B2B Connection

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 As the second largest search engine, YouTube is a reputable platform that brings in revenue from video content. YouTube SEO tools help businesses improve the quality of video content. They also provide a better understanding of subscribers. Ultimately, YouTube SEO tools make channels more profitable.  There are different categories of tools that support YouTube marketers in their SEO efforts. YouTube SEO typically involves research on keywords, trends, and even competitors. You can find a number of free tools to boost your channel’s growth. This piece will give you an overview of the most affordable YouTube SEO tools and link them to important SEO concepts.    Essential Tools for YouTube Marketing  The best YouTube SEO tools optimize video content and target keywords that are commonly used in search queries. They also strategically improve your video description or video title and use social media to bring more attention to your channel.  Each of the tools below are extremely capable of improving your YouTube marketing strategies. With that said, they are useful for different elements of YouTube SEO. You should use the information below to determine which is right for you. YouTube SEO Tool Function Price Biggest Pro Biggest Con Google Keyword Planner Keyword […]

Despite what you may have heard, neither push or pull marketing is dead. They are very different methods of creating the same result: higher sales. Understanding the difference between them and how they can work for you can help achieve this marketing goal. Along with this, it is vital to know the tools that can help you implement each approach. All of this information will combine to generate a better end-result for marketing professionals.    Push Marketing Pull Marketing Other Names Old Marketing, Interupption Marketing, Outbound Marketing New Marketing, Inbound marketing Medium and Types TV Ads, Radio Ads, Billboards, Banner Ads, Newspaper and Magazine Folds Blog and Website content, How-tos, Newsletters, Assistance Videos Best for Push Products to a Broad Audience, Interrupt the Customer, Sell Why the Product is Right for ThemTldr:You Find Leads Drawn Clients in, Generate Genuine Interest and Solve Customer NeedsTldr:Leads Come to You Cons Smaller ROI, Expensive and Can Fail to Yield Results, Huge Competition Requires Smart Targeting and Customer Understanding   What Is Push Marketing? The idea of push marketing, as the name suggests, revolves around taking a product to the customer. This is the type of marketing many individuals who are not marketing professionals […]

The business-to-business environment is constantly evolving, presenting challenges to newcomers and experienced professionals alike. Understanding the definition and working reality of this ecosystem is vital for many reasons. This can be improving your own implementation or making better B2B purchase decisions. B2B can refer to organizations, transactions, and more. You apply these operational definitions, strategy, and software to your unique use case.  What is B2B? B2B refers to organizations, transactions, or products designed with a focus of interacting directly with other customers. This is different from B2C, or Business to Customer.  B2B has its focus on interactions with individual, personal customers. One confusing aspect is that both B2B and B2C organizations sell products and services. What changes is the target audience. In a B2B environment, they are selling to other businesses, and thus other businesses are the customers. B2B companies still have “customers” in a sense, they are just professionals and organizations rather than personal consumers.  B2B buying and selling exists in all kinds of industries. One of the easiest to understand is in the tech industry, where TrustRadius reviews are focused. A vendor creating Human Resource Management software is not marketing this at a store for individuals. No individual […]

Understanding the reality and misconceptions of the pricing of call tracking software is vital in helping your organization plan its use of the tool. Call tracking software offers organizations insight into the customer journey and provides valuable information to sales and marketing teams. This makes this a highly sought-after tool for many different types of organizations. Everyone can agree that getting software for free is better than paying, but is this possible in this software category?  Does “Free” Call Tracking Exist? The most important question: Can you actually get this type of tool for free? Short answer: Not really. TrustRadius has many pieces outlining free software options. Sometimes, it can be just as important to share where software can not be used for free. There are a few options out there, but they will have one of the following limitations: They are part of a larger software suite They are very limited in user limit/call numbers, and pay per minute  They are open-source, and very unpolished Most call tracking software has payment models structured around how much one uses the product. Most also offer free trials, but these are often 14 days, and rarely go beyond 30. With these criteria established, […]

Consumers consider different factors and weigh their options before making a purchase. (Especially large and expensive ones.) This is even more pronounced in the B2B world. Business technology purchases are often more expensive than B2C purchases. And they are closely tied to the return on investment (ROI) of the business.  As a tech marketer, it’s critical to understand the journey your buyers take. Which steps do they take? What do they care about most in each phase of the buyer’s journey? And how can you best support them as they narrow down the list of products they’re considering?  Answering these questions will help you forge stronger relationships with your buyers.  What Is The Buyer’s Journey in B2B? Before detailing each stage of the buyer’s journey, here’s a quick explanation of what it is.  The buyer’s journey starts when the buyer realizes they have a problem and need a software solution. The middle part of their journey is about researching, evaluating, and comparing different options. The final stage of their journey is selecting a product to purchase and enter negotiations with the vendor. In summary, there are three main stages of the buyer’s journey.  There are also a few important things […]

Persuasive and informative advertising share the same goal — to persuade audiences to embrace certain attitudes and behaviors. This can be to stop drinking and driving, to vote for a certain politician, or to buy a specific product. Informative and persuasive advertising use different approaches to achieve the same end goal. One appeals to emotion, while the other is about education. (Though even informative ads often have a little emotion thrown in). Informative advertising sticks to facts. Persuasive advertising incorporates a broader range of methods to influence its audience. Both are important tools for convincing consumers to take action or change their behavior. In an age where ads have become little more than white noise, standing out is marketers’  number one priority.. A blended technique can help you do that. Understanding the basics of both persuasive and informative advertising can help you determine how to make your messages and products memorable and desirable. What is Persuasive Advertising? Persuasive advertising aims to convince its audience of a certain belief that leads to action — often buying products. Persuasive advertising uses various techniques to appeal to the logical, emotional, and ethical sides of our decision-making process. Not all buyers are strictly rational […]

If you’ve been in marketing for a while, you know funnels inside and out. Funnels are the mechanisms that convert leads into customers. Over the past few years, the relevancy of the funnel has slowly died out, leaving room for a new, digitally-informed strategy to take its place. Enter the flywheel. If you have never heard of the marketing flywheel before, keep reading. Here we discuss: The Marketing Funnel (and why it may no longer be relevant) The Marketing Flywheel (and what it promises for the future) The Differences Between Funnel and Flywheel Flywheels in Action How to Shift to the Flywheel The Marketing Funnel: Reliable, Trusted…Outdated? The funnel model is as classic as a tool can get in marketing. This represents the stages a prospective customer goes through on their buyer journey. The stages are usually broken down into: Awareness Consideration Conversion Some add loyalty and advocacy at the bottom of this funnel. Others add a note like “rinse and repeat.” The top of the funnel is wide. Many people can become aware of your product, but not all will become interested. The funnel gets narrower as the leads pass through the different stages. Only a small percentage of […]

A cohesive marketing strategy requires an understanding of the different types of promotion available to your organization. Understanding the difference between traditional marketing and digital marketing is vital to getting the most out of your marketing budget. Once you know this, you can evaluate the pros and cons of each, and create the right blend for your company.    Traditional Marketing Digital Marketing Medium Billboards, TV, Radio Ads, Newspaper and Magazine SEO, Pay-Per-Click, SEM, Webpage Building, Social Media Focus Product-Focused Customer-Focused Related To Outbound Marketing Inbound Marketing Biggest Pros Easier Implementation for Smaller Businesses, Informative, Not Skippable Strong ROI, Broader and More Segmented Audience, Uses Modern Mediums, Customer-Focused Biggest Cons Expensive, Saturated Mediums, Hard to Evaluate Requires Some Tech Skill, Ever-Changing, Less Information What is the difference between Traditional and Digital marketing? To start with the extraordinarily obvious, traditional and digital marketing use different mediums to achieve their objectives. Traditional marketing relies on pre-digital forms of media to interact with prospective customers. This includes TV ads, radio, magazines, posters, etc. Broadcasting ads over real-time content interrupts the content the user is consuming. Print ads, in the same way, take the space of other material.   Digital marketing, as the name suggests, […]

Generation Z is currently entering the workforce for the first time. This hasn’t stopped some older Gen Zers from participating in buying committees for their business’s technology. This generation of buyers will only become more impactful in buying committees.  Generation Z enters the workforce and buying process with distinct life experiences and values from Millennials. These differences can pose new challenges for B2B marketers. They also offer new opportunities for engagement with the next generation of buyers.  While Gen Z’s current buyer footprint is small, early investment in this generation will pay off in the long run. We’ll show you 2 key steps of understanding  Generation Z. The first step is identifying the events that mold the generation. The second step is understanding  how those factors impact Gen Z values and personalities. We’ll also give concrete guidance on how marketers can better engage with Gen Z buyers in the coming years.  What Is a Gen Z Buyer? There is a range of defining features and traits that separate Gen Z from prior generations. There are also important factors to a group beyond their generation. Savvy marketers should exercise some caution when generalizing across an entire generation. Race, gender, income, education, […]

The tech industry prides itself on offering cutting-edge solutions to the world’s problems. But the language we use tends toward an overabundance of misused, overused, or simply bad buzzwords. We surveyed over 1,000 tech professionals to surface the tech buzzwords that annoy us the most. Since this is our second year tracking this data, we can also see how people’s opinions on certain words have changed year over year. We’ll also dig into where these technology buzzwords get so horribly misused according to Google Trends. We’re here to help keep the tech industry accountable and hopefully have a little fun. Let’s go. The Top 10 Most Hated Technology Buzzwords Today 1. Zoom [verb]  (New in 2021) Let’s take a moment to be very specific about the feedback we got from our tech community. The most-hated technology buzzword of 2020 is not Zoom, the web conferencing product. People actually hate the use of “zoom” as a verb.  An unfortunate hallmark of the COVID-19 pandemic is that everything moved to virtual spaces. The most culturally popular tool for these interactions is Zoom. However, Zoom now faces an interesting marketing dilemma. It’s hard to maintain a positive brand image when your name is […]

Inbound and Outbound marketing offer different approaches to achieving the same goals of generating leads, driving sales, and improving customer relations. Outbound marketing involves many of the classic sales strategies from before the turn of the century. Inbound marketing centers on a new way of thinking about customer relationships and sales. Understanding the difference between the two can help you decide which works best for your organization. It is also vital to understand how to make the most out of each strategy.   Inbound Marketing Outbound Marketing Also Known As Pull Marketing, New Marketing Push Marketing, Old Marketing, Interruption Marketing Examples Blog and Website Content, Social Media, How-To and Assistance Videos TV Ads, Radio Ads, Billboards, Banner Ads, Newspaper and Magazine Folds Marketing Focus Drawn Clients in, Generate Genuine Interest and Solve Customer NeedsTldr:Leads Come to You Push Products to a Broad Audience, Interrupt the Customer, Sell Why the Product is Right for ThemTldr:You Find Leads Pros Greater ROI, Cuts Through Ad Noise, Positive User Experience Easier to Produce, Access to More Traditional Mediums Cons Requires Smart Targeting and Customer Understanding Smaller ROI, Expensive and Can Fail to Yield Results, Huge Competition What Is the Difference Between Inbound and Outbound […]

Calendly is an appointment scheduling software with a pricing model that fits nearly any use case. These include a feature-rich free tier, along with paid tiers for organizations with more expansive needs. Calendly is the #1 Top-Rated award winner in its software category on TrustRadius. Understandings its pricing and features will help you determine which plan is right for you. With this, you can take advantage of this fantastic software at the right price.  The pricing levels covered in this piece are Calendly Basic Calendly Premium Calendly Pro Pricing Tier Basic Premium Pro Price Free $8/User/Mo. $12/User/Mo. Calendar Connections/User 1 Calendar/ User 2 Calendar/ User 6 Calendar/ User Event Types 1 Event Type Unlimited Event Type Unlimited Event Type Notifications  Email Customizable Email Customizable Email, SMS Group Events No Yes Yes Integrations Basic Basic + Zapier Includes Advanced Integrations Best for: Small Teams who Repeatedly Schedule 1 Event Type,Individual Users Small-to-Mid-Sized Teams, Scheduling Multiple Meeting Types to Multiple People/Groups Teams Who Need Advanced Integration and Payment Acceptance, Who Book a Large Volume of Meetings What Is Calendly? As mentioned, Calendly is an appointment scheduling software, used primarily by small-to-mid-sized organizations. For an overview of what this software does, check out […]

The inclusion of video content can drive traffic, sales, and interest for almost any type of organization. Video can be self-produced or outsourced, posted to a third party, or directly on your website. No matter the method, following search engine optimization guidelines for video will help you improve your rankings and achieve better results. Gone are the days of keyword stuffing, SEO for video relies on accessibility, audience targeting, and content optimization. Below is a guide on how to make video content work for you. This piece includes General Video SEO tips Self-Hosting versus Youtube Self-Hosting Pros and Cons Youtube Hosting Pros and Cons Self-Hosting Specific SEO Youtube Specific SEO How to Optimize Video for SEO Many methods of SEO for video content can be implemented easily and without a substantial increase in production costs. Abiding by the following best practices will help you use video in an effective, more reliable way for your organization. The following advice will change in implementation somewhat, depending on if you are producing the video yourself, or including outside content. To start, we will focus on broader tips that apply to all video content, then get more specific to different use-cases. Target the Right […]

Voice search is exploding in popularity, and this trend presents an opportunity for those with a  calculated online presence. Understanding how search engines generate their rankings will help you get your content higher on SERPs and drive business results. From mobile devices using Siri to Amazon’s Alexa, more people search hands-free than ever before. The voice search optimization tips we will cover in this guide are Understanding your audience Keep content readable Make information accessible Use voice search specific keywords Take advantage of Structured Data Markup Helper Voice Search Has Exploded in Popularity The convenience of voice search is obvious, and this hands-free inquiry method has taken off in recent years. A third of the US population uses voice search features. This is projected to increase by nearly 10% in the next year. Online marketing groups are publishing headlines about the “voice search revolution”. E-commerce groups have seen this coming for a while, and the technology and environmental trends are reaching a critical mass in 2021.  With this increase in popularity comes the new potential for SEO strategy. Optimizing content for voice search has key similarities and differences to more traditional input methods. By following the advice below, you can position […]

CRM and CMS may sound pretty similar, but they’re two distinct types of software that do completely different things. Successful businesses, however, often use both. But the first step is learning the differences between CRM and CMS software.  This post will be your guide to navigating the world of CRM and CMS software. By the end, you’ll feel confident making your next software purchase—whether it be a CRM, CMS, or both!  Your Guide For Choosing a CRM or CMS Before diving into what to consider when investing in a new CRM or CMS platform, here’s a quick primer on each:  CRM Systems: Large contact database that helps businesses store and track contact and account records. Users can add new business leads into the database and augment existing contact records with new information. Customer-facing teams like sales, marketing, and customer service/support rely on this type of software.  CMS Software: Create and update content published on websites. The CMS is responsible for storing and keeping track of all the content published on the website. Many businesses use a CMS platform to host their website or blog. This is especially common in B2C industries like eCommerce. Though many B2B businesses use CMS platforms […]

Email marketing tools are built for sales and marketing teams to send out email campaigns and track their performance. Constant Contact is a popular, strong choice for small-to-mid-sized businesses. Good software in this category has a balance of reasonable pricing and features to help your specific use-case. Constant contact’s pricing varies by the features you need, and the amount you will use it. It is also crucial to compare Constant Contact to alternative options. Mailchimp is a popular and capable email marketing alternative. By comparing the two, along with some other options, you will be empowered to make the best purchase decision for your business. What is Constant Contact? Constant Contact is an email marketing tool built around offering affordable customer contact options. Users praise its strong user interface and fantastic feature list. On Google, you’ll find that Constant Contact is frequently compared to Mailchimp, and for good reason. These tools are great for sending out marketing information, newsletters, and direct sales pieces. They are both designed to allow sales and marketing teams to continuously nurture leads and customers.. The two offer similar functionality, at intersecting price points. For a full overview of what email marketing software is, check out […]

In purchasing customer relationship management (CRM), balancing features and cost for your use case will be the key to the right purchase. The end goal is ultimately improving your interactions with customers, increasing sales, and reducing workload. The purpose of this piece is to discuss the best tools for some of the most common use cases. From here, we look at the features included in that software at the recommended price point, in order to help you determine what is right for you. The four products we will be looking at are: HubSpot Pipedrive Zoho CRM Salesforce As a small business, this means exploring the needs relevant to you. These cases explore: Price Integrations Mobile support Sales Marketing Tech skills required   HubSpot CRM Pipedrive Zoho CRM Salesforce Price   Free 12.50/User/Mo. 12.50/User/Mo. 25-75/user/Mo. Tech Skill Required Minimal Minimal Moderate Advanced trScore 8.3/10 8.2/10 7.9/10 8.4/10 Biggest Pro Low Cost, Comprehensive Option Perfect for Sales Teams Great Integration With Zoho Products Huge Depth of Features Biggest Con Limited Features Limited Beyond its Niche Purely a CRM, Other Features in Other Zoho Products Training Required to Take Full Advantage ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ Which CRM is Right for You? In determining which […]

With so many free marketing tools and paid automation software available, simply providing a list of options you could find on Google is not enough. TrustRadius will help you make the best choice for your business. We will help you evaluate your marketing automation tool needs, based on your potential use-case, size, and tech skills. Mailchimp Zoho Campaigns Hubspot Mailerlite Mautic How to Determine the Right Software for you? First, it is important to know if you need a full suite of automated marketing software, such as creation tools, landing pages, analytics, and social media marketing support. A bulk of marketing automation software falls into the category of email automation, and the tools surrounding that. This simpler set of capabilities may be enough for many users in many industries. As well as what you need, you’ll need an idea of how much use you will get out of each feature and where you’ll run into limitations.  As a guide, here is a quick cheat sheet on what the most commonly sought-after features in free marketing software are. We’ll focus on email marketing and other features offered to distinguish products that go beyond that medium.  Contact Number: The number of individuals […]

This year, TrustRadius is celebrating products which have earned a 2021 Best Of Award. The awards being celebrated include Best Customer Support, Best Usability, and Best Feature Set. The Best of Marketing Software category includes 6 sub-categories that provide users with a variety of capabilities that assist their marketing strategies and campaigns. The winning software products in this category have been rated and reviewed by users over the last year, and must meet high rating standards in order to qualify for each Best Of Award. This year, the Best of Marketing Software winners for Marketing Software are:  Best Usability – All-in-One Marketing Mailchimp, 1st Place Best Feature Set – All-in-One Marketing OutboundEngine, 1st Place Best Customer Support – Event Management Cvent Event Management, 1st Place CrowdCompass, 2nd Place Whova, 3rd Place Best Feature Set – Event Management Cvent Social Tables, 1st Place CrowdCompass, 2nd Place Cvent Event Management, 3rd Place Bet Customer Support – Marketing Automation SharpSpring, 1st Place Best Usability – Marketing Automation SharpSpring, 1st Place Best Feature Set – Marketing Automation SharpSpring, 1st Place Adobe Campaign, 2nd Place ActiveCampaign, 3rd Place Best Customer Support – Public Relations (PR) Cision Communications Cloud, 1st Place Best Feature Set – Public […]