8 Marketing Strategy Articles You Missed Because You Were Too Busy

8 Marketing Strategy Articles You Missed Because You Were Too Busy:from Business 2 Community by Michael Brenner
We’re winding down the summer and sending the kids back to school.
Businesses around the world are starting to think about 2013 and what plans they need to put in place to grow their business, add new product lines, acquire more customers and make more money.
So for the next 2 weeks, I will publish my top articles of the year, that you may have missed because you were just too darned busy. And I think it makes sense to start with B2B Marketing Strategy.
What is Marketing?
Marketing is not just about promotion. Marketing is about starting with customer wants and needs. The role of the business is to fill those needs. Sometimes that means starting with information that helps our buyers. And if we do this well, we can earn the right to acquire new customers for less money. That is marketing.
Are Marketers Becoming Digital Dinosaurs?
90% of marketers do not have an integrated digital strategy and more than a third admitted their marketing plans were nothing more than a combination of tactics. As one senior marketing exec told me “many senior marketers are just waiting for the next generation to figure this one out.” Whoa! That was my inspiration to ask this question. As you look around, how many dinosaurs do you see?
The Leadership Gap In B2B Marketing
Almost a perfect segue from the the previous 2 articles, but written early in the year, this article talks about how most Chief Marketing Officers feel unprepared for the reality of today’s marketing landscape. The answer lies in more than just using buzzwords and sending some tweets. Senior marketers need to focus on buidling digital skills, analytic skills and yes, social media and personal branding are important too.
Why Now Is The Time To Build Your Personal Brand
Brands used to be only for businesses. And we, the employees, were expected to uphold and support the principles of the brand. Some of us in marketing were even lucky enough to help our businesses build their brands. But as trust has eroded away from corporations and government institutions, we are seeing the ushering in of a new era: the employee-brand.
The One Chart Every Marketer Needs To Understand
Are you still doubting that the traditional marketing playbook is dead? Think the world isn’t really changing that quickly? You are not alone. But here’s the gist of the chart that marketers really need to understand: newspaper advertising revenue has declined 50% in the last 4 years. The clock has been rewound to 1950, even before the glory days of the Mad Men. And this is not just about newspapers. It is about the “gale forces” of change.
Is Influence The Moneyball of Marketing?
There has been a lot of discussion lately on the topic of influence. In this article I try to define influence and show an example of how influence can be used to reach not just that which influences our buyers, but to also reach those who influence those who influence our buyers.
10 Predictions For The Future Of Marketing
Sales alignment is still the top issue for marketers. Audience marketing is the next big buzzword and the latest buzzwords are leading to new roles within marketing organizations. Brands are seeking for the answer on how to become more like publishers with content marketing, and more. I laid out my 10 predictions for the future of marketing and would love to see yours!
Inbound Marketing Leads Cost Less
File this under the “no duh” category but a surprising number of marketers still question whether a shift to inbound can produce cost savings. The answer from many organizations is that an inbound marketing approach costs significantly less than traditional approaches.
Let me know what you think in the comments below and follow the conversation on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook or Google+.