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Plus better questions to ask
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Satisfy your craving for better B2B marketing results.
 
#1
Want better marketing results?
Ask better questions.

As service providers, we know the value of asking good questions. The ones that dig deep, create space, and get to the heart of the matter.

And yeeeeeeeeeeet when it comes to digging deeper into our own marketing success, we default to surface-level tactical questions.

Kate Bourgoin's short post on LinkedIn takes three common ones:

  • What tools should I use to build an audience?
  • How can I automate lead gen?
  • How can I scale my service business?

...and makes them better.


My question to you: as you prepare for 2025, what open ended questions are you asking to dig deeper before making important decisions?
 
#2
How to blur sensitive content in a Loom video

Loom, a video/screen sharing platform, has been a real game changer for my consultancy. Why send a long-ass email thread to explain something when I can shoot a quick 1-minute video? Most recently I used Loom to:

  • Demo how Folk CRM (*I'm an affiliate) runs inside of LinkedIn and pulls over profile information.
  • Explain how local, branded, and paid search works to a cohort of fem-identifying folk considering SEO as a career-building skill.
  • Go over my "Define. Refine. Connect" framework with a prospect.

Something I didn't know Loom could do was blur out content easily. A total game changer if you end up going over the same thing again and again but have to use "live" content to make your point. Blurring out identifying data or irrelevant parts of the screen make a video more re(usable)... with consent from the original contact, of course.

Even if you don't use Loom, this is a great reminder to go review all the features of your preferred screen recording program.


My question to you: how can you leverage screen recordings in your marketing content to show prospects exactly what it feels like working with you?

 
#3
B2B content marketing benchmarks, budgets, and trends research (ungated)


I look forward to Q4's plethora of reports and studies that help us prepare for the new year. Especially when they focus on us B2B!

One such report that doesn't require a friggin email address is Content Marketing Institute's 15th annual B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends: Outlook for 2025.

Have a ball scrolling around and looking at all the cool charts. Some interesting ones I caught:

  • "Lack of clear goals" was the #1 reason why respondents felt their content strategies weren't as effective as they could be.
  • The social media platform that delivers the best value was LinkedIn by a landslide (85%) followed by Facebook (28%).
  • Most organizations seek to invest in video or thought leadership over other kinds of content.

My question to you:
what results validate your experience marketing your company or organization in 2024?
 
  #4
A thoughtful social media risk management guide

Ah yes, risk management. The most fun part of social media. Party Time.

Metricool's Social Media Risk Management Guide for Brands and Businesses is worth checking out, though. And like, now and not when shit hits the fan. What I like about this one is how it's divided:

  • Understanding common risks such as data breaches and crisis events.
  • Strategies such as employee training and alert systems.
  • Implementation such as audits and risk matrix.

So not so much about what to do when an account gets hacked. Rather, I see this article as an operational guide as your internal team or 3rd party providers grow and need to be more organized and proactive around managing your socials.


My question to you: what policies do you have in place for the various marketing channels you use?
 
Alison K looking at you with a jar of chili crunch oil in her hand
Please don't navigate to that link, I made it up. Obvs.
Are you treating your marketing like a gala event
...or a roadside billboard?



For the sake of this exercise, let's agree that a "Gala Event" is:

  • A room full of executives and VIPs.
  • Mingling because of aligned purpose.
  • Building relationships instead of selling.
  • Cus juicy deals take time and trust to close.

and a "Roadside Billboard" is:

  • Something anyone on that particular road can see.
  • Reading the content as they drive past.
  • But not really motivated to do anything else.
  • Cus one-way communication doesn't inspire action.

Now reflect on a recent marketing initiative that didn't do as well as you expected.

Did it have more Gala or Roadside vibes?

In any marketing effort, remember that content that resonates and invites folk to connect will always outperform content that’s just ‘passing through.’

That's because you're selling transformative expertise, Darlin. Not flooring. 😉

 
Alison K Consulting, 3271 Agricola Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3K4H4, Canada


This edition was written on a Saturday so I'd be freed to attend B2B Forum by Marketing Profs in Boston. You don't have to write newsletters the day before they're due!

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