The Point

APRIL 1, 2014

One of the reasons for this under-utilization, and the inability of some marketers to deploy, for example, automated lead nurturing at every stage of the selling process, is resistance from the sales organization, and in particular, Inside Sales. Marketo creates task in CRM to remind BDR to call lead 1 week later. Wait 2 weeks.

Lead Nurturing 100

Lead Nurturing Sales Qualified Leads Lead Scoring Lead Ranking 100

The Point

OCTOBER 22, 2020

A client asks: “I know the answer is probably “it depends” but curious if you think there’s a best practice for how many follow-up nurture emails to send TOFU content syndication leads before you stop due to non-engagement?”. When Should I Stop Nurturing a Lead? Click To Tweet. Photo by Who’s Denilo ?

Sales Qualified Leads 227

Sales Qualified Leads Lead Scoring Lead Ranking Leads 227

The Point

JULY 13, 2012

Which leads to another question: do certain types of campaigns even need an offer in the first place? Take lead nurturing : is it strictly essential that every lead nurturing touch include a specific, gated, call to action? I have my concerns, however, about extending it to lead nurturing and the email medium.

Lead Nurturing 100

Lead Nurturing Lead Scoring Lead Ranking Campaigns 100

The Point

SEPTEMBER 30, 2013

Do I need it in order to do lead nurturing?”. My answer: “It depends how you define “ lead nurturing ,” but technically: no, you don’t need marketing automation in order to nurture leads. Marketing automation simply takes nurturing to a whole new level. What other differences did I miss?

Lead Nurturing 100

Lead Nurturing Demand Generation Agencies Marketing Automation Services Sales Qualified Leads 100

The Point

NOVEMBER 9, 2011

In an exclusive online event, discover how to get the most from your lead nurturing program, and how to plan for success if you’re just getting started. Join me on Wednesday, December 7 as I present a Webinar on “ Top 10 Tips for Lead Nurturing Success ,” hosted by the Direct Marketing Association (DMA).

Lead Nurturing 100

Lead Nurturing Webinar Metrics Tips Leads 100

The Point

FEBRUARY 5, 2010

The lead nurturing program they implemented included 40+ (yes, forty) separate and distinct tracks of emails, tailored to different audience segments, product interests, and stages in the lead lifecycle. nurturing and cultivating contacts over time so those contacts remember the client’s brand when the need arises.

Lead Nurturing 100

Lead Nurturing Rules Leads Lead 100

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. . How Quickly Should I Suspend or Delete Non-Responsive Leads?

Lead Scoring 162

Lead Scoring Lead Ranking Leads Lead 162

The Point

AUGUST 15, 2012

You know that monthly newsletter you blast to your entire database under the guise of “lead nurturing”? And those Webinar invitations that you broadcast to every trade show lead you’ve generated since 2005? There was a time when lead nurturing was synonymous with simply staying in front of prospects.

Lead Nurturing 100

Lead Nurturing Sales Qualified Leads Lead Scoring Lead Ranking 100

The Point

OCTOBER 15, 2019

If your organization is generating plenty of leads but those initial inquiries aren’t converting to sales qualified leads, meetings, or pipeline, a myriad of things could be at fault: 1) sales follow-up may be sub-standard in either cadence, frequency, or message. 2) lead nurturing. 2) lead nurturing.

Sales Qualified Leads 138

Sales Qualified Leads Work Management Marketing Management Account Based Marketing 138

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

NOVEMBER 15, 2010

Relevancy is one of the key factors in generating a consistent response from your lead nurturing emails: the more relevant your message to the reader’s job function, industry, interests, and stage in the selling cycle, the more likely he/she will be to respond. Lead source. Take advantage of it. Job function.

Lead Nurturing 100

Lead Nurturing Segmentation Sales Qualified Leads Campaigns 100

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. Quality content = quality leads.

Lead Scoring 162

Lead Scoring Lead Ranking CPL Cost per Lead 162

The Point

SEPTEMBER 6, 2011

When marketers embark on a formal lead nurturing strategy, opportunities for process improvement can arise in unexpected ways. That was the experience for iDirect , a leading provider of satellite IP communications based in Herndon, Virginia. All this presents real challenges for both demand generation and lead management.

Lead Nurturing 100

Lead Nurturing Lead Scoring Sales Qualified Leads Lead Ranking 100

The Point

JANUARY 23, 2018

Response rates from tactical, sales-driven campaigns are likely to be lower (because they only attract highly qualified, late stage leads), so companies need to spend more money to generate relatively few opportunities. This requires a constant re-loading of the sales funnel with new, expensive leads. Look, I get it.

Sales Management 253

Sales Management Sales Qualified Leads Demand Generation Agencies Lead Scoring 253

The Point

OCTOBER 1, 2021

Should you allow prospects to enter a personal email address when they fill out lead gen forms? Translation: requiring business emails could cut lead volume in half, albeit (in theory) by eliminating those prospects less motivated to complete the form. The Case for Allowing Personal Emails on Lead Gen Forms Click To Tweet.

Lead Gen 297

Lead Gen Lead Scoring Lead Ranking Sales Qualified Leads 297

The Point

JUNE 11, 2010

Just getting started with lead nurturing? Concerned that your lead nurturing program isn’t everything it should be? Great lead nurturing starts with more than just software. 10 Best Practices for Lead Generation & Pipeline Acceleration. Recently invested in marketing automation software?

Lead Nurturing 100

Lead Nurturing Paper Marketing Automation Services Tips 100

The Point

MAY 18, 2010

That conclusion was prompted by this question, posed on Focus : “We want to start doing more lead nurturing with our leads, and really aren’t quite sure how to go about it. Do you use a specific software for lead nurturing? If so, what do you use, and how does it help build your pipeline?&#. It won’t.

Marketing Automation Services 100

Marketing Automation Services Work Management Marketing Management Lead Nurturing 100

The Point

AUGUST 4, 2009

Do a quick Web search on “lead nurturing” these days, and you’ll find plenty of high-level, strategic content on the “whys” – how nurturing can improve demand generation ROI, increase conversion rates, accelerate sales cycles, recycle long-discarded prospects, etc.

Lead Nurturing 100

Lead Nurturing Leads Lead Marketing Qualified Leads 100

The Point

NOVEMBER 27, 2018

Precious few B2B marketers can show true ROI from organic social activity, and even less are using organic social media in a systematic way to either generate social leads or drive those leads through the demand generation funnel. Integrating Social Leads into the Demand Generation Funnel via @spearmktg. Click To Tweet. (HS)

Top of Funnel 203

Top of Funnel Demand Generation Agencies Demand Generation Lead Scoring 203

The Point

OCTOBER 29, 2021

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. Lead Nurturing. Trial & Demo Conversions. Responding to those specific companies, by name (“Hey Google!

Account Based Marketing 350

Account Based Marketing B2B Marketing Automation Services Demand Generation Agencies 350

The Point

OCTOBER 8, 2015

Bear with me as I relate a quick story about lead nurturing: A few months back I became a sales lead. A question: at this point, what kind of lead am I? By my own reckoning, I’m an MQL (Marketing Qualified Lead). Perhaps I was an SQL (Sales Qualified Lead) at one point in the conversation, but no longer.

Lead Ranking 100

Lead Ranking Marketing Qualified Leads Sales Qualified Leads Lead Scoring 100

The Point

MAY 23, 2017

There is a growing trend in the content syndication space, and among Cost Per Lead (CPL) programs in general, for media vendors to offer B2B clients the option of pre-qualified leads. However, over the long term, I’d argue that it’s almost always more cost-effective to qualify your own leads. Here’s why: First, some context.

Sales Qualified Leads 110

Sales Qualified Leads Cost per Lead High Quality Lead CPL 110

The Point

JUNE 24, 2022

The days when a marketer’s primary responsibility was simply generating raw leads to throw at sales are behind us. The demand generation playbook now extends to lead nurturing , pipeline acceleration, and sales enablement, with all the programs, channels, and content those strategies require to be successful.

Top of Funnel 130

Top of Funnel Cold Calling B2B Demand Generation 130

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. Use of very short-term metrics will almost certainly devalue those leads and the perceived ROI from the program.

Marketing Management 207

Marketing Management Paid Search Agency Buying Cycle Demand Generation Agencies 207

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

MARCH 18, 2020

Like inbound, well-crafted nurture programs keep your brand top of mind and help ensure that the companies looking to take that next step in the buying process think of you first. If nothing else, lead nurturing. 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

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 helped increase lead generation effectiveness by leaps and bounds, but campaign reporting is still a weak link. Why is that?

Lead Generation 100

Lead Generation Demand Generation Agencies Lead Scoring Lead Ranking 100

The Point

JANUARY 24, 2013

Key to designing an effective lead nurturing program is taking stock of your current lead management process. Giving sales a voice in the process will help ensure that, as an organization, they feel they have a stake in the new lead management program and won’t feel it’s being foisted upon them by marketing.

Lead Management 100

Lead Management Process Work Management Sales Qualified 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. Sungard AS had solid creative in place and a very sophisticated nurturing program,” says Howard Sewell, Spear President.

Conversion Rate 100

Conversion Rate Marketing Qualified Leads Demand Generation Agencies Lead Ranking 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

MAY 28, 2020

(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.). A strategy based on generating engagement from buying groups (and the way large corporations make purchase decisions) vs. individual leads. However, times have changed.

Demand Generation Agencies 162

Demand Generation Agencies Demand Generation Ideal Customer Profiles Lead Ranking 162

The Point

FEBRUARY 28, 2023

Certain lead generation programs – notably content syndication – tend to be popular uses of MDF funds because they’re perceived as easier to launch and manage and because they guarantee a tangible result to the sponsor. If you do invest in lead generation, set clear expectations for sales follow-up. Be realistic.

Demand Generation Agencies 147

Demand Generation Agencies Advertising Agencies CMS Development Work Management 147

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. The lesson in all this?

Sales Qualified Leads 100

Sales Qualified Leads Lead Scoring Lead Ranking Leads 100

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). Failure to Nurture Leads Correctly. In B2B search campaigns, an effective lead nurturing.

Cost per Acquisition 235

Cost per Acquisition Paid Search Agency Campaigns Cost Per Click 235

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!) In just 18 minutes, you’ll learn: • How to leverage your blog for lead nurturing and customer marketing …. •

Lead Scoring 100

Lead Scoring Lead Ranking Leads Lead 100

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

JANUARY 14, 2014

In my experience, most of the mental energy and strategic thinking around the practice of lead nurturing and lead management is usually applied to the goal of accelerating prospects through the sales process – from MQL to SQL, from SQL to Opportunity, and so on. And that lack of focus can be a big mistake. Probably not.

Lead Ranking 100

Lead Ranking Marketing Automation Services Marketing Qualified Leads Sales Leads 100