Found an interesting post on the MLT Creative blog titled, "Why Top-of-Mind Matters in B2B Marketing." Being memorable, through a consistent message and integrated marketing channels, certainly does help a B2B marketer be "top-of-mind" when it's time for the buyer to buy. But the post got me thinking about one of the most powerful channels: positive word-of-mouth, particularly personal endorsement.

Endorsement does more than remind a potential buyer of my product's existence--it transmits trust. If the listener to the endorsement trusts the speaker, and the speaker trusts my company and product, then the listener begins to trust me by association. For me, hearing an endorsement is 10 times more persuasive than anything crafted by communications professionals.

So, since B2B marketing content is obviously crafted by communications professionals, how can we use it to launch more positive word-of-mouth? Here are a few ideas.

• Remember that word-of-mouth must be earned. This sounds like a no-brainer, but secretly we have all operated under the assumption that "If I build it [write it, keyword optimize it, make a landing page for it, tweet it] they will come." To generate word-of-mouth, the content still has to be remarkable and useful.
• Use amazing new information. If your white paper just piggybacks on a white paper that's already out there, the information won't travel from tongue to tongue.
• Use credible and memorable statistics. When there's a trend or an amazing truth that your buyers need to know, make it amazing by measuring it. Interesting numbers get remembered and shared.
• Tell your endorsers' stories. Most case studies are formulaic.  We're coming out with a white paper (will link when posted) about B2B companies who have been successful both getting and using client endorsements for case studies. Their first secret is to make the case study about their client, not their product. Content from your client's point of view takes on new meaning, and gets remembered and shared.

Becoming "top-of-mind" is more than immersing our prospects in so much Kool-Aid® that they have to drink it. We have to give them good reason to take a sip with us.