Today we finish the alphabet and look at several lead generation strategies that begin with X, Y and Z:
The Letter X
Xpert on Demand
If you are really well known for expertise within your marketplace, why not have an ‘Xpert on Demand’ function on your website. Rotate several people throughout the week and allow visitors to call or chat in real-time with an Industry Expert to have their questions asked. Then, archive the questions, post them to a F.A.Q. section on your website, and add this content to a RSS feed. Now your expertise will be heard around the world!
The Letter Y
YouTube
Taking the planet by storm, YouTube has become the ultimate way for users to express themselves and for creative marketers to reach a broader audience. Simple humorous videos or stories under 5 minutes in length work well. Strike the right chord and you can reach hundreds of thousands of people very quickly. Finish the video with a simple URL that directs people back to a dedicated landing page. If you are short on resources, consider working with a local college or university drama department. They will get a real-world experience and do the job for free and your company gains the benefit.
The Letter Z
Zero in on active prospects and customers
Leverage the power of cookies and page tagging to monitor the individual patterns of visitors on your website. Develop profiles based on activity levels, navigation patterns, and content downloads. This will allow you to segment your list better and offer more personalized relevant content that will convert your leads at a higher rate.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
Lead Generation Strategies That Start With "W"
Today we look at several lead generation strategies that start with "W":
Website
What better way to drive leads then by leveraging the power of your website? This is your most important asset, bar none. Your site should be fully optimized, highly interactive, and post fresh content on a regular basis. Knowledge Centers, games, podcast series, online testimonials, video and audio – all should be elements incorporated into your site. Ensure that every page has a strong call to action and that your forms link directly to a marketing automation system and can notify sales reps in real-time when online valuable behavior is occurring. Top off your website with good chat functionality and reach your visitors in more ways than ever before.
Webinars
Webinars are still a preferred method of B2B marketers for driving demand. Interview formats and guest speakers are two of the better ways to showcase good content and drive visitors. Make your webinars more effective by automating the pre-event marketing and post-event follow-up. This will allow you to scale and host more events on a go forward basis.
White Papers
Especially useful for early stages of the buy cycle, white papers can explore relevant industry topics in-depth. White Papers help position your company as Thought Leaders. Make sure that the paper is really a good examination of a business problem, not an extended brochure that promotes your specific product or service. Scheduling a new white paper for every quarter will keep your company’s image fresh and ensure you are taking a Thought Leadership position in the marketplace.
Website
What better way to drive leads then by leveraging the power of your website? This is your most important asset, bar none. Your site should be fully optimized, highly interactive, and post fresh content on a regular basis. Knowledge Centers, games, podcast series, online testimonials, video and audio – all should be elements incorporated into your site. Ensure that every page has a strong call to action and that your forms link directly to a marketing automation system and can notify sales reps in real-time when online valuable behavior is occurring. Top off your website with good chat functionality and reach your visitors in more ways than ever before.
Webinars
Webinars are still a preferred method of B2B marketers for driving demand. Interview formats and guest speakers are two of the better ways to showcase good content and drive visitors. Make your webinars more effective by automating the pre-event marketing and post-event follow-up. This will allow you to scale and host more events on a go forward basis.
White Papers
Especially useful for early stages of the buy cycle, white papers can explore relevant industry topics in-depth. White Papers help position your company as Thought Leaders. Make sure that the paper is really a good examination of a business problem, not an extended brochure that promotes your specific product or service. Scheduling a new white paper for every quarter will keep your company’s image fresh and ensure you are taking a Thought Leadership position in the marketplace.
Friday, July 25, 2008
Lead Generation Strategies That Start With "U" and "V"
Today we look at several lead generation strategies that start with "U" and "V":
The Letter U
User Groups
User groups are another effective way to generate more demand for your products and services. You can have different groups for executives, who want to discuss strategy, resourcing, process – and practitioners, who want to discuss product roadmap, how-to, hear case studies, etc. Providing valuable content and giving your user community the opportunity to interact on a regular basis strengthens support for your brand and gives you a chance to highlight other services and products your users may not be aware of.
The Letter V
Viral Marketing
Viral marketing can be a simple video, story, or podcast. It can also be a game, or an immersive experience. Backup Trauma (www.backuptrauma.com) by LiveVault is an excellent example of how to build a compelling experience that takes a humorous approach, while highlighting the strengths of the company. This particular version generated millions of downloads for LiveVault. The key to a successful viral campaign is to tap into the emotional element – make it funny, controversial – something people just have to watch and pass on. A good viral approach can drive more demand than almost anything else on this list.
Virtual Worlds
Virtual worlds haven’t been really embraced by B2B marketers yet. They involve using Avatars (representations of you in a character form), having an online experience in an alternative , 3-D virtual world. The most common approach has been game form, where Advertisers design games and experiences that take the visitor through different scenarios while highlighting their brand. Second Life is the best know vendor in this space. If you really have a creative bent and some time on your hands, this is another approach that really leverages the interactive nature of the Internet.
Virtual Tradeshows
Growing in popularity, virtual tradeshows offer visitors the experience of going to a tradeshow without leaving the comfort of their office. They typically support an actual live event. While online, you can check in for sessions, viewing them in webcast form, post questions, visit ‘virtual tradeshow booths’ and network with other online visitors. This is an inexpensive way to reach many people – typically they cost $5000-$20,000 to promote. Consider adding one of these to your arsenal this year.
The Letter U
User Groups
User groups are another effective way to generate more demand for your products and services. You can have different groups for executives, who want to discuss strategy, resourcing, process – and practitioners, who want to discuss product roadmap, how-to, hear case studies, etc. Providing valuable content and giving your user community the opportunity to interact on a regular basis strengthens support for your brand and gives you a chance to highlight other services and products your users may not be aware of.
The Letter V
Viral Marketing
Viral marketing can be a simple video, story, or podcast. It can also be a game, or an immersive experience. Backup Trauma (www.backuptrauma.com) by LiveVault is an excellent example of how to build a compelling experience that takes a humorous approach, while highlighting the strengths of the company. This particular version generated millions of downloads for LiveVault. The key to a successful viral campaign is to tap into the emotional element – make it funny, controversial – something people just have to watch and pass on. A good viral approach can drive more demand than almost anything else on this list.
Virtual Worlds
Virtual worlds haven’t been really embraced by B2B marketers yet. They involve using Avatars (representations of you in a character form), having an online experience in an alternative , 3-D virtual world. The most common approach has been game form, where Advertisers design games and experiences that take the visitor through different scenarios while highlighting their brand. Second Life is the best know vendor in this space. If you really have a creative bent and some time on your hands, this is another approach that really leverages the interactive nature of the Internet.
Virtual Tradeshows
Growing in popularity, virtual tradeshows offer visitors the experience of going to a tradeshow without leaving the comfort of their office. They typically support an actual live event. While online, you can check in for sessions, viewing them in webcast form, post questions, visit ‘virtual tradeshow booths’ and network with other online visitors. This is an inexpensive way to reach many people – typically they cost $5000-$20,000 to promote. Consider adding one of these to your arsenal this year.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
5 Things To Consider When Evaluating a Marketing Automation Platform
There has been a lot of buzz in the last few years about Demand Generation or Marketing Automation. Both terms refer to the practice of combining multiple marketing channels that drive prospects to a website onto a single platform. These platforms monitor a prospects online behavior and use some type of workflow/trigger system to deliver messages in an automated fashion over a period of time. This helps the marketing organization deliver relevant and personalized messages in a highly scalable fashion. There are many vendors and things to evaluate when considering a Marketing Automation Platform. Below are 5 major things to consider.
1. Business Objectives - what are your main goals? Do you want to send out more email effectively? Do you want to integrate disparate systems? Is resource and budgetary planning important? How many channels do you plan to use? Are you trying to drive more leads ... more qualified leads? Do you need more help in cross-sell/up-sell? Whatever it is, make sure that you clarify with your team what you are looking for not just for today, but in the next 24 months. Fortunately, most vendors out there are on demand and have flexible contracts - but once you seriously commit to a platform, it does get harder to switch over time.
2. Cost - most marketing organizations are not familiar with buying technology, but they are very familiar with buying services. This will be a new type of purchase for many, and your budget will play a big role in determining what you can implement. Like most things, you get what you pay for. Solutions are available from under $1,000 to over $10,000 per month. Depth of functionality increases as you move up the food chain. Depending upon what you are looking for, you can find the right vendor at the right price. Software licenses are not the only price consideration. Evaluate start-up costs such as deployment, implementation, training, integration and system migration. There can also be ongoing costs for customer support, training, and additional modules. Again, consider all of these variables in your budgetary process.
3. Vendor Rating - there are at least 15 vendors in this space, with more jumping in every month. Some vendors have been around a long time, and have hundreds of customers in their stable and are financially secure. Other vendors are exciting and new, but unproven. Your appetite for risk will play a big part in your decision. Also look at the vendors support network. Do they have partners and affiliates that can help you with best practices and value-added services? Are there regular user groups and online forums where you can network and share with other customers? Is the vendor accessible? Are they continuously updating and refining their product to meet the demands of the market? What do the analysts think about them? Ask yourself these questions when making your purchase decision.
4. Usability - how easy is it to implement and use the product? As marketers, we are constantly on the move and seriously multi-tasking. We need systems that can support the way we work, not for us to support the software. You should be able to try before you buy and decide for yourself whether or not you can use it in your daily work routine.
5. Results - ultimately, it comes down to financial results, and the KPI's you choose to evaluate the success of your decision. A marketing automation system should help you get a better lead to customer conversion rate, higher transaction price, shorter sales cycle, and an increased opportunity to close rate. The vendor you choose should have demonstrated success in this area with multiple customers, especially in your industry. If they have a hard time demonstrating value, then you will too, so tread carefully.
There are many other things to consider when making a technology purchase, but the 5 criteria above should get you well on your way to making an informed decision.
1. Business Objectives - what are your main goals? Do you want to send out more email effectively? Do you want to integrate disparate systems? Is resource and budgetary planning important? How many channels do you plan to use? Are you trying to drive more leads ... more qualified leads? Do you need more help in cross-sell/up-sell? Whatever it is, make sure that you clarify with your team what you are looking for not just for today, but in the next 24 months. Fortunately, most vendors out there are on demand and have flexible contracts - but once you seriously commit to a platform, it does get harder to switch over time.
2. Cost - most marketing organizations are not familiar with buying technology, but they are very familiar with buying services. This will be a new type of purchase for many, and your budget will play a big role in determining what you can implement. Like most things, you get what you pay for. Solutions are available from under $1,000 to over $10,000 per month. Depth of functionality increases as you move up the food chain. Depending upon what you are looking for, you can find the right vendor at the right price. Software licenses are not the only price consideration. Evaluate start-up costs such as deployment, implementation, training, integration and system migration. There can also be ongoing costs for customer support, training, and additional modules. Again, consider all of these variables in your budgetary process.
3. Vendor Rating - there are at least 15 vendors in this space, with more jumping in every month. Some vendors have been around a long time, and have hundreds of customers in their stable and are financially secure. Other vendors are exciting and new, but unproven. Your appetite for risk will play a big part in your decision. Also look at the vendors support network. Do they have partners and affiliates that can help you with best practices and value-added services? Are there regular user groups and online forums where you can network and share with other customers? Is the vendor accessible? Are they continuously updating and refining their product to meet the demands of the market? What do the analysts think about them? Ask yourself these questions when making your purchase decision.
4. Usability - how easy is it to implement and use the product? As marketers, we are constantly on the move and seriously multi-tasking. We need systems that can support the way we work, not for us to support the software. You should be able to try before you buy and decide for yourself whether or not you can use it in your daily work routine.
5. Results - ultimately, it comes down to financial results, and the KPI's you choose to evaluate the success of your decision. A marketing automation system should help you get a better lead to customer conversion rate, higher transaction price, shorter sales cycle, and an increased opportunity to close rate. The vendor you choose should have demonstrated success in this area with multiple customers, especially in your industry. If they have a hard time demonstrating value, then you will too, so tread carefully.
There are many other things to consider when making a technology purchase, but the 5 criteria above should get you well on your way to making an informed decision.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Lead Generation Strategies That Start With "T"
Today we look at several lead generation strategies you can use that begin with the letter "T":
Text Messaging
More and more B2B marketers are turning to this medium. The younger generation is entering the workforce, and Text ranks #1 as the preferred communication choice ahead of Instant Messaging and Email. Texting provides a real-time and interactive experience. The more conservative marketers have subscribers texting in a code to get a promotional offer or be redirected to a landing page. Other marketers are gaining opt-in permission and adding texting to a rich, multi-channel approach to campaigning. Texting should be tested as part of your marketing plans this year.
Telemarketing
Many B2B marketers are using Telemarketing and/or Inside Sales as a viable lead generation function. Other uses include organizational mapping - calling into a company and determining all key contacts for your product and service; data validation, opt-in for mailing lists, and surveys. Savvy marketers who track their website visitors, pass on unknown visitors in real-time to a telemarketer who then uses a reverse DNS lookup of the visitor to call into the target company and gain contact and lead information.
Trade Shows
Many tradeshows don't give the same return as they once did, which is why so many marketers opt to not do them or go to very few. Instead of paying money for a booth, consider being a panelist or speaker at the event, hosting your own cocktail party, or doing a guerilla 'on-floor' promotion, passing out coupons and using SMS with contest codes to draw attendees. Any of these approaches will yield a much better return on investment .
Testing
Taking just a few extra minutes on every campaign to test will yield a much better response rate. Simple A/B split testing, comparing subject lines, calls to action, or content headers can help you optimize every campaign. Start with 10% of your list and perform the test. After a few hours (with email or phone) you will have enough of a gauge to determine which version you should send the other 90% to. Doing this within the campaign, as opposed to waiting until the next one will produce a much better outcome.
Text Messaging
More and more B2B marketers are turning to this medium. The younger generation is entering the workforce, and Text ranks #1 as the preferred communication choice ahead of Instant Messaging and Email. Texting provides a real-time and interactive experience. The more conservative marketers have subscribers texting in a code to get a promotional offer or be redirected to a landing page. Other marketers are gaining opt-in permission and adding texting to a rich, multi-channel approach to campaigning. Texting should be tested as part of your marketing plans this year.
Telemarketing
Many B2B marketers are using Telemarketing and/or Inside Sales as a viable lead generation function. Other uses include organizational mapping - calling into a company and determining all key contacts for your product and service; data validation, opt-in for mailing lists, and surveys. Savvy marketers who track their website visitors, pass on unknown visitors in real-time to a telemarketer who then uses a reverse DNS lookup of the visitor to call into the target company and gain contact and lead information.
Trade Shows
Many tradeshows don't give the same return as they once did, which is why so many marketers opt to not do them or go to very few. Instead of paying money for a booth, consider being a panelist or speaker at the event, hosting your own cocktail party, or doing a guerilla 'on-floor' promotion, passing out coupons and using SMS with contest codes to draw attendees. Any of these approaches will yield a much better return on investment .
Testing
Taking just a few extra minutes on every campaign to test will yield a much better response rate. Simple A/B split testing, comparing subject lines, calls to action, or content headers can help you optimize every campaign. Start with 10% of your list and perform the test. After a few hours (with email or phone) you will have enough of a gauge to determine which version you should send the other 90% to. Doing this within the campaign, as opposed to waiting until the next one will produce a much better outcome.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Lead Generation Strategies That Start With "S"
Search Engine Optimization
With more and more buyers turning to the Internet to start their research, it is imperative that you have an ongoing SEO program in place. Both natural and paid search have their place, but natural listings should dominate the majority of your effort and budget. A combination of in-house and consulting resources can work well to ensure you have a good mix of best practice expertise and company/industry specific knowledge. Most B2B marketers spend a considerable portion of their budget on this tactic.
Speaking
Speaking at events is an excellent way to build your Thought Leadership in the marketplace. In addition to having your executives speak, consider using sales and marketing personnel at local and regional events. Your marketing team can prepare 3-4 standard presentations, and then have your team that is virtually located speak on them cost-effectively. Turn your organization into a team of speakers and Thought Leaders and reap the returns.
Seminars
Running live seminars is another way to build Thought Leadership. Focus on education and teaching and down play the product pitch. If you do a good job of providing content and transferring knowledge, the sales will take care of themselves – especially if you mix your customers and prospects at the same event!
Subscription Management
Instead of ‘spray and pray’, give your subscribers the option to choose what content they want to receive and when they want to receive it. You can start by categorizing your content into simple groups such as events, product and service updates, newsletter, etc. Over time, you can get more sophisticated as you gauge how subscribers respond. You will see a much better response from your lists by taking this approach.
With more and more buyers turning to the Internet to start their research, it is imperative that you have an ongoing SEO program in place. Both natural and paid search have their place, but natural listings should dominate the majority of your effort and budget. A combination of in-house and consulting resources can work well to ensure you have a good mix of best practice expertise and company/industry specific knowledge. Most B2B marketers spend a considerable portion of their budget on this tactic.
Speaking
Speaking at events is an excellent way to build your Thought Leadership in the marketplace. In addition to having your executives speak, consider using sales and marketing personnel at local and regional events. Your marketing team can prepare 3-4 standard presentations, and then have your team that is virtually located speak on them cost-effectively. Turn your organization into a team of speakers and Thought Leaders and reap the returns.
Seminars
Running live seminars is another way to build Thought Leadership. Focus on education and teaching and down play the product pitch. If you do a good job of providing content and transferring knowledge, the sales will take care of themselves – especially if you mix your customers and prospects at the same event!
Subscription Management
Instead of ‘spray and pray’, give your subscribers the option to choose what content they want to receive and when they want to receive it. You can start by categorizing your content into simple groups such as events, product and service updates, newsletter, etc. Over time, you can get more sophisticated as you gauge how subscribers respond. You will see a much better response from your lists by taking this approach.
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