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Still on the Fence about B2B Content Marketing? Read this Today!

AR Communications — Wed, 01 May 2013 21:10:11 +0000

Some excellent statistics and data in the B2B Content Marketing: 2013 Benchmarks, Budgets and Trends report. Click here for a great overview and a link to the full report.

Here are some highlights:

•    On average, B2B content marketers are spending 33% of their marketing budgets on content marketing, up from 26% last year; also, 54% plan to increase content marketing spending next year.
•    All content tactics are being used more frequently than they were last year, with the use of research reports, videos and mobile content having increased the most.
•    On average, B2B content marketers are using five social distribution channels; the most popular of those channels is LinkedIn, whereas Twitter had been the most popular the previous two years.

Do you or your marketing colleagues have any questions about content marketing? Post them below and I’ll answer them.

So you think Facebook is no good for B2B service companies? Think Again!

AR Communications — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 19:09:29 +0000

There seems to be a perception that Facebook may be good for big B2C brands, but not of much use to B2B marketers, especially those in the services industry. As a recent article in the Social Media Examiner aptly put it, in the context of a legendary mission to the moon:

“The story of Apollo 13 astronauts trying desperately to get back to Earth after a failed mission has a lesson for B2B marketers. Astronauts used the moon’s gravitational pull to slingshot them so they had enough power left to get back to Earth.

“B2B marketers: Facebook is your moon.

“In the 2012 Social Media Marketing Industry Report, B2B marketers reported that they were far more likely to increase their use of LinkedIn and blogging than Facebook in the coming year.

“But while Facebook may not be your final destination for marketing to B2B customers, it has incredible gravitational pull. Savvy marketers, like the astronauts aboard the Apollo 13 mission, can leverage that pull to take them where they want to go.”

The article proceeds to detail the fascinating story of how some executive firms went about using Facebook to build a brand “in a crowded field in an industry that frankly isn’t very sexy”. Click here to read the full article

Where is the Social Media Bus Going in 2013?

AR Communications — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 19:27:22 +0000

In a space that moves so fast, it’s a good idea to follow the companies and publications that are setting the trends. This time, we’re laying our bets on Ryan Holmes, CEO of Hootsuite, one of the web’s leading social media management companies (and Canadian to boot). In an end-of-year article in Fast Company magazine, he crystal balls social media’s path in the year ahead. Some highlights include:

• Social media will move beyond the marketing department

• Big data will grow but get more manageable

• Social media education will become formalized

Click here to read the full article here.

A happy holiday season, and a joyous, healthy, and prosperous new year to you and yours from all of us at AR Communications.

Benchmark 2012 Lead Generation – Key Industry Trends for Generating Leads of the Highest Quality – Free Excerpt

AR Communications — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 19:12:49 +0000

I thought this may be of interest to anyone in the midst of Q4 and planning their 2013 campaigns.
This is the company we regularly follow, and that we trained with a few years ago.

This free excerpt from the report is excellent for anyone looking to take their lead gen to the next level in 2013 – http://bit.ly/lead-generation-2012

The information and insights from this company on lead generation are pure gold and well worth reading.

For the latest developments in social media and mobile marketing follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/mikerabinovici

You Like it Now but You’ll Learn to Love it Later

AR Communications — Tue, 23 Oct 2012 14:37:04 +0000

Last week, I tweeted that if you only read one business article for the week, it should be the one in I referred to in Fast Company about chaos being the new order. I was wrong. If you only read one business article this year, that’s the one you should read.

The whole subject of chaos, and how we know we should embrace it but yet are afraid of it, is best summed up for me in a few lines from Robbie Robertson’s classic “Somewhere Down The Crazy River”

Wait, did you hear that
Oh this is sure stirring up some ghosts for me
She said "There’s one thing you’ve got to learn
Is not to be afraid of it."
I said "No, I like it, I like it, it’s good."
She said "You like it now
But you’ll learn to love it later."

Indeed we will.

Read the Fast Company article here http://bit.ly/chaos-is-the-new-order

What are your thoughts? How has your company dealt with chaos? Comment below.

Dollar Impact of Social Media – How does a Cool Trillion or so Sound?

AR Communications — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 14:03:27 +0000

One of the most frequent questions we hear from clients relates in one form or another to the dollar ROI from social media. As the industry matures, more data is becoming available to shed light on this question.

A recent report from the McKinsey Global Institute examines the current usage of social technologies in four commercial sectors: consumer packaged goods, retail financial services, advanced manufacturing, and professional services. It concludes that the potential value to be unlocked by leveraging these technologies across the four sectors could potentially contribute $900 billion to $1.3 trillion in annual value.

Although the value that can be captured varies from industry to industry, all of them can benefit. The key to success? Creating the conditions for the full and enthusiastic participation of employees.

Click here for a copy of the study. Click here for a review of the report in Fast Company Magazine

For the latest information on, and best practices for, Mobile and Social Media marketing follow me on Twitter at Twitter.com/mikerabinovici

B2B – Which Social Media Platform Rules?

AR Communications — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 15:38:47 +0000

Many of our B2B clients use a number of platforms when it comes to their social media marketing efforts. In these (relatively) heady days of social media marketing efforts, that’s a good thing. As this marketing channel matures, however, focusing marketing efforts on the social networks that deliver the best ROI becomes increasingly important. According to a report by BtoB Online, 30% of the marketers surveyed ranked LinkedIn as the most important social media channel. Here is how the others stacked up, as well as some other helpful statistics.

Social Media Network Used Most Often

•    LinkedIn (83%)
•    Twitter (80%)
•    Facebook (79%)
•    YouTube (60%)
•    Blogging (50%)

Social Media Use by B2B Marketers

•    32% are "very" or "fully" engaged in marketing via social channels, up from 21% in 2011. That number is expected to increase to 53% by 2013, according to BtoB:
•    35% began marketing via social media in the previous two years alone
•    Only 13% report using social media marketing for more than 4 years

For an excellent summary of the report click here. For related information go here.

For more mind blowing research and insights on social media and mobile marketing follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/mikerabinovici or email me at michael at ar-com.com.

Social Media Marketing in B2B vs. B2C, what’s the dif?

AR Communications — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 17:23:12 +0000

As companies and internal marketing departments evolve their social media strategies and refine their tactics, research is becoming available to shed light on these efforts.

One area of particular focus has been the potentially different impact that social media has on B2B marketers in relation to their B2C brethren. In a recent study titled “2012 Social Media Marketing Industry Report” Mark Stelzner asked marketers how they’re using social media, and more than 1,900 business-to-business (B2B) marketers shared their insights.

Here are some highlights:

•    Of the B2B marketers who took this year’s survey, over 93% use social media to market their businesses. While that’s slightly below their consumer-focused brethren (95.2%), there’s been a significant increase since the 2010 survey when only 88% of B2B marketers responded affirmatively.
•    Over 56% of B2B marketers acquired new business partnerships through social media (compared to 45% of B2C marketers)
•    Nearly 60% of B2B marketers saw improved search rankings from their social efforts (compared to 50% of B2C marketers)
•    B2B marketers are better able to gather marketplace insights from their social efforts (nearly 69% vs. 60% of B2C marketers)
•    The one area where B2B marketers significantly lag behind their B2C counterparts is in developing a loyal fan base. 63% of B2C marketers found social media helped them develop loyal fans, compared to only 53% of B2B marketers.

For more information on the report click here.

For more mind blowing research and insight about social media and mobile marketing, follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/mikerabinovici or email me at michael at ar-com.com

Content Marketing – Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends for 2012

AR Communications — Tue, 15 May 2012 13:24:53 +0000

Content marketing is gaining an increasingly important role for B2B marketers, and in companies’ overall marketing strategies . Below you will find a link to the 2012 Benchmarks, Budgets & Trends survey put together by the Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProfs.

For purposes of the research, the survey defined content marketing as follows: “Content marketing/custom media (sometimes called custom publishing, custom content, or branded content) is the creation and distribution of educational and/or compelling content in multiple formats to attract and/or retain customers.”
Here are some highlights:

• On average, B2B marketers employ eight different content marketing tactics to achieve their marketing goals.

• 60% report that they plan to increase their spend on content marketing over the next 12 months.

• Marketers, on average, spend over a quarter of their marketing budget on content marketing.

Industries with the highest rates of content marketing adoption:

• Professional Services………………………………..94%

• Computing/Software…………………………………93%

• Advertising/Marketing………………………………89%

• Healthcare……………………………………………………….89%

• Business Services……………………………………….84%

• Manufacturing/Processing…………………….83%

For a free copy if the report – Click Here

How is your company leveraging content marketing? What results are you experiencing? Leave a comment below or email me at michael at ar-com.com

It’s the End of the Mall as We Know It and I Feel Fine

AR Communications — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 20:27:47 +0000

Last week I had the pleasure of interviewing Gary Schwartz, CEO of Impact Mobile, and author of the recently published “The Impulse Economy”. In it, he discusses the impact of the mobile revolution on traditional retail.

Click here to listen to the podcast (Length – 22 minutes and 54 seconds of wholesome goodness).

The Impulse Economy – Click here for your copy

“We live in a world where our mobile devices have become extensions of ourselves. We depend on them for instant connections to entertainment, social media, news, and deals. The phone has become our ticket, loyalty card, and catchall wallet. Networks are faster, phones are smarter, and the mobile shopper is ready to spend money now. What can a business do to maximize the mobile buying power of the new impulse consumer?”