Thanksgiving Day this week, the world looks back on another year of challenges, changes in the marketing landscape, and changes in the workplace. Despite the global challenges we have all faced, we have overcome, grown and adapted, and now is the time to look back at the aspects of our lives for which we are most grateful. Jewelry photo Retouching Service This year, our team here at TopRank Marketing has continued to grow, and we would like to take this opportunity to reflect on gratitude in our professional and personal lives, continuing our traditional annual messages of gratitude. Our ability to see and express our gratitude in difficult times like those we have all faced over the past two years can be especially meaningful and even refreshing. Let's take a moment to open our hearts and collect our team's feelings of gratitude, shared in the hope that you too will be inspired to reflect on the positives that can be hidden in our lives if we simply take the time to listen. Jewelry Photo Retouching Service What the TopRank marketing team is most grateful for in 2021 Lee OddenLee Odden CEO and co-founder 2021 has been a hectic year and one where many people have been re-examining their priorities, goals and plans for the future. While it's important to look ahead, there's also a lot of value in reflection and gratitude. The world in 2021 is very different than it was 20 years ago when TopRank Marketing was founded. Not only did we not anticipate there would be a global pandemic, but we also couldn't have imagined how well our team has adapted and excelled in the new normal of B2B marketing. Jewelry Photo Retouching Service I am extremely grateful to the entire TopRank Marketing team for their equal passion for the art of search, content and influencer marketing with service to and with each other. All are instrumental in our efforts to help elevate the voices, experiences and humanity of B2B marketing. Of course success is great but it is not worth much without health and family.

I'm incredibly grateful that I was able to find a passion for running and be on track to run over 2,000 miles in 2021. I'm also grateful for my amazing kids and supportive parents who continue to teach me invaluable life lessons. Image Masking Service Lane R. EllisLane Ellis Social media and content marketing manager 2021 has welcomed many new wonders and delights, some sad losses, all coming together to form a year for which I am grateful. I am especially grateful to my wonderful family, friends and associates. Celebrating 20 years of marriage with my amazing wife Julie Ahasay is at the top of my thank you list, along with the continued joy of having my parents Konnie and Bob in my life, and my amazing and ever-inspiring 104-year-old grandmother. , Lilly Haldorsen, who recently hosted her first Zoom conference and started learning a new language. I am grateful for nearly 38 years of internet use and still being able to run, Image Masking Service mountain bike and cross-country ski the beautiful trails of Duluth, and for our beloved cat Kukla Francis Oliver. The sadness took the form of the loss of many dear friends and our beloved eleven-year-old cat, Phineas Faustus Ellis, and these losses make us more fortunate to have the gifts that each day brings us. It's the perfect time to reach out and give the world and its endless possibilities a cozy winter embrace, so here's a big virtual hug to all of you I've been blessed to know, my lovely family and friends. Image Masking Service Thank you. friend kronefriend krone Senior Director of Operations and Human Resources With all the changes that have happened over the past 2 years (almost!), I'm so grateful to have a team of people, both personal and professional, around me - giving me support, inspiration and motivation to do great things.

My family still serves as the rock and reason for everything I do and I couldn't be more grateful to have them all in my life, encouraging me to watch me grow. The TopRank Marketing team continues to be one of the smartest, most interesting, and driven people I've ever met. I can really call a lot of them friends, Image Manipulation Service not just colleagues, I'm so grateful to have the relationships I have with them. Their drive and passion drives me to push beyond what I think are my limits - to do bigger and better things - day after day. Maria KawaguchiMaria Kawaguchi Agency Marketing Director Never did I imagine that 2021 would mean moving across the country to my hometown of Columbia, SC. This year has challenged me even more to step out of my comfort zone, open my eyes and welcome new possibilities. I am so grateful to have more time to spend with my family, the honor of caring for my parents, and the opportunity to tap deeper into my passion for dance. Moving to a new place taught me the beauty of connection and building community. With that, I am grateful for all the volunteer opportunities on the front lines of health care and at local shelters. Image Manipulation Service Here I have met so many like-minded people who are committed to giving back and helping the underserved. Professionally, I am grateful to have joined the TopRank Marketing team! Despite the fact that I have never met anyone in person, it has truly been a breath of fresh air with good energy everywhere! Thank you! Mike Odden Research Analyst I am very grateful to my wife Ruthe who supported me throughout these 57 years, as well as to our children and grandchildren of whom we are particularly proud. Image Manipulation Service Also the opportunity to work with a great team and company, TopRank Marketing. Anne LeumanAnne Leuman Senior Operations Strategist Every year, I am more and more grateful to my colleagues here at TopRank Marketing. The uncertain times we live in have not been easy - in life or at work - and the support we have for each other has really shined.

I am also very grateful for our openness as an organization. From processes to resources to customer programs and beyond, we're always ready to hear ideas for improvement and make changes. This willingness to change and want to improve makes TopRank an exciting and rewarding place to work every day. Illustrator Art Work Elizabeth WilliamsElizabeth Williams Associate Director of Accounts Receivable My heart overflows with gratitude every year that I have the chance to share on our annual blog. This year, I'm grateful for a brand new, healthy baby girl who is already jumping and "talking" like crazy at 5 months. An energetic 4-year-old who reads numbers. A stretching 7-year-old ray of sunshine. And the least thanked, the superhero who "go" our daily life, my husband for 8 years! Sam KirchoffSam Kirchoff Internal Marketing Manager I am grateful for life. I mean that in the grandest and most thorough way: we've all been through so much in the last nearly two years in a chaotic, pandemic world…and a lot of people haven't made it. But I did, and my loved ones did. I'm grateful that I can roll my eyes when my parents can't use technology, I'm grateful for my dear friends who always answer late night texts, I'm grateful for a partner who always does the dishes Because I hate have wrinkled hands, I'm grateful to have a workplace that not only makes me feel welcome, but also celebrated. I'm grateful for instant noodles, good books and BTS. Illustrator Art Work I am grateful for my cats, my woolen socks and my heater. I am grateful for everything. But above all, I am grateful for my daughter. Without it, everything else would fall. With her, my life is golden. Debbie FriezDebbie Friez Influencer Marketing Manager I am grateful for almost 7 years of working with the amazing, smart and talented team at TopRank Marketing. Every day I look forward to new challenges and exciting experiences. The best part of my job is learning from the many thought leaders some will call influencers. I truly cherish the relationships I have built with so many great minds. In a year that has brought so many health challenges for the world, I am grateful for my health and that of my family. Illustrator Art Work TopRank Marketing thanks you for you We at TopRank Marketing are all grateful and grateful to you for being supportive fans, amazing customers, friends and enthusiastic influencers who have enabled us to achieve personal, professional and brand success.

Good news! Hosting a virtual event is easier than ever. Not so good news! All the B2B brands you've heard of are ALSO hosting virtual events. And most of us are tired of staring at a screen 24/7. That doesn't mean not doing virtual events. But that means we have to be more strategic to create one. You need to bring all your marketing strength and prowess to make sure your event is followed and attendees have a great experience. Ghost Mannequin Effect Let's take a look at a few things you can do before, during, and after a virtual event to take it to the next level. 13 best strategies for virtual events From content marketing to organic social, a successful virtual event uses every tool in your marketers' toolbox. Additionally, there are a few considerations that are unique to this particular channel. Before the event: strategy and promotion 1 — Set goals Start your event process by setting goals for the business goal you want to achieve. Ghost Mannequin Effect For example, if you're building brand awareness, you'll want to have influencers and thought leaders who appeal to a large audience. But if you want attendees to book a demo after attending, you're looking for a smaller but highly targeted audience. This is the first decision that will shape your promotion strategy and even your content. Choose a platform There is currently a potentially bewildering array of virtual platforms. They range from something as simple as live streaming on Facebook or Instagram, to enterprise-level virtual conference rooms with multiple customizable rooms. We find LinkedIn Events to be a good middle ground between these extremes. Ghost Mannequin Effect There are plenty of easy-to-use built-in tools that make it more customizable and interactive than a flat live stream, but it doesn't have any bells and whistles that beat the budget.

That said, if you're a business looking for an all-inclusive hosting solution, there are plenty of options. This blog post contains an overview of some of the most popular. Whichever platform you choose, make sure you have a backup plan in place. If your LinkedIn Livestream fails, for example, be prepared to roll on YouTube. E-Commerce Photo Editing 3 — Pre-record and/or rehearsal A virtual event doesn't have to be 100% live – in fact, it might be a better experience for the audience if it isn't. You can present a few pre-recorded sessions spiced up with b-roll and music, to balance the talking heads. Whether you choose to pre-record or not, it's a good idea to rehearse your segments before the event itself. 4 - Plan your "war room" During the event, you'll want to have a team of people coordinating behind the scenes (more on that in the next section). Now is the time to determine who will be on duty, what tasks they will take care of, and how the team will communicate if you are working remotely. E-Commerce Photo Editing Some of our clients work with an instant messaging platform, combined with an internal video call to keep everyone connected. 5 — Set an agenda Your virtual event needs to be very structured – guests need to know exactly what they're getting and be able to schedule the times they want to attend. When setting the agenda, be sure to include interactive segments as well. Give the audience a chance to contribute to the conversation and be active rather than passive. "Your virtual event needs to be very structured – guests need to know exactly what they're getting and be able to schedule the times they want to attend. E-Commerce Photo Editing " — Joshua Nite Click To Tweet 6 — Promote and amplify The tips above will help you ensure a smooth webinar. Now it's about getting people to come. Start with a bit of content marketing: use your blog to introduce the speakers and the topic. Also add a notice to your newsletter. On social media, post organic posts asking your audience to submit questions and consider paid ads to register for the event. If you're on LinkedIn Events, you can offer a transparent registration process.

And of course, our agency always includes influencers as part of the promotion strategy. Equip your presenters with social media images and posts that they can use to amplify the event to their audience. During the event: support and engage Crop Resizing Service 7 - Filter questions and engage in chat I mentioned the “war room” above – during the event there should be a few moderators dedicated to managing audience engagement. These people can request feedback in chat, post key points in real-time to social media, and filter questions from the audience for a Q&A. This team makes it easier for your presenters and host to focus on what they're doing, rather than trying to engage the audience. 8 — Have a dedicated socializing space One thing that makes a virtual event more like a physical event: a place to chat, socialize and network. Some virtual platforms have these spaces built-in - they are virtual rooms with spatial sound that allow people to break into small conversation groups. Crop resizing service If your platform doesn't have this feature, consider a service like Gather , Topio , or Bramble . Also, make sure you have a moderator or two in that space, to answer questions and keep order. 9 - Keep promoting throughout the event Just because the event has started doesn't mean the promotional work is over. Your team should post on social media — especially Twitter, for immediacy — sharing takeaways and referring back to the event itself. You can continue to invite people to join you while the event is running. Crop resizing service After the event: review and reuse 10 — Debrief your team While the event is fresh in everyone's mind, arrange a meeting to discuss what went well, what could go better, and what you can improve for next time. It's also a good opportunity to pull major takeaways and spot repurposing opportunities.

What do B2B marketers need to know to build a successful email newsletter strategy in 2022 and beyond? What has changed with the creation of newsletters during the pandemic, and what fundamental qualities will withstand the changing times as B2B marketing – and more importantly – Color Correction Services the people who create and read newsletters, evolve? While 47% of B2B marketers view email as a productive way to generate revenue (ANA), digital newsletters generally offer even greater effectiveness, especially as web browser cookie data disappears and increase the number of people using ad blocking. technology is on the rise – a topic we recently explored in “The Traffic Black Hole: What B2B Marketers Need to Know About Dark Social.” Email newsletters offer a fantastic way to address some of these challenges, while building the human relationships that drive B2B marketing success. Let's open the digital newsletter engine and examine what gears, cogs, wheels, and other content devices are needed to create a successful email newsletter in today's B2B landscape. Color Correction Services Ann Handley's Insight Expert Email Newsletter Ann Handley, chief content officer at MarketingProfs, is expected to soon hit number 100 in her long-running and delightfully informative bi-monthly Total Annarchy newsletter , which has grown from around two thousand subscribers at the start of 2018 to more than 41,000 today. Ann's latest newsletter, "How I Developed This Newsletter: What Worked, What Didn't Work, The Weird Metrics I Use," is full of helpful tips and tactics she's learning thanks to the growth of its newsletter, Color Correction Services such as: Build what you wish to exist Use purpose to define objectives Create a newsletter reading dynamic Focus on the onboarding process Create something unique Ann explores these and more in her latest newsletter, including the suggestion to focus on email open rates and not so much click-through rates . Devoting special effort to building relationships with followers and influencers is another recommendation Ann has gleaned and shared from the widespread success of Total Annarchy .

“I'm more interested in the quality of the roster than the size,” Ann shared in her latest newsletter. Ann also highlighted the importance of paying special attention to that very first communication that new newsletter subscribers receive once they sign up, and making sure it reflects your particular tone and shares the expectations of what will happen via email each month as a subscriber. Clipping Path Service The power of asking your existing subscribers to gently share your newsletter with others who might benefit from your newsletter content was another recent tip shared by Ann. When it comes to sharing news from your latest newsletter published on social media, Ann suggests highlighting the main topic covered in the newsletter rather than a generic cookie-cutter message mentioning only that a new issue has been published. Prior to the pandemic, Ann spoke in person at the Social Media Marketing World event, and we've published a collection of her ideas on the nuances of successful online newsletter creation, in "Dear Friend: Secrets to Creating a Newsletter People Want to Read From Ann Handley.” In it, Ann shared more of her wisdom on writing and promoting newsletters – ideas that are just as relevant now as we heard around 2022. Clipping Path Service Here are a few examples: Examine the newsletters you read and interact with, and identify what drives your own engagement with them Take advantage of the fact that email is one of the few places where people still have more control than algorithms Focus less on the news part and more on the letter element Keep newsletters simple and accessible Email is the only place where people - not algorithms - have control." — Ann Handley Click to tweet Learning from missteps and 26 years of email spam Sometimes when researching what works for email and newsletter marketing, Clipping Path Service it's helpful to also see examples of what to avoid at all costs, and in my article "Don't Do That: Email Marketing Lessons From My 26 Year Spam Archive", I explored five email marketing tips for empathizing, delivering unique value, respecting your audience, using character and passion, and seeking new marketing opportunities. login and test, all framed by some of the craziest examples of email spam.

Empathy with your audience is an important component used by successful newsletters because understanding the concerns and hopes of the people you connect with is key to delivering the information your email audience is looking for. Some things to ask yourself when looking to sympathize with your existing newsletter audience include: Why did they subscribe to our newsletter? Banner Design Service What do our readers have in common? If I was the receiver and not the sender, what would I change? Another key factor to keep in mind is to respect that whether you have a small email list or number in the millions, maintaining the trust of your email and newsletter audience is the key to long-term success, as our senior content strategist Nick Nelson explored in “Return to Sender: Email Marketing Is NOT Dead, It Needs a Refresh. " It is better to write for 10 people who really want to receive your messages than 100 who are ambivalent or worse. Click To Tweet The support of the marketing message takes several forms by GIPHY Ultimately, Banner Design Service your marketing message and how it moves your readers to action or even enlightenment is paramount to success, and not particularly the medium or format in which it is delivered. Using the clear and helpful tips and examples we explore here, from Ann Handley and others, you'll have a head start when planning how to make your newsletter better than ever in 2022 and beyond. Keep up to date with the latest B2B marketing industry news and subscribe to our own monthly TopRank Marketing newsletter, which has been providing top-notch marketing information for over 11 years and over 132 editions. Banner Design Service No matter how well the newsletter content is implemented, crafting award-winning B2B marketing takes a lot of time and effort, which is why a growing number of companies are choosing to work with an agency. leading digital marketing companies such as TopRank Marketing. Contact us today to find out how we can help you, as we have done for over 20 years for companies ranging from LinkedIn, Dell and 3M to Adobe, Oracle, monday.com and others.