22 Feb |
Cracking the Code for Channel Marketing |
Demand Generation Goals and Strategies for 2012 Understanding buyer psychology is perhaps the most perplexing challenge marketers face in today’s times. Opinions and perceptions are strongly influenced by what is seen and heard and believed to be true. It’s no wonder that OEMs, VARs and other channel marketers are constantly trying to find a formula that will help them communicate succinctly and in a personalized manner with their customers. Sometimes, the simplest way to “crack the code”, however, is to go back to the basics. We get so caught up in crafting “clever”
Read more...Published Date: 22 Feb 2012
Category: Channel Marketing, Demand Generation, Lead Generation, Lead Nurturing
Tags: buyer psychology, channel marketing, communication strategies, demand generation, demand generation goals
14 Feb |
Love Struck, Infatuated or Just in Awe of Social Media? |
It’s time to pursue a meaningful relationship… It was another red carpet night in tinsel town this past Sunday; the 2012 Grammy Awards at The Staples Center in LA were watched by music fans worldwide. Personally, although I did not watch the entire show, I could not help but think about how the glamour, gizmos and digitally created music of today did not even come close to the magic that Sir Paul McCartney stirred up. Sitting on a stool with a single microphone in front of him, a white suit minus any bling, a string and piano orchestra, and Eagles star, Joe Walsh to accompany him on
Read more...Published Date: 14 Feb 2012
Category: Demand Generation, Digital Marketing, Inbound Marketing, Lead Funnel, Lead Generation, Lead Qualification, Social Media
Tags: 2012 Grammy Awards, b2b marketing, B2B social media, Facebook, Paul McCartney, ROI from social media, social media peeves, Tweets, Twitter, Valentine’s Day
07 Feb |
Is Your LinkedIn Marketing Strategy Generating Business Leads or Just More Noise? |
How useful and effective is LinkedIn for B2B lead generation? I’ll begin by saying what I have seen in recent times—I see LinkedIn as being a good forum of exchange for B2B marketers. Unlike more “personal” channels like Facebook, executives come together on a “professional” platform offering opinions and industry perspectives using LinkedIn Answers. Some of the most exciting management positions are sought and offered on LinkedIn Jobs. B2B events are announced and promoted using LinkedIn Events. Company websites and blogs are promoted via LinkedIn profile pages of organizations
Read more...Published Date: 07 Feb 2012
Category: Demand Generation, Inbound Marketing, Lead Generation, Social Media
Tags: B2B lead generation, B2B marketers, LinkedIn, LinkedIn Answers, LinkedIn Events, LinkedIn Jobs, LinkedIn profile pages, social media channels
31 Jan |
Facebook: What have you done for me lately? |
As a B2B marketer your quest is primarily to find new, quality leads. You may have a mix of lead generation tactics and processes that have worked for you and some that didn’t. In recent times, you may have also tried Facebook marketing. Did it do something for you…by way of lead generation? I’ve been thinking a lot about social media and why it appears so exciting for marketers in general. So, does the leading social media channel, Facebook have B2B fans? I think it certainly does. Just like the star-struck fans of a Hollywood celebrity or pop star—fans that swoon at a
Read more...Published Date: 31 Jan 2012
Category: Lead Generation, Social Media
Tags: B2B lead generation, B2B marketers, engagement strategies, Facebook business pages, Facebook marketing, Facebook success story for B2B, monetize Facebook, social media channels, social media marketing, traditional sales and marketing
24 Jan |
Let’s Put Social Media in Its “Place”…Remember that it cannot “Replace” Sales |
At a recent business networking event, an excited senior executive was telling me all about his B2B organization’s brand new social media marketing strategy. I was curious to know what kind of results the company is expecting to see. With much enthusiasm and palpable optimism, the executive told me they were planning to increase market share by 20% over the last year. Not a bad target I thought, although I did not ask for details on numbers. Yet, when I probed further to ask what other sales and marketing initiatives were being put in place to achieve that goal the answer shocked, but
Read more...Published Date: 24 Jan 2012
Category: Sales Leads, Social Media
Tags: brand marketing, monetize social media initiatives, social media marketing, traditional sales and marketing
17 Jan |
Does Your Social Media Image Match Ground Realities…or is it up in the air? |
Big brands are quick to communicate their “brand promise” across marketing channels. With the rapid evolution and near total adoption of social media marketing, it is now much faster and easier to communicate with your stakeholders. What the big boys need to keep in mind, however, is that actions do speak louder than words. Your website, company blog, Facebook and Twitter pages can say great things about your commitment to quality, customer service, blah, blah, blah…but if your target audience does not see this reflected in actual experience with your brand then you have a problem
Read more...Published Date: 17 Jan 2012
Category: Digital Marketing, Social Media
Tags: brand image, brand marketing, customer service, Facebook, social media channels, social media marketing, social media networks, Twitter
10 Jan |
Automation Tools—Friend or Foe (or do you even know?) |
I’m not an avid shopper and I stay away from the malls as much as I can; most definitely during the holiday shopping frenzy. So it’s natural that I thought the crowds would have thinned somewhat now that everyone is back to work and school. I had not taken into account the fact that now is the time all the duplicate gifts are being exchanged, new ones are being purchased with the generous gift cards received and everything that does not work the way it should is being returned by dejected consumers who had pinned their hopes on to that most exciting gadget, electronic item or appliance.
Read more...Published Date: 10 Jan 2012
Category: Lead Generation, Sales Automation
Tags: automation consultant, automation tactics, automation tools, b2b marketing, email program, lead nurturing, sales and marketing automation
05 Jan |
Marketing Resolutions for 2012—Pick One, Many or All! |
The number of people who get stumped by the question, “What’s your New Year’s resolution?” is huge. The pressure is all around and breathing down our necks…what if you are asked the question and don’t have an answer. We have all done it at some point; made up an impromptu resolution rather than appear laid-back and non-ambitious in front of people we believe are important to us. The thing is, on a personal level, making up resolutions that you really have not thought about and don’t care to strive for may be okay. After all, you are accountable to yourself. At an
Read more...Published Date: 05 Jan 2012
Category: Lead Generation, Social Media
Tags: B2B lead generation, B2B marketer, inbound marketing, integrated marketing, leads, leads database, marketing resolutions, sales, sales and marketing, Social Media, telemarketing, teleprospecting
22 Dec |
LEADing Numbers: Holiday Edition |
Since we are in the midst of the holiday season, we found some holiday statistics to share with you. For those of you thinking – how is this relevant to B2B lead generation – successful lead generation does not exist in a vacuum. Knowing events and other factors that affect your prospects and customer base is an important part of building a successful lead generation campaign. I also challenge you to think about how you can use this information to incorporate into your playbook. 1. First, even though it is the holidays – keep blogging and posting outstanding
Read more...Published Date: 22 Dec 2011
Category: Demand Generation, Lead Generation, Sales Funnel, Sales Leads
Tags: holiday, Lead Generation, Social Media
20 Dec |
A Review of the Top B2B Lead Generation Posts of 2011 |
Looking back over 2011, first thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read my posts and join in the conversation and improving approaches to B2B lead generation. If you are new to the blog or a regular subscriber, I thought it would be helpful to summarize the top five B2B lead generation blog posts of 2011 based on total readership, starting with the most popular: 1. Why Aren’t Your Sales People Following Up on Leads Provided by Marketing? It’s true isn’t it? That’s a fairly common situation in the B2B market. When the numbers are down and falling short of target,
Read more...Published Date: 20 Dec 2011
Category: Account Mapping, Appointment Setting, Demand Generation, Digital Marketing, Lead Generation, Lead Management, Lead Nurturing, Leadership, Social Media
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