6 Secrets Only Top Marketers Know

Do you ever feel like some marketers have the edge on you? You’re working at 110%, you’re hitting your targets, but there’s something missing. If you can’t move from meeting goals to exceeding them, it’s because you don’t know these secrets. Prepare to move to the next level…

1. A Truly Successful Marketing Business Must Be Streamlined

Time spent logging in and out of the various tools that make our professional lives easier is time wasted. Phone calls and emails getting technical issues sorted is activity that isn’t helping you meet your targets. Wouldn’t it be great if everything was under one roof? Newsflash – it is (and the top marketers already use it)!

HubSpot is the one-stop shop used by marketers who are serious about making their clients happy. This all-in-one marketing platform is where you can

Blog (and convert the most successful blogs into eBooks using Beacon!)
Use social media
Optimize SEO
Ensure your website looks good and even tailor it for visitors
Analytics
Manage leads
Create effective calls to action by customizing them on location, persona and industry
Sync with Salesforce to make sales and marketing teams work together efficiently and effectively
Marketing automation

There’s an array of clever marketing tools that have integrated with HubSpot. Users save time locating and accessing these tools by using HubSpot, and save time thanks to the tools themselves. It’s a double whammy that streamlines businesses.

2. Top Marketers Hold the Customer’s Hand Throughout the Buying Process

Truly successful marketers know that getting potential customers interested in the brand is only the start. They walk beside them at all stages of the buying cycle. Blogs, eBooks, infographics, videos and Slideshare presentations are all employed by top marketers to engage and help the customer at every stage.

3. Knowledge is for Everyone

With so many articles and blogs out there, there’s no excuse for not being fully aware of trends, tips and the best way to do your job. Of course, sifting through the content to find authors that create useful material can take time. Here’s our pick of the top 10 content marketing blogs that you can’t afford to miss. Set aside time every week to benefit from top marketers’ knowledge.

4. Playing the Long Game Pays Dividends

It takes courage to play the long game, but that’s the kind of bravery that marketers have to show in order to get to the top. Trusting that prospective customers will reward your hard work with engagement and sales in the future is tough. Faithfully blogging, building the brand using social media and optimizing SEO won’t make an instant difference to sales, but one day this work will have an impact. The secret to success is understanding that ‘content marketing’ isn’t a campaign, it’s a culture.

5. Writing Isn’t Enough

Top content marketers know that success doesn’t happen by chance. Planning a strategy is essential. Have you documented your goals? Created an editorial calendar? Determined a publishing schedule? (Marketing Profs found that companies that publish 15 blogs per month can generate 1,200 leads.) Have you done enough research to be certain that your content will be relevant to your audience?

If you want to start exceeding those marketing goals, it’s important to remember that different sorts of writing must be planned. Great eBooks (we obviously recommend Beacon for fast, beautiful, effective eBooks!), video, and infographics are forms that must be incorporated into every marketing strategy.

6. Reading the Report Helps You Stay on Top

The State of Inbound Marketing 2015 is a piece of research that no top marketer would fail to read. Based on the experiences and knowledge of 4,000 marketing and sales professionals, it’s a veritable marketing bible. If you’re interested to learn the priorities of marketers around the world, then read this. Want to know what keeps marketers up at night? This is where you need to turn to.

Here are a few of our favorite facts:

Marketers who check their metrics 3x a week are over more likely to achieve positive ROI
The use of freelance and agency talent is on the rise when it comes to content creation
97% of marketers who achieved success in the past with inbound marketing secured a higher budget

Are there any secrets you’ve found essential on your way to achieving marketing success? Share them with us on Facebook or Twitter!