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50 Experts Reveal the Best B2B Marketing Strategies in 2017

As a PR/marketing firm, we often are asked about trends in marketing, particularly B2B marketing. Yours truly recently shared some thoughts that appeared in an article entitled 50 Experts Reveal the Best B2B Marketing Strategies in 2017.

Here’s a snippet from my contribution to that article:

Here are some trends we see, in particular to B2B marketing:

Our PR/Marketing clients tell us that they don’t give a damn what channel we use, they just want new CUSTOMERS.

LINKEDIN

LinkedIn is much misunderstood. Considered a panacea by some and a nuisance by others.

LEVERAGING LINKEDIN

You probably have a LinkedIn profile. You also probably question why. Maybe because everyone else seems to have one as well.

The real VALUE of LinkedIn? Two components–groups and the sales funnel.

Groups!

Yes, groups within LinkedIn can help you target your niche audiences. For example, one of our clients manufactures green products used in residential and commercial building and renovation.

As a relatively small company, they don’t have the budget for a major media advertising campaign or other big-ticket rollouts. How do they reach their core prospects and referral sources?

Right. LinkedIn is among the tools we are helping them access. They’ve tapped into LinkedIn’s robust array of groups specifically formed for facility directors, commercial real estate investors, green building leaders, etc.

With a bit of research, we helped our client join these groups. The next step is to post news, research and other information to these groups on a regular basis. Another way to connect is to

START discussions with a question or ask for feedback.

Our client continues to expand their relevance, visibility, and viability to key prospects.

Click here for the rest of the article.

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Real Estate-focused monthly networking group launched in Plymouth, MA.

 

 

From electrician to plumber to closing attorney, many professionals involved with residential real estate and home renovations could use new customers and more referrals.  My Pinnacle Network, with six existing groups throughout eastern Massachusetts, has launched a new networking group to help make those connections.

The first meeting of My Pinnacle Network-Plymouth’s Real Estate-only group is scheduled for Thursday, June 8, 7:30 a.m. – 9 a.m. at the Keller Williams training room, 91 Carver Road, Plymouth, MA, (Exit 6, the Plaza that also includes Job Lot and Papa Gino’s). Thereafter, the group will meet the second Thursday of each month at that same time – 7:30 a.m. – 9 a.m. and the same location.

Other real estate related professions expected to participate in this group include an accountant, architect, asbestos removal, bank, cabinetry, chimney sweep, cleaning services, closet organizer, contractor – builder, contractor- remodeler, driveway/paving, dry basement, estate sale business, fencing, flooring, fuel provider, furniture, handy man, hardscape/mason, home inspection, insulation services, interior Design, internet services, irrigation services, landscape contractor, marble & granite, mold remediation, mortgage broker, mover, painting contractor, pest control, plumbing/HVAC, photographer, property management, radon remediation, roofer, security – alarm Systems, solar design/installation, signage, storage, title search, tree surgeon, truck rental, waste management and window replacement.

In the real estate-related world, it is all about WHO you know. A networking group helps expand that personal advocacy. My Pinnacle Network is NOT your old boys’ network. There are no gongs, hoopla or annoying ceremonies. The format is to get to know, support and learn from each other.

The business model is based on a simple premise. Most people buy from someone they know, like and trust. And they buy from those referred and introduced to them by someone they know, like and trust.  Other My Pinnacle Networks are located in Bourne, Braintree, Mansfield, Marshfield, Newton and Westboro.

Membership is $250 for the year. For more information, visit http://www.MyPinnacleNetwork.com or call (781) 582-1061.

Real Estate-focused monthly networking group launched in Plymouth, MA.Read More

LinkedIn Sales Funnel Workshop at Cranberry Chamber

Bring your laptop and learn how to finally leverage LinkedIn as a sales funnel.

Most business people have a LinkedIn profile, but scratch their head and wonder what it accomplishes.  The LinkedIn Sales Funnel – Hands-On Workshop teaches attendees how to transform that passive channel into a robust, proactive lead-generator.

PR Works, a full-service public relations and advertising firm based in Plymouth Center, will host a LinkedIn Sales Funnel at the Cranberry Country Chamber of Commerce, 9 Clayton Road, Middleboro, MA on Tuesday, April 25, 8 – 11 a.m. Cost is $149 per person.

The session will be led by Steve Dubin of PR Works, licensed by Linked University and owner of PR Works and My Pinnacle Network, a company that hosts six B2B networking groups across central and eastern Massachusetts.

The session will include: a review of your LinkedIn profile and how to maximize it to be found and convert visitors; how to use LinkedIn’s advance search to create a prospect profile and segmented target audience by Industry, Title, Geography, etc.; how to develop a drip campaign and ask for five connection requests per day; the essence of a messaging system – including five messages to develop a know, like, trust relationship with the recipient; when to allow prospects to “marinate” and wait for a response;  when to ask for a telephone or coffee meeting; how to harness discussion group to showcase your expertise; how to leverage LinkedIn’s Pulse publishing to expand credibility; when to add profile updates and use the gentle prod; and how to export LinkedIn contacts to a spreadsheet and utilize that e-mail data for a monthly e-newsletter.

To reserve a seat, please contact Steve Dubin, PR Works, (781) 582-1061, email – SDubin@PRWorkzone.com. To register directly online to https://goo.gl/q6IBea.

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My Pinnacle Network recognizes region’s best connectors with  Networking Ninja Award winners.

 

 

My Pinnacle Network, the business to business networking group with monthly meetings in Bourne, Braintree, Mansfield, Marshfield, Newton, and Westborough, MA, recently announced the winners of its third annual Networking Ninja Awards. The Networking Ninja Awards were created to recognize the region’s best networkers in four separate categories: Best Connector (helping bring people together); Most Ubiquitous (appears to be at every networking event); Most Altruistic (does most for others); and Brightest Beacon (adds energy to networking events).

Jim Hickox, owner of Apple Corps Cleaning Service of Weymouth took home the honors as Best Connector. He is a member of My Pinnacle Network-Braintree Third Thursday.

Michelle Resendes of Cape Cod Broadcasting Media in Hyannis won the Most Ubiquitous Networking Ninja Award. She is a member of My Pinnacle Network-Bourne.

David Allen, owner of Balance Wealth Advisors in Wellesley won the Most Altruistic Networking Ninja Award. He is a member of My Pinnacle Network-Westborough and My Pinnacle Network-Newton.

David DeBlasio of DeBlasio New Media Marketing in Dedham won the Brightest Beacon honors for the second consecutive year. He is a member of My Pinnacle Network-Mansfield.

“We had a number of networkers nominated for these awards and these individuals stood out as the cream of the crop in our region,” said Steve Dubin, founder of My Pinnacle Network. “Each of these winners has proven themselves to be first-rate connectors who are givers first, which is how they ultimately receive referrals for their respective businesses.”

Voting for the Networking Ninja Awards took place from January 1 through February 28 on the My Pinnacle Network website, www.mypinnaclenetwork.com. Others nominated for awards include: George Rolfing of Brookline Transportation; Itamar Chalif of Rockland Trust; Robert Viamari of Cape & Plymouth Business Magazine; Roy Pacitto of Bryley Systems; Steve Wilson of Office Furniture Consulting; Dave Flaherty of Aflac; Sheldon Prenovitz of ABResources; Bill Tkowski of FMC Partners; Matthew Mensch of Law Office of Matthew Mensch; Lois Drukman of Walter May Insurance; Neil Policow of Leaderboard-Boston; Nicole Connolly of PhotoFabulousYou.com; Pam Snell of ACTSmart; Will Shain of TAB; Michael Mills of Business Coaches and Associates; and Murray Vetstein of Source4.

Awards were distributed to the winners at a joint networking event hosted by the South Shore Professional Networking Group and My Pinnacle Network on March 22 at the Cask & Flagon in Marshfield. The event was held during South Shore Professional Networking Group’s regular meeting night, the third Tuesday of the month.

“We can’t thank Lois Drukman, Mark Roos and the rest of the South Shore Professional Networking Group for sharing their meeting night for our awards ceremony,” noted Dubin. “Networking really starts with giving and the SSPNG team exemplifies that philosophy.”

My Pinnacle Network hosts business-to-business networking groups in the towns of Bourne, Braintree, Mansfield, Marshfield, Newton and Westborough. For information about My Pinnacle Network, please visit www.MyPinnacleNetwork.com, or contact Steven V. Dubin at SDubin@MyPinnacleNetwork.com or 781-582-1061.

My Pinnacle Network recognizes region’s best connectors with  Networking Ninja Award winners.Read More

G-r-r-r! LinkedIn arbitrarily changes format. Now what?

Ahhh!  Perhaps you were just getting a handle on LinkedIn – they drastically transformed not only its design, but functionality.

I was delighted to be included in the GetApp.com article addressing the LinkedIn revolution.

Here it is for your reading pleasure.

Ready to leverage LinkedIn? Let us teach you how to use the LinkedIn Sales Funnel, or we can manage it for you.  For more information contact Steve Dubin, office – (781) 582-1061, email –SDubin@PRWorkzone.com.

G-r-r-r! LinkedIn arbitrarily changes format. Now what?Read More

Duck. Don’t hide. Clear writing runs afoul.

When did we stop calling a duck a duck?

Reminds me of when our dating service client wanted to refer to themselves as a “relationship” consultants.  Again, I’m lost. Are you therapists?  Ancestry.com?

Call a duck a duck. Not “Waterfowl family Anatidae”.

Our attention span and interest levels are nanoseconds. Don’t make me work too hard to determine what the heck you are talking about.

Example. I received this response from a prospect the other day.

“We provide consulting and research to companies to help them offer better overall experiences to their customers – a combination of product, service, marketing, and ops. We usually work with relationship based products like software, banking, medical devices, telephones, and so on. Products and services that require consistent performance overtime in all parts of the relationship. If you know of anyone who needs management consulting or research please think of us. We offer custom projects, retainer based support, and training. ”

What?

You had my eyes glazing over BEFORE the end of the first sentence.

Need help keeping it simple. Give a holler.  Or jot a very brief note.

For more information contact Steve Dubin, office – (781) 582-1061, email –SDubin@PRWorkzone.com.

Duck. Don’t hide. Clear writing runs afoul.Read More

Charles Manson or high school cheerleader? If your LinkedIn photo looks like either of these…

It’s true. I got tired of hearing that my LinkedIn headshot was a bit out of date. What gave it away? The dark hair? Hair at all? The optimistic smile?

I’m here to save you from the same fate. If your headshot looks more like your oldest child or a still shot from a bank video tracking a robber, you might want to reconsider.

Seriously, if your headshot is more than five years old, you should have it updated. Maybe your current photo includes your dog, mom, spouse or favorite sports equipment. Or, perhaps the background of your current photo is cluttered or distracting – that includes odd patterns or random words.  Or worse, you’ve Photoshopped out everything but the unidentified hand on your shoulder. Another telltale signs of the need for a new photo is significant fashion shift – from wild hairdo to trending eyeglasses.

Your LinkedIn photo should be you on your best day!

So, you are smiling and approachable. Your hair and makeup look great. Your attire is professional. Your attractive head fills the space – from the top of the head to just below the shoulders.

Care to stand out a bit?  Go black and white.

Want to make sure you make the right impression. Hire a professional photographer who can use professional lighting and offer a bit of coaching.

Now for full disclosure, I recently went outside the box and had Abraham, my talented son and proud graduate of Massachusetts College of Art, create a Super Hero illustration of me to replace my LinkedIn headshot. (See my image on this E-Newsletter.)

Perhaps it makes my headshot timeless. I’m sure you will let me know.

For more information on how to optimize LinkedIn to fill your sales funnel, please check out our upcoming workshop–The LinkedIn Sales Funnel – Hands-On Workshop. We’re hosting two workshops:

For complete information, click here.

 

Charles Manson or high school cheerleader? If your LinkedIn photo looks like either of these…Read More

LinkedIn Sales Funnel – Hands-On, Three-Hour Workshops scheduled for Plymouth and Pembroke, MA.

 

 

 

 

Most business people have a LinkedIn profile, but scratch their head and wonder what it accomplishes.  The LinkedIn Sales Funnel – Hands-On Workshop teaches attendees how to transform that passive channel into a robust, proactive lead-generator.

PR Works, a full-service public relations and advertising firm based in Plymouth Center, will host two LinkedIn Sales Funnel seminars in February.  The first date is co-sponsored by the South Shore Women’s Business Network and set for Wednesday, February 8, 8 – 11 a.m. At ACTSmart, Inc (Training Room), 70 Corporate Park Drive, #1225, Pembroke, MA 02359. The second session is scheduled for Wednesday, February 22, 8 – 11 a.m. at Plymouth Chamber of Commerce, 134 Court Street, Plymouth, MA  02360. Cost is $149 per person.

The session will be led by Steve Dubin of PR Works, certified by Linked University and owner of PR Works and My Pinnacle Network, a company that hosts six B2B networking groups across central and eastern Massachusetts.

The session will include: a review of your LinkedIn profile and how to maximize it to be found and convert visitors; how to use LinkedIn’s advance search to create a prospect profile and segmented target audience by Industry, Title, Geography, etc.; how to develop a drip campaign and ask for five connection requests per day; the essence of a messaging system – including five messages to develop a know, like, trust relationship with the recipient; when to allow prospects to “marinate” and wait for a response;  when to ask for a telephone or coffee meeting; how to harness discussion group to showcase your expertise; how to leverage LinkedIn’s Pulse publishing to expand credibility; when to add profile updates and use the gentle prod; and how to export LinkedIn contacts to a spreadsheet and utilize that e-mail data for a monthly e–newsletter.

To reserve a seat for either workshop, please contact Steve Dubin, PR Works, (781) 582-1061, email – SDubin@PRWorkzone.com. To register directly online, go to https://goo.gl/igaEU2 for Pembroke and for Plymouth, go to https://goo.gl/GxHYJ0.

LinkedIn Sales Funnel – Hands-On, Three-Hour Workshops scheduled for Plymouth and Pembroke, MA.Read More

Content Marketing and PR Opportunities in Commercial Construction

Perhaps no other business offers more marketing and PR opportunities than commercial developments. Yet surprisingly, many companies don’t take advantage of the myriad of media and marketing opportunities the natural course of doing business presents. PR Works has worked with one company that certainly fell into that category.

A Massachusetts-based general contractor, the company had a well-earned niche in rehabs and new construction for assisted living and nursing homes, as well as in educational, institutional and hospitality. Better yet, the majority of customers were repeat business. The owner wanted to take the company to the next level but wasn’t exactly sure how. PR got the ball rolling.

Part of the strategy was taking advantage of the built-in PR opportunities every commercial construction project offers:

  • Winning a project
  • Starting construction
  • Significant project milestones
  • Project completion
  • Growth and additional personnel

Each of these happenings presented an opportunity to issue a release, with photos, to the local media and trade publications. These releases were easily repurposed into content for company website, social media sites and e-newsletter. Coverage from press releases also was repurposed into content for the latter.

This approach translated into coverage in major regional newspapers and magazines—Providence Journal, Boston Magazine—and trade publications—High Profile Monthly, New England Real Estate Journal.

This coverage was often featured in the monthly e-newsletter with a message from the owner about goings on with the company. With this kind of content and a 20 percent open rate (4,000 are on the e-mail list), the e-newsletter developed a following. In fact, it was not uncommon for the e-newsletter to generate requests for proposals from former clients and prospects.

The company’s good work remains its best marketing. Yet letting their mailing list know what’s going on with the company played a role in their growth and success:

“Over the past 10 years, over 87 percent of our revenue (a time in which we grew from over 1,000%) has been derived from clients we have worked with in the past, ”noted the client.

Are you ready to make headlines and process the warm leads generated by them?

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