The most dangerous question
A major B2B program status meeting is about to start. Every key department is represented, including the C-Suite, Strategy, Analytics, Category Marketing, Sales, Logistics, Social Media, Programming, IT, Finance and Account Services. To underscore the importance of this cross-functional gathering, no one is checking their phones, not even covertly. At precisely 9:00 am, the big meeting begins. First, the CEO reinforces the overarching objectives of the program: capture more market share, achieve better visibility with key decision makers, build brand equity, and make the shareholders happy. Then, Strategy shares a massive omnichannel plan designed to realize those ambitious goals. Next, Analytics weighs in with the KPIs the project must achieve to be considered a
Six tips from expert editors
“Words are a lens to focus one’s mind.” - Ayn Rand “Editing is a lens to focus one’s words.” - Boomm If you have an editor on staff, please send them a thank you email. Their job is to make your writing more focused, accurate and effective. If you don’t have an editor on staff, this article is for you. That’s especially true if you must do your own editing. Let’s start with the most important insight: Editing is a mindset as well as a skillset. To ensure you’re in the right frame of mind to sharpen B2B content, here are six smart tips from expert editors. “Be bold” As an editor, your role
The Social Sandbox: Is it postworthy?
Editor’s note: This the latest article in an occasional series covering the turbulent world of social media for businesses. We’re calling this series The Social Sandbox. This time we dig into the challenge of uncovering fresh topics. How do you judge the value of a B2B social media topic? The obvious answer is to review post performance. That’s why there are metrics for almost every aspect of social media. You can track impressions, likes, shares, click throughs, web traffic, response time, audience growth rates, share of voice, sentiment analyses and virality rates. Those measurements will provide valuable insights and guidance after your post has been published. You can leverage them to help inform your engagement
5 journalism best practices for your content marketing
Journalism and content marketing are not identical twins, but they’re in the same family photo. Both are intended to tell an illuminating story using relevant facts and expert analysis. When they do so, journalism and content marketing serve to enlighten their readers, which frequently leads them to more informed opinions and better decisions. Given those similarities, content marketers can take a page from the journalist’s notebook to improve the focus and effectiveness of their work. The following are five foundational best practices of journalism that will take your content development from inception through the finished article. Create an outline A well-constructed outline leads to a good article. The outline does not need
The storytelling obsession
The marketing profession has become obsessed with the idea of storytelling. Marketing channels have essentially become modes of storytelling. You’ll hear the desire for “good stories” used regularly in reference to content, videos, websites, social media, podcasts and even data. Marketing titles have also evolved to include storytelling. A recent Google search for “storytelling jobs” produced over 1,000 results. Here are some of the positions that came up: Chief Storytelling Officer Story Strategist Director of Digital Storytelling Head of Story and Narrative Visual Storyteller Storytelling Coach Content Storyteller Executive Storytelling Head Brand Storyteller But it doesn't stop there. Even entire agencies have been rebranded to focus on storytelling instead of marketing. From a
Tools of the transition
Editor’s note: This is the latest in a series of articles that reflect upon the 25th anniversary of Boomm B2B Marketing and the significant changes in our industry over that time. Gary Mattes is the CEO of Boomm and the proud son of an advertising creative director. There is a compelling fact that Gary likes to share about his father’s professional world because it gives everyone a unique perspective on today’s technology-driven industry. “My father used the same tools of the trade from the day he started in advertising until the day he retired,” Gary confides. “We have changed our tools countless times in the last year alone.” [caption id="attachment_7490" align="alignnone" width="206"] Mr.
Stepping outside the comfort zone
Editor’s note: This is the latest in a series of articles that reflect upon the 25th anniversary of Boomm B2B Marketing. Each article examines a significant milestone in the agency’s history, why it transpired, and its lasting relevancy to today’s marketing landscape. Marketers love to ruminate on original thinking. They romanticize big ideas, out-of-the-box approaches, breakthrough concepts and game-changing strategies. Professionals who drive original thinking on a regular basis are given lofty titles such as thought leaders, strategic savants and creative geniuses. There are countless award shows that recognize brilliance in all its forms from every area of marketing and many industries. In short, original thinking is single most important force in
How to review creative (without being a jerk)
By Randy Mitchell The marketing manager was a notorious jerk. Every Friday morning, he would stalk into the center of the creative department and scan the room slowly. In his clenched fists was a crumpled stack of storyboards, web layouts, ad proofs and radio scripts—all submitted earlier in the week for his review. Then he would erupt; loudly spewing his molten creative criticism around the room. No one was spared and nothing was positive. Until he had an epiphany. On this particular Friday, the marketing manager was already beet red as he stared down the copywriter. Everyone averted their eyes as he launched in on his toxic rant. “YOU
A cure for the common chaos
By Randy Mitchell A wise client once confided that a little chaos was good for creatives. She believed it forced us to think in unexpected ways. That was an eye-opening revelation and I embraced her sage guidance. However, in today’s turbulent B2B marketplace with labor shortages and global supply chain challenges, the last thing marketing managers need is more chaos. That’s particularly true when it comes to planning a major initiative. If you have a significant project coming in 2023, a marketing RFP is the logical starting point. However, the marketing RFP process, particularly on the B2B side, is an inexact science. It’s a complex, time-consuming, high-profile assignment that is initiated out of necessity.
The Social Sandbox: Converting the haters
By Randy Mitchell “I hate social because my customers hate social. They’re engineers. They deal in facts, not fluff.” - Industrial Product Director “Social media is a popularity contest. We don’t need likes. We need leads.” - Entertainment Services Company Owner “Our products are SaaS. That’s a big investment. We sell to the C-Suite and they are not on Twitter.” - Technology Marketing Manager “Social is for branding. Social is for buzz. Social is not for B2B.” - Food Ingredients Regional Sales Director Sound familiar? If you believe social media is a waste for your B2B marketing mix, you’re not alone. Many B2B decision makers are devout social haters because they think it’s not substantial, serious and it doesn’t drive