Setting Yourself Up to Be a Commodity? What’s Your Edge?

By: Laura Patterson, President and Co-Founder, VisionEdge Marketing, Inc.

Whether good times or bad, we should all heed Alexa Von Tobel’s advice about staying close to our customers. As more organizations try to keep up with the latest tech trend and increase their focus on digital channels, human to human contact is on the verge of extinction. In fact, according to a report by PwC, a staggering 59% of consumers feel that companies have lost touch with the human element of the customer experience. A significant part of customer experience is about increasing human contact between your brand, your company, and your customers.
#customerfocus

Web and Digital Marketing

Web Development Hacks to Increase Your Traffic Organically

By: Sheryl Jones, Senior Marketing Specialist, Uplers

Web development is one of the best ways to boost your traffic organically. Different websites are built differently, but there are three components of web development, which are commonly required to create them all. Here are seven web development hacks that will organically increase your engagement.

Events Marketing

Tough Year for Events but Dark Clouds Have Silver Linings

By: Allison Kline Miller, Event Manager, Gardner Business Media, Inc.

As we continue to navigate what our new normal looks like as people and as a company, it’s safe to say that all of us have learned things we didn’t know before, and have been surprised in our ability to adapt. While we don’t know what the future will hold, we do know that we can look for the silver linings and find ways to evolve, adapt and embrace whatever lies in front of us.

Gardner Business Index Reading of 44.7 for June 2020

By: Michael Guckes, Chief Economist & Director of Analytics, Gardner Intelligence

The June data indicate that a shrinking proportion of manufacturers experienced worsening conditions and a growing proportion experienced unchanging or improving conditions relative to May. Recent activity reported by broad economic indicators of the economy including a rebound in consumption spending and a precipitous drop in weekly initial claims for unemployment since late March support the impression that the economy is nearing the ‘bottom’ of the decline caused by the initial costs brought on by COVID-19.
#economics

Content Marketing

What Are the Most Important Elements of Your Brand Story?

By: Michael Brenner, CEO and Founder of Marketing Insider Group

Your brand story is a lot like a first date. It’s your one chance to make a great first impression. It’s a little scary – but it’s your open door to opportunity. With the right elements, your brand story will hook potential customers right from the start. Here’s how to make that first impression into one that customers will remember for a lifetime.
#brandbuilding

Social Media Marketing

B2B Research: A Powerful Marketing Tool

By: Mark Semmelmayer, CBC, Chief Idea Officer, Pen & Inc. Marketing Communications

The Gardner Business Media Industrial Buying Influence 2020 study findings can be used as a powerful marketing tool. The study provides demographic and psychographic details that help you better understand customers and prospects. We know knowledge is power and knowing how B2B industrial buying dynamics are changing is a key to successfully empowering your marketing.
#brandbuilding #leadgeneration

Marketing - General

How Much Should You Spend on Marketing During a Recession?

By: Michelle Calcote King,Principal & President of Reputation Ink

It pays to maintain — and in some cases increase — marketing expenditures during an economic downturn. As Peter Fader of the Wharton School said, “As companies slash advertising in a downturn, they leave empty space in consumers’ minds for aggressive marketers to make strong inroads.”

Social Media Marketing

Create Effective Show Communication for Your Hybrid Event

By: Map Your Show

You may be considering a Hybrid Event, which involves a new digital experience for a select audience of exhibitors and attendees. Here are a few ways to enhance your communication to all your customers.

Gardner Business Index Points to Slowing Decline in Business Activity

By: Michael Guckes, Chief Economist and Director of Analytics, Gardner Intelligence

May’s reading moved significantly higher from April’s all-time low reading. The latest reading implies that overall manufacturing business conditions worsened further in May, but at a much slower rate than experienced in April. Rising readings that are below 50 indicate a slowing rate of contracting business activity. As the overall economy re-normalizes and more businesses re-open, it is reasonable to expect that the Index will see future months of below 50 readings but overall continue to report higher readings in absolute terms.
#economics

Email Marketing

Email Isn’t Going Anywhere. But Gosh, It Needs to Change.

By: Alex Lytle, Digital Content Lead, Gardner Business Media, Inc.

Email isn’t going anywhere. There are other communication channels trying to get in the game, but email is still very strong, and we have to get smarter about how we’re using it. The days of list buying, and spamming customers has to change. Just because others are still leaning on the old school methods of finding an address and spamming you doesn’t mean you have to. Get ahead of the changes before it’s too late. Here are a couple ingredients for that secret sauce to step up your email game.

Content Marketing

Marketing Mistakes Could Be Fatal to Manufacturing Companies

By: Keith Booton, Founder and President, Ivor Andrew

Although the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic is hitting service and travel industries the hardest, B2B manufacturers and industrial companies are not immune. And just as human patients with underlying issues are more susceptible to the pandemic, so are B2B companies with underlying financial, organizational and marketing issues. It’s time to acknowledge the marketing issues you have and get in front of them. Turn underlying B2B marketing problems into bonafide marketing differentiators. Here are four underlying marketing issues that could prove catastrophic to B2B manufacturers.
#brandbuilding

Gardner Business Index Reading of 34.2 for April 2020

By: Michael Guckes, Chief Economist and Director of Analytics, Gardner Intelligence

April’s reading of 34.2 signaled that overall business activity conditions continued to slow further after falling sharply in March. As expected, April’s data also indicated that the disruption to supply chains reported last month also further worsened. For a second month, new orders, production and exports activity led the Index lower. These components are considered leading indicators of the Index due to their frequent influence on backlogs and employment readings in later months.
#economics