Content that engages readers by addressing the challenges they face is a great marketing tool for water and wastewater solutions providers. However, too many companies still focus this effort on themselves and their product while most readers have a strong filter for an advertisement that’s dressed up to look like helpful content.
- Creating Content Is Half The Battle (But It Doesn’t Win The Buyer Attention War)
- The Data Problem Marketers Don't Know They Have
- 7 Tips For A Successful Virtual Event Presentation
- Finding The Best Value In Virtual Water Events In 2021
- Why Your Content Creation Strategy Needs Buyer-Centric Research
- From The Editor: 2021 B2B Marketing Predictions
- From The Editor: What A Marketer Learned From Sales Meetings
- The Risk Of Confusing Thought Leadership With Selling
- What Does Enough Thought Leadership Look Like In Content Marketing?
EMERGING MARKETING TRENDS
Marketing experts are embracing the benefits of the types of services we offer at Water Online. Here are their latest thoughts on the subject.
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![innovation-and-science-concept-istock1177116437-328490833]( "Why Affiliate Marketing Is Poised To Rise As Third-Party Cookies Crumble")
Third-party cookies, which made it easier to reach customers, are on their way out. The resulting shakeup means marketers will need to get serious about the demand for authenticity. Affiliate marketing is perfectly positioned to deliver. In this Adweek article, contributor Anthony Capano discusses how affiliate marketing uniquely leverages that trust to reach audiences in truly authentic ways.
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![B2Brand Post 5-27 graphic]( "Four Common Strategy Mistakes B2B Marketing Leaders Make")
A comprehensive marketing strategy is critical for business, but too many B2B marketing leaders go about it the wrong way. From a lack of clarity to missing inputs, marketing strategy is often out of step with overall objectives at a company.
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![iStock-1216195049]( "Funnel Vision: The Dangerous Trap Of Lead Stages")
In an ideal world, marketing would be involved in every step of the journey from prospect to customer. Marketing attracts, informs, educates, enables, and empowers the prospect with the information long before they are considering a purchase and long after they have become a customer.
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![B2Brand post 5-13 photo]( "Tell Us Your Top Business Challenge")
“Tell us your top business challenge” was the subject line, but the email was littered with links to resources about the company’s products. It’s a common approach in sales and marketing: getting into what you sell as a solution to whatever challenges a customer might have. The problem is that businesses are likely already doing something about the issues they’re aware of, so that approach tends to fall flat. In this piece, consultant and author David Brock digs into the value of providing insights and ideas to help incite clients to change and grow.
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![iStock-1284549946]( "The Essential Steps To Sparking New B2B Sales Opportunities")
To thrive, companies need to use data to find and reach their in-market buyers with targeted, timely messaging that addresses their business needs and delivers content to decision-makers. This AiThority piece outlines seven data-driven initiatives — including how to build, target, and distribute content — that will help boost your position in the market.
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![iStock-1188021948]( "How Technology Is Changing The Role Of The CMO In 2021")
Even before the pandemic hit, the savviest marketers and sales leaders were looking at digital solutions to play a significant role in their customer relationships. Now, as buyers increasingly interact with brands in different ways — and find more value than ever in digital channels — your marketing professionals are under pressure to improve outcomes.
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![iStock-491986960]( "Drive More Traffic And Engagement With Content Amplification")
So many businesses create content, but then they only publish that content on their own website and maybe share it a few times on social media. In this piece, James Tennant explains why creating content is only half the battle and what key steps can be taken to get the most mileage from it.
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![Content-iStock-976370312]( "Omnichannel In B2B Sales: The New Normal In A Year That Has Been Anything But")
If you’ve ever questioned the effectiveness of publishing content, now is the time to put those doubts to rest. B2B buyers aren’t just moving to omnichannel marketing — a combination of in-person, remote, and e-commerce channels — purchasers have shown they now expect them all. Content is a significant influencer in those e-commerce channels.
WATER WE TALKING ABOUT?
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![Helping The Water Sector Advocate For Itself]( "Helping The Water Sector Advocate For Itself with Mae Stevens, VP and Chair of Water Practice, Signal Group DC")
Helping The Water Sector Advocate For Itself with Mae Stevens, VP and Chair of Water Practice, Signal Group DCThe Federal government plays a significant role in water project development, through both funding and regulating the industry. Water sector champion Mae Stevens shares how we as water professionals need to play an important role in influencing our congressional representatives and senators to win support of what we need to advance business opportunities.
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![Putting Valuable Content Where I Might Look]( "Putting Valuable Content Where I Might Look With Jeff Hobbs, former VP Of Technology, San Jose Water")
Putting Valuable Content Where I Might Look With Jeff Hobbs, former VP Of Technology, San Jose WaterAs former VP of Technology for San Jose Water, Jeff Hobbs shares his customer view and experience to help vendors stand a better chance of winning a private utility’s attention. Recognizing how difficult it is for vendors to locate the right advocates from within, Hobbs suggests anticipating and then showing up where your customers are looking for information.
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![Lessons In Content Sharing To Win Your Water Audience]( "Lessons In Content Sharing To Win Your Water Audience")
Lessons In Content Sharing To Win Your Water AudienceManny Teodoro, Associate Professor at the University of Wisconsin’s La Follette School of Public Affairs and data-rich water/wastewater industry blogger, brings an academic’s unique insight into the world of engaging audience in this lively conversation that touches on a 200% email open rate, having something interesting to say and telling it to someone who cares.
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![Expanding Your Solution Story To Reach Diverse Stakeholders]( "Expanding Your Solution Story To Reach Diverse Stakeholders with Dan Keppen, Executive Director of the Family Farm Alliance")
Expanding Your Solution Story To Reach Diverse Stakeholders with Dan Keppen, Executive Director of the Family Farm AllianceDan Keppen, Executive Director of the Family Farm Alliance, is a seasoned master of engaging diverse stakeholders in support of his cause. In our latest podcast, Dan discusses how to develop points of shared value with others and the importance of regular communications in building and informing a robust network.
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![Building Your Social Media Following]( "Building Your Social Media Following with Melissa Meeker, CEO of The Water Tower")
Building Your Social Media Following with Melissa Meeker, CEO of The Water TowerMelissa Meeker, CEO of The Water Tower, discusses her approach to embracing modern marketing channels to create a more collaborative and interactive union between vendors, utilities and the general public.
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![Go-To-Market Transformation And The 6-Figure]( "Go-To-Market Transformation And The 6-Figure PowerPoint with Corey Williams, CEO of SmartCover")
Go-To-Market Transformation And The 6-Figure PowerPoint with Corey Williams, CEO of SmartCoverCorey Williams, CEO of SmartCover, reflects on his past experience leading Optimatics through a go-to-market transformation. Corey explains how to think differently about learning the why in why your company is in business and the importance of understanding your why before connecting with utilities.
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![Earning Your Communication ROI]( "Earning Your Communication ROI With Arianna Shipley And Stephanie Corso, The H2duO")
Earning Your Communication ROI With Arianna Shipley And Stephanie Corso, The H2duOThe H2duO explain how budgets shouldn’t limit your creativity in communicating with your customers. Learn how a grassroots communication strategy raised the profile and dollars for Communications by first saving today’s most valuable asset – time.
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![A Tinder For Water Nerds]( "A Tinder For Water Nerds With Peter Fiske, Executive Director Of NAWI")
A Tinder For Water Nerds With Peter Fiske, Executive Director Of NAWIPeter Fiske, Executive Director at the National Alliance for Water Innovation (NAWI) talks about building a “Tinder for water nerds” and reflects on the importance of delivering valuable content beyond the product from his time as CEO of Pax Water Technologies.
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![Creating A Customer Ecosystem]( "Creating A Customer Ecosystem With Megan Glover, Founder Of 120Water")
Creating A Customer Ecosystem With Megan Glover, Founder Of 120WaterMegan Glover, Founder of 120Water, discusses the inspiration for her innovative startup and the unique approach she has taken to creating an ecosystem of customers based on understanding their informational needs, with a Lego brick or two thrown in for good measure.
