This post contains several nuggets from industry experts on best practices for a strategic approach to B2B marketing.

This is one of my favorites: See-Think-Do: A Content, Marketing, Measurement Business Framework from Google’s Avinash Kaushik. It offers in-depth considerations about frameworks that can help B2Bs solve for divisional silos by: 1) centering activities on the customer; 2) thinking more expansively; and 3) developing better measuring strategies.

Below are a few others covering general philosophies, planning, social media, and more.

High Performance
Sirius Decisions’ The Top Five Characteristics of High-Performance Marketing is a great reminder to consider key philosophies such as accountability and integration as a foundation. With B2B buyers being much more empowered in the digital age, Marketing departments need to up their game to ensure those buyers can be reached and engaged.

Social Media
Social media is becoming more popular in B2B industries as a way to reach and engage. The article
4 inspiring examples of B2B companies harnessing social media for B2B marketing from Smart Insights explains three strategic uses of social media, and gives tips on how to approach it the right way. This guest post I did for Nimble, A Checklist for Revamping Your Social Media touches on similar concepts.

Content
Content is king as they say. If you want to fuel web traffic and help Sales nurture leads, a good content strategy is key. 2014 B2B Content Marketing Research: Strategy is Key to Effectiveness highlights research findings such as: “B2B marketers with documented strategy are more effective and less challenged with every aspect of content marketing.”

General Marketing Planning
Check out Youth Entrepreneurship Series – Marketing. This is a really cool presentation by Kris Zanuldin on “practical” marketing that does an excellent job showing best practices for end-to-end considerations as it relates to marketing planning: basic principles, elevator pitch, customer personas, positioning, distribution, funnels, content, etc.

In addition, refer to these posts from my blog on other best practices for a strategic approach:

Brand and Messaging Strategy
4 Easy Tips to Develop Effective Sales and Marketing Messaging – Good for small or fast-moving companies that don’t have the budget or patience for sophisticated research and processes to develop their brand’s messaging approach —but still want to be strategic, smart and thoughtful about what they say and write so that they stand out from the competition.

Strategic Considerations for What to Hire vs. Outsource
B2B Marketing: When to Hire vs. Outsource [INFOGRAPHIC] – Commonly used cases for outsourcing that may resonate with your situation, along with some different options that may be worthy of your consideration. Includes a handy Infographic overview you can download.

Strategic Sales
Are You a B2B Leader With a Struggling Sales Team? Looking For a More Strategic Approach to Your Sales and Marketing Initiatives? – Good articles and tools on the possibilities for deeper insight into your target audiences so that your sales message reaches them and helps them through their journey.