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Does paid search, otherwise referred to as SEM (search engine marketing) and PPC (pay-per-click), work for businesses selling to other businesses (B2B)? Should a B2B company invest in PPC and if so, what are the critical elements for PPC to generate an acceptable ROI? This post provides some indisputable evidence that the answers to those questions are a resounding “YES”.

McKinsey Consulting conducted research into brand messaging for companies in the B2B space and the results were interesting. Upon analyzing the themes and topics on which a valid sample of Fortune 500 B2B companies communicated their brand messages, McKinsey identified 13 different themes – for example, low pricing, social responsibility, innovation, etc.

When in a sales meeting with a good prospect, what can you say that convinces the buyer you are the one for the job? What statements can you make that build confidence in your buyer about you and/or that puts some doubt in your buyer’s mind about the competition? Having strong marketing statements ready to help “seal the deal” or to overcome an objection are critical to separating you from the competition and closing the sale.

The internet is a fantastic medium for generating business, but many sales leads generated through online marketing are closed offline in a more traditional sales process, particularly for companies providing services. While ecommerce has continued to spread its wings, it only makes sense for some businesses to close sales completely online. So, this article is about how to respond to leads generated through online marketing so you set yourself up to turn them into closed business.

I am proud to announce that friend, long-time customer and President of ILM Corporation, Jason Cohen, has been named the Virginia Small Business Person of the Year for 2013.

For the first time in history, marketers in 2012 will spend more on online marketing than advertising in print magazines and newspapers. It is expected that online marketing spend by 2016 will double from that in 2011. Consequently, sales and lead generation from websites will likely grow proportionately.

How much should I be investing in marketing? How much of my marketing budget should be directed to online marketing vs. offline. These are questions I get asked frequently. So, recently I experienced an intersection of data from credible sources that combined go along way to answering these important questions. The two sources referenced in this post are the annual survey of CMO’s by CMOSurvey.org sponsored by the American Marketing Association and the Duke University Fuqua School of Business; and a recent report by Forrester Research Group about interactive marketing trends and predictions.

Background

Google has upped its game once again with the latest Penguin update and SEO pros have to up their game to achieve the results their clients deserve. No more easy link building – links have to be obtained the “old fashioned” way…through quality content. But that is much easier said than done.

Search engine optimization, often referred to as SEO, recently experienced yet another major change when Google implemented their last big update. They called it the Penguin update – and while penguins are typically found in cold climates, this Penguin had significant impact on rankings no matter what climate you are in.