Three B2B Marketing Wishes for 2016

By Robert Pease, Pipeline Performance Practice Lead, Heinz Marketing

The beginning of a new year is definitely a time to pause, reflect, and look forward with fresh perspective and optimism. I decided to list out three wishes I have for B2B Marketing in 2016.

1. Get back to basics

So much marketing technology, so much change, so much pressure.  The marketing playbook has long been established so don’t forget why you are doing what you are doing – find, attract, and keep customers.  It can be easy to lose sight of the basics when shiny object new technology is unveiled or “growth hackers” come around.  Innovation, disruption, and asymmetrical approaches can give you an edge and make your marketing activities outperform your competitors so keep experimenting but keep it rooted in the basics.

2. Have a revenue focus

Hard to believe this is on a wish list and still not the norm.  Marketers are sales people with a budget so spend wisely and get revenue related.  If you are spending time reporting activities versus outcomes you are focusing on the wrong things.

3. Be buyer centric

Make sure you are not being tone deaf to the actual needs, concerns, and aspirations of your buyer.  How you sell is less important than how they buy so stand apart from others by leading with the buyer’s point of view and wrapping your messaging, content, campaigns, and promotions around the buyer’s perspective.