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Experimentation Is The New Best Practice
Repost: Original article by:b2bbloggers
Today’s evolving B2B marketing environment lends itself very keenly to new ways of thinking and approaches to just about everything we do. Now that is not to say the tried and true methods of B2B marketing should be discarded, but more so that our thinking needs to advance well beyond the limits of today and into the new boundaries of tomorrow.
I’d argue that the underlying principles of the discipline of b2b marketing are not different. It is the environment in which you apply the principles that is evolving. The B2B marketing trend that I cover in this article has more to do with your personal approach to marketing than a new technology or B2B social media. It’s asks that you take a new view on how you approach what you do each and every day.
Experimentation Is The New Best Practice
If I had a penny for every time over the past year that I have been asked for b2b social media and content marketing best practices … well, you know the saying.
There’s just one problem with the question, it’s impossible for them to exist. Take a look at this definition from Wikipedia, pay particular attention to the bolded text.
Best practices can be defined as the most efficient (least amount of effort) and effective (best results) way of accomplishing a task, based on repeatable procedures that have proven themselves over time for large numbers of people. Source: Wikipedia.
In the rapidly evolving environment like we are in today, with literally everything changing so quickly, not enough time has passed for proven methods, by large numbers of people to be established.
So in that circumstance, one’s approach must shift to experimentation and iteration. Instead of following best practices, create them.
If you seeking b2b marketing best practices in 2011, you are not seizing the moment. You are not leading, you are waiting.
Make a goal for 2011 to determine the most effective methods to get the response you desire from your customers, not anyone else’s. Don’t look for best practices; make experimentation your best practice.
Focus on where your customers spend their time, how your customers are consuming information, and what information matters to your customers.
And finally, focus on measuring what is working and what is not working with your customers.Then be quick to react and respond to the information and iterate. Be confident in your decision-making, fear nothing and don’t be afraid to fail. With each failure comes learning. Adopt an experimentation mindset and improve your chances for b2b marketing success in 2011.
What do you think? Is experimentation the new best practice?
» Read the Original and Complete Article
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