Salesforce.com, Smartling and Zurich Insurance Discuss Why Display Is Effective

This past week in Chicago, Bizo hosted its third Digital Marketing Remixer, an event that explored B2B online display advertising. Bizo hosted two previous Digital Marketing Remixers in San Francisco and New York in March. Presenters at the events have so far included executives from Salesforce.com, Hyatt Hotels Corp., Zurich Insurance, Smartling and other companies. What struck me about the deep, lively discussions is online advertising’s versatility and the wide variety of ways b2b marketers use it in their marketing mix...[read more]

At the Bizo Remixer: Online Display Advertising an Important Part of B2B Marketing Mix

"Branding is critical in B2B, but it is often seen as an afterthought," said Sean Callahan, marketing director at Bizo and editor of Bizo's Digital Marketing Remix. "It's important in B2B because business buyers want to research online just like anyone else" and having a strong brand is important in helping buyers find the product or service they are looking for." When you're buying a car," he quipped, "you don't go for a Yugo—you go with an established brand before you even begin your online research. This is often what we miss in B2B..."[read more]

Branding is key in filling the sales pipeline

Companies are increasingly tying marketing activities to leads and revenue. But marketers feel frustrated with their ability to drive enough leads to meet the demands of sales departments, according to a new study by BtoB. According to the report, “Priming the Pipeline: Driving Awareness, Conversions & Sales,” 60% of marketers said their most important goal was generating more leads...[read more]

Survey Shows B2B Sales Cycle Lengthening, Increasing Challenges For Online Marketers

Crain's BtoB Magazine today shared results of a comprehensive survey of business-to-business (B2B) marketers across the U.S. developed in conjunction with business audience marketing company Bizo. The data shows that the sales cycle has lengthened for many B2B companies, increasing pressure on the marketing organization to boost brand awareness to help deliver leads and effectively nurture them through a prolonged buying process...[read more]

The 7 Biggest Misconceptions of Successful B2B Marketing

Businesses have been selling to businesses for quite some time now, but only recently has B2B marketing risen to a whole new level with advancements in online targeting, display advertising, and marketing automation.  However, what really drives success in B2B marketing can be hard to decipher. Here are seven misconceptions about what makes for truly successful B2B marketing—and ways you can steer your efforts in the right direction...[read more]

Marketing Funnel Lexicon: Top-Funnel Programs

Last month, we gave an introduction to the Marketing Funnel and discussed how marketers need a balanced mix of programs beyond email and search to effectively reach prospects wherever they may be traveling online. In this column we will focus on the top funnel and examine the different programs you can employ to increase brand awareness. The top funnel is where you focus to increase awareness and recall of your company and products, and to drive more of the right traffic to your Web site, corporate blog or landing pages...[read more]

How B2B Marketers Are Learning To Love Social Media For Lead Generation

Social networks like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn have quickly become viable if not mandatory channels for B2B marketers to generate new leads and build brand awareness. As 56% of B2B marketers gear up to increase spend on social media advertising in 2013, how can you ensure that you’re getting your ads in front of the right business audiences, while making reporting as easy as possible to measure and prove social ROI?...[read more]