B2B marketing insights for
those targeting a niche
Insights, learnings and stories from the world of B2B marketing and communications, direct from Velo’s B2B agency team
B2B Content
B2B marketers are producing more content than ever, but many still struggle to make it relevant, distinctive and commercially useful. The challenge is creating content that earns attention, supports the buying journey and gives sales teams something valuable to work with rather than simply adding to the noise. It must work in the hidden and dark channels where recommendations live.
That means learning about content strategy, editorial planning, thought leadership, buyer-stage mapping, distribution, content formats, subject matter expertise, repurposing and how to connect content to pipeline and brand goals.
Our insight articles explore how better B2B content is planned, written and activated, helping marketers create work that is more useful to buyers and more valuable to the business.
B2B Content, B2B Marketing in Insurance, B2B Marketing in manufacturing, B2B Marketing in Technology, B2B Research
If you target a niche, should B2B influencers be part of your strategy?
When influencer marketing is mentioned, the mind moves to Instagram, YouTube or TikTok millionaires pumping out content every day that appeals to the masses. Luxury lifestyles, fast fashion, excited gamers in their bedrooms – none of these is akin to the reality of B2B marketing to a niche. Look a little further, particularly on […]
AI & MarTech for B2B, B2B Content, B2B Marketing in manufacturing, B2B Marketing in Technology
An overview to ChatGPT and how it can help B2B marketers
CAVEAT: This article was published in Feb 2023 when ChatGPT was announced. The technology evolved rapidly. As a B2B marketing agency, we are always on the lookout for innovative and efficient ways to help our clients in the Professional Services, Technology, and Industrial sectors achieve their marketing goals. A recent survey conducted by Microsoft, where […]
The importance of Storytelling in B2B marketing
Even as adults, we all enjoy a story. Stories grab our attention; they mentally transport us into new worlds. We form connections between the stories and ourselves. When we listen to or read an engaging and relatable story, a great opportunity can be set for companies looking to build deeper relations with their audience […]
B2B Content, B2B Marketing in Professional Services, B2B Marketing in Technology, B2B Research
How to conduct good discovery interviews
B2B marketing to a niche must be based on solid research. As a result, we’ve developed our own version of a discovery call in our mission to support companies targeting a niche. Traditionally used in sales, for us a discovery call is a chance to explore and understand complicated products and services quickly, especially in […]
B2B Content, B2B Marketing in Insurance, B2B Marketing in manufacturing, B2B Marketing in Technology
How to build a thought leadership strategy for a B2B niche audience
When marketing to a niche, you need to understand that niche. Is it clear how macroeconomics affect your audience? Do you get the value chain in the industry? What about who the decision-makers are, your customers’ pain points, and the challenges driving market demand? B2B businesses at the moment are obsessed with thought leadership. And they should […]
What does good thought leadership look like for companies targeting a niche?
The expression of thought leadership has been around since the late 19th century. Still, in the last ten years, this concept has been acknowledged for its practical and positive impact on people, branding and business. But what exactly is thought leadership? To start with, thought leadership can present itself in an array of different names […]
B2B Content, B2B Marketing in Technology
Let’s Talk Key B2B Marketing Trends In 2023 For The Technology Sector
Technology and software companies have a lot to say this year – and so they should! Since COVID hit in 2020, the technology around us has boomed, and whether we like it or not, it will continue to do so. Marketing comes in many shapes and sizes, from videos and podcasts to eBooks and blogs. […]
B2B Content, B2B Marketing in manufacturing, B2B Marketing in Professional Services, B2B Marketing in Technology
Top 5 Festive B2B Marketing Ideas
With the festive season fast approaching, many businesses may be looking into next year to see what 2023 has to offer. In some ways, work may be slowing down and your competitors are looking to take some well-deserved time off. However, this may be a great opportunity for your business to exercise some festive marketing activities […]
Mourning HRH: 4 tips on how B2B marketers must stay mindful
On 8th September, the world received the sad news that Queen Elizabeth, the longest reigning monarch in history, had passed away. As we enter a period of national mourning, many will be trying to navigate how this affects the day-to-day. Businesses in the B2B space in particular must be cognisant toward their output. […]
How events have become a crucial part of B2B content marketing strategy
The history of events in the B2B sphere throughout the last three years has been something of a journey. Confined to strictly online affairs following the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses adjusted to new technology platforms to bring the physical to the virtual, all whilst retaining engagement and interest. Online events quickly rose in popularity, and not […]
What can B2B Marketers learn from those using social media well? | B2B social media best practice
“90% of the B2B purchase process is completed before contacting a vendor”
B2B Branding, B2B Content, B2B Creative
Creative takes the spotlight! What B2B marketers need to know…
This is the third and final post in our trend-watching series of posts looking at some of the important trends that are going to impact B2B marketing strategy and implementation in 2022. This post focuses on the creative side of B2B marketing. B2B steps into the creative spotlight The newly launched Creative B2B Lion […]
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 Content, B2B Marketing in Professional Services, Customer Experience
How to design customer success stories that transform your professional services B2B marketing
A customer success story is an account to highlight the experience a customer has had with your product, the challenges they faced before, how the product has helped, and what degree of success they’ve since accomplished. Customer success stories are used by professional services marketers to reassure new customers that their solution and process of […]
B2B Content, B2B Marketing in Technology, Customer Experience
Why successful B2B technology companies are investing in customer success stories – and how you can too
Customer success stories are used by B2B marketers, particularly in the technology sector, to reassure new customers that their solution, and process of working together solves their problems, by demonstrating it has done it before. This is important in earning trust before a transaction and cements the relationship with the customer in the story as […]
B2B Branding, B2B Content, B2B Creative
Brand marketing is back! What B2B marketers need to know…
As an agency and trusted partner for clients, it’s important we stay up to date with the latest thinking and influences on B2B marketing. Continuing a series of short posts looking at the some of the important trends that are going to impact strategy and implementation this year, this post looks at brand for B2B. […]
10 things pancakes and content have in common
One of the best ingredients for success when it comes to creating exciting digital content is to ‘compare your subject matter with something you are passionate about’. For the reader, this provides something unique and interesting whilst also making it enjoyable for the writer. With that in mind especially for Pancake Day, we present…digital content […]
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 Content, Customer Experience
How do you make your B2B brand story resonate?
Crafting creating and engaging storytelling for B2B marketing. Part 3: In a three part blog series, agency strategist Rene Power looks at why storytelling in b2b marketing has become a go-to approach for so many marketers and how to start doing it effectively. In this third and final post, we offer some practical tips on […]
B2B Audiences, B2B Content, B2B Research
All You Wanted To Know About Research-Led Marketing
Not sure how to implement research into marketing campaigns? We have everything you need to get started. Part 2 of our podcast with Peter Cohen of HolistiCyber and Matt Lewis of NCCGroup is now live. In Part – An into to research-led marketing – we discussed what makes for compelling research-based marketing and provided examples of thegood, the bad, and the factually incorrect. But […]
How to successfully prep your interviewees for video customer testimonials
Let’s face it, being interviewed in any capacity is not the most natural thing in the world to endure. Throw a camera into the mix….. and well, ‘rabbit’ and ‘headlights’ is the most likely outcome for your interview subject. But with video customer success stories and case studies becoming a key marketing tool in the […]
Wassup?’ Lessons in brand storytelling
TBT to 1999 and a group of friends ‘watching the game, having a Bud.’ Gayle Kennedy, our Director of Storytelling, explains what brand storytelling lessons we can glean from this iconic advertising series. Our #tbt this week goes back to 1999, in which one question was asked: ‘Wassup?’ On the face of it, this […]
You are not the protagonist
Writing a brand story can seem frivolous, but it’s a crucial reminder of your product’s role in your customer’s everyday life. Writing your brand story can feel like one of the more esoteric moments in crafting your positioning. Destined to stay within the confines of your brand guidelines, the more hardened and cynical amongst a […]
B2B Campaigns, B2B Content, B2B Sales Enablement
The most personal is the most creative
Because brand storytelling lives under the ‘business’ umbrella, it can be easy to assume that the principles of ‘real’ creativity do not apply. It’s time for this to change. At the 2020 Oscars (before everything changed), Best Director winner Bong Joon Ho cited this quote by Martin Scorsese in his acceptance speech: ‘The most […]
B2B marketers, here’s what to do right NOW to maximise ROI from your content
Get ready – I’m going to share some of Velo’s proven tips for successfully maximising ROI from your B2B content efforts. Tips you can implement RIGHT NOW that can achieve immediate quick wins. A blog or content hub is a staple component of any B2B website, providing a place for companies like yours to share […]
Our 4 Top Tips For Video Conferencing Like A Pro
We’ve worked with a range of clients over the past decade, and while we’re a London-based agency, our reach has grown substantially over the years. We have built Velo through our relationships with clients nationally, on the continent, and globally, and we couldn’t have done this without collaboration software – namely video conferencing – enabling […]
Get seen on small screens: Why mobile-first design is a business priority
Driven by the growing popularity of mobile devices, mobile-first design is a strategy that starts with the smallest screen first (mobile). This ensures that the user experience (UX) of a website is right across all devices. Before the mobile revolution, websites were designed for desktop first. A ‘mobile-friendly’ version was then tagged on, with varying […]
B2B Audiences, B2B Campaigns, B2B Content
Localising your B2B campaign for local markets: how to make it work
Localising your global campaigns provides an opportunity to increase market engagement and lift your ROI. That seems pretty obvious, but why then do so many companies fail to make their content relevant, engaging, and easy for their potential international audiences to consume? Well written and easy-to-understand messaging in a native language makes readers feel more […]
What my favourite romantic movies taught me about B2B marketing
(Apparently, all starring one of two Julias – must be my ‘type’!) Romantic films endure for a reason. They understand people – their insecurities, quirks, and moments of connection. Strip away the meet-cutes and soundtracks, and you’re left with something B2B marketing still struggles to get right: how relationships actually work. Valentine’s Day got me […]
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