In B2B marketing, basic truths remain

Reading industry pundits' predictions for B2B marketing in 2017 can be dizzying. So much to do! More automation, lead grading, tracking the life cycle of the customer experience; more content, less content, shorter, longer, denser; new SEO practices, the "death" of lead generation (although, as Mark Twain might have said, reports of the death of lead generation are greatly exaggerated).

At vSA, we keep up with all that's changing, so we can best serve client interests. Even so, we assure our readers that certain truths remain relevant for 2017:

-Marketing needs to be sharp, targeted and powerful. This includes the increasingly important arena of content marketing. Don't let anyone talk you into publishing dozens of poorly written, minimally valuable, less-than-targeted articles or posts... or even one.

-Lead grading is great, but if marketing outreach tactics can be implemented cost-effectively, even second-tier leads can stay on the radar. Sometimes great new customers still come from left field.

-Inbound marketing offers significant benefits to business-to-business companies, but don't exclude outbound and sales. Many products and services still require so-called "intrusive" outbound marketing. For many B2Bs, "being in the right place at the right time" to make the deal demands a mix of inbound and outbound marketing AND an active sales presence.

-Marketing still requires the long play. Product and service launches should be phased and thoughtful. Prospects and customers require frequent and often diversified touch points. Memories are short, so never assume anyone will remember what you communicated two months back.

-B2B companies must continually nurture new prospects and update their offerings. The customer life cycle is now more trackable than ever, thanks to integrated CRM and marketing automation. It demonstrates that you need to keep creating new customers at all times. Needs change, client companies merge and decision-makers leave their posts.

-Expert partners matter. Marketing is better when good minds work together, and when a client's institutional knowledge and passion is coupled with the marketing expertise of a company such as vSA that provides effective B2B marketing for clients every day.