The Point

DECEMBER 13, 2019

The rate of change in B2B marketing and marketing technology continues to accelerate, and 2020 promises to be no different. I asked the best subject matter experts I know, my colleagues at Spear Marketing Group , what trends they think will highlight the next 12 months in B2B demand generation.

Demand 222

Demand Ideal Customer Profiles Demand Generation Agencies Account Based Marketing 222

The Point

JANUARY 19, 2021

2020 was a year of change for marketers worldwide, much of it not for the best of reasons. Will B2B marketing, and demand generation in particular, revert to “normal” once the pandemic subsides and economic recovery kicks in, or are recent trends destined to become staple tactics in the months and years to come?

Demand Generation Agencies 147

Demand Generation Agencies Demand Generation Demand Lead Ranking 147

The Point

MARCH 7, 2019

Recently I was interviewed by the folks at Demand Gen Report as part of an article on current trends in email marketing , an article that you can read online here. With permission, a more complete version of the interview follows: (DGR) What trends are you currently seeing in B2B email marketing today? (HS) Direct mail?

Deliverability 150

Deliverability Account Based Marketing ABM Demand Generation Agencies 150

The Point

APRIL 26, 2018

In a world where demand generation , and marketing in general, is more data-driven than ever, one of the hottest topics in B2B circles is intent data. How should the average B2B marketer be looking to leverage intent data in their demand generation mix? HS) Why has intent data become such a hot topic in B2B?

Intent Data 209

Intent Data Intent Bombora Account Based Marketing 209

The Point

JULY 17, 2017

Demand Gen Report has published the results of this year’s “B2B Buyer’s Survey,” and the trends identified merit close attention for those marketers involved in B2B demand generation and content development. 72% of B2B Buyers quote timely response to inquiries as a key factor in vendor selection via @spearmktg.

Paid Search Agency 241

Paid Search Agency Demand Marketing Automation Services Peer-to-peer 241

The Point

NOVEMBER 15, 2022

A client asks: “What’s the best way to market to purchased lists like ZoomInfo ? We have a debate between our marketing and sales teams on whether the best approach is marketing emails, sales outreach, or something else. How Should I Market to Purchased Lists? Curious as to your opinion?”. Click To Tweet.

Purchase 162

Purchase Paid Search Agency Paid Social Agency Outreach 162

The Point

SEPTEMBER 19, 2018

A few weeks ago I gave an informational interview to a local university student looking for advice on the best way to jump start his marketing career. Here are my 5 tips for new college grads or any aspiring young marketer: 1. Work for an agency. At some point early in your career, work for an agency. Soak up technology.

Demand Generation Agencies 165

Demand Generation Agencies Paid Search Agency Advertising Agencies Work Management 165

The Point

NOVEMBER 12, 2019

In other words, would you only ever want marketing leads from prospects pre-determined to be actively researching your category, solution, use case, etc.? and this particular marketing exec was quick to reject the idea of anything that didn’t incorporate an element of intent data. My argument: no, you wouldn’t. . No, they won’t.

Intent Data 149

Intent Data Demand Generation Agencies Intent Paid Social Agency 149

The Point

AUGUST 20, 2015

Results are in from a recent survey on B2B Lead Generation by the B2B Technology Marketing Community on LinkedIn ( free report download here ), and the numbers tell a disheartening story. Marketing automation has yet to solve the reporting issue. B2B marketers are focused on the short term, to their detriment.

Lead Generation 100

Lead Generation Demand Generation Agencies Lead Scoring Lead Ranking 100

The Point

MARCH 15, 2016

An interesting question popped up in my LinkedIn feed this week: “Does anyone remember all those times we used ABM before it was called ABM?”. Nonetheless, the question got me thinking about the ABM phenomenon, and how quickly it has come to dominate the B2B marketing landscape, in coverage, if nothing else. And … repeat.

Account Based Marketing 100

Account Based Marketing ABM Advertising Agencies Paid Search Agency 100

The Point

APRIL 26, 2017

(For a more detailed recounting of those early events, read this great article on LinkedIn by Sandra Freeman.). This year, more than 6,500 marketers, practitioners, and partners crowded into Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco for Marketing Nation Summit 2017. Email may be losing its B2B dominance. direct mail.

Marketo 154

Marketo Account Based Marketing Advertising Agencies Paid Search Agency 154

The Point

MAY 19, 2020

It wasn’t that long ago, when marketing automation first burst on the scene, that the height of lead nurture sophistication was the simple, automated sending of multiple, sequential emails. Today, advances in marketing technology make such “automation” seem laughably basic. How does your current lead nurturing.

Lead Nurturing 299

Lead Nurturing Class Budget Programs Lead Scoring 299

The Point

OCTOBER 25, 2017

There was a not too distant time when virtually all B2B demand generation was outbound. But then inbound marketing happened. And the pundits said: no, no, the buyer is in control, he or she will decide when to respond, and B2B marketing is about being in the right place at the right time. So, is inbound marketing dead?

Account Based Marketing 127

Account Based Marketing Demand Generation Agencies ABM Paid Social Agency 127

The Point

MAY 28, 2020

The current crisis reinforces why most B2B companies are best suited for a hybrid demand generation model that combines both ABM and more traditional, funnel-based tactics. ABM was born of a time when (in hindsight) we marketers had it good. An approach that orchestrates touch points from marketing, sales, and customer success.

Demand Generation Agencies 162

Demand Generation Agencies Demand Generation Ideal Customer Profiles Lead Ranking 162

The Point

DECEMBER 21, 2018

There’s a fascinating article over at LinkedIn: “ You Are What You Signal ,” in which the authors discuss the concept of “signaling theory” in advertising, best summarized in simple terms as the way in which ads “signal” a consumer into trusting a particular brand. Click To Tweet. Photo by Hermes Rivera on Unsplash.

Advertising Agencies 113

Advertising Agencies Advertisements Advertising Paid Search Agency 113

The Point

JULY 27, 2021

In a far-gone era, when demand generation was “direct marketing,” it was often said that for any campaign to be successful, the list was paramount. Fast-forward 20 years to a world of Account-Based Marketing (ABM) , and little has changed. Are there market factors that indicate the account is a high-propensity target?

Demand Generation 351

Demand Generation Ideal Customer Profiles Account Based Marketing ABM 351

The Point

JULY 30, 2019

Much has been made of the argument that Account-Based Marketing (ABM) gained traction so quickly in B2B marketing primarily because traditional, funnel-based demand generation has stopped working. Marketers have more options, more channels, more technologies at their disposal than ever, but good, effective demand generation.

Demand Generation Agencies 140

Demand Generation Agencies Demand Generation Account Based Marketing ABM 140

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).

Paid Search Agency 100

Paid Search Agency Demographics Display DemandBase 100

The Point

APRIL 20, 2009

DM News, the venerable tabloid that I remember reading while cutting my direct marketing teeth back at Oracle in the late 1980s, is switching from a weekly to bi-weekly publication schedule. This prompted a discussion on LinkedIn wondering if the change augured tougher times ahead for direct marketers.

Direct Marketing 100

Direct Marketing Marketing Agencies 1 Demand Generation Agencies Relevance 100

The Point

FEBRUARY 14, 2018

New marketing technologies like Uberflip make it increasingly easy to track content consumption beyond just clicks and downloads. But what if the insight gained from these technologies is unwelcome news, namely that people are downloading, but not actually consuming, marketing content? via @spearmktg. Click To Tweet. It doesn’t.

Paper 193

Paper Demand Generation Agencies Lead Scoring Lead Ranking 193

The Point

AUGUST 29, 2017

When designing sales plays as part of your Account-Based Marketing (ABM) strategy, it pays to start with a few key questions: 1. Comment on a LinkedIn post the prospect wrote (or one he/she commented on). View the prospect’s LinkedIn profile. Connect with the prospect via LinkedIn. Send Inmail via LinkedIn.

Touchpoints 228

Touchpoints Account Based Marketing ABM Ideal Customer Profiles 228

The Point

JUNE 8, 2016

Email may still be the workhorse in how B2B companies build relationships, maintain awareness, qualify leads and nudge prospects along the sales cycle, but these days, it pays to think about “lead nurturing” as more just an email campaign. That’s not because email is going away any time soon.

Lead Nurturing 100

Lead Nurturing Sales Qualified Leads Account Based Marketing Leads 100

The Point

JANUARY 13, 2017

This is especially true for technology marketers, and doubly true for those in nascent or emerging categories, when much of the marketing challenge may consist of convincing buyers that they have a problem to solve in the first place. To stress – this strategy is meaningless without a robust and effective nurture strategy in place.

SEM 100

SEM Paid Search Agency Marketing & Strategy Sales Qualified Leads 100

The Point

AUGUST 16, 2016

Origami Logic is a marketing analytics company and a global leader in marketing performance measurement. The company’s technology helps large brands master their marketing performance by unifying and refining their vast array of marketing data, across every channel and platform, so they can see what’s working and what’s not.

Microsite 100

Microsite Campaigns Demand Generation Agencies Brand Identity 100

The Point

AUGUST 25, 2017

As one of the principals at a B2B marketing agency , I get asked for them frequently (though not always) by prospective new clients and, quite aside from the hassle of selecting (who have we not asked recently?), Use LinkedIn to identify clients/past employers directly. – What are the 3 things your agency does best?

Demand Generation Agencies 198

Demand Generation Agencies Paid Search Agency Advertising Agencies Ad Agencies 198

The Point

APRIL 22, 2020

I posted recently on LinkedIn that, in the current climate, leads from content syndication and other CPL programs may be an ideal replacement for lost trade shows and other events, and indeed can be an effective way to stay engaged in the marketplace at a time when many buyers are laying low.

Lead Scoring 162

Lead Scoring Lead Ranking CPL Cost per Lead 162

The Point

APRIL 19, 2017

But it’s important to define, recognize, and plan for content that appeals to the right prospects depending on the type of campaign or your marketing objectives. In contrast, content that relies heavily on statistics or market data – an industry trends report, for example – will lose its appeal after only a few short months.

Top of Funnel 214

Top of Funnel Demand Generation Agencies Demand Generation Paper 214

The Point

NOVEMBER 23, 2021

Most B2B marketing benchmark reports are completely useless. webinars vs. ebooks), product category, and target market. webinars vs. ebooks), product category, and target market. Side note: this is a perfect example of a SaaS company leveraging aggregate client data to generate meaningful content for marketing.

Linkedin 130

Linkedin Cost per Lead Paid Search Agency Ads 130

The Point

JANUARY 19, 2016

Marketing technology is a dangerous weapon in the wrong hands, and nowhere is this more evident than in the recent surge of interest in automating BDR campaigns and other sales communication. In theory, marketing automation can be as much a boon to sales productivity as it was and is to marketing ROI. The answer seems to be: no.

Marketing Automation Services 80

Marketing Automation Services Marketing Management Software Copywriting 80

The Point

MARCH 29, 2012

If you post blog content to your Facebook or LinkedIn or Google Plus page, add those also. You can also be notified of new posts by following us on LinkedIn or Facebook.”. Just be sure to offer the reader as many subscription options as possible, and at a minimum: Email, RSS, and Twitter. Offer downloadable content.

RSS 100

RSS Paper Case Study Case Studies 100

The Point

MARCH 17, 2015

You could make the case, as I will, that of all the new technologies to enter the marketing technology landscape of late, the two with the potential to have the biggest short-term impact for B2B marketers are Predictive Analytics and Programmatic Ad Buying. HS) Hi Andrew. Let’s start with a definition. contextual targeting.

Paid Search Agency 100

Paid Search Agency Buy Demand Generation Agencies Advertising Agencies 100

The Point

SEPTEMBER 23, 2015

That’s why it’s important to offer as many subscription options as possible, including RSS, Email, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and aggregation services like Flipboard. Email all new blog content to your marketing database. Sell subscription options prominently. BONUS TIP: 11. Create a separate demand generation blog.

Business Blogging 100

Business Blogging Lead Scoring Lead Ranking Generation 100

The Point

FEBRUARY 4, 2013

You see a lot of so-called “benchmark reports” in B2B marketing circles, and most of them are, well: complete rubbish. The metrics reported by B2B benchmark reports can also be grossly misleading. B2B companies reported much higher traffic in the first quarter and from September to mid-November.

Advertising Benchmark 100

Advertising Benchmark Paid Search Agency Marketing Report Demand Generation Agencies 100

The Point

APRIL 23, 2020

There’s plenty of debate online about the merits of marketing spend in a recession, but the reality is that many B2B firms are currently cutting back on large-scale investment. Corporate blogs are some of the most neglected marketing assets in a company’s arsenal. 10 Things to Do When Marketing Spend is On Hold Click To Tweet.

Budget Management 263

Budget Management Spending Work Management Marketing Management 263

The Point

SEPTEMBER 30, 2022

Her approach showed how an integrated campaign combining four types of media channels creates a combined effect greater than the sum of its parts: * Paid Media are marketing efforts that involve a paid placement. Webinar + email campaign + LinkedIn ad). Gini Dietrich originally introduced the PESO Model in her 2014 book, Spin Sucks.

Demand Generation Agencies 130

Demand Generation Agencies Demand Generation Demand Webinar Metrics 130

The Point

FEBRUARY 16, 2017

The reality of life as a professional marketer is that there is rarely, ever, enough time, budget, resources or bandwidth to plan, design, build, launch and manage every campaign as we would if we could. Run sponsored updates and text ads on LinkedIn. The prospect who receives the email may also see the LinkedIn ad, and so on.

Campaigns 223

Campaigns Email Marketing Banner Ads Work Management 223

The Point

JANUARY 30, 2018

In a recent article on LinkedIn that I highly recommend for any tech entrepreneur, Jason Seeba and Ashu Garg spell out the key priorities, milestones, and pitfalls for early-stage companies seeking to acquire customers. Their article inspired me to reflect on some of the start-ups that our agency has worked with over the years.

Demand Generation Agencies 168

Demand Generation Agencies Demand Generation Demand Generation 168