A recent study prepared by MarketingProfs and the Content Marketing Institute surveyed B2B professionals to identify content marketing trends based on insights from the year 2012. Content marketing has become more important recently for SEO purposes due to Google cracking down on black hat and outdated link-building tactics, and it has proven its worth keeping social media engagement high in the form of infographics and podcasts. The study focused on the various tactics B2B marketers employed, methods of content distribution, and the latest overall budgeting decisions made by marketing departments.
Social Media Reigns Supreme
In a previous blog post, it was shown that B2B marketing professional reported significant success in driving targeted traffic to their respective websites via from organic search. This post will provide an in-depth analysis of Optify’s study to discover just how valuable search engine optimization campaigns proved to be for B2B companies in 2012, and what type of insights can be applied to general online marketing campaigns.
Search Engine Market Share
A recent report by Optify investigated the major online marketing trends among B2B professionals in 2012. The numbers analyzed for the study originated from over 62 million visits and 350,000 leads, providing a wealth of data that can be translated into valuable information relating to the performance of various internet marketing channels.
A recent study prepared by Google and Nielsen investigated the latest trends in mobile marketing, and the results indicate that the majority of users who participated make frequent use of mobile devices to search for products and services. There’s no question companies will need to optimize websites for mobile search, especially with smartphones becoming more advanced, and the popularity of tablets skyrocketing.
77% of All Mobile Searches Done At Work or Home
Users feel more comfortable making mobile marketing searches at home and work rather than using desktop PCs.
Developing successful online marketing campaigns can be a difficult endeavor for small & medium sized business working with a limited budget. However, it does not take an extensive understanding marketing theories and the intricacies of the internet marketing world to successfully launch an online business. Below are some helpful tips for new professionals getting their first taste of the e-commerce world.
1. Choose the right online advertising tools
Choosing the wrong online marketing tools can lose you a lot of money.
One core aspect of any business is to develop an effective online marketing strategy to build brand awareness and generate sales. One issue marketing professionals have is deciding in which channels to invest: inbound or outbound marketing? Voltier Digital recently released compiled statistics from a wide range of sources to provide a telling infographic (that can be seen below) on which of the two marketing strategies proves to be most effective.
Inbound marketing is less expensive
Numerous companies invest heavily into outbound marketing technologies and campaigns that provide high costs per lead and acquisition. However, according Voltier Digital, companies are better served by creating inbound marketing campaigns because they cost 62% less per lead than traditional outbound marketing. This provides considerable advantages for brands looking for more cost effective lead generation programs,
The latest report State of Digital Marketing report from Webmarketing123 is out and provides an interesting comparison of B2B and B2C online marketing programs, with a specific focus on social media, search engine optimization, and pay-per-click advertising. The survey polled various B2B and B2C companies on the performance of different online marketing strategies and their planned budgeting activities for 2013.
#1 Objective: Lead Generation vs. Brand Awareness
The number one objective of digital marketing strategies differed between B2B and B2C companies. For the former, the top objective turned out to be lead generation with 54% of the vote, whereas increased awareness was the most imporant objective for the latter segment. These results indicate that while generating sales is the ultimate objective of any campaign, lead generation and brand awareness are equally as important to create a presence online and break through a competitive environment.
The goal of any online enterprise is to make money. However, more often than not, businesses without a strategic online marketing plan will have difficulty generating quality leads. One effective solution for increasing leads is to develop a strategic SEO and content marketing plan of action. According to recent research from MarketingSherpa, Organic Search is by far the most effective online marketing tool for increasing traffic and leads. So how can you better use Internet marketing to increase business from your website?
Setup a Blog and Post Regularly
SEO and content marketing can begin with the setup of a blog (preferably WordPress) to bring in specific leads. Focusing on long-tail keyword phrases that are highly searched in your vertical can help bring in readers actively searching for help or comparing products. ……
Launched a little over a year ago, Google+ has transformed from a niche social media website to a full-fledged networking utility that is becoming an integral component of any brand’s online presence. A recent study indicates that now has over 250 million registered users, including a majority of the world’s top 100 brands. It might be time for your company to exploit the unique capabilities available on this social media site and integrate it into your overall marketing plan.
‘+1′ Your SEO Efforts with Google+
Getting users to +1 your company profile and search results for specific keywords can have a tremendous effect on your Search Engine Optimization efforts. Although not as crucial as building link popularity and creating fresh content, leveraging the +1 feature from this social media platform can increase your brand’s relevancy to associated keywords. For example, a user clicking the +1 button beside a link result for the keyword “computer parts” will send a signal to Google that there is relevancy between that website and the keyword searched. Although one user hitting the +1 button won’t help you jump up 50 spots on search engines, hundreds of users clicking that button will indubitably help you SEO efforts.
Simply put, the end goal of any online marketing campaign is to generate more revenues. In an increasingly competitive environment, marketing professionals are investing more resources into branding. However, the question remains: is it possible to generate more sales from online PR activities, or is it purely a branding tool? A recent study by PRMarketing reveals that online PR can accomplish both objectives.
Online PR’s Role in Building Awareness
The goal of any online PR campaign is to make up for the lack of information about your company online. PRMarketing’s study revealed that a severe lack of product information online can lose Internet retailers as many as 67% of consumers. Creating more content through blogs, press releases, and review sites is one remedy for a lack of branded content. Keyword rich content will also rank higher, making it easier for your target audience to find your articles and giving them an opportunity to learn more about your products’ benefits.
By Jonathan Berthold on