Where did that lead go? What lead? The leads start flooding in and then seemingly disappear into the ether. ii) what leads? When building the campaign, work closely with Sales to define clear roles and responsibilities – particularly looking at what stage leads will be handed over and what should happen next. Importantly, how can you avoid a lead falling through the net? Give thought to how you could leverage a marketing automation platform to support lead scoring and qualification, so that opportunities are only handed over when they’re sales ready. MORE >>

YouTube: The guys at Fuijtsu Technology Solutions are the ones leading the charge here with a dedicated channel  covering tech themes and an assortment of expert interviews. It was a simple idea. Take the top 5 IT services companies globally - and see how they’re managing their brands on the social web. So the top 5 under scrutiny (as defined by Services Top 100 ) . Fujitsu. Accenture. Then more specifically, how are these brands using Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and blogs to engage with their audiences online? The results may surprise you. 370 tweets. Some 2.5k FUJITSU. MORE >>

Marketing measurement of the week: When planning any traditional marketing campaign, benchmark figures can provide a good indication of those are likely to reply, how many will turn into hot leads and how many will convert to a sale. As Apple announce their brand new iPad and get the twitter and blogsphere buzzing; this week a new member arrived at Earnest towers and we put the finishing touches to two big campaigns, set to launch later in the month (keep your eyes peeled for the case studies). The ROI model is therefore relatively simple. What’s your view? Then add in PPC activity. MORE >>

Whilst the cost per lead of inbound marketing is significantly lower, there’s a confidence gap – outbound tactics are still being seen as more effective. Yesterday Earnest had the pleasure of a guest speaker spot at B2B Marketing ‘s Content Marketing seminar. Earnest took on the topic of Content Distribution. Below is a copy of the presentation for your delectation… Content distribution: Reaching the people that matter. If you’re not actively engaged online – you could be missing out, big style. MORE >>

Better to have one compelling message to lead on that hooks the audience in – and when you’ve got their attention then you can get down to the nitty gritty. Your marketing strategy is watertight. Your go-to-market plans are honed to precision.  Even your budget (for once) is to die for. And then horror of horrors your campaign bombs. ROI: Negligible. Embarrassment factor: High. Marketing’s reputation: Well and truly tarnished. The fact is, if your value proposition isn’t rock solid compelling, the rest is just plain pointless. But it’s also hugely tricky. Grandmother. Transform’ anyone? MORE >>