INBOUND ACCELERATOR

Well before the world moved even more online than it had ever been before as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, marketing decision-makers globally acknowledged the need for their websites to keep up with changes and consumer needs.

When times are lean—and 2020 and 2021 are turning into lean times for many marketing programs—it is essential to make the most of what you already have.

I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that 2020 has thrown a few wrenches into the marketing plans you carefully crafted 10-12 months ago—not to mention how your staff functions and potentially the budget you have to work with.

Chances are that your business website today serves as your advertising, front door, sales floor, customer service desk, and human resources and recruitment office—and needs to answer the same questions and often perform the same functions as the individuals who work in all of those areas. That is the expectation today’s consumers have of business websites.

But if your website was built 10 years ago, it may not meet all of those expectations.

Allow me to date myself a bit. Obviously, if I’m offering insights into 15 years of owning my own marketing firm (plus my years with other agencies and in-house before that), I’ve been around a little while, though 20 years, or even a bit more, truly doesn’t feel like all that long.

Until, that is, I think about the changes in how we do, well, almost everything, as it relates to telecommunications.

No marketing or public relations campaign is completed when the last of the content is published and promoted. There is still one important step to undertake in order to maximize the results of your next campaign: analysis.

It is important to know as much as you can about your content and campaign, and the results it yields, in order to improve the next time around. That means monitoring key metrics, digging through the data, and uncovering what Spiralytics calls content intelligence in this infographic.

In some professions, you have to do the dirty work to set up a project for success. Building the tallest skyscraper begins with making sure the ground is prepped and a solid foundation in place. Creating the most delectable dessert begins with making a mess in the kitchen. It takes some dirty work before the genius can be seen.

In marketing, it’s not so much dirty work as it is data work.

While marketing as a science and art may rely on a few universal rules and standard tactics, each industry presents nuanced needs and challenges. B2B marketing, particularly in the enterprise software industry, is a unique environment where gimmicks just don’t work.

How do I know? I’ve been deeply involved in the software and technology industries most of my career as a corporate communications team member, an agency representative and as an agency owner. I’ve learned a lot about enterprise software and how to effectively market it (or to market a technology company by positioning it for acquisition) along the way.

What was your greatest success in 2018? What didn’t work? And how are you going to change your strategy and approach in 2019 to improve on your results?

If you haven’t already taken time to review last year’s results, now is the time to do it, before you get any farther into the new year. Even if you don’t have time for a deep dive into all of the metrics from every content distribution channel, every individual campaign or piece of content, or each press release and bylined article pitched to the media, DO choose a few specific areas to review and analyze.

Some see marketing and communications as an art. And it definitely can be: crafting creative text and images that elicit emotion and drive action requires creativity, vision, and an understanding of how words and visual elements work together. That’s the art.

But, it is also a science. Marketing success relies on data, as well. That includes both the data that help tell your brand’s stories (see more on using data in marketing content here: 5 Ways To Use Survey Data) and analyzing your own performance data to find ways to improve future campaigns.