b2b digital marketing Archives

How to choose an outsourced marketing partner

If you're an avid (or even just casual) readers of our blogs, you'll know we've written a lot about outsourcing your sales and marketing. We've said why you should do it, when you should do it - even how to best manage and work with your outsourced partner. But to gain all the advantages that outsourcing can offer and achieve successful marketing outcomes, there's another crucial step: Picking the right outsourcing partner. It can be hard handing over such a crucial part of your business to a stranger - especially if you're totally new to outsourcing. You READ MORE ›

2021-06-09T17:01:04+10:00By Bella Newton|Strategy|

5 tools you should be using for sales & marketing

They say a good tool improves the way you work, but a great tool improves the way you think. In the digital era, this has never been truer. Within the exciting world of sales and marketing, there is no shortage of tools, and the rate of which these tools are evolving is both intimidating and inspiring. It’s impossible to have them all and keep up – regardless of resources or budget. And it’s also completely unnecessary. If you can find the few that will have the most impact and add the most value, you’ll be setting yourself READ MORE ›

2021-06-09T17:02:29+10:00By Ary Nagrath|Strategy|

Five key skills every B2B digital marketer needs

Digital marketing is, by nature, a creative industry. And while people often come into the industry rearing to go with innovative ideas, but there's more to marketing than just a creative itch. Whether for those starting in B2B digital marketing, professionals who are deep in their career, or business leaders looking to hire the next best digital marketer, there are various skills and attitudes to the role that, if overlooked, may be leaving people at a disadvantage. Overlooked areas in B2B digital marketing Marketing is an industry that is constantly evolving as new tools and technology pop READ MORE ›

2021-06-09T17:02:49+10:00By Callum Youla|Skills|

Being authentically useful with your content marketing

As a company, we're pretty successful sales and marketing specialists (if I do say so myself). As part of our everyday offering we: plan the sales and marketing for many large and small companies globally contribute to a part of the marketing for a handful of large companies - also globally do (almost all of) the marketing for around 50 smaller Australian businesses. But at the same time, our own marketing often suffers. We don't have enough time, worry that we don't have enough worthy ideas, and sometimes struggle with a consistent brand voice. We work super READ MORE ›

2021-06-09T17:03:33+10:00By Hugh Macfarlane|Tactics|

5 tips for successfully managing an outsourced agency

Ask any successful couple, sports team, management partnership or psychologist what their secret to a prosperous relationship is and they'll probably all tell you the same thing: Communication is key. A successful relationship between a business and an agency is much the same - you need to be clearly on the same page to build a robust framework and clear intentions. For businesses, it can be a very daunting experience navigating best practises when engaging with and managing an outsourced marketing agency. But moving past the trepidation can be worth it - if done correctly, working with READ MORE ›

2021-06-09T17:03:07+10:00By Ary Nagrath|Strategy|

Virtual or non-virtual? Deciding on the right format for your business events and meetings

Before 2020, businesses had a lot more choice in the ways in which they delivered meetings, workshops, and other events. For some, like ourselves, virtual meetings were already the norm. After all, why travel an hour for a thirty-minute meeting when you could be more efficient with your time? But what about other business activities such as facilitated workshops or events? At align.me, we have always happily relocated to wherever needed to undertake these activities. But 2020 threw a spanner in the works and demanded everyone shift to virtual formats. As we’re seeing things return to "business READ MORE ›

2021-03-23T14:58:27+11:00By Callum Youla|Strategy|

Why case studies can be your most valuable assets (and how to use them)

We know that B2B has a longer and more complex buying process than B2C, and therefore a longer buying journey. The key element of B2B marketing is connecting with the customer at the point they're at in their journey. Then, moving them onto the next step (and the next, and the next…) It's a careful balancing act that's important to get right. Go too hard too soon, and you can say goodbye to that prospect. Don't make your case hard enough when they're ready, and they'll wave goodbye to you and head for your closest competitor. Usually, READ MORE ›

2021-02-24T17:34:46+11:00By Bella Newton|Tactics|

The absolute basic sales & marketing must-do’s for DIY B2B digital marketing

In a perfect world, businesses across Australia would have access to the means to perform high-quality, efficient B2B digital marketing practices regularly. However, if this last year is anything to go by, for many finances are tight and extra time is non-existent. This means business leaders are faced with the tough choice of where to invest their resources. The reality is that many small B2B businesses can't afford outsourced marketing functions - or professional in-house teams - due to low revenue and the need to be cautious with expenditure. For these businesses, many are moving towards undertaking READ MORE ›

2021-03-11T14:28:58+11:00By Callum Youla|Tactics|

The missed link between tactics and strategy

We know that if you change your strategy, you need to change your tactics. But the reverse is just as true: If you change your tactics, you might be changing your strategy (or at best, contradicting it) unintentionally. In my November blog, I argued that as we start to emerge from a torrid 2020 into an uncertain 2021-2, we have to be ‘OK’ about a seeming contradiction: that stability was still crucial, but we need to be comfortable pivoting both strategically and tactically. I want now to argue that we have to be very intentional about those READ MORE ›

2021-02-01T08:20:56+11:00By Hugh Macfarlane|Strategy|

Should you outsource your B2B marketing? (Yes, probably – here’s why)

Back in 2008, when the global financial crisis hit, many businesses were looking for ways to cut down costs – fast. There was a mass-culling of staff and marketing teams were one of the first to be bid adieu. But those businesses that wanted to keep selling knew they’d need some kind of marketing support. So, they looked for external experts who could help at a lower cost – and outsourced marketing services took off. Over the last several years, outsourcing has really caught on. It’s gone from something only big companies do to something businesses of READ MORE ›

2020-12-16T14:32:23+11:00By Bella Newton|Strategy|

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