B2B Lead Generation

DECEMBER 8, 2014

Tweet What’s the quickest, cheapest way to implement lead nurturing? I get that question frequently when I talk to marketers about lead nurturing. Lead nurturing is pretty easy to understand, but hard to execute when you have little time or budget. I thought I’d share my barest-bones lead nurturing strategy. I’ll do my best to resist the urge to elaborate. Volumes could be written about each bullet point. In fact, they have been. Step #1. Set up your nurturing database.

Lead Nurturing 251

Lead Nurturing Leads Lead Buyer Personas 251

Oracle

DECEMBER 8, 2014

Your marketing database is a veritable treasure trove of actionable insights – if you are willing to work strategically with your data. Mining for gold takes some elbow grease, but the returns can be massive. Here we look at five reasons why your business should be investing time and effort in mining your marketing database. Upsell opportunities - Deep analysis of your data allows you to identify new opportunities using the information you already have.

Work 215

Work Word of Mouth Efficiency Loyalty 215

Savanta

DECEMBER 11, 2014

You may have read my recent post about B2B Marketing’s 2014 Agency League Table (if not, take a peek here ). By now you may even have read the full report. In this post I’d like to share a few gems which you won’t find in either. I’ve been wading around in the raw data which underpins the League Table and in doing so have unearthed some benchmarks which agency leaders will find especially useful. Let’s look at the top line first. The average agency turnover is £4.08 million (up 13% from 2013).

Benchmark 204

Benchmark Agency B2B Cost 204

Biznology

DECEMBER 9, 2014

Building an enterprise website is a lot like building a cathedral: you need to start renovating before you’ve completed construction. Cathedrals historically have taken a hundred years to construct, enough time for even the best stone mason’s work to demand some repair. So, too, is your corporate, resource, journalistic, or ecommerce website.

SEO 172

SEO Search Engine PageRank SEM 172

Speaker: Matthew Hawk, President of B2bTrainers

The term “sales enablement” applies to a dizzying array of best practices and technologies. In addition, there is tremendous competitive pressure not to fall behind. No matter where you are in your current sales enablement strategy, one thing is key: success ultimately rides on the habits of your sales managers & marketers. In this webinar, Matthew Hawk will lay out an in-depth schematic for your next-level sales coaching, demonstrate the key activities that comprise success, and walk you through several examples of sales coaching cadences that apply to all salesforce sizes.

Sales

Crimson Marketing

DECEMBER 9, 2014

As Marketing has gained responsibility for what was traditionally the realm of Sales, corporate marketing solutions have become increasingly attentive to mid-funnel nurturing activities that occur close to the conversion point and can affect quarterly business results. While the ability to turn qualified leads into paying customers remains important, says Manny Kostas, CMO of security corporation Symantec, there is more to it than that.

Podcast 167

Podcast CMO Build Multi-Channel 167

The Forward Observer

DECEMBER 8, 2014

Would you like to know what''s ahead for B2B marketing? A look back at 2014 may provide some clues to what marketers can expect in 2015. 2014 saw more than a few new marketing trends established, and marketers had plenty of opportunities to learn both from their own mistakes and the publicized experiments, both successful and unsuccessful, of their peers. Looking forward to 2015, what are some of the things marketers can expect? Consumers will continue to be better informed than ever.

Word of Mouth 167

Word of Mouth Social Media B2B Comparison 167

The Point

DECEMBER 12, 2014

As most PPC advertisers already know, Google’s Quality Score measures what Google perceives to be the quality of your keyword ads. Every keyword in a campaign receives a quality score, ranked on a scale from 1-10, that, in combination with other factors – not all of which Google discloses – helps determine your cost per click (CPC), ad position, and other variables that contribute significantly to the success and cost-effectiveness of your PPC campaign.

Landing Page 164

Landing Page PPC Cost Per Click Best Practice 164

Biznology

DECEMBER 12, 2014

Most of the prospective clients we talk to are already engaged in some form of content marketing. That’s the good news. The bad news: most recognize that their efforts aren’t reaping the return they should be. The missing ingredient for most? A strategy and plan for implementing it. Ready, Fire, Aim, Or: “Strategy? What Strategy?”. It’s trite and it’s tired and it’s been said before, but if you don’t know what target you’re aiming for, you’ll never know if you’ve hit it.

Content Marketing 151

Content Marketing Strategy Multivariate Content 151

Oracle

DECEMBER 11, 2014

One of my most inspiring (and terrifying) advertising professors advised on a daily basis: “NO borrowed interest!” ” In other words, don’t cram an analogy somewhere it doesn’t fit just to be “creative.” ” In this case, I think he would be quite accepting of the TV show = data challenge correlation. Including what you can do to get it all in Prime Time). So, with a respectful nod to Dr. Ruben, here’s a list of some popular TV shows.

Strategy 204

Strategy Efficiency Field Aggregator 204

Advertiser: ZoomInfo

Every sales forecasting model has a different strength and predictability method. It’s recommended to test out which one is best for your team. This way, you’ll be able to further enhance – and optimize – your newly-developed pipeline. Your future sales forecast? Sunny skies (and success) are just ahead!

Forecast

B2B Marketing Traction

DECEMBER 12, 2014

A good marketing consultant delivers solutions, implementation and results. But sometimes we have to deliver some not-so-pleasant news to clients. Here are a few of the top “bad news” messages marketers have to deliver and how to present them as painlessly as possible. Your baby’s ugly. This is probably the number one most difficult message to convey to a client.

Consulting 150

Consulting Ethics Multi-Touch Validation 150

Crimson Marketing

DECEMBER 11, 2014

Predictive marketing technology is the latest, exciting new tool to help marketers maximize their marketing spend on advertising campaigns. . Predictive marketing technology runs on predictive analytics based on big data to give marketers a complete view of the marketing solutions that are actually working.

Analytics 150

Analytics Advertisement Advertising Correlation 150

Writing on the Web

DECEMBER 11, 2014

Does anyone read your business e-newsletter? How do you get your clients and prospects to open that email? In a previous post, I asked if you were sending a holiday newsletter for your business. Here are a few timeless tips to help you get your newsletter read. Grab Attention with a Compelling Subject Line and Headline. Remember that the singular purpose of a subject line is to get readers to open the mail. The purpose of the headline is to get people to start reading. That’s it.

Newsletter 150

Newsletter Tips Business Banner 150

KoMarketing Associates

DECEMBER 9, 2014

With 2014 practically in the rear-view mirror, I thought I’d take a look back at some of the more shocking content statistics from this past year. Consider the following: 93% of B2B marketers use content marketing ( Content Marketing Institute ). 82% of marketers who blog see a positive ROI for their inbound marketing ( HubSpot ). 70% of B2B marketers are creating more content than they did one year ago ( Content Marketing Institute ).

Curation 211

Curation Emarketing PR Content 211

Speaker: Christopher Ryan, Founder and CEO of Fusion Marketing Partners

Sales & Marketing departments that work together guarantee higher acquisition, better nurturing, and more effective sales. Join Christopher Ryan for this insightful webinar, presenting the wide funnel lead nurturing model. Don't miss out on this opportunity to get your teams working together and your revenue performance optimized.

Lead Nurturing

Biznology

DECEMBER 8, 2014

When you want above and beyond results from your sales team, you need to offer above and beyond compensation. One way to do that is by having contests. Contests are a great way to engage your sales team and provide the extra push for extra performance. Whether you’re in B2C or B2B, contests can be very effective because we are all consumers at heart, and we can all relate to the idea of winning something. Here’s how you can use contests to boost your sales enablement. Define your objectives.

Sales 142

Sales Business to Business Behavior B2C 142

Crimson Marketing

DECEMBER 12, 2014

Email marketing was once the staple of online marketing solutions, and it’s easy to see why. A study from ExactTarget found that when it comes to receiving permission-based marketing communications, 77% of consumers prefer email. While social media and other, newer marketing solutions are seen as the “sexy” new way to reach buyers, email remains strong. In fact, approximately half of an email list will be active, with recipients either opening or clicking on emails.

Email 149

Email Television Permission Open Rate 149

Marketing Craftmanship

DECEMBER 11, 2014

In 1958, Gilbert Morris – an account executive at the Fuller Smith & Ross ad agency – created the, “I don’t know who you are,” business-to-business advertisement for McGraw-Hill Publishing Co. that 41 years later, in 1999, was named the “Best Business-to-Business Ad of the 20th Century” by Advertising Age’s Business Marketing magazine. Quite an achievement. The iconic print display ad featured an executive in a bow tie hunched forward in a swivel chair, scowling into the camera.

Advertisement 125

Advertisement Advertising Aging Best 125

KoMarketing Associates

DECEMBER 11, 2014

FRIENDLY REMINDER : Gift-giving season has arrived. If you’re anything like me, you probably think there’s PLENTY of time left to finish up (or start) holiday shopping for those special people in your life. The reality is, there really isn’t all that much time left at all (sorry to burst your bubble). But, have no fear!

Content Marketing 207

Content Marketing Writing Content Paper 207

Speaker: Jay McBain, Principal Analyst – Channels, Partnerships & Ecosystems

We are in the middle of a major transformation of how companies go to market – in fact, 76% of global CEOs feel that their current business models will be unrecognizable in the next 3 years. Join Jay McBain from Forrester as he unpacks these future trends.

Forrester

Biznology

DECEMBER 10, 2014

Nowadays, everybody is talking about the “art of storytelling.” ” Sites like this of Burberry’s not only try to tell a personalized story to the visitor but also to make the time he spends with them better and fancier.

Mobile 141

Mobile Measurement Trigger Storytelling 141

ANNUITAS

DECEMBER 9, 2014

As the year draws to a close, I am looking back at content that has helped to make me a better marketer in 2014. I love a good list (how to anything or five ways to better… get me every time), relevant eBooks, webinars, videos and helpful blog posts keep me current and always learning new things. However, these are often things I seek out on my own. We know there is a marketing skills gap, so why isn’t there more of an organized, internal focus to provide marketers with better skills?

Gartner 174

Gartner Training CMO Class 174

B2B Marketing Traction

DECEMBER 10, 2014

Content marketing. Digital marketing. Inbound marketing. Outbound marketing. None of these will work if you don’t figure out the number one most important thing. In B2B marketing, what tactics you employ won’t matter if you don’t understand your target audience’s pain, speak to it and provide the right solution. Yes, pain is the key to marketing success. But it’s not enough just to know what the pain is and talk about your solution.

Tactics 115

Tactics Storytelling Validation Survey 115

Fathom

DECEMBER 10, 2014

Today, everyone has a smartphone. The video quality on these devices is stunning, and it grows every day. The ability to quickly shoot, edit, and post a video is all possible on most modern smartphones. Quoted in The New York Times , “71 % of mobile traffic will be video by 2016,” says Suraj Shetty, vice president for product marketing at Cisco. Before you start planning your own video production shoot, learn about the 9 biggest misconceptions about video production.

Product 114

Product Video Vertical Creative 114

Advertiser: ZoomInfo

Sales enablement is the strategic process of providing sales teams with the content, guidance, and mentorship needed to engage targeted buyers. It’s all about equipping sales professionals with the tools they need to put their best-selling foot forward. And if sales teams want to continuously sell better -- and faster -- their sales enablement process must have a game-winning strategy. It's time for you to start selling smarter - and hitting your sales number - with the best B2B database in the market. Get started today.

Sales

Biznology

DECEMBER 11, 2014

One of the most common questions executives ask as their organizations embrace internal social business platforms goes like this: I see the value and the potential behind it, but I don’t have time to use it or to learn all the complex functions behind it. How can I get started? This new blog posts series offers a number of tips and ideas for executives and leaders in general on how to be effective in their use of an internal social business platform, even with very limited time every day.

Profiling 128

Profiling Social Business Government 128

ANNUITAS

DECEMBER 11, 2014

I have been to many conferences and read many marketing articles about having marketing get a seat at the table. Of course this is in reference to CMOs being a part of the executive conversations that occur in the boardroom with the other members of the C-Suite…something that is not always accepted nor expected. I do believe that many CMOs are making great strides in advancing their leadership positions within their organizations.

CMO 163

CMO Leads Lead Forrester 163

Marketing Craftmanship

DECEMBER 11, 2014

The historical roots of journalism, now encompassing all mass media, were nurtured by its role as The Fourth Estate ; the independent public watchdog that keeps in check the three major democratic “estates” of power (in Britain the houses of Parliament, in America the three branches of government).

Pricing 109

Pricing Price Advertorial Brand 109

Marketing Insider Group

DECEMBER 10, 2014

Yep that’s right! It’s roundup time. Time to list our favorite stuff from 2014 so we can reflect on what we learned, what we found interesting, and what we shared. My favorite tool for finding the top content on a particular topic is BuzzSumo , who conveniently allow you to pull up a list of articles, infographics, videos and interviews from the past day, month, week or year.

Best 209

Best Content Marketing Content Storytelling 209

Speaker: Ruth Stevens, President of eMarketing Strategy

In a pandemic, it’s more important than ever to focus on retaining and expanding current customers. So, how can sales and marketing support the retention effort? Join Ruth Stevens as she dives into this fast-paced session and reviews the 7 key strategies for current customer marketing, to enable sales and expand customer value.

Customer