Practical B2B Marketing for AceTech Ontario

PRACTICAL B2B MARKETING

ACETECH ONTARIO
POWER SESSION

April 20, 2012

130 Spadina Ave, Suite 305 | Toronto, Ontario M5V 2L4 | 416.598.4684 | www.themezzaninegroup.com

OBJECTIVES

1. Share experience on practical B2B marketing –
how to get it done in companies with limited
resources

OBJECTIVES
2. Provide case studies and the opportunity for
FOR TODAY discussion among members

3. Deliver 2 – 3 immediately useful tools and
actionable takeaways

130 Spadina Ave, Suite 305 | Toronto, Ontario M5V 2L4 | 416.598.4684 | www.themezzaninegroup.com 1

MY BACKGROUND

• 16 years in B2B

• Started The Mezzanine Group in 2001
• Consult and manage marketing for more than 200 companies
over last 12 years
• Fortune 500
MY BACKGROUND • Small and mid-sized (pre-revenue to $150M)
AND THE INPUTS
TO TODAY’S
DISCUSSION • Data from over 5000 companies
(Forrester, MarketingProfs, Aberdeen Group)

• Upcoming book on B2B marketing
The Practical Guide to B2B Marketing. Everything you need to
know to make marketing actually work for your B2B company


YOUR VIEWS
Which functions can impact success in next 12 months? What are your top 3 marketing goals for this year?

How much marketing relative to having no constraints? Who is responsible for marketing strategy and planning?

Avg. = 4.9
30%

24%

21%

15%

9%

Employees: Avg.104, Range 1 – 1500 | Marketing budget: Avg. $282k, Range $10k - $2M n = 33


CHALLENGES

“We spent $250,000 on marketing
THE MARKETING
CHALLENGE IN last year and I feel like what we
SMALL AND
MID-SIZED B2B got from it was a bunch of pens
COMPANIES
with our logo on them.”
~CEO of a $5M software company


A BETTER WAY

Main Focus Today
1. Strategy

4 STEPS TO
EFFECTIVE 2. Tactics
MARKETING IN
B2B COMPANIES
Secondary Focus

3. Implementation Resources and
Management

4. Measurement and Refinement


PRACTICAL B2B
MARKETING STRATEGY

4 Ps - Product, Price, Place, Promotion
(up in the air – good at 30,000 ft)

On solid ground: Target Market,
Value Proposition and Messages


TARGET MARKET

1. Deep understanding of buyers:
• who they are – role, industry, company type
KNOWING YOUR • their pains and priorities
TARGET
MARKET AND
• how they make decisions
WHAT MATTERS • how they get information
TO THEM

2. How to do this:
• Sales, management and customer service
team as a starting point
• Customer research (blind if possible)


DEFINE YOUR TARGET MARKET

• Looking for opportunities
• Actively looking for and

Director of
Engineering
to improve energy
Managers open to ideas
Innovation
efficiency
KNOWING YOUR • Company culture
• Solutions must not
TARGET encourages innovation
impact systems
MARKET AND • Have a network of
WHAT MATTERS • Read trade journals and
innovators they rely on
TO THEM are part of various
for information
industry associations
Priorities:
• NO IMPACT ON
PROCESS
Priorities:
• ENERGY
• INNOVATION
OPTIMIZATION
• NEW TECHNOLOGY


VALUE PROPOSITION

95% of CEOs define their value proposition through
WHY SHOULD I these factors:
DO BUSINESS
WITH YOU?
• Good Cust’r Service • Knowledgeable staff
• Quality • Consistent management
• Reputation • Responsiveness
• Good results • Innovativeness
• Our employees • Trust

Jaynie Smith, Creating Competitive Advantage, 2006

VALUE PROPOSITION

A better value proposition is specific, quantified
and objective:

• After switching to our process, customers report an
WHY SHOULD I average 25% boost in productivity.
DO BUSINESS • Our clients often experience double-digit growth within
WITH YOU? 6-12 months of implementing our process.
• We stay on budget 95% of the time
• Developers’ sales ratios rose by 35% after using our
firm
• Our average client saves a minimum of 30% on total
occupancy and design costs
• Our employees have a minimum of 15 years’
experience, twice that of our nearest competitor.

Jaynie Smith, Creating Competitive Advantage, 2006

CHOOSING THE RIGHT
MARKETING TACTICS

IN A SEA OF
OPTIONS, WHICH
MARKETING
TACTICS
SHOULD YOU
USE?

3 GUIDELINES

Chart courtesy of Peter
Evans, speakerfile


WHAT STAGE ARE YOU

P1 P2 P3
Focus:
Brand Building

GUIDELINE ONE -
Focus:
DIFFERENT
Revenue

Awareness and Lead
TACTICS ARE Generation
Growth Gap
EFFECTIVE AT between a B2B
DIFFERENT Marketer and a
non-Marketer
STAGES Focus:
Marketing Basics,
Sales Support and
Product Development

Time
Conceptual


WHERE IS THE ROI

GUIDELINE
TWO – CUSTOMERS
Start with the Existing New
highest ROI and
work down the
PRODUCTS / SERVICES

New
list from there –
highest ROI is
not usually where
2 # 4 ROI
you think it is
Existing

#1 ROI 3


INTEGRATE TACTICS

GUIDELINE No B2B marketing tactic is a silver bullet. Each
THREE–
one is stronger when used with others.
INTEGRATE

Situation A:
• $15,000 Tradeshow investment
• Booth, staffed 3 days, take cards, sales follow ups
• 45 leads; 4 deals within 6 months @ $20k each
• $80k new sales (ROI 433%)
Situation B
• $15,000 Tradeshow investment – same as above
• $8,000 content / tool investment (case studies,
demo video, webinar)
• $4,000 coordination investment –
• Pre-show email campaign, at-show scheduled
meetings, post-show lead nurturing campaign
• 65 leads, 9 deals within 6 months
• $180k new sales (ROI 567%)


IT’S ALL ABOUT CONTENT

Which content tools do you use?

Sales collateral

Industry presentations

n = 33


WHICH TACTICS

How many Acetechers use the following tactics?

The 3:1 Rule
Exert 3 times as much
effort promoting your
content as you do
creating your content.
n = 33


WHICH TACTICS WORK BEST

Marketing Profs
2012 Study
AceTech respondents indicating tactic is ‘Very Effective’
29%
26%
20%

19%
13%
16%
13%

n = 1745


CASE STUDIES

General Tips:
• Vital for demonstrating track record in B2B
• More than 1 case study needed
• Aim for 3 – 8, choose based on:
• biggest / most impressive customers
• best business results – $, %, and #
DEVELOPING • marketing goals – messages, industries
AND USING • Framework: Customer, Challenge, Solution, Results
CASE STUDIES • 1 – 2 pages, standard format for all
• Testimonials, customer logo, snappy title
• Getting them done:
• Ask permission of client
• Do interview (30 – 60 mins)
• Create draft and review with client
• Graphic design
• Pay sales rep $500 to get them done
• Above all else, use them:
• Sales support, website (not gated), industry presentations, webinars,
articles, email campaign or newsletter.


PUBLIC RELATIONS

Tips:
• It’s gShiftLabs’ secret weapon
• Integrate with other tactics (SEO, PPC, shows, speaking, etc)
• Set goals up front and make a plan
• Write a blog first and include backlinks to your main site
• Send blog to industry blog sites – get pick up
GETTING AND • Distribute blog to email subscribers
GROWING PR • Write a whitepaper / other content
• Promote it via paid
• 1 – 2 weeks later distribute optimized
press release through PRWeb and industry 2000+ leads
database. Include backlinks to site.
• Use gShift to track metrics
• Results:
• 1405 downloads, 26,000 impressions for
press release, 2000+ leads


FUNDING
Export Market Access www.exportaccess.ca
• $30K grant (50% of expenses) for international trade shows. Can get
twice a year
• 5-500 employees, revenue over $500K, be incorporated for at least 2 years
• Must get acceptance before you spend any money

IRAP – ARP (talk to your ITA)
• $50k grant (up to 75% of 3rd party expenses and 100% of internal labour)
• Market research, competitive intelligence, feasibility study, implementation
GOVERNMENT CME SMART Prosperity Now www.cme-smart.ca
FUNDING • $75K grant (or 33% of expenses) for international marketing,
foreign market orientation
• Min 15 employees, incorporated at least 2 years, have manufacturing
operations in Ontario

Going Global Innovation www.tradecommissioner.gc.ca/eng/science/going_global.jsp
• $75K grant (75% of expenses) to explore int’l collaboration to bring a new
product to market
• Science, technology and innovation companies
• Sales less than $50M, less than 500 employees

Small Business Internship Program www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/sbip-pspe.nsf/eng/home
• 12-week ($10K max) wage subsidy to hire intern to help with
online marketing

MARKETING BUDGETS
Marketing Budget as a percentage of Budget Allocation
gross revenue, including personnel:

Average spent on Marketing:
<50 employees 50 – 499 employees 500+ employees
$263k $1.2M $15.6M

• Companies with a direct sales model spend less than those with a mixed distributor / direct model
• Companies who have a pure B2B model spend less than those who have a B2B2C model
2012 B2B Marketing Benchmark Report (Marketo and MarketingProfs)


10 USEFUL TOOLS


TOOLS
GWABBIT 99DESIGNS

Grabs contacts from Hosts contests to get high
email address blocks and quality graphic design
converts them to Outlook (logos, websites, templates)
contacts. $20 download. at great prices.
Starting $295.

www.gwabbit.com www.99designs.com


TOOLS
GSHIFTLABS HUBSPOT
Web presence optimization Blog, landing pages, lead
software – SEO, nurturing, SEO, analytics.
competitive insights, Starting $750/mo.
keyword strategies,
analytics & more. Starting
$99/mo.

Grade effectiveness based on 50 var’s. Free.

www.gshiftlabs.com www.hubspot.com


TOOLS
HOOTSUITE COMPETITRACK

Manage your social media Advertising and
accounts through one spend tracking.
platform. Free | $6/mo. Per ad pricing.

www.hootsuite.com www.competitrack.com


TOOLS
MENTORWORKS VIRTUAL TRADE
COMMISSIONER
Information and support Research and sales
for government funding support for export
programs. markets.

http://www.tradecommissioner.gc.ca/eng/
www.mentorworks.ca virtual-trade-commissioner.jsp


TOOLS
SCHEDULICITY INTERVALS

Online appt SAAS time-tracking,
scheduling. useful reports. $20/mo.
$19/mo. For 15 projects.

www.schedulicity.com www.myintervals.com


THANK YOU
Lisa Shepherd, The Mezzanine Group
MezzLisa
(416) 937-8376

lshepherd@themezzaninegroup.com
MezzLisa
http://www.profitguide.com/blog/lisashepherd


Practical B2B Marketing for AceTech Ontario

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Practical B2B Marketing for AceTech Ontario