The Point

MARCH 20, 2012

Unfortunately, many tech marketers use Webinar invitations as simply a vehicle to preach the virtues of their product, whilst the actual offer (the Webinar) is an afterthought. But just to hear a senior product manager tell me why his product is so exciting? all of which would make me seriously consider the invitation.

Webinar Metrics 100

Webinar Metrics Product Marketing Management Transparency 100

The Point

JUNE 23, 2020

B2B marketing has seen a dramatic change in the last decade, driven by radical advances in marketing technology and the emergence of new channels. Content marketing is dead. * Content marketing is dead. * Change in marketing is an evolution, not a coup. Cold-calling is dead. The MQL is dead. . The MQL is dead.

Lead Ranking 264

Lead Ranking Enterprise Management Marketing Qualified Leads Account Based Marketing 264

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. As the reader, I’m not interested in your product, what it does, or even what you have to say.

Webinar Metrics 182

Webinar Metrics Marketing AI Creativity Planning 182

The Point

SEPTEMBER 19, 2018

A few weeks ago I gave an informational interview to a local university student looking for advice on the best way to jump start his marketing career. Here are my 5 tips for new college grads or any aspiring young marketer: 1. News flash: marketing today is technology-driven. Career Advice for a Young Marketer via @spearmktg.

Demand Generation Agencies 165

Demand Generation Agencies Paid Search Agency Advertising Agencies Work Management 165

The Point

SEPTEMBER 25, 2018

Over at the Modern Marketing Blog , Steve Earl offers his theory as to why enterprise marketers choose to switch to a different marketing platform. In the broader market, however, our agency’s experience tells a different story. In the broader market, however, our agency’s experience tells a different story.

Marketing Automation Services 179

Marketing Automation Services Enterprise Management Work Management Marketing Management 179

The Point

JANUARY 11, 2024

Like many B2B marketing agencies, even though we’re a professional services business and don’t sell or re-sell technology, our firm gets marketed to regularly by companies looking to recruit us as a channel partner. As an agency owner , I want our clients to be successful and drive better marketing results.

Advertising Agencies 173

Advertising Agencies Demand Generation Agencies Campaigns Paid Search Agency 173

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

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

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. However, it’s critical to align search offers (and not just ad copy) with ad groups tailored to a particular buying stage.

Marketing Management 207

Marketing Management Paid Search Agency Buying Cycle Demand Generation Agencies 207

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

DECEMBER 16, 2015

Research company TrustRadius just published their new edition of the “Buyer’s Guide to Marketing Automation Software,” and it’s a doozy. Let’s face it, most martech “guides” are written by, well, marketers, and are either sponsored by or authored by the technology vendors themselves, so the content needs to be read with a critical eye.

Marketing Automation Services 100

Marketing Automation Services Marketing Automation Automation Planning 100

The Point

MARCH 18, 2020

Most B2B marketers we talk to are continuing to plan, develop and execute campaigns and other initatives, for the time being at least. Provide (as many are) free versions of your product, or premium features, or extended licenses. Offer free information on how to cope, certainly.

Demand 243

Demand Demand Generation Agencies Top of Funnel Account Based Marketing 243

The Point

DECEMBER 5, 2023

(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.) Hi Sally”) is a band-aid at best, and may even increase spam complaints by branding your message immediately as a marketing email.

Deliverability 162

Deliverability Rules Purchase Marketing Automation Services 162

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

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

The Point

MAY 19, 2020

It wasn’t that long ago, when marketing automation first burst on the scene, that the height of lead nurture sophistication was the simple, automated sending of multiple, sequential emails. Today, advances in marketing technology make such “automation” seem laughably basic. How does your current lead nurturing.

Lead Nurturing 299

Lead Nurturing Class Budget Programs Lead Scoring 299

The Point

OCTOBER 25, 2016

We marketers may be many things, but few of us can be described as patient. And so when martech companies come along promising instant answers to all our marketing challenges, we’re all ears. Listen, marketing technology is great, and in the right circumstances can make a big difference. We want results, and we want them now.

Buy 100

Buy Telemarketing Top of Funnel Demand Generation 100

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

OCTOBER 10, 2013

His point (crudely distilled) is that while most of us believe that customers are buying our products and services, in fact what they’re really buying is more immediate and personal. Dave’s article was directed at salespeople, but he drives home an equally valid point for marketers. Like the ability to keep one’s job. Far from it.

Demand Generation Agencies 100

Demand Generation Agencies Lead Scoring Lead Ranking Personalization 100

The Point

JUNE 18, 2013

DC) Today’s buyers are more educated on markets, products, and competitors than ever. KnowledgeTree answers that challenge by helping sales teams discover the right marketing content at the right time. HS) Content has become the fuel for so much of marketing these days. HS) What problem does KnowledgeTree solve? (DC)

Salesforce.com 100

Salesforce.com Work Management Marketing Management Content 100

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: Where did the idea for Full Circle CRM’s product come from?

Marketing Automation Services 100

Marketing Automation Services Salesforce.com Campaigns Budget Programs 100

The Point

FEBRUARY 28, 2023

In uncertain economic times, Market Development Funds (MDF) can be a precious resource for channel partners (resellers, distributors, ISVs) looking for budget to fund sales and marketing activity. By some measures, that may add up to $15 billion of unspent marketing budget every year in the US alone.

Demand Generation Agencies 147

Demand Generation Agencies Advertising Agencies CMS Development Work Management 147

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

JANUARY 23, 2018

Many are competing in early stage markets and need to get in front of their competitors quickly before consolidation and attrition take their toll. Technology changes rapidly, and tech companies often have windows of opportunity to realize revenue from products or services before they become obsolete.

Sales Management 253

Sales Management Sales Qualified Leads Demand Generation Agencies Lead Scoring 253

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

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? Think about that for a moment. It doesn’t.

Paper 193

Paper Demand Generation Agencies Lead Scoring Lead Ranking 193

The Point

MARCH 18, 2011

Late last year at the Dreamforce conference in San Francisco I was fortunate enough to chat with Maria Pergolino , Marketing Director at Marketo (and renowned all-around Content Marketing Queen.) whether marketing automation can be a fit for small companies. • whether marketing automation can be a fit for small companies. •

Lead Nurturing 100

Lead Nurturing Conversion Marketo Demand Generation 100

The Point

SEPTEMBER 30, 2013

A prospective client asks: “We’re just getting our demand generation programs ramped up, and I’m not sure I’m ready for marketing automation. My answer: “It depends how you define “ lead nurturing ,” but technically: no, you don’t need marketing automation in order to nurture leads. Do I need it in order to do lead nurturing?”.

Lead Nurturing 100

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

The Point

NOVEMBER 29, 2017

Sometimes great people, a great product, or pure market demand can cover up all sorts of marketing sins, but more often the clients who succeed consistently at demand generation are those who have their act together. It seems almost quaint to suggest that B2B marketers should track success. If we only had ABM, you hear.

Demand Generation Agencies 182

Demand Generation Agencies Demand Generation Demand Generation 182

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

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

OCTOBER 26, 2010

Recently, Lauren Carlson of research site Software Advice wrote a very perceptive and timely piece entitled “ Tailwinds for Marketing Automation Software ” about the broader market trends that, in her view, are driving the increased adoption of marketing automation technology. which leads merit sales investment and which don’t.)

Marketing Automation Services 100

Marketing Automation Services Work Management Marketing Management Marketing Budget 100

The Point

FEBRUARY 4, 2011

On Focus.com , Craig Rosenberg asks: “What are the top benefits of adopting marketing automation?” My response: Based on our firm’s experience , the most common benefits of marketing automation are these: 1. Increased sales productivity due to better identification of sales-ready leads.

Marketing Automation 100

Marketing Automation Automation Bandwidth Cost per Lead 100

The Point

DECEMBER 21, 2018

Apparently (and this was all news to me), when a product is heavily advertised or advertised in an innately expensive way, consumers believe either 1) the quality of the product must be high, or 2) the company advertising has already persuaded lots of people to buy its product, presumably to justify the investment.

Advertising Agencies 113

Advertising Agencies Advertisements Advertising Paid Search Agency 113

The Point

JUNE 18, 2019

Sell the Offer, Not the Product. Don’t prattle on about how wonderful your product is, only for the offer to be an afterthought. As a busy marketer, you know …” Well if I already know, why do I care? Don’t start your email with a litany of facts or a lengthy commentary on market trends. Grab the Reader Early.

Creativity 164

Creativity B2B Webinar Metrics Email Marketing 164

The Point

JUNE 1, 2010

So where does this leave the B2B marketer? To learn more, I talked with Mark Talkington, a senior sales executive with Blockdot , a Spear Marketing Group partner and world-renowned digital studio specializing in Interactive Entertainment and Advergaming technologies. HS: What kind of companies are using games for marketing?

Advertising Agencies 100

Advertising Agencies Demand Generation Agencies B2B Marketing B2B 100

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. Remember: don’t ask people whether they need your product or offer. But what of the people who desperately need their widgets aligned but just don’t know they have the problem?

Email Marketing 100

Email Marketing Lead Generation Paid Search Agency Lead Scoring 100