How To(s) relating to B-to-B General Advice

Summary: A company blog is a great way to share your industry expertise with clients, and to create keyword-rich content for search engines. But creating a blog and encouraging multiple authors to contribute can be daunting.

Read how a small consulting firm had nearly everyone in their company contribute to a corporate blog that now accounts for more than 50% of natural search-generated visits. Learn tips on identifying keywords, creating an editorial calendar and setting deadlines. continue...

Summary: The small-medium business market comprises the majority of companies in the U.S. economy, making it an attractive target for B2B marketers. But, compared to enterprise clients, smaller companies have unique needs that your campaigns must accommodate.

We’ve compiled a list of five lessons for marketing to small-medium business clients, based on successful campaigns. These tips can help you plan your strategy whether you’re a marketer whose primary audience is SMBs, or one who balances enterprise-focused campaigns with those aimed at smaller clients. continue...

Summary: Establishing your brand as a leader in its field can make a real difference for your sales team when trying to convert prospects, especially if your brand is not well known or difficult to differentiate from your competition.

See how a software firm focused on thought leadership to help get its brand to stand out in a crowded marketplace. Includes 10 steps for using client forums and MP3 distribution. continue...

Summary: Here’s your copy of Sherpa's 2008 Wisdom Report, featuring 101 real-life stories and tips from marketers like yourself.

A special thanks to the hundreds of MarketingSherpa readers who contributed their lessons learned and best tactics from 2007 for our sixth annual report. The editorial team pored over the stories to come... continue...

Summary: Most B-to-B marketers privately lament the state of their in-house lists and prospect databases. Are your names outdated? Are you missing decision-maker names for some of your target market?

In this exclusive MarketingSherpa interview with expert Bernice Grossman, you'll get step-by-step instructions to help you improve your database and house lists immediately: continue...

Summary: Sending your best mid-to-big business customers a holiday card isn't going to cut it. Over the next 12 months you'll inevitably lose some clients. What loyalty programs can you put into place today to begin to stem the loss? MarketingSherpa's new special report on B-to-B loyalty marketing includes a mini-case study on a real-life loyalty program that works. Plus, you'll see stats on why business customers leave, and five steps to start enhancing loyalty today. continue...

Summary: In just a couple of weeks things are going to start getting crazy for every marketer in the world as the race to 4th quarter/year-end countdown begins.

Now is your last chance to catch your breath and take care of five critical items that will make your life a whole lot easier in the long run.

This article is packed with useful links and practical tips on: growing your online PR list and opt-in email list, plus how to survey customers easily and quickly online. Read it, and then pass it to your intern to get some projects started right away. continue...

Summary: Direct mail is out. Full-page, 4-color, space ads in general business magazines are out. That 20x20 trade show booth teeming with minions in your company t-shirt is out. And while email marketing is less expensive, you probably can't find enough tightly targeted lists, so that's out too.

So what's in? What marketing tactics can you actually use now to make your sales goals, which will satisfy the CFO's belt-tightening measures? continue...

Summary: Are skyscraper ads (extra-extra long vertical banners) right for you? Suhaila Suhimi-Waldner, Senior Traffic Builder Hook Media, started buying skyscrapers more than a year ago for a B-to-B client who was trying to reach C-level executives in the Fortune 500. She says, "Given that this audience can... continue...

Summary: Return on investment (ROI) is really in the end all that matters. It's not about open rates, or clicks, or visitors.... Get quick, utterly practical guidelines on what you should be measuring in terms of your online marketing here. continue...