The Point

FEBRUARY 25, 2022

Just as too much time on Instagram fawning after the photoshopped lives of internet influencers can create an unhealthy self-image, marketers too can fall victim to unrealistic standards and FOMO created by the marketing blogosphere and the breathy propaganda of martech vendors. Marketing attribution is a good example.

Class 243

Class Marketing Attribution Advertising Agencies Paid Search Agency 243

The Point

MARCH 24, 2021

A recent report by LinkedIn and research agency System1 found that the bulk of B2B advertising is ineffective. For most B2B marketers I know, the goal of advertising in whatever form is to drive engagement, leads, and revenue. It’s not an easy thing to do because B2B marketers are driven by, and measured by, numbers.

Advertising Agencies 312

Advertising Agencies Advertisements Advertising Paid Search Agency 312

The Point

NOVEMBER 12, 2019

If you could layer third-party intent data into every lead gen program you run, would you do it? In other words, would you only ever want marketing leads from prospects pre-determined to be actively researching your category, solution, use case, etc.? My argument: no, you wouldn’t. . Do You Want Intent Data with That?

Intent Data 149

Intent Data Demand Generation Agencies Intent Paid Social Agency 149

The Point

FEBRUARY 22, 2010

One of the biggest clients of my 15+ year agency career was won as a direct result of a question to which I responded on LinkedIn , the popular business networking site. LinkedIn now boasts more than 60 million registered users , but far fewer than that number are active members in group discussions and in LinkedIn’s “Answers” section.

Linkedin 100

Linkedin Peer-to-peer Tips Advertising Agencies 100

The Point

MAY 28, 2020

ABM was born of a time when (in hindsight) we marketers had it good. 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.). An approach that orchestrates touch points from marketing, sales, and customer success. However, times have changed.

Demand Generation Agencies 162

Demand Generation Agencies Demand Generation Ideal Customer Profiles Lead Ranking 162

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. A recent video making the rounds on LinkedIn asked: “ Is Demand Generation Losing its Effectiveness ?” (The answer provided was: yes.).

Demand Generation Agencies 140

Demand Generation Agencies Demand Generation Account Based Marketing ABM 140

The Point

JULY 30, 2020

Even as demand generation activity begins to pick up, most marketing budgets right now remain tight, and so B2B companies are looking for creative, low-cost ways to drive demand. Blogs are historically the province of the PR team, and so they’re not often looked at as a vehicle for driving leads, sales engagement, and revenue.

Demand 221

Demand Lead Scoring Lead Ranking Marketing Budget 221

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

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 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

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

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? My answer: no, it doesn’t. It doesn’t.

Paper 193

Paper Demand Generation Agencies Lead Scoring Lead Ranking 193

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. IMPACT : Use ABM strategies to deliver personalized, relevant content to specific buying roles within large accounts. Click To Tweet.

Paid Search Agency 241

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

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? But is that real? HS) How do you define Intent Data to a layman? (CC)

Intent Data 209

Intent Data Intent Bombora Account Based Marketing 209

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. 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.

Top of Funnel 214

Top of Funnel Demand Generation Agencies Demand Generation Paper 214

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. The post 5 Ways to Expand Lead Nurturing Beyond the Inbox appeared first on The Point.

Lead Nurturing 100

Lead Nurturing Sales Qualified Leads Account Based Marketing Leads 100

The Point

JANUARY 24, 2017

Even in this digital age, trade shows are still a core part of many B2B marketers’ 2017 demand generation plans. In a previous post, I discussed key strategies for following up with trade show leads. Here are 7 ideas for increasing booth traffic and lead volume at the show: 1.

Trade Show 100

Trade Show Traffic Demand Creativity 100

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? Chat bots?).

Deliverability 150

Deliverability Account Based Marketing ABM Demand Generation Agencies 150

The Point

JUNE 26, 2013

From a marketing perspective, does it matter if prospects actually attend Webinars once they register? Some would argue: no, especially if those who register are net new leads, where the real value is simply getting the person to sign up in the first place. LinkedIn used to have an “events” feature but shut it down in 2012.

Webinar Metrics 100

Webinar Metrics B2B Thought Leadership Lead Nurturing Telemarketing 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. There’s also a smart way to do it.

SEM 100

SEM Paid Search Agency Marketing & Strategy Sales Qualified Leads 100

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

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

MARCH 25, 2016

Take full advantage of marketing automation. Integrate your marketing automation system (e.g. Use SEM to generate incremental leads outside of your target list. Consider a 4-week paid search (SEM) campaign leading up to the date of the Webinar. Marketo, Pardot) with your Webinar platform (e.g. Citrix, Webex.)

Webinar Metrics 100

Webinar Metrics SEM Marketo Marketing Automation Services 100

The Point

JULY 20, 2018

A client asks: “Can I use the landing page from an email campaign for online ads, say: search or LinkedIn, if it’s promoting the same asset?”. Someone responding to a Google text ad, or a LinkedIn sponsored post may be only curious, or intrigued by your offer, but likely isn’t “sold” yet. My response: In short: no.

Landing Pages 113

Landing Pages Paid Search Agency Ads Cost Per Click 113

The Point

JULY 1, 2013

On LinkedIn, John asks: “Does anyone have preferred content syndication channels that target sales and marketing folks? ” My response: “John, it’s very difficult but not impossible to target sales and marketing titles via content syndication. Download a copy here.

Demand Generation 100

Demand Generation Paper Sales Qualified Leads Content 100

The Point

SEPTEMBER 23, 2015

If you’re not generating leads – as in: a lot of leads – from your company’s blog, you’re missing out on what is perhaps not only your best opportunity to convert organic Web traffic into actionable, measurable sales inquiries, but also the best way to actually show real ROI from your social media investment.

Business Blogging 100

Business Blogging Lead Scoring Lead Ranking Generation 100

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

MAY 3, 2016

Salesforce has released their “ 2016 State of Marketing Report ”, a massive 70-page tome and the result of surveying nearly 4,000 marketing executives worldwide. The report covers a wide range of trends and topics, but focuses on the best practices most common amongst “high-performing” marketing teams.

Marketing Report 100

Marketing Report Planning PPC Lead Ranking 100

The Point

JUNE 27, 2012

For today’s B2B marketer, content is the fuel that feeds the demand generation engine. But when lead generation, lead nurturing , customer marketing and social media programs all require a constant feeding of new, compelling content, what do you do when the pace of new programs outstrips your ability to generate that content?

Campaigns 100

Campaigns Peer-to-peer Lead Nurturing Paper 100

The Point

OCTOBER 21, 2009

Email marketing and marketing automation provider Silverpop just released a timely white paper (registration required) that gives new hope to B2B marketers looking for creative ways to increase response from email campaigns. Bebo , LinkedIn and Delicious all performed well. * Test emails with and without social links.

Landing Pages 100

Landing Pages Demand Generation Lead Nurturing Click Rate 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

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

OCTOBER 25, 2017

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. Cue the advent of search marketing and Google AdWords.). Who has time for inbound marketing, they say. Be aggressive!

Account Based Marketing 127

Account Based Marketing Demand Generation Agencies ABM Paid Social Agency 127

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. Right now, it’s ABM.

Account Based Marketing 100

Account Based Marketing ABM Advertising Agencies Paid Search Agency 100

The Point

MARCH 29, 2012

Capturing new subscribers is one of the most efficient ways to convert random visitors into loyal readers that you can nurture over time and eventually turn into actionable sales leads. If you post blog content to your Facebook or LinkedIn or Google Plus page, add those also. Offer downloadable content. Share this blog!

RSS 100

RSS Paper Case Study Case Studies 100

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

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. Lead to MQL) and identify emails or even entire tracks that might need a refresh. 10 Things to Do When Marketing Spend is On Hold Click To Tweet.

Budget Management 263

Budget Management Spending Work Management Marketing Management 263