Tap Blogging

Racing a marathon and running a successful marketing campaign have a surprising number of similarities — in fact, here are 26.2 things they share in common , and the lessons they can teach us. I’ve been running marathons since 1998 and working in digital communications and marketing since 1984 — two pursuits I’m passionate about that may initially seem quite dissimilar, but which really do have much in common when you begin to look closely. The Importance of Pre-Race Planning The marathon isn’t a race you want to run with no training or on a whim — and even if you did, the notoriously unforgiving distance has a way of giving runners back just what they put into it. Skimping on training usually spells disaster when it comes to marathon running. Similarly, successful marketing is usually the result of putting in the necessary planning the way runners pack in the marathon training miles. Let’s begin our 26.2 mile marketing marathon with our first steps and lesson number one. Mile 1’s L...

Is your content audience-centric? “Of course it is!” Says the hypothetical person I just made up. “We do intensive research for all our content. We look at questions our audience is asking, we hit up SEMrush and BuzzSumo...our content is all about our audience!” Here’s the big question: Beyond learning about your brand, which will enrich their lives in many exciting ways, what is your consumer getting out of your content?   Creating or deepening a brand relationship can’t be the only reason your content exists. Raising brand awareness can’t be the only reason your content exists. That’s not audience-centric content. People will quickly realize that and move on. Most marketers want to offer a genuine value exchange to our consumers. We’re not shriveled-hearted gargoyles trying to trick people into paying attention to us.  But it’s easy to think you’re putting the audience first, when it’s really the brand in the spotlight. What follows are four questions that markete...

It’s time for B2B content marketers to stand out. You know it. I know it. We all know it.  But capturing attention in a crowded content room is hard to do, especially when content creation has seen the biggest uptick in spending among your fellow B2B content marketers. You can’t be subtle. You can’t be boring . But you also can’t be obnoxious; relevance and resonance are paramount. You have to accept and adapt to what your audience needs and wants at any given moment. It takes speed, flexibility, bold ideas, fearlessness, and more. Where do you start? How about starting with a little inspiration and insight from industry leaders? Below we have insights and advice from 12 marketing and customer experience leaders on how to stand out from the crowd and create content your audience can’t ignore.  12 Attention-Grabbing Tips from B2B Marketing Experts 1. Eliminate Gobbledygook “Always remember that you are communicating to people. Eliminate innovative, cutting-edge, mission...

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I’ve never been very good at saving money — unless I’m saving for something specific. Give me a defined target, and the intrinsic motivation that comes along with it, and I’ll get there. There is much to be said about the value of focus in achieving a goal. The same philosophy is at play with account-based marketing (ABM). Everyone knows it’s important to bolster a business pipeline — just as it’s smart to save money — but lacking clear direction can be a hindrance. This is especially true at a time where B2B prospects crave personalization and tailored experiences more than ever. As the saying goes, if you’re talking to everyone, you’re talking to no one. ABM provides a focused framework for pursuing your ideal prospective customers. Here comes the twist: Influencer marketing can be the perfect pairing with the approach, providing additional voices who can speak authentically and credibly to the exact people you want to reach. [bctt tweet="As the saying goes, if you’re ta...

Not all forms of content creation will make you famous, but some come with built-in amplification boosts that can put you well on your way to star-quality promotion. Working with industry experts and influencers to co-create content is a proven tactic for adding more inherent promotion right from the start of your campaign. Harnessing the power of industry events, keeping abreast of trend forecast data, and incorporating interactive elements are also tactics that can significantly up your content promotion game. Let’s take a look at all of these methods and more, and see how to best utilize each, including examples showing how each tactic has driven star-quality success. via GIPHY Tactic #1 — Co-Creation With Industry Experts & Influencers Whether you call them industry experts or influencers, when you work with noted figures in your profession and include their insight along with your own, you'll both reap rewards on several levels by joining together. Co-created content...