The Point

SEPTEMBER 12, 2019

As a tool to help companies execute and operationalize ABM, Spear Marketing Group developed the Opportunity-Based Marketing Framework, a proprietary model based on the SiriusDecisions Demand Unit Waterfall that works for both lead-based and account-based strategies. An Opportunity-Based Marketing Framework for #ABM Click To Tweet.

Account Based Marketing 170

Account Based Marketing ABM Planning Lead Ranking 170

The Point

JUNE 30, 2021

And so then the natural question is: what does it mean to “do” ABM, and where’s the best place to start? . Well, it matters only because many B2B marketers who haven’t yet stepped foot in the ABM waters are under pressure, from management or sales or both, to do so.

Account Based Marketing 162

Account Based Marketing ABM Planning Demand Generation Agencies 162

The Point

OCTOBER 8, 2020

Rather, it’s a question of being the company that the buyer finds, or thinks of first, when the relevant need occurs. You can quibble with the percentage, but, overall, she had a point. For more companies than not, marketing success is rarely about convincing a given individual, on a given day, to buy what it is you’re selling.

Demand Generation Agencies 173

Demand Generation Agencies Paid Search Agency Advertising Agencies Marketing Agencies 1 173

The Point

JUNE 20, 2018

In the marketplace, this disparity between, on the one hand, the appeal of ABM as a marketing strategy, and, on the other, the resources required to make it work, creates a conundrum for those companies eager to give ABM a try but unwilling to make the investment required as a first step. Can you shortcut #ABM and still make it work?

Account Based Marketing 168

Account Based Marketing ABM Multi-Channel Cost per Lead 168

The Point

MAY 9, 2017

This creates more disparate data silos, stress on IT departments, and robs more time from already over-worked marketing staff. These are foundational brand strategy questions that are key to build credible, relevant ABM messaging. We need to step back for a moment and ask ourselves: what is ABM in the first place? HS) Thanks Steve!

Account Based Marketing 206

Account Based Marketing ABM Marketing Automation Services Lead Ranking 206

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. The real answer to that question, I would argue, is more nuanced. More broadly, it’s not that demand generation has stopped working.

Demand Generation Agencies 140

Demand Generation Agencies Demand Generation Account Based Marketing ABM 140

The Point

JANUARY 21, 2020

This question comes up all the time in client work, and not just with Marketo customers. A client asks: “Should we be hosting our campaign landing pages in Marketo? We’ve always hosted them on our main site and simply embedded Marketo forms. Is there a big advantage to hosting them separately?”. Effectiveness.

Landing Pages 147

Landing Pages Industry CMS Marketing Automation Services Marketo 147

The Point

JUNE 7, 2017

It’s an old trick, but it works because it makes the email stand out in my inbox. That immediately prompts the question: what do these competitors know that I don’t? Here are the 5 key techniques and principles that make this email rise above the rest: 1. The subject line references both my name and my company’s name.

Best Practices 145

Best Practices Lead Ranking Sales Qualified Leads Account Based Marketing 145

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. And … repeat.

Account Based Marketing 100

Account Based Marketing ABM Advertising Agencies Paid Search Agency 100

The Point

JUNE 5, 2018

HJS: You report that only 41% of companies reported marketing and sales working from a common strategy and plan. It begs the question, “How can this still be the case?” There’s is a ton of underlying work that must be in place first. Why do you think sales and marketing alignment is a persistent issue? LDW: Stunning, right?

Lead Ranking 194

Lead Ranking Forrester Lead Scoring Paid Search Agency 194

The Point

MARCH 7, 2019

What’s working? DGR) Any additional thoughts to note that weren’t covered in the questions above? (HS) Retargeting (for example, to reach email recipients who click but don’t convert) is another effective approach. DGR) Can you share any best practices or recommendations for marketers looking to augment their email strategies?

Deliverability 150

Deliverability Account Based Marketing ABM Demand Generation Agencies 150

The Point

MAY 30, 2014

Melnick posits his question largely on the basis of IDC research that shows the rate of growth in digital marketing spend amongst technology companies significantly outpacing the equivalent growth of digital marketing as a percentage of agency revenue. . • Hint: Maybe Not)”. Redefining what makes great creative.

Demand Generation Agencies 100

Demand Generation Agencies Paid Search Agency Advertising Agencies Ad Agencies 100

The Point

JULY 20, 2018

Just avoid the temptation to add so much new information that you create questions or objections. * Keep the form above the fold, and short. You still have work to do, and the landing page needs to close the deal. Sell the offer, not the product.

Landing Pages 113

Landing Pages Paid Search Agency Ads Cost Per Click 113

The Point

JUNE 20, 2011

Lists works well here (e.g. Have that person answer 3-4 questions via email but present it as an interview. question you’ve heard from a customer or potential customer, or a question you see online (good online sources for questions are LinkedIn , Focus.com , and Quora.) What do you predict as trends to come?

Webcast 100

Webcast Opinions Thought Leadership Paper 100

The Point

AUGUST 9, 2012

My response: To best answer the question, let’s discuss what lead filters are and how they work. Another type of filter generally not worth the expense is the custom qualifying question. A client asks: “I know I can filter our Pay-Per-Lead ( content syndication ) leads on geography and company size.

Cost per Lead 100

Cost per Lead Sales Qualified Leads CPL Campaigns 100

The Point

APRIL 29, 2011

In an email like this one, sub-heads serve to break up the content, but they also work to grab the reader if he/she scans the copy at a glance. The body copy opens with a litany of Yes/No questions: “Are your email campaigns hindered by scare time and resources?” Here, they’re just topics, and fall flat.

Email Campaigns 100

Email Campaigns Campaigns Bandwidth Fulfillment 100

The Point

JANUARY 19, 2011

In part 2 of my podcast with Steve Farnsworth of Jolt Social Media, we discuss the shift from outbound to inbound marketing: what works and why. what questions to ask in developing an effective demand gen strategy. In under 10 minutes, you’ll learn: • the most effective demand generation vehicles in today’s digital environment.

Inbound Marketing 100

Inbound Marketing Paid Search Agency Demand Generation Companies 100

The Point

AUGUST 22, 2014

For those of us who work in and around the technology every day, it can seem like marketing automation is already pervasive. Which begs the question: is marketing automation right for every company? Industry data tells us something different. Even at mid-size companies ($20 Million – $500 Million), the figure is only 10 percent.

Marketing Automation Services 100

Marketing Automation Services Paid Search Agency Marketing Automation Advertising Agencies 100

The Point

JANUARY 24, 2013

By asking the right questions, you’ll not only uncover additional opportunities for improvement, but the information will play a key role in defining critical issues of workflow – for example: segmentation, frequency, and offer strategy. Here are the top 5 questions to ask about your current lead management process: 1.

Lead Management 100

Lead Management Process Work Management Sales Qualified Leads 100

The Point

SEPTEMBER 12, 2013

But action verbs (Download, Register) often work well also. Avoid beginning your email with a yes/no question unless it serves to sell the offer and highlight what the reader will learn, i.e. “Did you know…?” Asking yes/no questions puts the onus on the reader to decide whether he/she should read further.

Email Campaigns 100

Email Campaigns Campaigns B2B Copywriting 100

The Point

JULY 1, 2013

Ask your media partner if they’ll filter on job function (some won’t, some will but at a steep price) or consider a custom qualifying question (ex: “Do you have purchase authority for marketing intelligence at your company?”) ”) and filter on that.

Demand Generation 100

Demand Generation Paper Sales Qualified Leads Content 100

The Point

MAY 18, 2011

To answer these questions, I sat down recently with messaging expert Michael Cannon to get his insight on how companies can improve results from programs like inbound marketing, demand generation, and lead nurturing by creating more effective marketing content. It answers the buyer’s most important buying questions, like: 1.

Demand Generation Agencies 100

Demand Generation Agencies Conversion Paid Search Agency Deliverability 100

The Point

DECEMBER 14, 2010

the type of content that’s working best to generate quality leads. * the first question to ask when deciding which content to use for lead gen. * Steve and I share insights and opinions on how B2B marketers can develop, source, and leverage content to generate and nurture leads more effectively.

Lead Generation 100

Lead Generation Generation Leads Lead 100

The Point

MARCH 3, 2015

Our firm works with dozens of marketing automation customers, for whom our technical team is intimately involved “under the hood” as it were, but few if any of those clients are interested in surrendering complete management of the software to us. But even then, the question rarely comes up.

Marketing Automation Services 100

Marketing Automation Services Enterprise Management Paid Search Agency Advertising Agencies 100

The Point

SEPTEMBER 6, 2011

After interviewing a number of firms, they hired Spear Marketing Group , a Marketo solutions partner and a full-service agency known for its work in both demand generation and lead management. Next, iDirect sought out a partner to provide strategic counsel and advice on best practices.

Lead Nurturing 100

Lead Nurturing Lead Scoring Sales Qualified Leads Lead Ranking 100

The Point

JULY 18, 2014

For example, in answer to the question “During the past 12 months, how effectively have your content marketing efforts delivered business value?”. • And more still, I would guess, probably feel that their content campaigns are “working” (generating response, engagement, sales leads) but perhaps aren’t yet convinced of bottom line value.

Forrester 100

Forrester Work Management Content Marketing Demand Generation Agencies 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. At our firm we use Marketo , which works extremely well for us. Do you use a specific software for lead nurturing?

Marketing Automation Services 100

Marketing Automation Services Work Management Marketing Management Lead Nurturing 100

The Point

SEPTEMBER 19, 2012

When our agency works with open source, freemium, and cloud software companies we normally recommend those clients extend their lead nurturing programs to include at least one or two emails after the expiration date – say, a week later and then two weeks after that.

Telemarketing 100

Telemarketing Marketing Automation Services Lead Nurturing Work Management 100

The Point

MAY 8, 2012

Landing pages intended to serve as the back end for online ad campaigns typically require more copy because there’s still work to be done. This is a topic that comes up often in our agency’s work with technology clients. Simply put: the more you’re asking of the reader, the more information you need to provide.

Landing Pages 100

Landing Pages Microsite Terms and Conditions Paper 100

The Point

MARCH 18, 2014

I’m guessing the answer to these questions, in Phil’s case, is a big fat “no.” In my day-to-day work, I run into many clients whose salespeople purchase email lists en masse from the likes of Data.com and upload them into their CRM system. In fact, he concludes: “Stop sending batch email blasts. Stop buying lists.

Demand Generation Agencies 100

Demand Generation Agencies Advertising Agencies Marketo Demand Generation 100

The Point

NOVEMBER 9, 2010

I’ve praised Adobe’s marketing design before in this space, and the email below is yet another example of how a well-constructed brand standard can work equally well across multiple media. The phrase “best practices” is almost always a sure-fire winner, whether in subject lines or headlines.).

Webcast 100

Webcast Advertising Benchmark Email Campaigns Case Studies 100

The Point

NOVEMBER 15, 2010

Another is to utilize progressive profiling: asking incremental qualifying questions as part of the nurturing process. A tip: pose questions in a manner that implies the answer is a benefit to the reader, for example: “Help us send you more relevant information by identifying your primary areas of interest from the list below.”.

Lead Nurturing 100

Lead Nurturing Segmentation Sales Qualified Leads Campaigns 100

The Point

DECEMBER 6, 2010

How to Answer a Question: 5 Tips for Making the Most of LinkedIn. If not, you still have work to do. Help Our Client Choose a Logo (Poll). Getting the Most from Salesforce.com: A Conversation with David Taber. Blog Makeover Nets Sales Leads for Software Company. Would that person be motivated to read more?

Lead Gen 100

Lead Gen Webinar Metrics Salesforce.com Eloqua 100

The Point

APRIL 1, 2014

In our work developing lead nurturing programs for B2B companies , we often hear statements like the following: “We won’t be implementing lead nurturing for new leads because our telesales manager says his team is following up on every lead.”.

Lead Nurturing 100

Lead Nurturing Sales Qualified Leads Lead Ranking Lead Scoring 100

The Point

DECEMBER 17, 2010

B2B buyers cut their teeth as consumers and then bring buying preferences and skills to work. We learned from our B2C brethren that digital commerce requires a detailed understanding of the buyer’s questions from early problem exploration through to the final solution negotiation. The proliferation of Web 2.0

Marketing Automation Services 100

Marketing Automation Services Work Management Marketing Management B2B 100

The Point

JUNE 26, 2013

First, a question. These are guidelines, so by all means experiment to find the precise timing and intervals that work best for your audience. From a marketing perspective, does it matter if prospects actually attend Webinars once they register?

Webinar Metrics 100

Webinar Metrics B2B Thought Leadership Lead Nurturing Telemarketing 100

The Point

AUGUST 23, 2016

Heck, if the event proves to be a complete waste of time, you can just log out and continue work as usual. Key to convincing prospective attendees that your event can be – without question – the best possible use of their time, is to offer specific, concrete details. Be specific.

Peer-to-peer 60

Peer-to-peer Tips Webinar Metrics Account Based Marketing 60