Digital Marketing Best Practices for Tech Companies

This ​year, ​we ​attended ​Digital ​Summit ​Chicago ​-- ​a ​digital ​marketing ​conference ​featuring thought ​leaders ​from ​companies ​like ​Microsoft, ​AOL, ​Pandora, ​and ​AllRecipes.com. Below, ​we ​wrote ​up ​our ​favorite ​insights ​that ​we ​learned ​from ​this ​event. ​These ​best practices ​can ​be ​utilized ​by ​any ​tech ​company ​to ​compliment ​their ​sales ​strategy.

B2B Marketing and Sales

The current state of B2B Marketing:

• Control has shifted away from the salesperson, since a salesperson is no longer the sole information provider. Companies are not reaching out to a salesperson until they complete their own research online.
• 71% of people say purchasing from a website is more convenient than speaking to a sales person -- this went up 15% in last 2 years.

What B2B buyers want from their sales reps:

• B2B buyers want a high value added interaction. Buyers have already researched the basic information on their own.
• 77% want sales reps to present a solution with data that is customized for the buyer
• 77% want sales reps to help them learn something new, show how their product / service impacts their business, and to pivot meetings to discuss what the buyers want to talk about.

How to engage today’s B2B buyers:

• B2B buyers have a self-directed approach. They don’t want to be sold to. They prefer to consult with 3rd party experts, access social networks, and peer review sites. As a seller, you have to amplify what the buyer is doing and provide them with rich, high-value content, rather than creating basic content that they already know. You need to have ongoing education (online or in-person) for the buyer – attend a capabilities meeting and attend industry events. Before, the product or service took center stage, but now the seller needs to take center stage and project a thought provoking and charismatic personality.

Sellers need to be:

• Explainers ( Show me ) Consultants ( Enlighten me ) Order takers ( Serve me ) Navigators ( Guide me )

Why you should embrace social media marketing:

• B2B marketers rate social media as one of the 3 most effective demand generation tactics ( Source: Forrester Research ). 72% of B2B social media sellers outperform their peers who don’t use social. Social is a great way to engage and build relationships directly with the customer.

The best way to succeed is to put the buyer at the core of everything you do:

• Personalized engagement Self direction Ongoing education Use predictive tools for targeting your customer

Content Marketing

Content​ ​creation​ ​statistics:

• 73% ​of ​companies ​plan ​to ​produce ​more ​content ​in ​the ​next ​year. 42% ​of ​companies ​plan ​to ​spend ​more ​on ​creating ​content. However, ​only ​35% ​of ​companies ​say ​their ​content ​strategy ​is ​effective.

How​ ​to​ ​enhance​ ​your​ ​content​ ​strategy:

• Everything ​your ​customer ​comes ​in ​contact ​with ​is ​considered ​branded ​content. Make ​sure ​you’re ​creating ​a ​seamless ​and ​worthwhile ​experience. Make ​customers ​feel ​like ​they’re ​part ​of ​something ​when ​they ​engage ​with ​your brand. Rather ​than ​churning ​out ​as ​much ​content ​as ​you ​can, ​you ​need ​to ​focus ​on ​quality. The ​best ​content ​is ​bigger, ​braver, ​and ​bolder. ​Tell ​a ​story ​that ​puts ​your ​business ​in the ​context ​of ​what ​people ​care ​about. Engaging ​content ​is ​about ​brains, ​not ​budget. ​It’s ​about ​understanding ​your ​target customer ​and ​telling ​your ​story. Smart ​companies ​don’t ​engage ​in ​conversations, ​they ​create ​them. Tone ​of ​voice ​is ​a ​tool ​most ​brands ​undervalue. ​It ​can ​demonstrate: Who ​you ​are Why ​you ​do ​what ​you ​do What ​you’re ​like ​to ​deal ​with Make ​the ​ordinary ​extraordinary. ​Reexamine ​every ​part ​of ​your ​marketing. ​Look ​for opportunities ​to ​make ​better ​connection ​in ​untapped ​areas. “If ​the ​label ​[brand] ​falls ​off, ​people ​should ​still ​know ​it’s ​yours.” Every ​piece ​of ​content ​you ​create ​should ​ultimately ​help ​people ​feel ​more ​confident about ​spending ​their ​budget ​on ​your ​product ​or ​service.

Blue​ ​Bottle​ ​Coffee​ ​--​ ​Case​ ​Study:

• Michael ​Phillips ​2010 ​world ​barista ​champion ​and ​director ​of ​training ​for ​Blue ​Bottle Coffee, ​created ​a ​“Secret ​to ​Brewing ​Amazing ​Coffee” ​video ​that ​added ​value because ​of ​his ​world ​class ​expertise. Michael ​wasn’t ​a ​professional ​speaker ​or ​host, ​therefore ​his ​authentic ​personality and ​stream ​of ​consciousness ​shined ​through ​when ​he ​spoke. Providing ​deep ​content ​value ​that ​comes ​from ​an ​authentic ​place, ​creates ​smarter customers ​who ​can ​appreciate ​the ​intricacies ​of ​your ​product. Blue ​Bottle’s ​strategic ​use ​of ​their ​employee’s ​expertise ​made ​customers ​feel ​like they ​were ​a ​part ​of ​the ​company’s ​vision ​to ​brew ​world ​class ​coffee.

Humane​ ​Society​ ​Silicon​ ​Valley​ ​--​ ​Case​ ​Study:

• Pet ​shelters ​typically ​make ​you ​feel ​guilty ​in ​their ​commercials ​(i.e., ​Sarah ​Mclachlan commercials ​with ​sad ​animal ​faces). However, ​this ​Humane ​Society ​disrupted ​industry ​clichés ​by ​using ​humor ​and animal ​memes. They ​also ​talked ​about ​how ​donating ​to ​shelter ​helps ​not ​just ​animals ​but ​people too. Youtube video example - a rescue dog helped a man lose weight and build his self-esteem

Levenfeld​ ​Pearlstein​ ​LLC​ ​--​ ​Case​ ​Study:

• This ​law ​firm ​noticed ​that ​attorney ​profiles ​were ​the ​most ​viewed ​part ​of ​their website. So, ​they ​hired ​a ​video ​crew ​to ​interview ​their ​attorneys ​and ​ask ​them ​deep ​life questions ​(what ​did ​you ​want ​to ​be, ​most ​prized ​possession ​in ​office, ​if ​you ​could time ​travel ​where ​would ​you ​go). This ​showed ​in ​depth ​who ​they ​were ​as ​people, ​not ​just ​lawyers ​(a ​big ​contrast ​to the ​competition’s ​bios). This ​content ​engaged ​viewers ​and ​boosted ​their ​business.

Email​ ​Marketing

The​ ​current​ ​state​ ​of​ ​email​ ​Marketing:

• 80% ​of ​people ​only ​“scan” ​emails. 58% ​of ​adults ​check ​their ​email ​first ​thing ​in ​the ​morning. Receiving ​too ​many ​emails ​is ​the ​#1 ​reason ​people ​unsubscribe. Adding ​video ​to ​your ​email ​campaigns ​can ​increase ​engagement ​and ​click ​rates ​by 300%. GIFs ​increase ​engagement ​and ​click ​rates ​by ​42%, ​conversion ​rates ​by ​103%, ​and revenue ​generation ​by ​109%. Email ​conversion ​rates ​are ​40 ​times ​that ​of ​Facebook ​and ​Twitter ​conversion ​rates. 58% ​of ​marketers ​plan ​to ​increase ​spending ​on ​emails ​in ​the ​next ​year ​(more ​than any ​other ​channel). Nurtured ​leads ​through ​email ​( ​multiple ​email ​touches ​) ​make ​47% ​larger ​purchases than ​non-nurtured ​leads.

Importance​ ​of​ ​having​ ​the​ ​email​ ​addressed​ ​from​ ​a​ ​person:

• 75% ​of ​people ​say ​the ​“from” ​name ​has ​the ​highest ​impact ​on ​their ​open ​rate.

Importance​ ​of​ ​Subject​ ​Lines:

• 68% ​of ​people ​say ​the ​subject ​line ​has ​the ​highest ​impact ​on ​their ​open ​rate. Character ​count ​doesn’t ​matter, ​choice ​of ​words ​matters ​more. But ​keep ​in ​mind ​that ​iPhones ​cut ​off ​subject ​lines ​after ​32 ​characters Superlatives ​can ​affect ​the ​open ​rates. ​However, ​you ​need ​to ​choose ​words ​that add ​value ( ​instead ​of ​generic ​words ​).​ Example ​of ​how ​to ​increase ​your ​open ​rate: Use ​“Special”, ​“brand ​new”, ​“latest”, ​“exciting.” Example ​of ​how ​to ​decrease ​your ​open ​rate: Use ​“Good” ​or ​other ​generic ​adjectives Questions ​increase ​open ​rates. Questions ​that ​start ​with ​“can’t” ​and ​“won’t” ​do ​better ​than ​questions ​that start ​with ​“will” ​or ​“who.” Use ​punctuation ​to ​your ​advantage. Your ​punctuation ​should ​sound ​like ​a ​natural ​speaking ​voice Importance​ ​of​ ​design: Over ​56% ​of ​people ​open ​their ​email ​using ​a ​mobile ​phone. ​Optimizing ​your ​design for ​mobile ​is ​no ​longer ​optional, ​it’s ​essential. Importance​ ​of​ ​targeting: Personalizing ​your ​email ​by ​using ​the ​target ​customer’s ​first ​name ​can ​raise ​open rates ​by ​26%. If ​you ​use ​targeting ​data ​to ​segment ​your ​campaigns ​(age, ​location, ​interests, ​etc), you ​can ​increase ​your ​revenue ​by ​up ​to ​760%. 90% ​of ​consumers ​find ​custom ​email ​content ​useful Email​ ​automation​ ​tips: Email ​1    Say ​thank ​you ​and ​make ​a ​good ​first ​impression Email ​2    Use ​a ​case ​study ​or ​some ​other ​social ​proof Email ​3    Provide ​high ​performing ​content ​and ​profile ​of ​new ​subscribers Email ​4    Be ​bolder ​and ​ask ​specifically ​for ​a ​CTA Increase​ ​engagement​ ​with​ ​“welcome”​ ​email​ ​campaigns: “Welcome” ​emails ​are ​typically ​sent ​automatically ​after ​the ​customer ​makes ​a purchase ​from ​you ​or ​signs ​up ​for ​your ​mailing ​list. ​It’s ​important ​to ​give ​your audience ​a ​next ​step ​for ​doing ​business ​with ​you. . “Welcome” ​campaigns ​have ​a: 4x ​higher ​open ​rate ​than ​other ​campaigns 5x ​higher ​click ​through ​rate ​than ​other ​campaigns 33% ​increase ​in ​long-term ​engagement ​than ​other ​campaigns 57% ​of ​companies ​do ​welcome ​campaigns The ​best ​time ​to ​send ​these ​is ​as ​soon ​as ​possible. ​Real-time ​welcome ​emails ​are most ​effective. If ​you ​don’t ​have ​anything ​to ​give ​away, ​a ​simple ​welcome ​message ​from ​your ​CEO can ​help ​secure ​customer ​trust. Additional​ ​effective​ ​email​ ​campaigns:  Pre- ​and ​post- ​tradeshow ​emails ​are ​a ​great ​way ​to ​keep ​in ​touch ​with ​your audience Pre-tradeshow ​emails ​can ​include ​directions ​to ​get ​to ​the ​event, ​parking ​tips, etc Post-tradeshow ​emails ​can ​include ​“thanks ​for ​stopping ​by ​our ​booth.” Transactional ​emails ​and ​receipts ​are ​8x ​more ​likely ​to ​be ​read You ​can ​“give ​more” ​content ​in ​these ​emails ​since ​you ​know ​they ​are ​more likely ​to ​be ​opened ​(i.e., ​information ​about ​a ​later ​sale, ​tips ​and ​best ​practices for ​using ​a ​product) SEO​ ​Strategies Optimizing​ ​your​ ​website​ ​for​ ​SEO: You ​Need ​to ​build ​a ​solid ​foundation ​first. ​It’s ​not ​worth ​your ​time ​to ​optimize ​a website ​for ​SEO ​that ​is ​currently ​built ​poorly. ​Clearly ​define ​your ​target ​personas Things ​to ​avoid ​when ​designing ​your ​website Non-indexed ​pages Slow ​page ​load ​time Duplicate ​content Broken ​links 404 ​errors Redirects ​other ​than ​301s Excessive ​URL ​parameters Poor ​use ​of ​keyword ​density Poor ​implementation ​of ​user ​intent ​( ​what ​is ​the ​user ​trying ​to ​find ​on ​each page? ​) Poor ​use ​of ​themes Poor ​variety ​of ​content Duplicate ​or ​missing ​title ​tags Duplicate ​or ​missing ​meta ​description ​tags Cluttered ​or ​inefficient ​code Poor ​mobile ​optimization Large ​image ​files You ​must ​optimize ​images Smoosh ​is ​a ​great ​plug-in ​for ​downsizing ​pictures ​for ​file ​size Faulty ​redirects Not ​using ​tags ​correctly ​( ​rel=“alternate” ​and ​rel=“canonical”) Your​ ​website​ ​must​ ​be​ ​optimized​ ​for​ ​both​ ​front​ ​and​ ​back​ ​end​ ​optimization: Front end is what the browser works with: HTML, ​CSS, ​JavaScript, ​media ​( ​images, ​video, ​etc.. ​) Back ​end ​generates ​the ​page ​for ​the ​browser Integrating ​database ​content ​and ​displaying ​in ​the ​browser Questions​ ​to​ ​answer​ ​when​ ​creating​ ​personas​ ​for​ ​your​ ​website: What ​are ​the ​words ​that ​your ​personas ​use? What ​are ​their ​questions ​and ​concerns? What ​websites ​do ​they ​frequent? What ​is ​the ​best ​way ​to ​communicate ​and ​reach ​them? What ​does ​the ​perfect ​persona ​profile ​look ​like? What ​are ​their ​pains ​and ​fears? What ​are ​their ​barriers ​to ​adoption? Creating and Targeting Paid Ads The​ ​psychology​ ​of​ ​today’s​ ​customer:  It ​takes ​28 ​interactions ​with ​a ​brand ​for ​consumers ​to ​feel ​comfortable ​choosing them Therefore, ​customers ​don’t ​always ​engage ​the ​first ​time ​they ​see ​social media ​ads. It ​takes ​some ​time ​to ​build ​brand ​recognition ​and ​trust In ​the ​year ​2000 ​the ​average ​attention ​span ​was ​12 ​seconds, ​today ​it’s ​dropped ​to ​8 Comparatively: ​the ​average ​attention ​span ​of ​goldfish ​is ​9 ​seconds In ​the ​automotive ​industry, ​3 ​out ​of ​4 ​consumers ​change ​their ​mind ​from ​what ​they initially ​set ​out ​to ​purchase. These ​metrics ​are ​similar ​in ​other ​fields ​– ​it’s ​very ​easy ​to ​influence ​buyers *Sources: ​Ann ​Handley ​(MarketingProfs), ​Mary ​Shea ​(Forrester), ​Hannah ​McNaughton ​(Metric ​Marketing), ​Jeremy ​Hudgens (Genius ​Monkey)