Read Paul's Blogs
Insights, learnings and stories from the world of B2B marketing and communications, direct from Velo’s B2B agency team
Paul Crabtree
An IDM-qualified senior sales and marketing professional who has held board positions in various marketing agencies since 2005. Although he claims not to look old enough, the emerging silver locks tell a different story. As MD, founder and owner of Velo, his role is to lead the agency maintaining our quality standards to be the level that means we continue to be built on recommendation. He has a particular focus on new business, overseeing all our client relationships and leading our strategy function to make sure that our team has the skills and capabilities that our clients need, so we continue always craft great work to be proud of. Find him on LinkedIn here.
AI & MarTech for B2B, B2B Marketing Agency Selection
How is Velo approaching AI? We’re proceeding with caution, and so should you!
Change is afoot, but not for the first time. History repeats itself. AI isn’t the first shift that’s forced agencies, media and marketers to adapt. For instance, during the 80s, the introduction of computers and accessible software reinvented desktop publishing and photo editing. It replaced manually laying out paper and photos on a desktop and […]
How should marketers that target a niche adapt to Generation Z’s growing influence on B2B Buying?
Generation Z has not only entered the B2B workforce but is also shaping the landscape of B2B buying. It is essential that B2B marketers targeting niche markets, understand and adapt to the preferences and behaviours of this new generation. They’re here, and they’re making decisions that affect your marketing success. This article explores the habits […]
ABM, B2B Campaigns, B2B Research
How do you build your list of prospective niche B2B companies for an ABM campaign?
When it comes to targeting a B2B niche with an account-based marketing (ABM) strategy, building an effective target prospect list is crucial. There are numerous methods available, including leveraging technology, utilising data sources, and of course, the age-old desk research route. However, it is essential to supplement these approaches by consulting with appropriate stakeholders […]
Building an ESG communication strategy for your business?
The urgency around net zero is growing. Companies have an important part to play and are often one of the largest sources of emissions. Many are taking action. All are under pressure to take action. Many large global companies are leading the charge by publishing ESG reports, some voluntarily and others to comply with […]
What should you think about when building your B2B marketing strategy to target a niche?
B2B marketers who take a niche brand in a niche market are a rare breed. Quite simply, it is hard and demands one of the purest forms of marketing. With small audiences, each interaction and every message counts. You simply don’t have the gift of huge numbers to learn slowly. You need to plan, learn and […]
B2B Content, B2B Research, Customer Experience
Is it time for recommendations to supersede pitches in the B2B buying process?
I admit it – I don’t like pitches. Agency pitches are highly common as a way of selecting a new partner, but they often bear little resemblance to what the real working relationship will be like. Many companies are forced to rely on pitches in lieu of another option. They’re bounced into evaluating options […]
B2B Marketing in manufacturing, B2B Marketing in Professional Services, B2B Marketing in Technology
Velo presents… Leftover Turkey Quiche
The festive season is around the corner, as is that one question (almost as expected as bad cracker jokes) whilst sat round the dinner table… ‘‘what do you do again?’’. We know it’s not always easy to explain to family and friends but rest assured we get your values and know the impact your work […]
B2B Audiences, B2B Research, B2B Strategy
The cost of living crisis: implications for B2B marketing
The implications for B2B marketers and B2B marketing of recessions and the cost of living crisis. There’s no doubt that the economy in the UK and Europe is in the grip of another challenging crunch right now. The Office of National Statistics reported the following in June 2022: Household Cost Indices (HCIs) saw similar inflation […]
B2B Marketing Agency Selection
B2B Agency of the Year finalist!
They say good things come in threes… We’ve just been shortlisted as B2B Agency of the Year in the UK Agency Awards – for the third consecutive year! They say good things come in threes… We’ve just been shortlisted as B2B Agency of the Year in the UK Agency Awards – for the third consecutive […]
B2B Branding, B2B Content, B2B Marketing in manufacturing
How industrial b2b companies can attract more sales ready leads through more effective marketing
We’ve written previously about how industrial B2B marketers need to be more structured in their thinking, developing content and communications that arouse, attract, engage, and inform prospects to take positive action. This process involves thinking more like a publisher, being much more open and being present in the right places at the right time when […]
B2B Branding, B2B ESG, B2B Marketing in Technology
B2B technology companies should include sustainability messaging as part of your brand positioning. But how?
Clare Leighton is a senior marketer who has been in B2B technology for over fifteen years. Always passionate about charity and the environment, in her most recent roles at Vodafone and Citrix, she began to focus, firstly on how the work of Vodafone Foundation can be brought to life for Business customers and latterly, how […]
B2B Branding, Customer Experience
Social media sharing is about the who, not the what: An advocate marketer’s perspective
Against the backdrop of the new Sage Boss-It campaign and the success of the supporting TikTok campaign which was one of the first B2B uses of this channel, we’re seeing customers of B2B brands are playing a huge part in marketing and amplifying the company’s message in volumes never seen before. This campaign shows it […]
B2B Content, B2B Marketing in Professional Services, Customer Experience
5 Problems Facing Professional Services Companies When It Comes To Growth
The global professional services market is conservatively worth $6,000bn (2022) and puts the skills and experience of millions of professionals at the disposal of organisations around the world. (1) The main types of professional services include design, research, promotional and consulting, legal and accounting services, plus a range of scientific, technical and technological services. In […]
B2B Campaigns, B2B Marketing in Technology, Customer Experience
What are the top marketing challenges facing technology businesses and how to fix them?
Technology is a dominant sector, with more spent online, on software and tech subscription and investment in business tech, at an all time high. Technology companies often appear to be incredibly marketing savvy. Deliciously minimalist and easy to navigate websites. Very clear propositions, often focusing on a single point of customer pain and transformation. Conversion […]
What I learned attending “Live Well at Velo”, our latest staff well-being event
On Monday 6th December, we hosted a “Live Well at Velo” event for our team, focused on well-being. Bringing together three expert speakers in a combination of face-to-face, virtual and interactive sessions, our team gathered off-site to spend some dedicated time focused on them as individuals. As an MD of a professional services firm […]
B2B Branding, B2B Creative, B2B Marketing in Technology, Customer Experience
Are changes in the HR space evolving the way products and services will be bought and sold forever?
We’re recognising significant changes in how buyers research, select and procure B2B services and none-more so than around HR services where roles, responsibilities, priorities and challenges have changed completely in comparison to pre-covid times. HR as a problem solver Following the pandemic, the importance of the HR function within organisations has been elevated. […]
Brand and storytelling agency Creative Covenant is joining Velo. What does this mean for Velo’s clients?
Ever since I started the business in 2010, Velo has and always will, operate as an extension of our client’s teams. My mission was to build a committed team of experts with one common goal – to craft B2B marketing to be proud of in partnership with our clients. It is a rare philosophy, but […]
B2B Branding, Customer Experience
Want to know what the new Google Page Experience ranking algorithm means for you as a B2B marketer? Read on…
At the end of May this year, Google provided advanced notice of a shake-up in how it ranks search engine results to penalise those with poor user experience. However, unlike previous updates, this time Google has provided more details and tools to allow B2B marketers to evaluate and fix any aspects of their sites so […]
How to be happy with hybrid
Preparing for hybrid working Working from home and working from the office present very different challenges. The social side, the collaborations, the banter, the informal glances and serendipity all are tough to accomplish when we work remotely. But after a year of lockdown, I’ve noticed several behaviours we’ve adopted that will help all of us […]
B2B Branding, B2B Campaigns, B2B Creative, Customer Experience
Creative thinking is at the core of B2B marketing. Never more so than now.
What’s been your highlight of the lockdown easing – a visit to friends and family? A trip to the local? Getting back in style with a haircut? As we emerge and are finally able to go out again, see people and re-establish ourselves within our communities, B2B marketers are already questioning what the impact is […]
B2B Marketing Agency Selection
Built by recommendation – why specialising in three core sectors makes Velo a B2B marketing agency to trust
After 10 years of growth, Velo has become an award winning, full-service B2B marketing agency. Although our values are the same as at the start, our team, our clients and our knowledge have grown more than I ever dared dream they would. We now serve and specialise in three core sectors – technology, industrial and […]
B2B Marketing Agency Selection
Being the best, not the biggest agency for our sectors
Over the past decade, the Velo team has changed in size and shape to be unrecognisable from where we started. In the beginning, the team worked from home and comprised young parents looking to enjoy the perks of a better work-life balance alongside the challenge of diverse and wide-ranging work, team and clients. And all […]
B2B Marketing Leadership, B2B Strategy
Advice for Velo clients: how to navigate Covid-19 and be ready to spring back
Without doubt, Covid-19 is causing disruption to marketers in unprecedented ways, and we predict that the changes in marketing will be forever. Although it’s difficult to know what will happen, or how and when businesses will spring back, learning to adapt and acclimatise to the ‘new norm’ is going to be key. Below are a […]
B2B Marketing Agency Selection, B2B Marketing Leadership
Lessons learnt from 10 years of working from home
Yesterday, Velo was established 10 years ago. Incredible. Our growth and success are down to the individuals who work here, the clients we’ve retained and the working environment we’ve created. Thank you to them all. Back then, working from home was the default, so we learnt some lessons about how to do it well without […]
What Impact Can Good Customer Success Stories Have?
Despite the undisputed power of personal recommendations, influencers and word of mouth, in a B2B world, case studies and customer success stories are still lacking. Nothing is more powerful than your own customers waxing lyrical about your product or service. Customer stories not only boost your credibility, but they also differentiate you from the competition. […]
Preparing Successfully for a B2B Customer Success Video shoot
One of the most effective ways of delivering customer stories is through video. Customer opinions, experiences and results are delivered best and most authentically by them. But it’s not just you that gets something out of it. Those who feature boost their personal and wider company brand. They get recognition and exposure through quality marketing […]
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