By Elaine Ball
This is not a plug at anyone! BUT…. I’m now long enough in the tooth to release I know quite a bit about marketing! I’ve grown up through the sales and marketing pipeline and headed up a laser manufacturing business that exported 95% of its products. I’ve tested the water in lots of areas and continue to read, train and understand points of view. I know my gurus in my industry but now I’m a consultant I find it hard to know who the real thought leaders are in the marketing industry. Yes we all know of the Porters and Welch’s but who are the UKs kings & Queens of B2B Marketing think?
Take what is being talked about at the moment “content marketing” – come on people! We all know we need to focus our content specifically to our target audience. Why is it new? It isn’t!
We need to be thinking differently! Challenging our own thought and testing it! If we don’t we continue following the winding path that everyone else is following.
A quick step-by-step guide for Techy companies.
Many Techy companies find it hard to market themselves.
My recent blog article gives you a quick step-by-step guide to help you get the most out of technical marketing.
To the excitement and now disappointment of my fans; I published me on the front cover of @Forbes magazine.
By Elaine ball, a marketing perspective, 3D laser scanning market
The 3D laser scanning market is changing rapidly. We have all seen the decline is pricing with the hustle and bussell of the Faro Focus ‘frightening’ all the other manufacturers around the globe. (The impact was phenomenal and a great change in direction). 3D Laser Scanners used to cost the earth and it was only the big players who could take advantage with big bucks.
Now its improvement in technology, size and sophistication. However what is set for 3D laser scanning companies? According to analyst Scott Evans, the principal author of ARC’s 3D Laser Scanning Global Market Research Study. The market is to continue to grow into double digit figures.
Marketers who are intertwined into this market have 3 options
Remember not that long ago, text heavy websites that did not ‘ooozz’ creativity but provided the reader with as much information as possible. The objective TO INFORM?
Now…. fast forward to 2013 and beyond. The corporate website MUST stay ahead of the creativity spiral!
Or should it? Let me come back to that point.
The website is your hub! As a techy type organization it has to inform, educate, attract, capture, retain and be the brand champion!
The world of social media is changing that fast it makes me wonder if the beloved website will actually disappear?
Think about it!
Our customers know us as one thing; our competition think we are competition but we are not and we think we are going down this path but we aren’t….
Try this:
Start internally. Ask your people (in all departments) what they think the benefits of your products are. What do they think your customers thinks the benefits are? What is your people’s perception on your product? What do they think the talk is on your brand? Where it sits in the market? Document this.
Using a 3rd party (its more black & white); ask your customers what they think of your product. What they perceive your product and brand offering is? What’s the talk on the town on your product/ brand?
The answers will give your two (hopefully one) perspective of your brand position. Where you sit in the market; what they think of you?
Now what?
This is a rather touchy subject and quite controversial but its also a very important subject. You may have a great product and service. The marketing is right, you’re getting the leads, you’re slowing (and I mean slowly) growing but that’s it.
Have you looked at your people? Do they get on? Are they happy? Are they the right people on the right seat in the right company? I’m guessing not! Or maybe its just TLC needed?
I usually consult with a very good ‘performance management specialist’ Saxtons in Harrogate for answers. Here is a snippet:
“How to know if they are the right choice as an employee?
Find out what has excited them before; excitement=motivation. Simply ask at interview “When you have been involved with something at work that really excited you; what did it involve?”
Does their answer match what you want them to be excited about?”
Unfortunately we hire on the wrong reasons; for quickness, we like them, they will do, we think they are right etc. If you LOOK at the top performing businesses in the world; they have GREAT People. Highly motivated and highly TRAINED in soft skills!
When looking at the overall picture I always consider the people. If you want your company to work you have to look at the people involved.
Ok, you’re a technical company with an amazing product now what do you do with it? I get asked this question all the time. “We know its good but we don’t know how to sell it?” OR “All our customers are through word of mouth but we don’t know how to sell it!” Sound familiar?
Ok, here are some tips:
1. What are the benefits to this product? The real benefits? What solution does your product give?
Write down the words on a flip chart to see them! Ask your team to help; even better; ask your customers!
So you get your benefits right; your customer gets it but your leads are still not flowing!!
(By Elaine Ball)
The big buzz in the world of B2B marketing at the moment is “content marketing”. Big deal or is it?
I’m currently down at MarketingWeekLive in London: quite impressive actually, and the topic is hot here too.
We all know we must write specific stuff for our specific audience. But do we actually do it and do it well?
‘Write’ that makes your mouth water! And I don’t mean food! You must capture the wants and needs of your audience. Role play is always good here; put yourself in your customers shoes! Is it interesting and does it make you want to know more?
Latest research shows that good quality content attracts your followers; keeps them interested.
Getting the basics right!
This seems to be quite a hot topic for many technical B2B organisations. Getting the basics right! Techy people, like yourselves love technology. Seeing a vision for the beloved product is wonderful. However… the hardest thing for technical boffins is getting it out into the marketplace.
Here are some basic tips to get you started: