It’s hard to overstate the value that subject matter experts (SMEs) can bring to B2B technology content. When a great copywriter talks to a true SME, they’re able to tease out their niche knowledge, thought-leading opinions, and surprising insights and transform them into content that’s original, engaging, and authoritative.   But for many marketers, looping SMEs into the content creation process is far from easy. In the CMI’s Outlook for 2024 research, 39% of marketers said they have difficulty simply accessing SMEs, while 41% reported issues with workflow/content approval.   Often ..read more

Almost an entire November. Without sleep. In my professional life so far, I estimate I’ve spent at least 715 hours[i] researching statistics and making sure they’re accurately presented and referenced. But sometimes I wonder… why? So often, I encounter B2B marketing content that doesn’t disclose its sources. Or that does, but directs me towards an unsubstantiated assertion on the personal blog of a freelance HR adviser, published circa 2013. Even when content references recent, robust research and provides a link to the original study, I’ll regularly find that – whether through a collapse of u ..read more

Like so many next-big-things, the generative AI wave is towing a host of cottage industries in its wake. One of the most fascinating is the synthetic data industry. I think it’s worth the attention of any B2B tech marketer because it reveals the complex challenges, opportunities, and risks of generative AI in microcosm – and because the best content about AI acknowledges and navigates that complexity. Synthetic data: a solution to AI’s biggest obstacles All AI models must be trained on extensive data. And the more general the task, the greater the variety and volume of data the model needs bef ..read more

We spend a lot of time writing about the impact of global warming, from mitigating the risks of climate change to accelerating decarbonisation and renewable energy adoption. And if I’ve learnt one thing, it’s that if the world doesn’t speed up its decarbonisation efforts, humanity could be facing a desolate future. Solar and wind power are both brilliant steps in the right direction, but when there’s no wind and the sun isn’t shining, we can’t use them to produce electricity. So, what are the alternatives? Imagine if there was a way to power the world that was clean, carbon free, and possible ..read more

In marketing, almost everything we do is driven by customer data in one way or another. It helps us understand customer sentiment, expectations, and needs, enabling us to create relevant, high-impact campaigns and content. But with great power comes great responsibility. Following the great GDPR panic of 2018, we all know not to put personally identifiable information into the public domain, or seriously misuse it. But beyond that, how much time do we really spend thinking about data privacy and our day-to-day role in upholding responsible data practices? To mark Data Privacy Week, here are fi ..read more

B2B marketers love data. Marketing was one of the first business functions to put big bets on analytics and automation, and today, the best B2B marketing campaigns are driven by data. It might not always be complete or accurate, but data helps talented marketers set the general direction of their campaigns and pin their instincts on something tangible. But what if marketers could easily access trusted data (and lots of it) and use that data to deliver better results? What if they could uncover new insights hidden in data throughout the business – and use them to create hyper-personalised conte ..read more

A few years ago, I had surgery to fix some mobility problems caused by a form of hip dysplasia. It took a while to figure my issues out; x-rays, CT scans, even an arthrogram-aided MRI couldn’t get a clear enough picture. Eventually, the diagnostics team used my scans to create a 3D model of my pelvis – a “digital twin” of me that showed my consultant exactly where the problems and damage were. Two surgeries later, I’ve emerged with a sizeable scar and a real appreciation for how complicated the human body is, and how much technology can do to support healthcare professionals. These days, I do ..read more

B2B marketers are great at coming up with creative campaigns and content ideas. But all too often, long approval cycles, restricted budgets, and the sheer scale and complexity of those ideas make them difficult to bring to life at speed. Fortunately, marketers aren’t the only ones experiencing those challenges. Our colleagues over in the world of software development are up against them too, and they’ve devised some transformational new practices to help overcome them. And there’s one in particular that B2B marketers may be able to borrow. Thin slicing is an Agile practice where large projects ..read more

It’s Friday, somewhere around 2 pm. You hear the Zoom ringtone. It’s your boss calling. “Quick, I need you to whip up some new content ideas – original ones that are going to get people excited about this new product. And have them on my desk by the end of play.” You think: “New content ideas that are going to appeal to our audience’s interests, provide a solution to their challenges, keep them engaged, and I’ve got less than a day to come up with them?” It’s a challenging brief – and on any other day, you’d go to an experienced B2B copywriter to help. But in this case, there’s no time. Even w ..read more

I joined Radix Communications in 2016. And at 25, it was the first time I’d worked for a company that understood the importance of personal time. The company’s generous holiday allowance and flexible working hours were already remarkable perks, but it was the sabbatical program that surprised me most. For every five years with Radix, each employee can take up to three months off – albeit at half salary. Or, should they prefer, six weeks at full pay. And that time is yours to do whatever you want with. Introduced shortly before I joined the company, the Radix Sabbatical scheme has proven a grea ..read more