THERES’ NO B ORING IN - MNI Targeted Media Inc. | Strategic Marketing … · Social Media & Content Manager. In recent years, technology has given marketers unprecedented access

THERE’S NO BORING IN B2B MNI TARGETED MEDIA mnitargetedmedia.com1

THERE’S NO BORING IN

ADVERTISINGBy Ida Morris

Social Media & Content Manager

In recent years, technology has given marketers unprecedented access to the people they need to reach. As a result, the B2B selling process has become much more faceted. Campaigns that include elements such as social media, email blasts, search, content distribution, and targeted magazines, are focused on building personal relationships with clients and prospective clients, before trying to sell them anything. It’s an exciting time to be a B2B marketer!

Data insights and technology have helped us take a much more proactive and hands-on approach, allowing us to connect with our target audiences along their path to purchase (lead-to-revenue). Technology is making it easier to create 1:1 buying experiences.

Technology also means immediacy. People expect things to be new and now. There’s so much opportunity for real-time communication with our marketing efforts, from rich media digital ads to local ads in, or wrapped around, popular national magazines.

This whitepaper focuses on what the new breed of B2B marketer needs to know:B2B marketing tools, content creation, lead generation and curation, and specific digital and magazine media solutions that will help you navigate the evolving ecosystem of B2B.

1 THERE’S NO BORING IN B2B ADVERTISING MNI TARGETED MEDIA INC. mnitargetedmedia.com


NEW TOOLSFOR YOUR B2B TOOLBELTToday, B2B marketing encompasses a lot more than direct mail and basic outbound tactics. While those are both still valuable practices, it’s important to note that, as the habits of B2B decision makers have changed, B2B marketers must respond by revamping their techniques.

Here’s what you need to know about today’s B2B decision makers:

• They are much more likely to search online. In fact, 89% of them use the internet during the research process.1

• They ask their peers for advice.

• Nearly half of B2B researchers/decision makers are Millennials.1 So if your B2B marketing strategy doesn’t include marketing to Millennials, it’s time to get on board.

SO, HOW DO YOU CONNECT WITH THEM? HERE ARE FIVE MARKETING TACTICS THAT WILL HELP YOU REACH THE B2B DECISION MAKERS THAT YOU NEED TO REACH.


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1.RESEARCHAn informed strategy starts with data, in the form of detailed audience and market research. Comprehensive data collection helps you understand distinctions—like where in the decision-making process your audience is—to create campaigns that have the best possible chance of reaching and influencing the audience you need.

61%77%

of B2B decision-makers start the decision making process with a web search.2

of B2B purchasers say they won’t even speak to a salesperson until they’ve done their own research.2

2.INBOUND MARKETING (PULL MARKETING)Inbound marketing is the distribution of valuable content to attract audiences to you, your brand, your social channels, and your website. Good inbound marketing doesn’t include a hard sell. It pulls people in, and helps strengthen your position as an industry expert. For comparison, outbound (push) marketing is the traditional ‘spray and pray’ technique, where you push your info out and hope that clients find you. It’s quantity over quality, and there’s no doubt push marketing has its place, but inbound marketing is permission-based, and therefore reaches a much more qualified audience.

47% of B2B buyers viewed

3-5 pieces of content before

engaging with a sales rep.4

96%of B2B buyers want content with more

input from industry thought leaders.4

72%of consumers who did a local search visited a store within five miles.3

THERE’S NO BORING IN B2B ADVERTISING MNI TARGETED MEDIA INC. mnitargetedmedia.com

3.A USEFUL WEBSITEProspects will visit your site long before they contact you, so it needs to make a good first impression. It must be mobile-friendly, and have relevant content that will speak to clients, regardless of their position in the sales funnel. Use strong copy and engaging design to highlight what it is that sets your brand apart. The best sites give away just enough info to pique interest and encourage prospects to get in touch.

4.SEOB2B marketers have been slow to jump into the SEO pool. But search-engine ranking matters, and using industry-specific keywords can help drive a qualified audience to your site. Employing SEO today will you give a leg up on your competition.

5.RELATIONSHIP BUILDINGCultivating a more advice-based connection with clients and prospects—including the best ways to use your products or services—encourages brand loyalty. Comprehensive research can help you better understand your audience, so you can address exactly what’s relevant to them. As consumers expect tailored communication across all channels, creating personalized communication (email campaigns, blogs, whitepapers, etc.) proves that you can act as a trusted advisor. It can also help you build a community around your brand.

68% In fact,

of B2B businesses use website landing pages to garner new sales leads

for future conversion.5



LET YOUR CONTENT BE YOUR GUIDEOriginal content creation is the cornerstone of modern B2B campaigns. In fact, 85% of B2B marketers credit robust content creation as the #1 cause for their increased success over last year.6 It’s the best way to generate buzz, and helps guide decision makers down the path-to-purchase.

Content marketing influences almost every other online marketing tactic. According to the Content Marketing Institute, content marketing is defined as, “a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience—and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.”7

B2B marketers have known the value of content marketing for a long time, yet 70% lack a consist-ent or integrated strategy.8 Creating a long-term strategy will ensure that you’re ahead of the trends and delivering relevant content.

GREAT CONTENT CAN:

Save Time and Money: Planning your content strategy to impact your internal sales cycle—like distributing a Holiday Spending Trends Deck just before holiday shopping season ramps up—will help you deliver content that will resonate with your audience and be more likely to lead to a sale.

Boost New Business: Content marketing generates approximately three times as many leads as traditional marketing, per dollar spent.9

Connect with Consumers: There’s no better way to build business relationships than to provide content that people find valuable. Creating and maintaining a 1:1 relationship with your clients and prospects is crucial for building trust and loyalty, both essential for closing a sale.

Build Personal Brands: A sales team that shares your original content can increase your visibility as an industry thought leader. It creates another touchpoint with clients and prospects.

Inform and Influence: Highlighting benefits and including case studies can help move new clients and prospects down the path-to-purchase.

Improve Search: Publishing good content— including frequent updates and using keywords and links—increases your search engine ranking.

Finding the right mix of content creation is a balancing act. You don’t need to produce excessive content to have an effective content marketing strategy.

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BOOST NEW BUSINESS:

3x Content marketing generates approximately three times as many leads as traditional marketing, per dollar spent.9THE LEADS


Blogs Including a blog on your website is a great way to increase your visibility as a thought leader. Engaging (and frequently updated) blogs are great resources for clients, and are invalu-able for improving SEO. Encouraging comments and feedback can build relationships and community; be sure to cultivate that 1:1 relationship by monitoring any interaction and providing quick responses.

WhitepapersDon’t be intimidated by the term ‘white paper.’ It refers to an informative report about a specific subject, and can be as short as six pages, including graphics, charts, and sources.

Clients and prospects appreciate content that educates and informs without a hard sell. It’s also easy to re-purpose this long form content for blogs, infographics, podcasts, vlogs, and more.

InfographicsA picture is worth 1,000 words. Infographics, and graphics in general, help bring your content to life. They’re tailor-made for sharing, and can be positioned across multiple social platforms to reach a wide audience.

Case StudiesIn a world where consumers place high value on peer reviews, case studies are persuasive narratives that showcase real results. They can be useful weapons in your sales team’s arsenal.

VideosYouTube is the second-largest search engine in the world, so it’s no wonder that video content marketing continues to rise. It comes with high engagement and retention rates, improves SEO, helps make a personal connection with your audience, and is easy to share. Visual tours of your facilities, product how-to videos, client testimonials, introducing new products or services, coverage of corporate events—the opportunity for video content marketing is virtually unlimited.

WebinarsWebinars are an easy but powerful way to provide real-time educational information to your clients and prospects, and they increase your online visibility. They offer up-to-the-minute content distribution, deliver a deeper level of engagement, and are cost-effective.

PodcastsPodcasts are perfect for a B2B audience that has increasingly less time. They are popular and effective because they allow for passive consumption. Plus, it’s easy to recycle your content (blogs, whitepapers, and more) into quick, 5-10 minute podcasts that provide an additional touchpoint and connection with your audience.

Here are just a few kinds of original content that you could be producing to connect with prospects and clients:

85% of B2B marketers credit robust

content creation as the #1 cause for their increased success over last year.6


THERE’S NO BORING IN B2B MNI TARGETED MEDIA mnitargetedmedia.com

B2B LEAD GENERATIONThe B2B path-to-purchase is no longer linear. Decision makers are turning to industry experts, peers, reviews, influencers, and online research throughout the purchase process, and B2B marketers need to align their strategies to reflect this new consumer journey.

ACCOUNT-BASED MARKETINGThe B2B process relies heavily on account-based marketing (ABM). In fact, 97% of B2B marketers said that ABM had a somewhat higher or much higher ROI than other marketing initiatives.10 ABM aims to target a key set of accounts, using personalized and highly tailored campaigns to generate leads. It’s based on the assumption that B2B buying decisions are usually made by a select group of people rather than a single person.11

As 84% of marketers said that ABM had significant benefits to retaining and expanding existing client relationships,12 it is crucial that marketers take advantage of the extensive targeting techniques available to them, and are confident that there is tremendous opportunity for highly-targeted B2B marketing that reaches the right people with the right message.

Further to the above stat, when ABM had been in use for at least a year, 60% of users reported a revenue increase of at least 10%, and 19% reported a revenue impact of 30% or greater.12

There are many software-as-a-service account-based marketing systems out there, as well as those that are able to integrate with existing platforms.11 These services excel at collecting, analyzing, and managing data to deliver the most targeted and personalized campaigns possible.

HERE ARE JUST A FEW THAT ARE POPULAR:

80% of B2B content marketers said

sales lead quality was their #1 goal.6


DATA COLLECTION: THE SOCIAL SOURCEOne of the most important sources for ABM is data collection through social media. Collecting social data helps you gain a better understanding of your key audiences, and what’s really important to them.

Social media also allows brands—both B2B and B2C—to develop personal relationships with consumers by communicating with them directly. A follow-up email

or phone call, or engagement with a social media post, delivers the immediacy and one-to-one connection that consumers are accustomed to, and helps humanize B2B brands.

Retargeting technology is another powerful tactic that B2B marketers should consider. For example, by analyzing the data from websites the target has visited, it’s possible to estimate where s/he is in the decision-making process. Savvy marketers will use this information to tailor their content, so it’s relevant and pulls people down the path-to-purchase.

MIDDLE OF THE PATH You can identify consumers who are in the middle stages of the decision-making process because they’ll visit product

pages, but only at the 30,000-foot level. They’re not clicking on the Learn More buttons, and are not quite ready to convert.

Make sure you’ve got the info they’re looking for, in the form of targeted content, case studies, etc.

END OF THE PATH Once consumers start checking out case

studies, pricing, and delivery options, you know they’re getting close to making a decision.

Use retargeting to let them know who’s their local sales rep, promote any

discounts, get them to request a sample or demo, etc.

BEGINNING OF THE PATH People at the beginning of their search will visit pages related to

general content, like blogs, not specific brands or products.Make sure you’re providing valuable content (blogs, whitepapers, factbooks, infographics, etc.), so you can capture this initial lead.


Not only are businesses trying to connect with other businesses, they’re trying to build relationships with multiple people at those businesses. The decision-making process in B2B is much longer and more involved than in B2C—often taking months, and sometimes over a year. That makes sense, considering that the size of the purchase is much greater, from tens of thousands to sometimes millions of dollars.

B2B companies need to connect with their audiences as early and as often as they can during the consideration phase. One way to make sure you’re part of the conversation is by keeping track of who’s visiting your website.

If it’s a current client, your message to them needs to be personalized as such. You can’t send them the same email you send to prospects. You have history with them—you know them, and they know you. The follow-up email you send them could be an attempt at an upsell, or to remind them about new products or services you’ve recently introduced.

If your web visitor is a client or prospect, you need to send them different content. But it still needs to be personalized: You know where they’re located (via their IP address), what content they engaged with on your site, and how long they stayed. Tracking pixels can collect vital data about what other sites they visited, and retargeting technology will keep your message top-of-mind. Tailored messaging lets your prospects know they’re important to you, and that you have the solutions they’re looking for.

IT’S A MARATHON, NOT A SPRINTOnce you’ve gotten that all-important lead, it’s crucial that you keep them interested in your message. Remember that in most cases B2B marketing is about the long game. Lead nurturing—or drip marketing—cultivates that all-important personal connection. Building and sustaining meaningful (and profitable!) relationships with buyers can create a substantial revenue stream from the leads you already have in your database.13 It’s low-hanging fruit, since you don’t have to go out and find them.

This is where sales and marketing must be in unison, working together to develop communication strategies that are constant reminders of the value that you bring. Not everything has to be a hard sell, or even a sell at all. Original content (blogs, email blasts, whitepapers, etc.) that analyzes industry trends or addresses pain points increases your credibility as industry thought leaders.

79% of marketing leads never convert to sales. Lack of lead nurturing is the most common cause of this

poor performance.14



When developing your campaign, keep your target in mind. It’s important to segment your audience—by their specific roles/functions, their positions on the path-to-purchase, whether they’re a client or prospect, etc.—to make sure your nurturing campaign is relevant and valuable to them. Each communication should address their needs, and reinforce your value in being able to satisfy those needs.

10 mnitargetedmedia.comTHERE’S NO BORING IN B2B ADVERTISING MNI TARGETED MEDIA INC. mnitargetedmedia.com

Selecting the right data partner is also key, as they will leverage your available data and maximize your B2B campaigns.

Some of our favorites include:

ALC Data ALC provides advertisers with data segments that enable them to eliminate the waste associated with traditional advertising, and pinpoint the segments that their product or service will appeal to most.

Dun & Bradstreet B2B-specific data and analytics provides insights on key relationships, including buyers, prospects, suppliers, and partners. D&B determines which companies are good to work with and which have more risk.

Bombora Bombora is the largest aggregator of B2B intent data, providing B2B marketing and sales teams insights about which companies are in market for which products.

Semcasting Semcasting’s patented IP targeting solution allows marketers near-100% reach of online audiences using a cutting-edge data management platform.

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CONTENTDISTRIBUTIONThere are many targeting tech- nologies that you can use to amplify your new and existing content and drive user engagement.

Native advertising can act as a content distribution solution, and provide a platform to seamlessly weave branded content within a contextually-relevant environment. It’s perfect for engaging with interested consumers in a non-intrusive manner across multiple touchpoints.

Email blasts can also be used to leverage any available CRM data, with messaging that’s customized to share available content. They also provide a way to target a specific audience.

Content syndicators are third-party sites that will publish your web-based content—whitepapers, blogs, infog-raphics, etc.—on their websites. It’s great for increased exposure and SEO, as your content benefits from the association with a larger site. There’s also Search Engine Marketing (SEM), which is the process of using paid search engines to gain website traffic and visibility. It includes SEO and paid listings, and increases brand exposure and awareness, driving leads and traffic to your website. It’s a crucial B2B tactic, as evidenced by the fact that search ad spending is expected to increase from $30 billion in 2016 to $37 billion in 2018.15


TECH AND TACTICSSo, how do you elevate your B2B marketing strategy for 2017 and beyond? There are seemingly endless tactics at your disposal. Figuring out the best combination that works for your brand—and optimizes ROI—will take some time, but the reward is a cohesive B2B strategy that resonates with a modern B2B decision maker. Here are some of our favorite ways to reach B2B buyers:

LinkedIn For B2B leads, LinkedIn gets results. First, your company profile page should work to drive people to your website. Be sure that it’s a true reflection of your brand, and that you post valuable content.

Paid ads on LinkedIn are the most effective way to generate leads and sales. Programmatic platforms, including our MNIx LinkedIn PMP, serve standard banners on LinkedIn via PMP relationships. We can also overlay targeting specifically toward Small Business Owners, C-Suite, IT, Finance, and many other verticals. B2B-focused ads on LinkedIn make reaching a niche audience easy and cost-effective.

Working with LinkedIn directly gives marketers access to the full suite of LinkedIn’s offerings. This includes in-feed sponsored units as well as InMails. LinkedIn offers targeting by job title, industry, seniority, education level, college attended, and company. Plus, members value the business-related messaging.

Trade PublicationsNiche publications exist across all industries, and provide an extremely relevant environment to reach B2B audiences. As people’s content consumption has evolved, trade publications have kept right in step. And online versions of print publications excel at speaking to very specific B2B decision makers.

Adweek, Medscape, and The Business Journals are some of the largest and most popular trade pubs.

Below is just a small sample of the specific people you can target, by name, with a Cover Wrap campaign, delivered straight to their mailboxes.• HR Managers• Facilities Managers• Attorneys• Hospital Administrators• Travel and Event Managers• Union Leaders• C-Level Banking Decision Makers• Local Small Business Owners• Wealth Management Advisors• Golf Course Managers• Farmers• Food Ingredient Buyers• Residential Contractors• Commercial Builders• Presidents of Colleges and Universities• Presidents of Media Companies• Purchasing Agents

Don’t see your particular target on the list? Challenge us. Our list management specialists live for that stuff.

However, niche publications exist across all industries, and provide an extremely relevant environment to reach B2B audiences.

Cover WrapsLike these powerful digital solutions, magazine Cover Wraps also connect your message with B2B decision makers, from lead to revenue.

Cover Wraps—four-, six-, or eight-page communication pieces—are wrapped around and bound to the covers of the nation’s most popular and trusted magazines. They excel for B2B marketers, because they reach specific people and/or places, using your custom list (or one from our extensive database).


Our Titles:

MNICOVERWRAPS

Sample Locations List:• 4As (American Association of Ad Agencies)

• Advertising Week• BOLO (Be on the Lookout) Conference• ComicCon• CES• Digiday Awards• FADMO Travel Conference• Fashion Week

• JD Power Auto Show• L.A. Auto Show• Next Big Thing Summit• PGA Tour• The Smart Kitchen Summit• Think:LA• Small Business Saturday

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Cover Wraps also connect your message with active and engaged audiences at coveted locations, like trade shows and events.

Please note that we cannot guarantee position at these or other events, only Cover Wrap delivery to them.



1. Think with Google. “The Changing Face of B2B Marketing.” 2016.2. Marketo. “SEO for B2B: 3 Reasons Why You Can’t Avoid It Anymore.”3. Wordstream. “The Ultimate List of Marketing Statistics.” 2016.4. DemandGen Report. “2016 Content Preferences Survey: B2B Buyers Value Content that

Offers Data and Analysis.” 2016.5. @B2B Marketing, “68% of B2B businesses use landing pages to garner new sales leads

for future conversion. Make sure yours stand out.” December 1, 2016, 1:01PM, Tweet. 6. Content Marketing Institute. “B2B Content Marketing, 2017 Benchmarks, Budgets, and

Trends—North America.”7. Content Marketing Institute. “What is Content Marketing?”8. Curata. “Content Marketing Statistics, the Ultimate List.” July 17, 2017.9. DemandMetric. “A Guide to Marketing Genius: Content Marketing.”10. Marketo. “What is Account-Based Marketing?”11. Econsultancy. ”What is B2B Account-Based Marketing & Why Should You Care?” July,

2016.12. Forbes. “Why B2B CMOs Need to Know About Account-Based Marketing.” April 29, 2016.13. Miller, Lynn. “The Complete Guide to B2B Marketing—How to Optimize Your Campaigns

and Drive More Revenue.” May 10, 2017.14. Hubspot. “7 Amazingly Effective Lead Nurturing Tactics.” March 15, 2016. 15. Recode. “Ad Spending on Mobile Video will Reach $18 Billion Next Year, Surpassing

Desktop.” July 17, 2017.

SOURCES

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BE BETTERAT B2BThe world is driven by data. This has changed the game for B2B marketers. It enables us to create 1:1 communication with our audiences, combining art and science—creativity and technology—to build an emotional connection with clients and prospects.

No matter what tactics you’re using to reach your audience, remember that you’re not communicating with businesses, you’re communicating with living, breathing people. Engaging with them on a personal level will build trust and inspire loyalty. This is as important to your sales process as your traditional sales collateral.

MNI Targeted Media Inc., is a subsidiary of Time Inc., one of the world’s leading media companies. We provide targeted print and digital advertising programs, including our Ad Focus Local Network, which has held the #1 rank on comScore for the past three years.

MNI Targeted Media Inc. offers B2B and B2C clients a single point of contact for multi-platform, customized, demo- and geo-targeted advertising.

Whether you’re developing the first steps in your B2B strategy or have a comprehensive plan in place, MNI Targeted Media Inc. can help your campaign succeed.

Let’s get started on your next campaign.Email [email protected] for more.


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THERES’ NO B ORING IN - MNI Targeted Media Inc. | Strategic Marketing … · Social Media & Content Manager. In recent years, technology has given marketers unprecedented access