Call To Action Newsletter - 2.23.2021

Welcome to Call to Action!

This new monthly newsletter is designed to keep you up to date on the core issues surrounding professional services and B2B marketing.

Whether that comes in the form of timeless wisdom or insight on new trends, the goal of Call to Action is give you a monthly boost of motivation to think big and act boldly. Basically, we're here to call you to action.

We're excited that you've opted to join us on this ongoing journey. We can't wait to connect over the best that B2B has to offer.

INDUSTRY INSIGHT

We all have big plans for 2021.

Especially after the past year of disruption and transformation, B2B marketers are reassessing and adapting to changing conditions.

Staying on top of the latest sales enablement trends is a big part of this game.

One big change? The explosion of sales intelligence technology.

Advances in data collection and analysis are making it easier than ever to isolate patterns of success (and leverage that knowledge toward even more success).

This goes hand in hand with another trend: an increase in the level of personalization when it comes to B2B sales.

Amid our current media environment where potential buyers have access to more and more information, generic pitches sound more and more wooden and out of touch. 

Finding ways to take advantage of these trends will be key in 2021, especially when it comes to marketing professional services.

If your product is expertise and a record of driving results, the way you position that product and connect with potential customers is everything.

But at the end of the day, remember that trends are just that: trends.

They’re patterns to take note of, make use of, and possibly tinker with.

Don’t let trend reports hijack your strategy completely.

Remember the fundamentals:

• Have a tight, compelling story behind your brand/services
• Turn the "sales process" into a buying experience by helping your prospect solve a problem
• Work to make sure sales and marketing are partnering seamlessly
• Find ideal prospects by modeling your best clients

CALL TO ACTION: Try new things (but remember the essentials).

ON A PERSONAL NOTE

A month ago, my wife Carolyn filled out an application on a rescue website expressing our interest in adopting a dog.

Last Monday, we got a call alerting us to a good match. We didn’t waste any time. By the end of the week, we packed into the car and drove up to Michigan to pick up our new Bernese Mountain dog, Leo.

The pandemic has been a mental strain on everyone. For our kids, having social outlets such as school and sports taken away understandably led to feelings of isolation.

Leo is already helping by making those feelings less intense. After all, it’s pretty hard to feel lonely when there’s a 100lb dog vying for a spot on your lap.

As we get to know Leo, we’ve all been reminded of how important it is to function as a tight-knit family unit.

CALL TO ACTION: Sometimes adding a new member to your team is the key to changing the dynamic for the better.

SPOTLIGHT

Sarah has been working as a writer in marketing and research for 25 years.

She has worked with large technology companies as well as startups targeting B2B audiences in a variety of industries. 

As a Senior writer at 26 Characters, Sarah enjoys helping clients with thought leadership and go-to-market strategies while providing guidance for unique messaging.

Her life’s philosophy is “If you don’t take a chance, you don’t stand a chance.”

This attitude makes her the perfect writer for B2B professional service companies looking to clarify and enhance their messaging.

In her years of experience, Sarah has helped companies like Microsoft, IBM, Oracle, Google and Cisco develop content strategy through rigorous thought leadership and industry analysis.

CALL TO ACTION: Want to work with Sarah on your next content marketing project? Let's talk.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Going forward, this section of the newsletter will be devoted to amplifying the voices of professional service leaders.

26 Characters is defined by a spirit of curiosity-based engagement. By learning more about the individuals and companies we help, we learn how to help them better.

In short, we want to hear from you. How are you adapting to a changing B2B landscape? What insights would you share with your colleagues?

Every month this section will give you, the readers, a question or prompt. If you have a few spare minutes, write us a response!

The following month, we’ll report back on what the responses looked like, what patterns we saw, and what these patterns say about B2B marketing today.

CALL TO ACTION: Let us know: What's the best marketing advice you've ever received? Leave a comment below.

WHAT'S NEXT?

If you’ve been paying attention to the news, you’ve probably read a headline or two about the meteoric rise of Clubhouse.

The audio-based social media network has become wildly popular in a very short amount of time.

Basically, Clubhouse gives users the opportunity to “drop in” to group conversations that are divided up based on topic, region, etc.

In these unusual times, it’s a new way to feel connected to a group of like-minded people.

And it’s getting traction. Like, a lot of traction.

In May 2020, the app had a measly 1500 users. By January 2021, it had accrued 1 million.

Between January and today, that number has exploded to over 6 million users.

Currently valued at $1 billion, it’s sitting pretty at the #5 spot in the App Store’s “Social Networking” category.

Obviously, it’s too early to know whether the app will have any staying power in the cultural zeitgeist.

It could be a flash in the pan... or it could be the next big thing.

Either way, it could be a useful outlet for marketers.

It seems well-suited as a complement to a live or virtual event, for example, in that it would give participants a way to interact in real time.

Having these up-to-date options sends a message that your brand is hip, current, and responsive to the current moment.

Here are some stats on growth of the platform if you’re interested in learning more.

CALL TO ACTION: Sign up for Clubhouse and give it a try.

Thanks for reading. See you next month!

Sign up for Call To Action here.

Steve