3 B2B Marketing Horror Stories…and How to Avoid Them

Happy Halloween, content marketers! Some of us prefer to dress in full costume and hit the town while others like to stay in and binge-watch our favorite horror flicks. Preferences aside, it’s our favorite spooky day of the year.

Of course, we’ll be indulging in the usual Halloween treats like candy corn and fun-sized candy bars, but we also wanted to celebrate in our own special way: by sharing some scary stories. Sure, they may not be the same as “Poltergeist,” “Nightmare on Elm Street” or any of your other favorite horrifying flicks. But in our opinion, they’re just as petrifying for content marketers.

Read on if you dare…

The Curse of the Content Marketing Jargon

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There once was a content marketing team with big goals. They dreamed of creating great content that allowed them to connect with people from all around the world. But sadly, they were so entrenched in their company, and were watched so closely by their team members, that they couldn’t speak to their audience how they really wanted to.

The content marketing team was forced to use the jargon of its company for all time. So no matter how much content these marketers created, they just couldn’t be heard. If you don’t want this curse cast upon you, make sure you and your team always speak like your buyers. That means telling stories and sharing tips, best practices and success stories in a way they will understand.

The Tale of the B2B Marketing Stalker

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Have you ever walked down a dark street and felt like you were being followed? That no matter how quickly you moved there was always someone a few short steps behind you? Imagine feeling that way as you mind your own business and browse the web to research industry trends, vendors, technologies and apps. This is what victims of the B2B Marketing Stalker feel like.

No matter where they go, some buyers feel like they’re being watched, followed and eventually barraged with unwanted messages. Don’t be like the B2B Marketing Stalker. Of course, it’s good to know your buyers and how they look for information; but don’t follow them too closely. Avoid having sales send follow-up emails right after someone downloads an asset or badgering your buyers with cold calls. Because if you’re too eager or too aggressive, you’ll quickly turn them off. Or worse…scare them away forever.

The Campaign Planning Catastrophe

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Planning is essential for all marketers. We plan our core topics and talking points for the year, we plan our budgets, we plan our marketing campaigns and we plan out the content we need to create. But even when we have the best intentions, things just don’t end up how they should. This is what happened to one marketing team who ended up waiting until the last minute to plan their strategy for the year ahead.

Although the team met the deadline, the plan soon began to unravel. None of the campaigns generated the results they needed and no matter what they did, they were unable to adapt and put new plans into place. As a result, they were doomed to poor lead generation and sales results.

If you don’t want to end up like this troupe, heed our warning and make sure you put enough time aside to plan for the year. And should you put your plans into action and see poor results, don’t fret! You won’t be cursed for good, but you’ll need to respond quickly and embark on a new path. No matter how scary it may seem. So start small and find ways to adjust or improve your campaign — whether it’s shaking up an email subject line, changing the email design or making minor adjustments to the cover of your asset. You’ll be able to learn from your missteps and improve your campaign results.

These are only three of many B2B horror stories your brand could experience, but if you take our advice, you’ll be able to avoid them.

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