B2B advertising hosts a number of challenges for marketers. Platforms are not created with B2B advertising in mind, because the sales process is too long and attribution is murky. Additionally, markets are more niche and multiple people are involved in each decision. However, since 93% of the B2B sales process begins via search, marketers who ignore the digital component of their strategy are leaving revenue on the table.
Even though there are more B2B companies than B2C, it is difficult to find quality content addressing how to improve this skill set. After years of digging and researching, here are some resources to transform you into a PPC superhero.
Basic Advertising Resources
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The starting point has to be understanding the options the Google Ads platform offers, hence leveraging their Skillshop is key. Through this website, you can learn about the fundamental elements needed to get started on Google Ads search, display, discovery, shopping, and more.
All the material is free and tends to be refreshed once every year or two. These courses and material will not transform you into a Google Ads rockstar overnight, but they will show you what you can do, and the general requirements to get started.
Intermediate Advertising Resources
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If you prefer reading there are many books to get you started on what Google Ads is capable of, such as, the Ultimate Google Ads Playbook by Christine Zirnheld. In this book, you will learn about leveling up with a sound account structure, how to set up the right settings, and even how to track your results successfully, among many other awesome insights.
Let’s be honest though, you can’t be a Rockstar advertiser without understanding that Google ads are only a fraction of what your media plan involves. Therefore, check out this book by Helen Katz, called The Media Handbook – with it, you will learn about advertising, media planning, and the buying process.
You are not a fan of reading? Don’t worry, I’ve got your back. Here are some amazing podcasts to keep you entertained while learning a lot at the same time:
- Marketing O’Clock: Weekly digital marketing news that will keep you up-to-date with the latest trends
- The Marketing Scoop Podcast: This is a weekly podcast of case-based stories about marketing growth, the latest news, strategies, and techniques
- Paid Media Pros: Technically these are videos, but they are incredible. You can learn about more than Google Ads, and more importantly, Joe and Michelle will show you how different channels can integrate and leverage each other’s strengths
And for certifications and courses, you can check out the following resource:
- SemRush: This platform features a host of materials and courses for both SEO and paid. You can either learn more about how their tools help you create better PPC ads or you can learn the fundamentals from a paid specialist.
Advanced Advertising Resources
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Unfortunately for advanced marketers, there are very few resources that are B2B specific and many of these resources don’t focus exclusively on Google ads.
Below are some helpful places marketers can get up to date information on B2B advertising trends:
- The KoMarketing Blog covers strategies, tactics, and industry news – focused on B2B only.
- The Drum is another great resource for B2B’s and it has a section dedicated to the sector.
- A podcast for marketers with a more advanced level is Funnel Reboot, while not unique for B2B marketers, it does cover more advanced strategies and methods to improve lead generation.
- MarketingProfs has a large B2B focus and features best practices for marketers across their digital campaigns. They host webinars and a forum dedicated to these advertisers and marketers. They also filter their podcasts and resources for B2B on their site..
- If your company doesn’t have a subscription for Gartner and Forrester Reports, you can still attend their webinars or read their blogs to determine what changes are forecasted to hit the industry. Their reports are well known for the data collected and the insights delivered.
- Salesforce has a section dedicated to white papers focused on digital trends and resources. Their blog also offers insights on building customer loyalty and nurturing leads.
Final Thoughts
B2B marketers must get creative when it comes to improving their skills. They are forced to find ways to use B2C content and apply it to a marketing funnel that isn’t optimized for the B2B buying process.
If you want to learn about the most common errors B2B marketers make when setting up or optimizing your Google Ads campaign, I hope you join me at Hero Conf 2022 where I will go specifically into the issues and how to solve them, while showing some awesome B2B case studies.
