The Point

DECEMBER 6, 2022

Based on the work we do with our agency’s B2B clients , here’s a basic, funnel-based approach to determining a realistic demand gen budget based on specific revenue targets: 1. The trend is towards the higher end of that range, as marketing assumes responsibility for more and more of the funnel. Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash.

Budget Programs 162

Budget Programs Lead Ranking Demand Marketing Qualified Leads 162

The Point

NOVEMBER 22, 2016

For a long time, “ lead nurturing ” was thought of as something you did with the leads that sales didn’t want. The theory was: leads come in, the sales team gets the hot ones, and the rest go to lead nurturing. Today, of course, a comprehensive lead nurturing strategy is much more than that.

Lead Nurturing 100

Lead Nurturing Top of Funnel Sales Qualified Leads Lead Scoring 100

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. I’ve written elsewhere in this space that one of the reasons ABM became so popular is because companies are just really bad at lead nurturing.).

Demand Generation Agencies 162

Demand Generation Agencies Demand Generation Ideal Customer Profiles Lead Ranking 162

The Point

JANUARY 27, 2016

Demand Gen Report just published “ Top B2B Marketers Measure Lead Nurturing Effectiveness to Boost Performance ,” a special report in which they address the whys, whats, and how tos of measuring lead nurturing’s true impact. That, ultimately, is what lead nurturing is designed to do – move leads towards opportunity and close.

Lead Nurturing 100

Lead Nurturing Lead Ranking Marketing Qualified Leads Sales Qualified Leads 100

The Point

JULY 14, 2015

In an era when “demand generation” and “content marketing” are virtually synonymous, most B2B sales leads are the result of a prospect downloading or requesting content. That latter group becomes fodder for ongoing nurturing, in the hope that further education and brand awareness will ultimately result in conversion to qualified leads.

Sales Qualified Leads 100

Sales Qualified Leads Marketing Qualified Leads Lead Ranking Top of Funnel 100

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. But it would be a mistake to suggest that ABM somehow “replaces” demand generation or that the funnel-based approach is an idea past its time.

Demand Generation Agencies 140

Demand Generation Agencies Demand Generation Account Based Marketing ABM 140

The Point

MARCH 29, 2017

Though the marketing team was doing a great job generating raw inquiries at the top of the funnel, the sales reps weren’t receiving the number of “sales ready” leads they needed to hit their pipeline targets. The lead funnel is obsolete. Heck, you can pick up the phone and buy hundreds of leads on a Cost Per Lead basis.

Sales Qualified Leads 50

Sales Qualified Leads Top of Funnel High Quality Lead Marketing Qualified Leads 50

The Point

JUNE 24, 2022

Buyers are not only contacting sales reps less often (in this year’s survey, they dropped out of the top five most commonly used resources), but sales engagement is also being pushed later and later down the funnel. The days when a marketer’s primary responsibility was simply generating raw leads to throw at sales are behind us.

Top of Funnel 130

Top of Funnel Cold Calling B2B Demand Generation 130

The Point

OCTOBER 20, 2014

Just look at the sudden influx of companies boasting so-called “predictive analytics” solutions – software that allows marketers to better score leads, acquire new names, target market sectors, and even refine message and content, based on highly sophisticated algorithms. Just when did demand generation get this complicated?

Demand Generation Agencies 100

Demand Generation Agencies Lead Gen Marketing Report Research 100

The Point

JANUARY 7, 2020

Spoiler alert: no amount of Q4 spend – not even with intent data, ABM, conversational marketing (chat), content experience and any other bells and whistles you might have at your disposal – will enable you to suddenly make up for leads and opportunities that should have been developed weeks and months ago. Don’t neglect the mid-funnel.

Account Based Marketing 130

Account Based Marketing Top of Funnel Demand Generation Agencies Paid Search Agency 130

The Point

SEPTEMBER 29, 2011

When sales teams need marketing to help them make their numbers, the natural response is to go fishing for hot leads. This requires a constant re-loading of the sales funnel with new, expensive leads. In contrast, for Marketo, the proportion of sales derived from slow leads is an astounding 50 percent.

Sales Qualified Leads 100

Sales Qualified Leads Lead Scoring Lead Ranking Leads 100

The Point

SEPTEMBER 17, 2014

Sungard AS runs a highly successful demand generation program, an integrated mix of both online and offline campaigns, to generate a consistent flow of leads to the company’s sales force. Design, build and launch a “Welcome” email program designed to improve follow-up and response to new leads. Spear is a Marketo agency partner.)

Conversion Rate 100

Conversion Rate Marketing Qualified Leads Demand Generation Agencies Lead Ranking 100

The Point

FEBRUARY 11, 2014

How to ignite your company’s growth so marketing is filling your sales pipeline with more new buyers than needed to beat your future revenue goals…AND without increasing your cost per visit and cost per lead. HS] I notice that you integrate with some of the leading marketing automation vendors, including Marketo and Act-On.

Paid Content 100

Paid Content Demand Generation Agencies Cost per Lead Lead Scoring 100

The Point

MARCH 18, 2020

If nothing else, lead nurturing. To help make up for the lead shortfall caused by cancelled shows, look to channels like content syndication to refill the funnel with guaranteed leads that meet specific demographic criteria. . * can reinforce your brand as a trusted partner for future needs.

Demand 243

Demand Demand Generation Agencies Top of Funnel Account Based Marketing 243

The Point

JULY 23, 2012

In an ideal world, all B2B sales leads would be pre-qualified and ready to buy. Of course, in the real world – a world of sales quotas, quarterly revenue goals, and impatient investors – not all stake-holders, especially salespeople, are interested in the notion that the most effective lead generation strategy is a long-term proposition.

Demand Generation Agencies 100

Demand Generation Agencies Sales Qualified Leads Leads Lead 100

The Point

APRIL 19, 2017

No one question will help you create content that drives quality leads – leads that convert more readily to pipeline and revenue – more than this one. Content can work at every stage of the funnel – early, mid, late. Personally, I’ve seen some white papers continue to generate leads year after year with only minor updates.

Top of Funnel 214

Top of Funnel Demand Generation Agencies Demand Generation Paper 214

The Point

MAY 28, 2019

The most common use case quoted for chatbots in a B2B context is increasing the rate at which Web visitors convert to actionable sales leads. But chatbots aren’t going to replace forms any more than Account-Based Marketing (ABM) has replaced funnel-based demand gen. Inserting chat into a lead nurturing.

Demand Generation Agencies 127

Demand Generation Agencies Demand Generation Demand Top of Funnel 127

The Point

DECEMBER 14, 2012

One of the most frequent questions we’re hearing from clients during this planning season pertains to the balance between pure lead generation on the one hand, and lead nurturing on the other. Even the most sophisticated lead nurturing program, however, depends on a stream of new leads entering the top of the sales funnel.

Lead Nurturing 100

Lead Nurturing Demand Generation Budget Programs Demand 100

The Point

AUGUST 8, 2011

A recent industry study on Lead Management Optimization, conducted by CSO Insights and conducted in partnership with SMEI and Marketo , sheds insight on the relative budget marketing organizations are investing in areas such as lead nurturing, social media, and lead generation. I have two major issues with the analysis: 1. .&#

Lead Generation 100

Lead Generation Social Media Allocation Marketing Qualified Leads 100

The Point

JANUARY 17, 2019

Some years ago, our firm conducted a lead management audit for a technology client who was struggling to convert raw, inbound inquiries into sales qualified leads. During the audit, it became quickly apparent that one of the major issues was at the very front end of the lead qualification process. Click To Tweet.

Sales Qualified Leads 168

Sales Qualified Leads Tips Lead Nurturing Multi-Channel 168

The Point

JANUARY 19, 2021

These will become incorporated into lead and account scoring, perhaps as criteria for what can become an MQL. Leads will need to pass “credit worthiness” before a closed/won is accepted. “B2B lead conversion rates are hovering around 2%, meaning that 98% of traffic (paid and earned) isn’t converting. .

Demand Generation Agencies 147

Demand Generation Agencies Demand Generation Demand Lead Ranking 147

The Point

SEPTEMBER 8, 2010

If (as is likely) the concept catches on and extends in one form or another to other email clients, notably Microsoft Outlook , Priority Inbox could sound the beginning of the end for email as a lead generation tool. One, because the effectiveness of email as a tool for acquiring net new sales leads is already as bad as it’s ever been.

Lead Generation 100

Lead Generation Lead Scoring Lead Ranking Generation 100

The Point

DECEMBER 11, 2018

How can ABM best coexist with a more traditional funnel-based demand generation model? In the giddy, early days when solutions like Marketo first arrived on the scene, the reigning view was that the technology was all a company needed to solve their lead management and email marketing woes. Measuring the wrong thing.

Account Based Marketing 157

Account Based Marketing ABM Ideal Customer Profiles Enterprise Management 157

The Point

APRIL 16, 2019

The key to determining at what point an expensive click becomes TOO expensive is understanding a few key data points: * Maximum Allowable Cost Per Lead (MACPL) * Customer Lifetime Value (LTV) * Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC). Yet, many B2B companies don’t take the time to compute these numbers, or even basic funnel metrics.

Cost per Acquisition 235

Cost per Acquisition Paid Search Agency Campaigns Cost Per Click 235

The Point

JULY 1, 2019

It’s why, for example, we marketers have assumed control for more and more of the lead funnel. There was once a time when we would generate a lead and our job would be done. Now that lead has to be nurtured, educated, scored, enriched, appended and qualified before we would dare hand it off to sales. Sales Alerts.

B2B Sales 124

B2B Sales Demand Generation Agencies Top of Funnel Lead Scoring 124

The Point

OCTOBER 25, 2016

Ineffective Lead Response. It’s alarming to see how many companies still rely exclusively on telemarketing to follow up on new leads. Moreover, in most cases those BDRs are often chartered with only identifying sales-ready leads (those ready to engage with the account team immediately) and then discard the rest. Poor Messaging.

Buy 100

Buy Telemarketing Top of Funnel Demand Generation 100

The Point

APRIL 30, 2013

It’s a compelling case, but then Josh goes further: “A solid model for understanding Web advertising is the purchase intent funnel. At the wide top of the funnel is demand generation – raising awareness about a product and engendering the brand to a customer. Call it lead nurturing. Wait, what? Call it content marketing.

Demand Generation Agencies 100

Demand Generation Agencies Demand Generation Demand Top of Funnel 100

The Point

MAY 16, 2015

More and more B2B marketers are now accountable for revenue targets, not just leads or even sales-ready prospects. Lead Nurturing Isn’t Just Email Anymore. There’s no sign that email won’t continue to be the workhorse that it is in helping to filter, qualify, cultivate and progress leads through the sales cycle.

Demand Generation Agencies 100

Demand Generation Agencies DemandBase Top of Funnel Demand Generation 100

The Point

JULY 21, 2016

Launching lead scoring too soon. Lead scoring is a core marketing automation functionality, and a key driver for one of the primary benefits of the technology, namely sales productivity. A well-planned, well-designed lead scoring schema ensures that sales reps are spending time with the leads that most merit the investment.

Marketing Automation Services 80

Marketing Automation Services Marketing Automation Sales Management Automation 80

The Point

JANUARY 29, 2015

Recently I sat down with Amanda Nelson, Director of Marketing at RingLead , a leading provider of cloud-based data solutions that make it easy to analyze, remove, merge and prevent duplicates in Salesforce. We discussed what’s new, what’s working, and what’s on the horizon in B2B Demand Generation. One is predictive analytics.

Demand Generation Agencies 100

Demand Generation Agencies Demand Generation Demand Generation 100

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. The odds of contacting a lead if called within five minutes versus even 30 minutes are 100x greater.

Top of Funnel 100

Top of Funnel Bandwidth Sales Qualified Leads Marketing Automation 100

The Point

JANUARY 13, 2015

Improving email campaign measurement won’t generate more leads or better leads, in and of itself, but it will help accomplish both those goals by providing the data necessary to identify what’s truly working. Leads/Response Rate. Leads are at least a measure of genuine interest. However, not all leads are created equal.

Lead Ranking 100

Lead Ranking Marketing Qualified Leads ROI Sales Qualified Leads 100

The Point

MAY 6, 2010

Not everyone is able to measure the precise ratios at which sales leads currently convert to sales. Or even if the processes with which those leads are shepherded along the sales cycle are woefully inadequate, a company may not generate the volume of inquiries necessary in order for marketing automation to make a difference.

Marketing Automation Services 100

Marketing Automation Services Marketing Automation Marketing Management Automation 100

The Point

FEBRUARY 11, 2013

For Sales Operations, we deliver a comprehensive lead lifecycle system facilitating sales follow-up on responses across both the Lead and Contact Database. And third, because we’re inside Salesforce, customers who want the details can drill down to get the underlying Lead, Contact, Account, and Opportunity data.

Marketing Automation Services 100

Marketing Automation Services Salesforce.com Campaigns Budget Programs 100

The Point

DECEMBER 17, 2010

Most B2B companies will readily acknowledge how much the Web has transformed the way they market their product or service, most visibly in the form of vehicles like search, content marketing, social media, and lead management. Fewer companies, however, can claim to have adapted their sales process as readily.

Marketing Automation Services 100

Marketing Automation Services Work Management Marketing Management B2B 100

The Point

MAY 30, 2023

However, simply slashing spend – while quick and dramatic – can have a detrimental effect on leads, pipeline, and revenue. With a little work, a blog can be a major contributor to SEO and monthly lead goals. Improve lead nurturing and funnel conversion. Fewer buyers in market means lead volume is down across the board.

Marketing Budget Creation 147

Marketing Budget Creation Budget Programs Marketing Budget Paid Search Agency 147

The Point

APRIL 23, 2020

Audit your existing content library and map each asset by form factor, persona, vertical and funnel stage (early, mid, late). Lead to MQL) and identify emails or even entire tracks that might need a refresh. With the right design, frequency, and content, however, a blog can be a key driver for SEO and lead generation.

Budget Management 263

Budget Management Spending Work Management Marketing Management 263