Satisfy your craving for better B2B marketing results.
#1 How to improve your B2B newsletter signup page
Your newsletter signup page is an important lead generation tactic. But often this conversion opportunity goes to waste because it’s treated like an afterthought. So what else can you put on it besides the form and “sign up for updates?”
My question to you: what tasks could you put aside to focus on making list growth a priority in Q3?
#2 The case for permissionless
co-marketing
Is there a phrase for when you give a shout out to another brand without a formal collaborative agreement? Why yes! It's called permissionless co-marketing!
While "mentioning other brands simply because yours loves them" seems like something so small it doesn't need a term... I happen to know such a gesture can cause confusion for stakeholders. Why spend energy that takes the focus away from your own brand? In that Sparktoro article, they cover the benefits of permissionless co-marketing:
Elevate your own brand.
Demonstrate the value of your product.
Define yourself as a category creator (if you are actually creating a new category).
So if you've been getting push-back about referencing other brands in your content, reference this article to get buy-in!
My question to you: who are 20 brands in your ecosystem you could start peppering into your marketing content?
#3 10 compelling reasons why you shouldn’t starta podcast
I love me a good take on why not to do something. So I got especially curious when Ahrefs, a household name in SEO, recently hit 10k downloads and like... really weren't that into it.
Don't start a podcast: 10 lessons from 10k downloads of Ahrefs podcast is an honest piece about what goes into podcasting. Author Tim Soulo does compare it a bit to SEO, which of course isn't apples to apples, so keep that in mind. But I appreciate how he keeps reminding us readers that the podcast shouldn't be about our brand our product (and that good work takes time and effort).
Note this isn't a "podcasting sucks" article. Rather, it makes a good piece any team should read to make sure they have realistic expectations and goals that align correctly for this awesome marketing channel.
My question to you: rather be a guest on someone else's podcast? I recommend Podmatch to find perfect-fit shows (affiliate link cus I use it myself).
#4 A Government of Canada funding resource that doesn't suck
Funding has helped me and my clients complete juicer, deeper projects. But finding the right funding source isn't always easy.
Did you know the Government of Canada has a Business Benefits Finder that's like... not actually painful to use!? It's essentially a "fill in the blanks" repository to source:
grants and funding
loans and capital investments
tax credits
wage subsidies and interns
expert advice
partnering and collaboration
researchers and facilities
Get familiar with what offerings are open, and make a note on your calendar for when others will become available. Yes, applying for money takes time, but your project is worth that investment! My question to you: what incredible marketing project would you execute if budget wasn't an issue?
Right. Under. Your. Nose.
"We've hit a wall creating content that's compelling for our ICP."
Impossible.
All that brilliant intel is right under your nose!
Your ideal audience is literally spillin the beans about their hopes, frustrations, delights, and experiences all over the dang place:
Social media
Youtube
Forums
Comments section
Reviews
Never has it been easier in B2B marketing to reverse engine what your audience wants.
But you gotta be willing to stop futzing around in ChatGPT and Canva and go take a look. Audience research is just as valid as production, Darlin. In fact, I'd even argue it's more important.
It's the "measure twice, cut once" of marketing.
You'll save more time creating collateral when you already know what's resonating (or falling flat) with your ideal prospects. Here's how:
Lurk the HELL out of their spaces. Sign up for their newsletter, poke around their forums, read their blogs, and eat up their socials.
Take a ton of notes on what content gets a lot of comments, the way their audience talks about the topics and themselves, and how your brand might approach the content differently.
Stop with the random acts of marketing, and carve out some time to see what's already out there to be inspired by. Audience research is something you can do any time of the year - it ain't just for audits and strategy sessions!
Take your B2B marketing challenge from "dammit" to "done"
I offer Coaching Calls and Project Sprints to finish your to-do list fast. Strategy Road Mapping and Weekly Advisory are ideal for teams that need support with longer-term projects.
