Lenny's Newsletter

SEPTEMBER 5, 2023

Each week I tackle reader questions about building product, driving growth, and accelerating your career. A surprising number of founders found their early customers by putting out compelling content online and first building a following. No one wants to pay attention to you if you’re there just to pitch your product.

Ideal Customer Profiles 112

Ideal Customer Profiles CPO B2B Startups 112

accelerate agency

APRIL 12, 2023

To achieve this, it’s vital to understand who your potential customers are, where to find them, and how to engage with them in a way that works. There are a number of elements of the SaaS business model that are quite specific, so the marketing mix you use to promote your product needs to be tailored to fit. Firstly, it’s intangible.

Marketing Budget 52

Marketing Budget Paid Content Work Management Paid Search Agency 52

accelerate agency

OCTOBER 21, 2020

One which can help you with what is often the tough job of selling your service to prospective customers. You don’t have a physical, tangible product, after all, to show off and promote. Either way, these SaaS marketing strategy gems can help you win over new customers. Limit customer choice. Generate more site traffic.

Paid Content 81

Paid Content Marketing Budget Work Management Paid Search Agency 81

DAGMAR Marketing

NOVEMBER 29, 2019

The concept of LSM—localized social marketing—has been around for awhile, but an interesting study was recently released that’s causing a bit of a buzz. For a small business, it means making sure you are everywhere your customers are searching online. Word-of-mouth is more powerful than ever, thanks to social media.

Paid Content 85

Paid Content Small Business Marketing Social Media Social Marketing 85

Hinge Marketing

MAY 20, 2019

In traditional services marketing, a firm goes out into the world and steadily builds awareness and trust —through networking, public speaking and word of mouth referrals. For most firms, blogging is the easiest and most productive way to get started. For the ultimate credibility boost, publish an in-depth study of a topic.

Planning 92

Planning Marketing Plans Service Content Marketing 92

Convince & Convert

JULY 31, 2012

These include publishing a Web site; creating news stories; initiating social media efforts; developing advertisements for print, broadcast, interactive, and/or search; and creating content and publicly available newsletters. Is word of mouth positive or negative? Which products or services compete directly against your own?

Word of Mouth 115

Word of Mouth Social Media Broadcasting Pricing 115

Hubspot

MAY 24, 2017

But the rules surrounding content production as well as our understanding of it as marketers has changed. These types of media are not only controlled in terms of production, they're also controlled in terms of distribution, because much of it is "gated". It's a win-win situation, as brands greatly benefit from the buzz.

User-Generated Content 78

User-Generated Content Marketing & Strategy Marketing Strategy Marketing Budget 78

markempa

APRIL 19, 2007

» Lead Generation via Podcasts: An Interview With Paul Dunay Did you know that podcasting can help you generate more leads and nurture future customers? Paul also writes the insightful Buzz Marketing for Technology Blog. Paul also writes the insightful Buzz Marketing for Technology Blog.

Lead Generation 120

Lead Generation Generation B2B Thought Leadership Leads 120

Hubspot

MARCH 12, 2014

South by Southwest feels like the party of the year, especially when you’re thousands of miles away watching your news feed overflow with non-stop SXSW buzz. Scott Porad , VP of Product Development at Rover.com, said "I saw a lot of brands doing large, expensive activations, and thought. I dare you not to laugh.

Word of Mouth 28

Word of Mouth Viral Marketing Conference Buzz 28

Convince & Convert

SEPTEMBER 7, 2010

His “Pull and Stay&# advice; segmenting customers into barrels; platforming; social currency, and other concepts are instantly applicable to real world marketing challenges fitting a wide variety of circumstances. As a business owner your goal needs to be having no gap at all, optimizing every point of contact with your customer.&#

Social Media 115

Social Media Media Paid Search Agency Peer-to-peer 115

Hinge Marketing

MARCH 14, 2016

In traditional services marketing, a firm goes out into the world and steadily builds awareness and trust —through networking, public speaking and word of mouth referrals. For most firms, blogging is the easiest and most productive way to get started. We do so to generate valuable buzz and inbound links.

Planning 48

Planning Marketing Plans Service Content Marketing 48

Convince & Convert

JULY 26, 2010

“I can publish search engine optimized pitches for free, really?&# Let’s say you’re a small business owner who wants your brand to appear in Google when someone searches for your product or service in your area. It’s not just distribution, it’s self publishing. Why Am I sharing This?

Social Media 115

Social Media SEO Marketing Websites PR 115

markempa

JUNE 28, 2007

Guys writes, “The backbone of traditional marketing has long been the 4Ps: product, pricing, placement and promotion. To turn these leads into customers, marketing and sales teams must have dedicated and collaborative lead management practices. Critical Success Factor #9 Effectiveness 8 Critical Success Factors for Lead Generation 2.0

Online Lead Generation 120

Online Lead Generation Lead Generation Work Management Marketing Management 120

markempa

OCTOBER 31, 2006

Mac writes, "When searching for leads for selling your products or services, you want to find those companies who have a problem for which you have the solution. Mac writes, "When searching for leads for selling your products or services, you want to find those companies who have a problem for which you have the solution.

Lead Generation 120

Lead Generation Lead Scoring Lead Ranking Generation 120

markempa

JUNE 8, 2005

This is especially important in generating postitive word of mouth (WOM) too. You’ll evolve from a vendor that is simply selling products and services to being an expert that is selling value. My point: Share your information freely and try to be a resource, otherwise your potential customers will find someone else who will.

Lead Generation 120

Lead Generation Budget Programs Word of Mouth B2B Thought Leadership 120

Convince & Convert

FEBRUARY 15, 2010

To best develop thriving, mutually beneficial relationships with your customers, think of your social communication and email communication programs as two rungs on a content ladder. Sure, social media is rooted in conversations, and listening to your customers and then responding on the social Web is a pillar of social media.

Social Media 114

Social Media Media Webinar Metrics Paid Search Agency 114

markempa

MARCH 21, 2006

« Lead generation and the number | Main | Reaching Decision Makers » Customer Referrals and Your Sales and Marketing Department For the complex sale you need enthusiastic referrals to help you build your reputation, differentiate yourself, demonstrate your value proposition, shorten your sales cycle, and drive revenue.

Lead Generation 120

Lead Generation B2B Sales Peer-to-peer Lead Scoring 120

markempa

APRIL 3, 2006

« Customer Referrals and Your Sales and Marketing Department | Main | Best Practices in Demand Generation » Reaching Decision Makers Reaching decision makers today seems harder than ever. Critical Success Factor #9 Effectiveness 8 Critical Success Factors for Lead Generation 2.0

Lead Generation 120

Lead Generation Generation B2B Thought Leadership Leads 120

markempa

JULY 16, 2007

from SalesFish Advertising just isnt very good at selling anything, except low cost commodity products. Jill Konrath: Selling to Big Companies Jill Konrath: SNAP Selling: Speed Up Sales and Win More Business with Todays Frazzled Customers Josiane Chriqui Feigon: Smart Selling on the Phone and Online: Inside Sales That Gets Results Michael W.

Lead Generation 120

Lead Generation Work Management Marketing Management Search Marketing 120

Hubspot

SEPTEMBER 19, 2016

You see, when a friend or family member recommends a product, you’re more likely to take their endorsement seriously. When we see a line of customers waiting to eat at a restaurant or a photo of a celebrity drinking a certain brand of coffee, it lends an air of gravitas and quality to the product, doesn't it?

Examples 28

Examples Press User-Generated Content Ideal Customer Profiles 28

markempa

MAY 21, 2007

Build an ideal customer profile – Focus your energy on leads that best fit your ideal customer profile. Both the companies and the individuals you covet as customers. What separates your best and worst customers? Talk to your best customers – How much do you really know about your customers?

Lead Generation 120

Lead Generation Ideal Customer Profiles B2B Sales Sales Qualified Leads 120

markempa

MAY 9, 2006

« Personal lead generation tools | Main | Podcast: The Innovative Marketer » Why CEOs Must Be Actively Involved in Lead Generation Jeff Thull, author of Mastering the Complex Sale , recently published an article, " Sales and The CEO ," that puts CEOs at the head of the sales department.

Lead Generation 120

Lead Generation Ideal Customer Profiles Activities Marketing Qualified Leads 120

Online Marketing Institute

MAY 27, 2009

No doubt, most of the gadgets and gewgaws of social network media so aglow with buzz today will ultimately rest in the well-populated graveyard of overfunded PowerPoint presentations. Name (required) Mail (will not be published) (required) Website Comment FACEBOOK TWITTER RSS PRIVACY LEGAL Copyright ©2009 GyroHSR.

Peer-to-peer 40

Peer-to-peer B to B RSS Word of Mouth 40

markempa

JUNE 7, 2005

A few years ago, I worked on a lead generation program with a client that launched a new product life cycle management (PLM) software product. The product was expected to have an average sale of $200,000. Their initial target database was comprised of 2000 product driven companies across 20 unique SIC codes.

Lead Generation 120

Lead Generation Marketing Budget SIC Budget Programs 120

markempa

MARCH 30, 2007

The goal is not to try to buy the biggest list possible, but instead build the most relevant list possible based your ideal customer profile. Once the in-house lists are collected and combined, they can be evaluated for compliance with your ideal customer profile (target market). Most of the time, I’ve found the answer is "no.”

Lead Generation 120

Lead Generation Ideal Customer Profiles Generation Lead Scoring 120

Single Grain

SEPTEMBER 23, 2019

It lets you control the sound and add special effects during post-production. Some of the best headphones for podcast production include Audio Technica ATH-M50x , Bose QuietComfort 35 Series 2 (QC35) and the Sony MDR 7506 : 6) Pop Filter. Here are some of the top podcast production services: Resonate Recordings. Podcast Motor.

Product 100

Product Word of Mouth Paid Search Agency Advertising Agencies 100

markempa

JANUARY 3, 2006

She wrote, "I just put your book in production! She wrote, "I just put your book in production! Critical Success Factor #9 Effectiveness 8 Critical Success Factors for Lead Generation 2.0 During the past month, Ive put all of my energy into getting my first book, Lead Generation for the Complex Sale , to the finish line.

Lead Generation 120

Lead Generation B2B Sales Lead Scoring Lead Ranking 120

markempa

FEBRUARY 28, 2007

There are more protections for tangible products but not many for service based business, which most companies are evolving to anyway. My skeptical coffee companion had a schotoma (blind spot) because his viewpoint came from a product driven, B2C, branding perspective. You cant even keep all of your people indefinitely.

Lead Generation 120

Lead Generation B2B Thought Leadership Generation Leads 120

Convince & Convert

AUGUST 10, 2010

Last week, I interviewed three men that are helping create an all-new field of marketing and customer service – the emerging discipline of influence mining. Raj Kadam is CEO of Viralheat , a social media listening platform (disclosure: I am a paid customer of Viralheat). Should companies treat customers differently?

Paid Content 134

Paid Content CRM Paid Search Agency Social Media 134

Hubspot

NOVEMBER 4, 2011

These pages provide a public home on Facebook for a business, and they allow businesses to publish content and receive comments and feedback from fans and customers. The page also uses a sidebar image to connect to a relevant and timely promotion and includes a custom tab to support its new free shipping program. Threadless.

Facebook 28

Facebook Best Practices Paid Search Agency Television marketing 28

Buzz Marketing for Technology

JULY 7, 2008

My advice - get people talking about the customer lifecycle from pre-consideration to post purchase. To me, this is why this isn’t a fad - but genuine change in the customer interaction model (user to user, user to brand and brand to user). I know once I publish I will think of other items, but already this is too long.

Social Media 100

Social Media Communities Wiki Work Management 100

Convince & Convert

MARCH 25, 2010

A new product launch. Swix also plans to publish its own API so that third-parties can push and pull Swix data into other applications. They’ve only been around approximately 8 weeks, and they already have thousands of customers. A write up on a blog. Trade show. New YouTube video that goes viral.

Social Media 117

Social Media Media Webinar Metrics Marketing & Strategy 117

markempa

JUNE 8, 2005

At the same time many do not understand their potential customers buying process. " Kristin Zhivagos book, Rivers of Revenue , has an excellent worksheet on how to map out the customers buying process for what she calls an intense scrutiny product (complex sale). Focus on the seller, instead of the customer.

Lead Generation 120

Lead Generation ROI Process Generation 120

EveryoneSocial

JANUARY 12, 2021

For brands looking to grow authentic relationships with customers, creating a brand ambassador program makes a lot of sense. People want recommendations from people they know and trust, and 74% of consumers identify word of mouth as a key influencer in their purchasing decision. Types of Brand Ambassador Programs.

Paid Search Agency 105

Paid Search Agency Companies Brand Identity Branding 105

markempa

APRIL 18, 2005

" Roughly 70% of final customer brand image and preference are determined through direct contact with a sales person. Kanazawa says: "It makes us more susceptible to product messages, because were designed to trust our friends." Critical Success Factor #9 Effectiveness 8 Critical Success Factors for Lead Generation 2.0

Lead Generation 120

Lead Generation Generation Lead Scoring Lead Ranking 120

Sprout Social

OCTOBER 4, 2022

Creating buzz and increasing impressions for your marketing team. Employee posts boost buzz around your business from trusted voices. Employee advocacy posts create a steady flow of digital word-of-mouth marketing from trusted voices. Boosting employee engagement for your HR team. Increasing earned media for your PR team.

Paid Content 78

Paid Content Budget Programs Brand Identity Branding 78

Convince & Convert

SEPTEMBER 20, 2010

This is because B2B has a smaller potential customer base, a higher average price point, and a customer decision funnel that is more influenced by word of mouth and reputation. In fact, social media can be MORE transformative for a B2B company than a B2C company. This is when it starts to be fun. Nicely said, Esteban.-=

Social Media 149

Social Media Media Webinar Metrics Marketing & Strategy 149