Are ebooks still a thing? I'm torn about whether they should be included in my content strategy.

Dear Reader,

Yes, ebooks are still a valuable component of a content strategy, but their effectiveness hinges on your audience. In today's fast-paced digital world, people are increasingly accustomed to consuming short-form content. To make your ebooks more appealing, ensure they are snackable. Incorporate breakout copy, bullet points, quick tips, summaries, and engaging visuals to keep readers interested. Repurposing your ebook is my favorite way to maximize my content budget, while increasing your audience reach with a variety of content formats like infographic or videos. This allows you to test and learn what your audience prefers.

Does display advertising actually work in the B2B space, or am I just throwing money away?

Dear Reader,

Absolutely, B2B display advertising is a powerful tool—especially for enhancing brand recall. In fact, 83% of B2B buyers need 3-10 touches to consider a brand reputable. B2B buying cycles can be quite long too, so keeping your brand visible for effective recall and influence is critical when penetrating the entire buying committee. My favorite way to utilize display in the B2B market is combining display ads with identity resolution and intent data for precise targeting. This approach leads to successful lead-level display and retargeting campaigns that make the most of your marketing budget. But display has many use cases, and it really depends on your target audience and budget.

Every demand generation vendor claims to have their own database. Why does this matter, and how can you choose the right vendor if they all seem similar?

Dear Reader,

Proprietary databases are unique and secure systems. They offer automation, scalability, and compliance with privacy laws, ensuring high data quality and avoiding data redundancies seen with other vendors.

However, some vendors with proprietary databases also use partner networks, which can compromise data quality.

These networks, consisting of third-party vendors, help expand customer reach but often lead to data duplication and quality issues. While vendors can set guidelines for lead sourcing, they cannot fully control their partners' daily activities. This may result in leads that are either non-compliant with regulations or of poor quality.

To choose the right vendor, ask them the following questions: do you use partner networks to bolster your data? How engaged is your database? Does your database include my ideal customer profile (ICP)? What measures do you take to ensure data quality and compliance? Ultimately, you should select a vendor who follows best practices and delivers results without relying on partner networks.