Most CMOs (89.4%) say social data has affected at least some of their business decisions, and 21.3% say social data affects at least 1 in 5 decisions they make, according to a new report by Bazaarvoice and The CMO Club. more

"B2B sales is by no means easy. It requires not only skill, but panache," says Jesse Noyes in a post at It's All About Revenue. But over time, a buzz can develop in the field about what tactics are working best to turn prospects into valued clients. Noyes highlights eight tips ... more

Even the most seasoned marketing professionals sometimes fall prey to mistakes in tactics or implementation. But with a watchful eye, practitioners can avoid costly pitfalls. Here is a quick review of the 10 most common B2B traps and how you can dodge them: more

Here are nine ways to draw tradeshow attendees to your booth and engage with them. Some of these tips may seem like common sense, but you'd be amazed at how many exhibitors completely disregard them. more

If you're still wondering about the value of segmentation, consider these numbers from eMarketer, as reported by HubSpot: "39% of email marketers that practice list segmentation see better open rates; 28% see lower opt-out and unsubscribe rates; and 24% see better email deliverability, increased sales leads, and greater revenue." HubSpot's Corey ... more

Without content—reports, webinars, and follow-up emails—your expensive marketing automation software will be a big flop. Learn why content is the fuel that makes any marketing automation system run smoothly. more

"Hundreds, if not thousands, of solutions have been developed to automate lead-scoring," writes Peter Gracey at MarketingProfs. "However, those scores don't provide salespeople much valuable information." That's why he developed a scoring system that asks six questions—three before a discover call, three afterwards—and assigns up to six points. Here they ... more

It's easy to send "just one email with the same content to everyone in your database," writes Matthew Johnson at the Vision6 blog. "But how do you send that same email and make it relevant to everyone in your database?" The short answer is: You can't. And that's why you need conditional ... more

Websites are great ways to relay lots of information—and that's a blessing and a curse, as business sites pack in as much about themselves, their products, their customers, their services, as they possibly can. Against that daily data barrage, the use of imagery can pay off big, KISSmetrics tells us in ... more

Only one in five B2B marketing and sales professionals (20%) say their demand generation campaigns are fully effective, whereas 80% say they are ineffective to semi-ineffective, according to a survey from Corporate Visions. more

Today's revenue-focused marketers need to be experts in inbound marketing. Learn why effective inbound marketing requires relevant, compelling content that is tailored to prospects at each stage of the buying cycle. more

Enterprise-grade mobile apps can equip sales teams with a set of high-impact selling tools. But not all apps are created equal. Learn the five essential elements of an effective sales app. more

If your company operates in the B2B sphere, there's a good chance your lead-nurturing program includes email campaigns with triggered messages. But if those messages are too robotic, warns Ardath Albee, they might do more harm than good. "Lead nurturing is not about sending out emails on a regular schedule just because you can," ... more

Countless solutions have been developed to automate lead-scoring, but those scores don't provide salespeople much valuable information. Learn a practical six-question scoring system that effectively evaluates and qualifies leads. more

When you troubleshoot your lead gen program's lack of closed deals, be sure to examine your sales reps' role in the process. "[A]ll too often, despite their critical contribution to a business, sales reps can get in their own way," writes Al Davidson at MarketingProfs. "They are often their own ... more

How do you read a casual email from a friend? In all likelihood, you scan it to get the general idea, write a quick reply and click back to your inbox. But what if—below her sign-off—she adds a P.S.? "Suddenly, she's got your attention," writes Sid Smith in an article at ... more

Between next-generation smartphones, tricked-out apps, and celebrity-filled Siri commercials, it's easy to look at mobile as a set of breakthrough devices, tools, and channels. But that's not the lens through which marketers should be viewing mobile. more

If your email marketing campaign doesn't generate the kind of ROI you expect, take a look at your typical call to action (CTA). Does it tell a customer how to take the next step? Does it create a sense of urgency? "When your audience is left with no direction and no ... more

Photography and video have an immense impact on customers' purchasing behavior because they enable customers to visually connect with products before they buy. Learn how compelling visual content can help drive sales. more

In April, the McKinsey Quarterly published "Demystifying Social Media" for businesses. The article illustrates how using social media right can enable "targeted marketing responses at individual touch points along the consumer decision journey." Here are four steps to take to meet consumers along the way and achieve social touch-point engagement: Monitor. Make learning what's said about ... more

In a guest post at the Modern B2B Marketing blog, Joby Blume shares his lessons learned about implementing marketing automation in a B2B setting. First and foremost, he says, it's important to have a well-defined marketing process in place before adding any tech. "If you don't have a marketing process, marketing ... more

You've got a strong marketing mix—but does it include public speaking? "Whether used to promote a company report or in-house expertise, or simply to engender brand awareness, public speaking is a powerful—and often economical and organic—way to get your message to key influencers and decision-makers," writes Heather Rast at MarketingProfs. ... more

It became immediately apparent to Howard J. Sewell that something was terribly wrong with his client's lead scoring system. "The most glaring symptom was the absurdly high scores: hundreds of contacts had lead scores of more than 1,000, even though the supposed threshold for a sales-ready lead was a mere ... more

Do you think a prospect responds better to your marketing message because you've based it on a customer persona? Unfortunately, that is not the case. To craft effective messaging, you need to address four essential questions. more

Creating a great call to action that gets results can be tricky, unless you have a few tricks up your sleeve. Here are 12 essential tips for optimizing your calls to action to ensure they compel potential customers to act. more