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Nov 26
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B2B ABM

ABM, B2B and four key findings

By | ABM, B2B, Content Marketing, Digital Marketing, Marketing Strategy, Marketing trends, personalisation, Sales and Marketing Alignment, Sherpa blog | No Comments

Account Based Marketing (ABM) continues to dominate the conversation amongst marketeers. So much so that last Thursday saw 400 B2B Marketing professionals descend on the Mermaid Theatre in London, for the annual B2B Marketing Conference; this year titled ‘ABM: getting it right and making it happen’. We at Sherpa are not shy when it comes to expressing our love for all things ABM, so decided we would put our money where our mouth is and sponsor this exciting event. Sherpa CEO, Tom Perry, hosted a popular session on Partner ABM and engaging partners through the channel using account based techniques.

The day gave attendees a good chance to network with some fellow ABMers, get more of a gauge on how business leaders are feeling about ABM and listen to some of the more established ABM professionals giving keynotes on their experience. There was a huge amount of information on the table, some of which gave mixed views of ABM approach and highlighted how there is a long way to go in the ABM journey – it is still a relatively unestablished principle and there is a lot of room for best practice to be shared. However, there were definitely some standout points which resonated with the Sherpa team, so here are our four key takeaways.  Read More

Nov 23
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ABM

4 ways businesses are raising their ABM game

By | ABM, B2B, Marketing Strategy, Sherpa blog | No Comments

A Sherpa is a guide. Someone who leads the way, sets a path and navigates less experienced travellers across difficult terrain. Our name is important to us and is the inspiration behind everything we do. Therefore, we are proud to be leading the way in the constantly evolving world of channel marketing. As one of the first agencies to apply account based marketing methods in the channel, we have used our extensive channel marketing experience, combined it with our ABM expertise and formulated a guide to succeeding in Partner ABM.

However, how is ABM being adopted and applied by other businesses? ITSMA and ABM Leadership Alliance recently carried out a web based survey of 207 marketeers at 190 unique B2B technology and business services companies – including Sherpa – to produce the 2018 Account-Based Marketing Benchmarking Study: Raising the Game with B2B Marketing. It’s a hefty read full of useful information, but we know you’re all busy, so we have done the leg work for you by reading through the report in its entirety (all 43 pages) and have put together the takeaways…  Read More

Oct 24
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3 key findings from Engagio's ABM 2018 Outlook Survey

3 key findings from Engagio’s ABM 2018 Outlook Survey

By | ABM, Marketing trends, Sales and Marketing Alignment, Sherpa blog | No Comments

If you are a regular follower of this blog, firstly thank you, and secondly, you may have noticed that I have been harping on A LOT lately about Account Based Marketing. Now the sceptics among you may think it has something to do with the fact that we are sponsoring the forthcoming B2B Marketing Exhibition, ABM: Getting it right and making it happen…well you would be correct, but not entirely. The real reason we are talking a lot about ABM and in fact the reason we are sponsoring the B2B ABM expo is simple…ABM works, it is very much here to stay and we at Sherpa are leading the way with delivering ABM through channel partners.

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Sep 28
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Can ABM really work in the channel?

By | ABM, B2B, Marketing Strategy, Sales and Marketing Alignment, Sherpa blog | No Comments
Channel marketing is a complex landscape to navigate. A small minority of Vendors and Partners are ahead of the curve when it comes to marketing activities and content distribution, but the majority are struggling to stay ahead, whilst battling MDF issues and sales and marketing misalignment. Channel partners have become accustomed to receiving market distribution funds, but due to the fractured MDF system, do not have the motivation, expectations or marketing expertise for effective delivery, leaving them disengaged. This is amplified by the lack of sales and marketing alignment within their teams, which results in an equally fractured sales funnel. 

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Sep 11
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5 steps every B2B business should know about building an ABM campaign

By | ABM, B2B | No Comments

Account-based marketing is a hot topic right now, capturing prime-time real estate at marketing conferences, b2b forums and social networks. But while ABM is a trending subject, it’s not necessarily a new idea. ABM is more a convergence of a number of different factors that has made it a central component of any B2B go to market strategy.

In a constantly changing landscape these factors have forced an evolution of the B2B market proposition and as such paved way for this emerging account-based approach:

  1. There has been a maturation of new technologies that allow B2B marketers to identify companies with a higher propensity to buy.
  2. The recognition that growth through existing accounts may be an easier approach.
  3. The emergence of a more powerful, knowledgeable and independent buyer that demands more personalised and customised interactions across the entire lifecycle.

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Aug 29
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Let's get personal...

I’m talking to you!

By | ABM, Content Marketing, personalisation, Sherpa blog | No Comments

Marketing is a smelting pot of different tactics, trends, tools, platforms and strategies all swirling around together. Some of these sink to the bottom, some bubble to the top and others combine to make an entirely new blend altogether. Personalisation is one of the ingredients in this marketing mix which seems to have been bubbling away for years. It could be described as the seasoning in the pot…when used in isolation, it is entirely unpalatable; but when added to other ingredients, it enhances the entire flavour and magic can happen.

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Aug 06
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ABM: have you got the key to success?

By | ABM, Marketing Strategy | No Comments

Marketing is all about getting your brand message and product in front of as many people as physically possible…right? WRONG. Well, ok sometimes it is, but it really does depend on what you are selling. Would you market Facebook in the same way that you would market an IT and Communications Managed Services solution? No…not if you want any results! 

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Jul 06
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Ignite B2B with AI

Ignite B2B marketing with AI

By | ABM, B2B, Digital Marketing | No Comments

Over the past few years, we have seen a surge in brands focusing their marketing efforts more on customer experience and enhanced personalisation, reflecting a definite shift towards B2C practices being applied to B2B campaigns.

As ABM becomes more widely recognised as a must have marketing strategy, customer centric campaigns will no doubt become the norm. As someone who has spent much of my career in the B2C world, I am accustomed to customer centric, insight driven campaigns focusing on customer journey and experience, and think this sort of personable marketing would be welcomed (and successful) in the B2B world. Read More