Today’s Madlibs is with Shannon Ryan. I have worked on and off with Shannon for years. She runs a marketing consultancy with a specialty in strategic consulting around events (live, virtual, etc.). I text, call, email her all the time with questions…in other words Shannon is one of my favorite resources. I hope you enjoy her Madlibs
1. The b2b buyer is:A human. They need emotional and rational appeal just as much the B2C buyer.
2. The biggest innovation in marketing is: Fusing insights to support the customer engagement model and using those insights to inform marketing strategies.
3. The coolest thing happening in b2b marketing is: Cross-channel experiences.
4. My favorite marketing book is: I don’t have one favorite but I keep revisiting is Data-Driven Marketing: The 15 Metrics Everyone in Marketing Should Know by Mark Jeffery
5. My favorite social media channel is: Twitter. In such a busy world, 140 characters is a great way to concisely communicate with broad reach.
6. Social media for b2b is: Is necessary for the right audience. Know your audience and where they “want” to engage with your brand.
7. b2b video is: A great marketing tool when done right.
8. In b2b, the idea of a funnel is: Dynamic. Don’t get complacent with a linear approach. Mobile is changing how and when we reach and engage our audiences.
9. The first thing every marketer should do is: Understand the “why” before the “what”.
10. Content marketing is: Priceless, if done well. Content needs to deliver on different needs based on where someone is in the purchasing lifecycle, be diverse yet integrated across channels and address the way each person likes to consume content.
11. The biggest mistake marketers make is: Spraying and praying.
12. The biggest myth in b2b marketing is: Corporations are the receivers of marketing when in fact; we should be marketing to the people who buy on behalf of corporations.
13. My favorite marketing technology besides marketing automation is: Retargeting. It offers timely follow through on a personal level.
14. Besides revenue, the metric every marketer must track is: Engagement across channels. Every marketer should know how, when and why their audiences engage with their brands. These insights should inform your strategy not just within marketing but across the organization.
15. My most forgettable marketing experience is: The one I can’t relate to.
16. Mobile marketing is: Here to stay and it isn’t just for B2C. Make sure your experiences are portable and immediately engage the end-user, even if it is enough to get them to save it for later.
17. The next “hot-thing” in marketing will be: Real-time, being a dynamic marketer will redefine the competition.
18. In 2015, marketing will be: a true balance of art and science.
19. Over the next couple years in marketing: I can’t wait to see: measurement that shows how marketing drives revenue and shapes growth.
20. Madlibs with the Funnelholic is: making industry insights accessible. Learning from my peers and experts is essential for intellectual stimulation and growth.
Shannon is a global marketing expert and industry 
thought leader in brand strategy and engagement across mediums. Over the past 16+ years, she has held senior leadership roles on both the agency and brand side, including management of her own agency, ArchetypeDNA, which she founded in 2009.