Measuring What Matters for Inbound Marketing Metrics

In today’s data driven world, metrics rule the outcome of any marketing strategy, but focus too narrowly on numbers and you might just end up losing perspective.

Metrics don’t always mean success, which is why you need to measure what matters. If you are looking to reap a sound ROI on your content marketing strategy, it is imperative that the associated results are closely aligned with your goals.

New Business Development for Massachusetts Manufacturers Helps Everyone

Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM), recently released their “Blueprint for the Next Century” plan. The discussion focuses on 4 top challenges for manufacturing in MA:

• Workforce development
• Uniformly strong business climate
• Efficient regulation
• Health insurance & energy costs

5 Simple Steps to Take Your Brand Development Process to the Next Level

Branding is native to a company's marketing department, but the brand development process doesn't and shouldn't end there. It isn't the product or the pricing that truly sets your company apart from your competitor's, it's the branding. And, who speaks for what the company stands for better than its own employees? Branding is the reason one chooses Trader Joe's over any other grocery store or a Starbucks' latte instead of another brand's coffee, even though that same beverage is most likely available elsewhere (anywhere!) at a cheaper price. 

Are You a Sales Enabler or Are You the Sales Disabler?

Being an enabler—in most circumstance—has gotten a bad rap. As an inbound marketing consultant, it’s right where I want to be. It is, in fact, my purpose for being (at least professionally), my Holy Grail. Yup, through the evergreen and helpfully informative content I’ve helped you create on your website, “I’ll” sit there all night helping you to get the hits you yearn for. And that’s just a small piece of the inbound marketing action I can provide for you (because I can also be a faithful and indefatigable brand ambassador for you). Strung out metaphors aside, this is serious stuff, and your business depends on me doing mine.

Get Better Training and Buy-In for B2B Inbound Marketing

B2B Inbound marketing, while extremely effective, comes with challenges. Year after year, companies seem to struggle with the same efforts. While proving the ROI of marketing activities is still the top challenge, finding an executive sponsor and team training are rapidly rising to the top of the list. Companies need both executive buy-in and appropriate training of sales and marketing teams to achieve the inbound marketing success they strive for. While all other challenges mentioned in this survey have declined from the previous year, these two have increased. HubSpot’s “State of Inbound 2015” report examines these developing trends.

Do You Know What They Are and What to Do about Them?

It’s called work for a reason. And you want to know that all your work actually, well, works. So do we. There are many B2B marketing tactics, tools, and technologies available today to help us all work smarter and more effectively. Some change with cultural shifts and others drive social groundswells—and we all need to be prepared to take advantage of the opportunities they provide.

Local Inbound Marketing Software Company Gets Big Props for Positive Work Culture  

Big congratulations to HubSpot of Cambridge for Boston Globe's top selection for Top Place to Work in a large company.

Gaining Qualified Leads and Increasing Overall ROI

Leads. We all want them. We need them. We know how crucial generating leads is to your company’s success—and that generating qualified leads shares top spot with closing sales once you nurture them down the funnel. Your boss knows this as well. In fact, CEOs will often put costs in the rearview when generating leads in order to yield successful results. HubSpot’s recently released “State of Inbound 2015” study delves deeper into this trend.

Getting a Return on Your Marketing Strategy

Let’s face it, businesses don’t succeed unless a sale happens. The recently released “State of Inbound 2015” study by HubSpot, links marketing ROI to the sales function.

According to the survey of more than 4,000 marketers worldwide, the number one challenge of B2B companies is “Proving the ROI of Marketing Activities.” The top sales priority of these companies is to “improve the efficiency of the sales funnel, and closing more deals.” What better way to prove ROI than to see an increase in sales due to an improvement of the efficiency of the sales funnel. Generating leads is the job of marketing and converting those leads into company sales is the job of the sales team. Marketing and sales teams that work together are more successful at increasing ROI. 

The Direct Link between Content Marketing and Sales

Joe, Shirley, Ruth, and James are hardworking sales people. And they hit their numbers every time. But you need the numbers to increase and your company wants to shift into new markets, so you’re facing a double whammy of a transition. They all have very different personalities and approaches to work, and their own preferences for how and when they communicate to prospects and customers. You spend way too much time creating sales enablement strategies that support each of their styles of working. You need a plan that will encompass all their work habits and keep you from having to micromanage their different approaches for engaging with clients. On top of that, corporate is after you to align branding and messaging more consistently. You need a content marketing plan.