2013 MarketingProfs B2B Marketing Forum Preview – And a ‘Cheers’ Plug

Let me start by saying that any trip to Boston has high�expectations.�Just�a few months ago I, along with our�Executive Director of Operations Jolina Pettice, traveled to Boston to meet with one of our favorite clients.

During our stay we dined at the �Cheers� bar and later �ran into� NBC�s Lester Holt (ran into = sat in the same hotel lobby). In regards to the latter, one of us may have gone a little fan crazy. I won�t say who, but their name rhymes with �Molina�.

Suffice it to say that while attending MarketingProfs B2B Marketing Forum in Boston I fully expect to run into more celebrities while carving out time to revisit America�s favorite bar to perform my best �Naarm!� call (to this day I don�t change the channel when it comes on).

But alas, I�m burying the lead. Let�s get to the real reason I�m traveling to Boston and the reason you�re reading this post. There are some intriguing and thought-provoking presentations slated for this year�s B2B Marketing Forum that have me resizing my learning cap in anticipation.

So for those unable to attend or for attendees just looking for some daft guidance on which sessions to attend, here is a preview of 4 sessions that any B2B marketer would be crazy to miss:

1) Amp Up Your Content Marketing With Influencers

This panel session, moderated by clever content marketer Amanda Makysmiw of Lattice Engines (disclosure: Lattice Engines is a TopRank client), includes a panel of respected content strategists who intend to break the notion that content marketing and influence marketing are separate practices. Highlighting the importance of crafting content that appeals to those who influence your target audience, key actionable take-aways promise to be:

How to identify key influencers within your industryTips for actively and consisting engaging influencersBest practices for co-creating the type of content influencers will be eager to share2) The Essentials of Marketing Automation for Small Businesses

Closing the loop and effectively tracking how marketing activities drive actual revenue is not just a requirement of Fortune 100 companies. This is a reality for small businesses as well who often need to apply even more scrutiny to marketing dollars. Unfortunately, budgeting for a full-scale marketing automation solution that can help them better quantify their efforts and refine their strategy is not always in the cards. Frank Days, VP of Marketing at Correlsense, leads a discussion designed to uncover the essential marketing automation functions small businesses need to finally close that loop without blowing their budget.

3) Content Marketing in the Age of Crap

Good content simply isn�t enough to stand out in today�s vast content landscape. But how can brands make truly great content? Maybe more importantly, how can brands make great content at scale? Doug Kessler of Velocity Partners aims to answer those questions and explain how great content doesn�t always mean greater investment.� Kessler also breaks down some of the important traits that make content truly great.

4) Power Panel! Content All Stars Share Their Secrets

Aptly titled and quite appropriately the final program of the conference, this panel session contains enough marketing firepower to intimidate small nations (you listening Tokelau?). Luckily, these marketers come in-peace and with the collective goal to share some of their marketing secrets.

Since the real magic of this session will come from the stories and tips shared by the panel, let�s take a look at who comprises the �Power Panel�.

Ann Handley – CCO, MarketingProfsJoe Pulizzi – Founder, Content Marketing InstituteJoe Chernov – VP of Marketing, KinveyLee Odden – CEO, TopRank Online MarketingMichelle Kessler � Editor-in-Chief, Qualcomm Spark

Enough said.

As is the case with any great conference, these sessions represent only a micro fraction of the great presentations scheduled over next few days. Check out the conference program for the full lineup.

Can�t attend the B2B Marketing Forum this year? No problem. We�ll be live-blogging the sessions above and more to share key nuggets & conference updates. You can also keep tabs on the conference via Twitter by following @leeodden,�@bslarsonmn�or by tracking the�hashtag #mpb2b.