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 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 Branding, B2B Marketing in Insurance, B2B Marketing in manufacturing, B2B Marketing in Technology, Customer Experience
Why should B2B Customer Advocacy Programs be more than just stories?
We know customer stories are powerful. Customer experiences engage, influence, educate, and entertain others like them far more than promotional content. In a world where more and more buyer research is conducted online, success stories are a valuable part of the B2B marketer’s tool kit, offering tangible authenticity to a company’s claims when developed […]
B2B Content, B2B Marketing in Technology, B2B Research, B2B Search, SEO & GEO
How to build an SEO strategy when promoting a technology brand
SEO constantly evolves as Google updates its ranking algorithm to enhance the user search experience. This allows companies to assess the yearly SEO trends that shape the search engine landscape. As a result, SEO can drive traffic to your website, generate leads, and improve your bottom line with the right strategy. Here are some […]
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 […]
How does brand awareness in a B2B niche lead to growth?
Over the years, there have been many B2B marketing studies that changed the industry’s thinking. You’ll be familiar with their headline results but often keen to know more – and to review the original source. This series of articles provides an overview of the research and how they apply for B2B marketers targeting a niche. […]
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 Marketing in manufacturing
Marketing trends industrial companies should care about in 2023
The effects of Covid were felt almost immediately among B2B industries. Manufacturing companies in particular were hit pretty hard, with around half reporting technology infrastructure and budget-related difficulties. More than anything else, the pandemic identified the urgency of digital transformation. Many businesses had to scale quickly to facilitate remote working and operate online. But enough […]
B2B Branding, Customer Experience
How to create a B2B podcast series – and why you should
The article is about the why, what, how and where of creating a B2B podcast. Using our experience of producing Creative Covenant’s Marketing for Cybersecurity series, we are sharing our specific tips and learnings for making podcasts an essential component of your wider marketing strategy. Podcasts are huge – and ubiquitousLet’s start with some stats: […]
B2B Audiences, B2B Campaigns, B2B Marketing in Insurance, B2B Marketing in manufacturing, B2B Marketing in Professional Services, B2B Marketing in Technology, B2B Strategy
Why should you target the 95% of your audience that are not in the market?
Over the years, there have been many B2B marketing studies that changed the industry’s thinking. You’ll be familiar with their headline results but often keen to know more, and to review the original source. This series of articles provides an overview of the research and how they apply for B2B marketers targeting a niche. Not […]
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 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 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 […]
B2B Creative, B2B Marketing Agency Selection
How to stay creative in B2B marketing – highlights from our Gallery visit
When you’re in the business of creativity, it’s critical to garner all the inspiration and stimulation you can. To do this, sometimes you have to step outside your usual environment, immerse yourself in other ideas, and look at life from a different perspective. And what better place to channel such creativity than an art gallery? […]
B2B Branding, B2B Marketing in Professional Services, B2B Marketing in Technology, Customer Experience
What does best practice brand communication look like in the technology sector?
The Velo team looks at five technology brands implementing good marketing practice and where they could be improved further. In a post at the start of 2022 – What are the top marketing challenges facing technology businesses and how to fix them? – we outlined five key challenges we see technology companies confronting when it […]
B2B Marketing in Technology, B2B Search, SEO & GEO, Customer Experience
What the switch to GA4 means for B2B marketing – and how to get ahead
In October 2020, Google announced that Google Analytics 4 (GA4) will replace Google Universal Analytics (UA) and that UA will stop collecting data in July 2023. Whilst there is still nearly a year before the current analytics tool is phased out, many experts recommend moving now, as you’ll build up more historical data within the […]
B2B Marketing in Technology, Customer Experience
Should you be thinking about the metaverse as a B2B marketer yet?
What opportunities does the metaverse present to B2B marketers? Every organisation is targeted at meeting their customer’s demands and needs. Specifically, in the B2B space, it is important for businesses to evolve how they engage and interact with their customers. The metaverse can have (and is having!) a huge impact on the ability of B2B […]
Velo gets moving for Miles for Smiles!
Did you know the average office worker spends five years of their life sitting at their desk, and the average step count sits between 3,000 to 4,000 per day? Movement is vital – not only for general happiness, but also for maintaining a work-life balance. This was recognised by the leadership team at Velo […]
B2B Branding, B2B Marketing in Technology, Customer Experience
Is there a place for WhatsApp for Business in B2B marketing?
Marketing communication becomes more fragmented every year, with more tools and technologies emerging that are taking community and communications into private channels. The pandemic forced even the most security conscious B2B operations to recognise they needed to open up to using third party software to streamline their operations, and improve the customer experience. B2B companies […]
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 […]
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. […]
B2B Branding, B2B Creative, B2B Marketing in manufacturing
What are the best resources to help B2B marketers keep up with the latest developments in the industrial sector?
An essential resource list of news sites, blogs, podcasts, trade associations and more for marketing professionals working in industrial marketing. Staying up to date with all the changes and developments in the industrial and B2B manufacturing space can be a real challenge for marketers. To help, we’ve pulled together a list of the best resources […]
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 […]
AI & MarTech for B2B, B2B Creative
Copy, right? Do you know the rights and wrongs around your image use?
This weekend, the Spanish government’s beach body advert caused more controversy with a second photographer having their images used without consent, and with insensitive retouching that betrayed the intention behind the initial post. It has gathered a lot of media attention and increasing levels of anger from those ripped off. Full disclosure, I am also […]
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 […]
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 Marketing in Technology
What are the best resources to help B2B marketers keep up with the latest developments in the technology sector?
An essential resource list of news sites, blogs, podcasts, trade associations, events and more for marketing professionals working in the technology sector. Staying up to date with all the changes and developments in the technology space can be a real challenge for B2B technology marketers. With that said, we’ve pulled together a list of the […]
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 Events, Customer Experience
Essential considerations when designing an effective B2B marketing exhibition stand and experience
Two powerful psychological forces mean that the trade exhibition sector will inevitably come back strong. Firstly, human beings need to connect. And secondly, we seek experiences. From an exhibitor’s perspective, it is natural to want to create the most eye-catching exhibition stand designs to help maximise attraction and return on investment at a trade show. […]
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 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, 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. […]
What does the rise in Connected TVs mean for B2B marketers? Is this a new channel to be considered?
Disney Plus has just announced that they will launch an ad-supported subscription tier which will be available sometime in “late 2022” to the US market before expanding internationally in 2023. It is typical of the available advertising opportunities in Connected TV (CTV) technology. Our Digital Marketing Manager, Diwakar Redhu, wanted to explore more and understand […]
Privacy and the attention economy – 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. In this first in a short series of posts, we’re looking at the some of the important trends that are going to impact strategy and implementation this year. What does […]
ABM, B2B Marketing in Technology
Unlocking the full potential of Marketo for B2B marketing
The Velo team has been working with Marketo for a number of years. As with most marketing automation software, there is much to learn in order to get the most from it. We’ve learned many lessons on our path to unlocking the full potential of the platform for clients. Some lessons proved to be best […]
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