when asked what surprised him most about humanity. “Man,” he said. “Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. Then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die and then dies having never really lived.”

As you are rushing through new assignments at work or helping the kids with their latest “independent study” project and you find your stress level rising, ask yourself this question:  Am I living my life backwards?

If your answer is “yes,” then perhaps it’s time to make yourself a higher priority. Remember that without good physical and mental health as a base, the rest of your life suffers. If you really want to live, create some balance and schedule your “me” time as carefully as you’ve been scheduling your client meetings. If you’re worried about the impact on your work, don’t. For in the end, your effectiveness and productivity will rise along with your mood and energy.

Wishing you good health and happiness in the coming year!

As a consumer myself, I use an app that provides great value to me and leads me down the purchasing path every time, which can be dangerous! I have the passion for fashion, and I happened to find an app online that is geared specifically towards men. It’s from Valet, the modern men’s magazine, and best of all, it’s free to download on your Apple^® products.

Here are different ways Valet helps to promote and market fashion labels, vendors, etc., to consumers:

• Features the latest designers and previews of their clothing
• Features a daily morning report on a style of clothing, accessory, etc.
• Directs the consumer to website links where previewed clothing can be purchased
• Provides daily tips related to fashion, grooming and culture, and directs customers to the vendors being promoted
• Delivers concierge-like service for tailoring services, dry cleaners, etc., in nearly 100 cities

This app is at my fingertips and provides me with access to the latest and greatest in men’s fashion. Without it, I wouldn’t have a simple way to purchase unique clothing/services/accessories from these non-traditional designers, who don’t offer their lines at major retailers such as Nordstrom or Macy’s.

To access this free app, go to the Apple App Store, type ‘Valet’ in the search field, and then simply download. In addition to the iPad^® version, an iPhone^®/iPod touch^® version is also available for free.