B2B Blogging Without the Blood, Sweat and Tears
Every B2B marketer worth their salt knows that blogs are a great way to generate leads, create fresh content for your audience, and improve your search engine optimization. On the other hand, blogs are a very big undertaking. Many B2B companies are scared away from blogging because they feel like they don’t have enough content, are pressed for time, or have a small content team. But with a little planning and some savvy, B2B blogging doesn’t have to be so scary. Here are some tips on how to make blogging doable no matter your schedule, budget or team size. Make a plan. Don’t just jump in with both feet—get a plan together
B2B Lead Generation Techniques for the New Era of Leads
The world of lead generation is changing. In a recent post, we discussed how the lead generation landscape has evolved over the years, and what’s different about how leads are found today. But how can companies reach the customers and prospects they’re looking for in this new era? In this blog post, we’ll explore lead generation techniques that can help you meet prospects where they’re at and find leads that are truly qualified. How to Make Contact One crucial aspect of generating qualified leads in this new paradigm is ensuring your website gets found. Prospects are doing their research using Google and looking at the sites of businesses with potential solutions to their
Confessions of a B2B video marketing geek: the 30-second cage
by Randy Mitchell, Creative Director Greetings from Geekland. This is Randy, the video geek. In my previous blog article, I confessed that B2B video marketing doesn’t have to be dry. In fact, it can actually rock, which is welcome news for marketers and viewers. Today, I have another heartfelt confession and another video that’s worth a look. CONFESSION #2: FREEDOM CAN BE DECEPTIVE I used to be a broadcast producer and it had an unusual effect on my thinking. During those days, I experienced life in 30-second intervals. That was the length of the TV commercials I worked on, and there was absolutely no wiggle room. Consequently, I began to think of every story in terms
Confessions of a video geek: a blog series on B2B videos
by Randy Mitchell, Creative Director Hello. My name is Randy and I am a video geek. There was a time when this geek was banished to the corner at marketing parties. Meanwhile, the cool kids were in the center of the room, talking about their latest Cannes TV spot or SXSW event. It was a world of swag and swagger, and I was an outcast, quietly working away on my underappreciated B2B videos. Then, the strangest thing happened. I became popular. Very, very popular. Was it my new hipster glasses? Or maybe everyone coveted my Doctor Who bobblehead collection? Nope. People simply realized how much video could do for their businesses. Suddenly, it is
The New Paradigm For Generating Sales Leads
Leads are the lifeblood of every business. But over the past several years, the way we think about generating sales leads has changed. This has left some companies confused and unsure about how to get the best, most qualified leads for their sales teams to work with. In this two-part blog series from Boomm, we’ll look at how the landscape of lead generation has changed. We’ll first discuss how lead generation evolved to the process we see today. Then we’ll pinpoint ways that companies can generate better qualified leads. The History of Lead Generation For many decades, leads were the property of the sales team, particularly in the B2B world. The sales representative
Big show or no show? How foodservice trade shows factor into purchase decisions
Before social media and mobile. Before videos and blogs. Before all of today’s countless ways to connect there were foodservice trade shows. And for busy industry decision makers, these events were an essential source for keeping up with trends, innovations and colleagues. Foodservice trade shows were also the place to learn about new products, menu options and technology. These purchase decisions were important enough that operators needed to do a little homework, ask a few colleagues, and compare choices first hand. But times have changed. This is an age of instant information and online research. Does that mean foodservice trade shows no longer influence decision makers’ purchase decisions? The answer to that important
What Makes Non-Commercial Foodservice Operators So Different?
Q. How can you tell commercial and non-commercial foodservice operators apart? A. Don’t bother trying. That might sound like a bad joke, but it’s actually the strategy for too many foodservice marketing campaigns. Faced with the daunting challenge of segmenting decision makers, the fallback reaction seems to be to lump non-commercial foodservice operators in with their counterparts. That’s not surprising because commercial foodservice is the industry’s largest and most recognizable segment. But non-commercial operators are a force in their own right. And marketers cannot afford to neglect these decision makers or ignore their distinct differences. Which brings us to an even more challenging question: Q. How can you connect with non-commercial foodservice operators on their terms? A.
How to Think Like an Editor: Tips for B2B Content Marketers
B2B content marketers wear many hats, from “writer” to “social media guru” to “lead generator.” One of the more intimidating things that content marketers are called upon to do is editing. Depending on your experience, editing may feel like a daunting task. But with a little practice and the right mindset, you’ll be well on your way to being a confident, effective editor. Put On Your Editor Hat If you’re not used to thinking like an editor, you might need to adjust your thinking before putting red pen to paper. One major characteristic that good editors have in common: they’re bold. As an editor, your role is to protect the story and
The Ultimate Food Fight: Foodservice Trade Publications in a War
When you hear the term “food fight,” what comes to mind? Perhaps you think of John Belushi and his Animal House buddies heaving cafeteria entrees at their fraternity rivals. But a much more serious food fight is being waged between competing foodservice trade publications and websites. And the stakes are certainly higher. Foodservice magazines and websites are competing fiercely for the attention of operators, and for many titles, it’s the fight of their lives. That’s because operators have very little time to spare and trade media is not high on the priority list. So the battle rages on and intriguing questions surface: Which foodservice trade publications are operators reading? How often do they use the titles? Do
The Most Influential Force in Foodservice: Who Really Guides an Operator’s Decisions?
Foodservice is one of the largest, most significant and most important industries in the nation. According to the National Restaurant Association, it is estimated that 14.4 million people will be employed in foodservice this year alone. And restaurant employees total 10% of the entire workforce in America. Clearly, the industry is a major force. But who holds the keys to the kingdom? In other words, who is the most influential figure in foodservice? You may think it’s a nationally recognized celebrity chef who helps shape the latest taste trends. Or it could be a well-connected industry lobbyist who helps advocate for important legislation. Or it might even be the CEO of a global chain