The Point

MARCH 22, 2024

Here’s how a recent email listed “themes” for an upcoming event: * Key marketing use cases for AI * Crafting an effective AI strategy * Team preparation and AI roadmaps The issue is that these topics are all far too general to convey value. And it’s producing a sea of sameness. Don’t tell people what they already know. Use second person.

Webinar Metrics 182

Webinar Metrics Marketing AI Creativity Planning 182

The Point

DECEMBER 12, 2017

Results from Deloitte’s 2017 CMO Survey are out, providing insights into key trends, plans, and opinions from more than 2,800 top marketers. No surprises here, as digital marketing continues to grow at a healthy pace. The post Deloitte CMO Survey: Analytics Holding Marketers Back? Photo by Helloquence on Unsplash.

CMO 218

CMO Customer Surveys Analytics Planning 218

The Point

FEBRUARY 18, 2020

Almost 5 years ago, our agency conducted a survey to determine whether B2B companies were getting maximum value from their investment in marketing automation. You’d assume, therefore, that marketing automation maturity – the level of sophistication at which companies employ the technology – has improved.

Marketing Automation Services 147

Marketing Automation Services Marketing Management Marketing Automation Automation 147

The Point

FEBRUARY 27, 2018

Following on the heels of CAN-SPAM (US) and CASL (Canada), the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is the latest in a series of government regulations that promises to have a major impact on the way B2B marketers conduct business. We recommend all marketers consult with legal counsel on how best to fully comply with GDPR.

Privacy Policies 231

Privacy Policies Marketing Automation Services B2B Marketing Marketing Management 231

The Point

DECEMBER 28, 2017

Demand Generation Report just published their 2018 Outlook Guide: The State of Marketing Automation. DGR) What were the biggest changes/challenges for B2B marketers in 2017? (HS) HS) One of the biggest challenges for B2B marketers right now is simply keeping pace with the changes in marketing technology.

Marketing Report 176

Marketing Report Marketing Automation Automation Demand Generation Agencies 176

The Point

OCTOBER 15, 2019

Account-Based Marketing (ABM). Conversational Marketing. As I wrote earlier in this space, the use of intelligent chatbots in demand generation is fast becoming a major trend , as marketers discover the technology’s potential for increasing the rate at which leads engage with sales. 2) lead nurturing. Better Lead Nurturing.

Sales Qualified Leads 138

Sales Qualified Leads Work Management Marketing Management Account Based Marketing 138

The Point

JUNE 5, 2018

Earlier this year, Forrester Research conducted a detailed survey of more than 150 B2B marketing decision-makers with the intent of benchmarking the maturity of B2B marketing best practices, focused on revenue marketing and marketing automation. Account-Based Marketing (ABM) has also accelerated the trend.

Lead Ranking 194

Lead Ranking Forrester Lead Scoring Paid Search Agency 194

The Point

OCTOBER 25, 2018

Here are my other key takeaways from the report, a recommended read for any demand generation marketer: More than two-thirds (67%) of survey respondents said that they’re measuring the success of their nurture programs based on email click-through rates. Report: One-Third of Marketers Say Lead Nurturing Has No Impact via @spearmktg.

Lead Nurturing 178

Lead Nurturing Marketing Report Lead Scoring Lead Ranking 178

The Point

OCTOBER 29, 2021

If you ask most B2B marketers how they use chat platforms like Drift , the immediate answer would most likely be: converting Web visitors. And now that chat is becoming a staple of the B2B tech stack, creative marketers are finding ever more innovative ways for leveraging their investment to drive engagement throughout the lead lifecycle.

Account Based Marketing 350

Account Based Marketing B2B Marketing Automation Services Demand Generation Agencies 350

The Point

MAY 9, 2017

I talked to Steve recently about the rise of Account-Based Marketing (ABM) , ABM content, and how and where branding and messaging play a role in ABM success. (HS) That’s because a decade ago, marketers were merely learning how to deliver automated nurture tracks to buyers at the segment level. McKesson versus United Healthcare).

Account Based Marketing 206

Account Based Marketing ABM Marketing Automation Services Lead Scoring 206

The Point

NOVEMBER 13, 2018

If your marketing organization is 100 percent GDPR compliant (and if you are, you’re in the minority ) you may feel that your data compliance issues are behind you. Even though the law won’t go into effect until 2020, the implications for marketers could be enormous. GDPR was in many ways the beginning of a new era in marketing.

Trust Marketing 133

Trust Marketing Privacy Opt-out Opt-in 133

The Point

DECEMBER 6, 2022

Budgeting season is here again, and demand marketers are not immune. Define the percentage of that revenue (or pipeline) for which marketing is responsible. The trend is towards the higher end of that range, as marketing assumes responsibility for more and more of the funnel. What do these budget numbers not include?

Budget Programs 162

Budget Programs Lead Ranking Demand Marketing Qualified Leads 162

The Point

DECEMBER 5, 2023

For example, our agency runs on a Google Workspace account but the domain is unique to us.) As that previous article made clear, emailing to anything but opt-in lists may be at odds with the license agreement of your marketing automation platform (MAP) or email service provider.) Yahoo’s rules are expected to be similar. (As

Deliverability 162

Deliverability Rules Purchase Marketing Automation Services 162

The Point

MAY 17, 2021

Whatever demand gen channels you use to generate marketing leads, there’s value in always promoting a mix of content and other offers that span the entire buying cycle: early-stage, mid-stage, and late-stage. The Risks of Over-Reliance on Late-Stage Content Click To Tweet.

Marketing Management 207

Marketing Management Paid Search Agency Buying Cycle Demand Generation Agencies 207

The Point

JULY 21, 2016

It’s well documented that, of the companies who invest in marketing automation, many fail to achieve maximum return from that investment, or even utilize marketing automation technology to its full capacity. In our agency’s work with marketing automation users , we’ve identified 10 of the most common mistakes to avoid: 1.

Marketing Automation Services 80

Marketing Automation Services Marketing Automation Sales Management Automation 80

The Point

FEBRUARY 28, 2020

Part of that presentation was a “B2B Email Pre-Flight Checklist” – a list of questions an email marketer should ask, prior to pressing “send,” to ensure that a campaign aligns with current best practices and therefore stands the best chance of success. That list is reproduced below along with additional commentary: Is there an offer?

B2B 243

B2B Landing Pages Webinar Metrics Paper 243

The Point

JULY 18, 2014

Over at Forrester Research, Vice President Laura Ramos recently talked to Advertising Age (“ Marketers Still Struggling to Get Results from Content Marketing “) about what she perceives as a general lack of return from the investment so many companies are making in content marketing. 14% responded “very effectively”.

Forrester 100

Forrester Work Management Content Marketing Demand Generation Agencies 100

The Point

SEPTEMBER 23, 2020

Given the business case on which most Account-Based Marketing (ABM) strategies are founded – namely, that ABM increases opportunities and revenue from high-value accounts – the temptation for marketers is to measure the success of those programs on similar, high-value criteria: namely, opportunities, revenue, and average deal size.

Account Based Marketing 290

Account Based Marketing ABM Lead Ranking Sales Qualified Leads 290

The Point

NOVEMBER 20, 2015

Account-Based Marketing (ABM) is certainly the hot topic in B2B circles these days, but like other trends, ABM can encompass a whole range of activity – from something as simple as an email drip campaign to a more comprehensive, sustained, integrated program that incorporates multiple channels. – Economic Buyer. – Technical Buyer.

Account Based Marketing 100

Account Based Marketing ABM Paid Search Agency Marketing Strategy 100

The Point

MARCH 7, 2014

Take, for example, Fast Passes. Towards the end of our stay, the marketer in me started to contemplate the vast promotional opportunity that goes untapped at Disneyland due to a lack of any apparent mobile strategy. B2C Marketing Mobile Marketing B2C marketing churros Disney Disneyland mobile advertising mobile marketing'

Mobile Advertising 100

Mobile Advertising Mobile Marketing Marketing & Strategy Paper 100

The Point

JANUARY 27, 2022

When companies look to get started in Account-Based Marketing (ABM) , the first step is very often a pilot campaign. The pressure to generate quick results from a pilot campaign can lead marketers to adopt expensive, highly-personalized, content-intensive tactics (direct mail, as one example.) ABM pilots often jump ahead.

Account Based Marketing 204

Account Based Marketing ABM Campaigns Demand Generation Agencies 204

The Point

NOVEMBER 27, 2018

Social media may be a hot topic in B2B marketing circles, but most of that buzz focuses on the role of social media advertising. Are B2B marketers ignoring a huge opportunity? In addition, the platform integrates with leading marketing automation platforms, such as Eloqua, HubSpot, Marketo, and Pardot. Click To Tweet. (HS)

Top of Funnel 203

Top of Funnel Demand Generation Agencies Demand Generation Lead Scoring 203

The Point

FEBRUARY 11, 2013

Bonnie Crater is a five-time Vice President of Marketing, a former colleague of this blogger from our days at Oracle in the late 80s, and in 2000 was named one of the “Top 20 Female Executives in Silicon Valley” by San Jose Magazine. HS: How are you different from marketing automation vendors like Eloqua or Marketo at addressing this issue?

Marketing Automation Services 100

Marketing Automation Services Salesforce.com Campaigns Budget Programs 100

The Point

MAY 30, 2013

In days long past, companies hired one marketing firm, usually an advertising agency, to coordinate a broad spectrum of marketing needs. One of the primary added values of working with a third-party agency is that they bring a fresh perspective to your ongoing marketing initiatives. marketing agencies marketing agency skype'

Demand Generation Agencies 100

Demand Generation Agencies Paid Search Agency Advertising Agencies Ad Agencies 100

The Point

OCTOBER 10, 2013

Dave’s article was directed at salespeople, but he drives home an equally valid point for marketers. What does this mean for the demand generation marketer? Take a Webinar invitation , for example. Learn how to slash time to market by up to 90 percent …”. Like the ability to keep one’s job.

Demand Generation Agencies 100

Demand Generation Agencies Lead Scoring Lead Ranking Personalization 100

The Point

JULY 1, 2019

It’s why, for example, we marketers have assumed control for more and more of the lead funnel. For example, 42% of the executives surveyed in the report said that they spoke to and engaged with reps in the first month, compared to only 33% just 12 months earlier. For example: * Lead Scoring. Conversational Marketing.

B2B Sales 124

B2B Sales Demand Generation Agencies Top of Funnel Lead Scoring 124

The Point

FEBRUARY 13, 2013

Recently I was asked to contribute some thoughts to Marketo’s new ebook, “ The Definitive Guide to Marketing Automation.” You can download a free copy of the ebook – 100 pages on everything you need to know about marketing automation – what it is, how it’s different from CRM, common features, keys to success, and more – by clicking here.

Marketing Automation Services 100

Marketing Automation Services Marketing Automation Marketing Management Automation 100

The Point

JUNE 30, 2017

In the headlong rush to Account-Based Marketing , many B2B companies are, quite naturally, looking to implement ABM in a manner that allows them to dip their toes in the proverbial water. It is a strategic initiative that involves (or should involve) both sales and marketing at all levels of the organization.

Account Based Marketing 235

Account Based Marketing ABM Demand Generation Agencies Demand Generation 235

The Point

APRIL 16, 2019

Because costs per click in B2B search campaigns can often be extremely high when companies compete the for same keywords, Search Engine Marketing (SEM) for B2B advertisers offers its own very unique challenges. Thanks to Spear Digital Media Director Tim DiSabatino for authoring this week’s post. Failure to Nurture Leads Correctly.

Cost per Acquisition 235

Cost per Acquisition Paid Search Agency Campaigns Cost Per Click 235

The Point

DECEMBER 28, 2010

My point is this: in lead generation, and in email marketing in particular – don’t ask people if they have the problem you can solve. For example, take the email below from payment processing company Cybersource. Just tell them how to solve it. Simply put, what if the reader answers “no”? Then you’ve lost him. and so on.

Email Marketing 100

Email Marketing Lead Generation Paid Search Agency Lead Scoring 100

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

MARCH 22, 2017

To be successful in driving engagement from business buyers, it’s not enough that marketing content simply be relevant to the individual reader. For a particularly egregious example, see the email below from Azalead , a software platform for Account-Based Marketing (ABM). Sounds obvious, right? Get to the point.

Account Based Marketing 210

Account Based Marketing SIC ABM Demand Generation Agencies 210

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) Landing pages, for example.

Deliverability 150

Deliverability Account Based Marketing ABM Demand Generation Agencies 150

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.

Marketing Automation Services 100

Marketing Automation Services Marketing Automation Marketing Report Automation 100

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. For example: secure an appointment, gain an introduction …). What is the primary objective? What is the general nature of the program? 22 Potential Touchpoints for Your Next ABM Sales Play via @spearmktg.

Touchpoints 228

Touchpoints Account Based Marketing ABM Ideal Customer Profiles 228

The Point

DECEMBER 15, 2020

A client asks: How long should a lead be chronically non-responsive before they’re marked as “marketing suspended”? Over time, an accumulation of stale, non-responsive leads can bump you to a higher pricing tier for your CRM or marketing automation license. . ” Opens and clicks, for example, are very different metrics.

Lead Scoring 162

Lead Scoring Lead Ranking Leads Lead 162

The Point

JUNE 24, 2022

The TrustRadius report focuses primarily on how technology vendors should adapt their selling process to these new buying habits, but it’s also worth considering some of the key findings and their implication for the demand marketer. How should companies adapt their demand generation playbook to better serve the needs of the self-serve buyer?

Top of Funnel 130

Top of Funnel Cold Calling B2B Demand Generation 130