The Point

JUNE 20, 2012

The success of an email campaign depends on a number of variables, chief amongst them the quality of your list and the attractiveness of the offer. But one other element plays a key role even before you write one word of copy: the design template. The growing adoption of marketing automation systems is empowering B2B marketers to develop, produce, and execute email campaigns more efficiently, and more effectively, than ever before.

Template 172

Template Tips Landing Pages Marketo 172

The Point

SEPTEMBER 24, 2012

Let’s face it; a live product demo is a tough sell. As an unvarnished display of your product’s capabilities, a product demo is only ever going to appeal to prospects at the latter stages of the selling cycle. So how do you make sure that a demo attracts those critical buyers who are actively evaluating solutions like yours? Here are 3 tips to consider: 1.

Promotion 171

Promotion Product Tips Webinar Metrics 171

The Point

FEBRUARY 27, 2012

In the early stages of a recent client engagement, it became apparent that the schema already in place to determine and assign lead scores was, well: broken. The most glaring symptom was the absurdly high scores: hundreds of contacts had lead scores of more than 1,000, even though the supposed threshold for a sales-ready lead was a mere 100 points. Amongst companies who adopt marketing automation technology, the problem of lead score inflation is a common one, mainly due to the rudimentary way i

Lead Scoring 169

Lead Scoring Lead Ranking Sales Qualified Leads Leads 169

The Point

MARCH 29, 2012

Want a simple way to have your corporate blog show measurable results? Take a hard look at your sidebar. Here are 3 techniques guaranteed to make an impact: 1. Promote subscriptions prominently. Capturing new subscribers is one of the most efficient ways to convert random visitors into loyal readers that you can nurture over time and eventually turn into actionable sales leads.

RSS 168

RSS Paper Case Study Case Studies 168

The Point

OCTOBER 11, 2012

In the process of managing search marketing campaigns for clients, we occasionally run into situations where client management is dictating that their company “own” certain key search terms on Google. Additionally, if that domination can’t quickly or easily be achieved through organic means (via Search Engine Optimization), then at minimum the mandate is normally to ensure that the company’s search ad appears at the top of the page.

Positioning 167

Positioning Paid Search Agency Cost Google 167

The Point

JULY 23, 2012

In an ideal world, all B2B sales leads would be pre-qualified and ready to buy. And though recent studies suggest that a large chunk of the sales cycle may already be over by the time many prospects talk to a live salesperson, the reality is that inbound sales leads will always occupy a wide spectrum of sales readiness: tire-kickers, hot leads, and everyone in between.

Demand Generation Agencies 166

Demand Generation Agencies Sales Qualified Leads Leads Lead 166

The Point

MAY 8, 2012

An effective landing page does two things, I would argue: 1) it validates the viewer’s decision to click on whatever ad it was that led him or her to the page in the first place, and 2) it closes the deal. The amount of copy that it takes to accomplish these tasks: make the reader feel good about the decision to respond, and drive him or her to complete the required form, varies widely.

Landing Pages 165

Landing Pages Microsite Terms and Conditions Paper 165

The Point

MAY 14, 2012

A new report from Forrester Consulting, commissioned by marketing automation provider Silverpop , offers little in the way of groundbreaking insights, but does provide plenty of data confirming what most already know: that many companies are failing to realize the true potential from their investments in marketing automation. In the report, “ Automation: Redefining Marketing’s Game Plan ,” Forrester details the results of their surveying 155 US-based senior marketing professionals on their use o

Marketing Automation Services 163

Marketing Automation Services Marketing Automation Marketing Report Automation 163

The Point

MARCH 12, 2012

I’ve made the case previously in this space how one of the easiest way to gain a quick return from any investment in marketing automation is to apply the technology towards more efficient and systematic follow-up to inbound leads. And yet, I’m finding in the course of our firm’s work that many companies don’t consider lead follow-up a priority. I suspect this reticence is for two primary reasons: 1) lead follow-up isn’t a particular “sexy” application for marketing automation, nor the primary bu

Top of Funnel 163

Top of Funnel Bandwidth Sales Qualified Leads Marketing Automation 163

The Point

JANUARY 25, 2012

Where do most paid search (PPC) campaigns succeed or fail? Though it’s typical for marketers to invest more time and legwork in the mechanics of search (keywords, bid strategy, campaign structure), I’d argue that the majority of PPC campaigns are won or lost at the close: the landing page. The rewards from making even slight improvements to your PPC landing pages can be dramatic.

Landing Pages 162

Landing Pages PPC Paid Search Agency Tips 162

The Point

SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

Over at Marketing Experiments , Daniel Burstein posted recently on how what he calls “friction” on landing pages can reduce or increase conversion rates by making it easier or more difficult for prospects to complete a form. Along the way, he introduces some useful best practices like making some form fields optional, and ensuring that every field is 100% necessary to the sales process.

Landing Pages 159

Landing Pages Conversion Rate Lead Qualification Peer-to-peer 159

The Point

NOVEMBER 26, 2012

If the secret to success of an effective email subject line is to grab the attention of someone with a potential interest in your product or service, you can be forgiven for thinking that the simplest way to determine that interest is to ask a Yes/No question. For example: Missing Too Many Project Deadlines? Spending Too Much $$ on Software Maintenance?

Paper 159

Paper Email Marketing Software B2B Marketing 159

The Point

FEBRUARY 8, 2012

In a phone call this week I was swapping war stories with a well-known sales and marketing consultant, who, like us, works with B2B companies to improve their return on marketing automation. Interestingly, our experiences in the rapidly evolving marketing automation category were quite common, especially in one area: A year ago, most of the client engagements for both our firms were what my consultant friend called “rescues” – that is, companies who purchased marketing automation software, jumpe

Marketing Automation Services 158

Marketing Automation Services Marketing Automation Automation Process 158

The Point

SEPTEMBER 11, 2012

If there’s one key element of demand generation copy that distinguishes it most from, let’s say: product collateral, or PR, or even social media, it’s this: a demand generation campaign is designed to drive action. In more basic terms, demand generation is about getting people to do stuff – namely, register for or download or request whatever it is you’re offering.

Email Campaigns 156

Email Campaigns Campaigns Demand Generation Broadcasting 156

The Point

FEBRUARY 14, 2012

A client asks: “If we’re planning on using a particular white paper as part of a lead generation campaign, or even for lead nurturing , is it a good idea to remove that same content asset from our main Website? I’m concerned about people bypassing the campaign and just downloading the paper from our site.”. My response: The short answer to your question is: “no,” but let me expand a little.

Landing Pages 156

Landing Pages Marketing Websites Campaigns Lead Nurturing 156

The Point

SEPTEMBER 19, 2012

Lead nurturing programs designed to convert trial users tend to focus, as they should, on the very front end of the trial period, when it’s critical to make sure the user is fully engaged with the product being tested. However, that doesn’t mean that your nurturing program should end just because the trial period expired and you didn’t get the sale.

Telemarketing 154

Telemarketing Marketing Automation Services Lead Nurturing Work Management 154

The Point

OCTOBER 18, 2012

Earlier this week, San Francisco-based Demandbase announced its “ Company Targeted Advertising ,” a new platform that allows B2B marketers to target online display advertising either to specific companies (by name) or those that meet specific corporate attributes (company size for example, or vertical industries). The introduction follows on the heels of a similar announcement at September’s Dreamforce conference by Bizo , when they unveiled Bizo Company Targeting , a solution that also allows B

Paid Search Agency 153

Paid Search Agency Demographics Display DemandBase 153

The Point

OCTOBER 3, 2012

According to business information provider ZoomInfo (see graphic below, further data here ), more than 70 percent of business cards have one or more changes during a 12-month period. The most common changes (in order): job function, phone number, and mailing address. Even while fewer than 30 percent of contacts on average actually change companies (your numbers may be higher depending on the industries you serve, or even target geographies), one thing is certain: the data you have in your CRM da

InsideView 151

InsideView Zoominfo Content Landing Pages 151

The Point

AUGUST 24, 2012

Each quarter, the analysts at UK-based Pearlfinders report on the buying intentions of more than 4,000 North American marketing executives. In their most recent report, the Pearlfinders Index Q2 2012 (free download, no registration required), the company offers detailed insight on trends and patterns across a wide spectrum of marketing services. Whereas the data is primarily aimed at marketing agencies (the firm’s primary clients), the report provides useful data that can also help marketing tea

Planning 151

Planning Marketing Budget Creation Advertising Agencies Paid Search Agency 151

The Point

APRIL 30, 2012

I’ve written previously in this space about how to reduce unsubscribes by giving prospects and customers the option to update their contact information rather than forcing them to opt out of email entirely. A further strategy for minimizing unsubscribes is to employ subscription management, a technique in which you, as the publisher, give the wannabe unsubscriber the option to choose which types of messages he/she wants to receive (or not receive, as the case may be.

Marketing Management 151

Marketing Management Marketing Automation Services Data Hygiene Ideal Customer Profiles 151

The Point

APRIL 19, 2012

As any regular reader of this space will know, I am a fierce evangelist for the “sell the offer, not the product” approach to B2B email creative. That approach rests on the assumption that by selling the value of whatever it is you’re offering the reader (a white paper, a Webinar, an ebook), and not your product or service, you’re more likely to generate response from interested prospects.

Lead Scoring 149

Lead Scoring Lead Ranking Paper Verticals 149

The Point

JUNE 11, 2012

It’s a measure of just how saturated the Webinar landscape has become when most every email invitation includes a drawing for a free iPad or Kindle Fire or whatever else is the “gadget du jour.” We’ve heard it said that such incentives “can’t hurt,” but that’s not exactly true. iPad drawings are a dime a dozen, they don’t make your event stand out (in fact, they do exactly the opposite), and worst case they can cheapen your brand, reduce lead

Webinar Metrics 141

Webinar Metrics Landing Pages Paper Lead Scoring 141

The Point

OCTOBER 31, 2012

If you’ve ever wondered how to turn a boring corporate blog into a vibrant, engaging lead generation machine, here’s your opportunity. Access my free Slidecast on “ Getting Leads (and More!) From Your Blog: 10 Tips for Higher Blog ROI.” In just 18 minutes, you’ll learn: • How to leverage your blog for lead nurturing and customer marketing …. • How to use links and tags to generate better search rankings and more leads …. • 3 critical techniques for more effective post titles …. along with tips o

Lead Scoring 131

Lead Scoring Lead Ranking Leads Lead 131

The Point

AUGUST 9, 2012

A client asks: “I know I can filter our Pay-Per-Lead ( content syndication ) leads on geography and company size. What if I want to filter to specific regions or states? Can I also limit leads to certain job titles?”. My response: To best answer the question, let’s discuss what lead filters are and how they work. A filter means that you, as the advertiser, will only accept and pay for leads that meet a certain demographic criteria.

Cost per Lead 131

Cost per Lead Sales Qualified Leads CPL Campaigns 131

The Point

MAY 30, 2012

If end users want your product, but their IT department makes the purchase decision, can you leverage that demand to drive IT sales leads? That was the question contemplated by the marketing team at MobileIron , a leading provider of mobile device management technology. MobileIron’s software solution is a prime enabler of so-called Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) initiatives , a fast-growing phenomenon of corporate workers bringing their own mobile computing devices – notably smartphones and tablet

Demand Generation Agencies 189

Demand Generation Agencies Work Management Demand Sales Leads 189

The Point

APRIL 13, 2012

I’ve had the pleasure of watching Bob Wright conduct messaging workshops with clients, and there is no-one better in my view at helping companies hone their message and strategy. Bob has worked with more than 100 technology companies during his career, and is currently Managing Director at Firebrick Consulting , a firm devoted to helping technology companies drive revenue growth.

Work Management 159

Work Management Marketing Management Conversion Demand Generation Agencies 159

The Point

JANUARY 6, 2012

A well-designed resource library can be a key factor in converting Website visitors to measurable, actionable sales leads. Conversely, a poorly designed resource library is where old white papers go to die. At worst, resource centers can be tough to navigate and difficult to search, leaving visitors frustrated and only too happy to seek their information elsewhere.

Resources 155

Resources Lead Generation Paid Search Agency Generation 155

The Point

AUGUST 6, 2012

Last week I attended (and was a presenter at) the Seattle edition of Marketo’s 2012 Social Marketing Rockstar Tour , a roving conference/seminar series being held this summer in cities nationwide. Marketo bills the event as an opportunity to hear, learn, and share advice on B2B social media marketing strategy. Based on both the presentations I heard, as well as conversations throughout the day with local marketing managers, one thing is clear: social media marketing is no longer simply an elemen

Marketo 184

Marketo Social Marketing Peer-to-peer Demand Generation Agencies 184

The Point

NOVEMBER 16, 2012

Confession: as a died-in-the-wool direct marketer, I am a branding cynic. My general attitude towards branding is summed up in the old maxim: “Branding is what your agency calls your campaign when they can’t measure it.”. Now that’s not to say that a brand isn’t real, for some. Starbucks is a successful brand. And so is Nike. And Coke. These companies thrive, in large part, not just on the quality of their products but upon their image, and the general, emotional view that their customers have a

Demand Generation Agencies 171

Demand Generation Agencies Brand Identity Branding Content Marketing 171

The Point

NOVEMBER 28, 2012

The 2012 Email Design “Look Book” from email marketing solution provider Responsys is a useful resource for email designers, creatives, and marketers alike looking for new ideas and inspiration to keep their campaigns fresh and engaging. It’s also refreshing to see a technology company like Responsys dedicate so much (virtual) ink to the artistic side of the email marketing business, an aspect that often plays second fiddle to issues and best practices concerning data and technology.

Email Marketing 158

Email Marketing Mobile Advertising Marketing & Strategy Design 158