Read about how to reach top decision makers here …

http://bit.ly/IRIXKu

Dave Coyne

http://www.b2bcopywriter.net

History of Marketing Infographic

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Need More Help? Listen to How to Generate Content Ideas

Lead generation always seems to get the spotlight in B2B marketing, but what do you do with leads once they’re generated. Since sales cycles are often months long in business-to-business, lead nurturing is vital to keep your prospect engaged. 

In the most recent episode of The Multichannel Marketer, I discussed lead nurturing with Marketing Advocate’s Josh Medeiros, who specializes in developing lead nurturing plans. He pointed out that companies often develop a lead nurturing strategy from the wrong end.

“Many type of marketers I talk with are all about content. They’re all about campaigns. They say ‘I have to get my lead nurturing program going’,” said Medeiros. “But that’s not where you start. I honestly believe that you need to start right at the end of the whole process. You need to start with what does a lead look like for your organization. So you start with the end.

 ”You have to get your sales team involved so they can buy into this because ultimately you’re nurturing leads so you can make sales. …You need to say to the sales department, ‘Look, if you had the best case prospect, the one you’re going to sell to, what does this individual look like? What have they done on the website?’

I would even reference past successful sales that you’ve had. And look at the characteristics of those sales so we can successfully build a lead nurturing profile. That is key.”

In the podcast, I also talk with Josh about the importance of qualifying leads before they enter the lead-nurturing funnel. As well he explains using closed loop marketing to deliver a better return on investment. Listen to it here.

David Coyne
http://www.b2bcopywriter.net

There’s much debate among marketers as to whether you should require web visitors to register their email (or other contact info) to access content like white papers. The main advantage of an opt-in page is you can keep track of who’s accessing your marketing material. Web visitors may be interested in your product, but aren’t yet ready to buy. With his email address in your database, your prospect is kept in your marketing loop until he reaches the purchase point in the sales cycle.

The disadvantage of an opt-in page is fewer leads — people are increasingly protective about their email address. Even high quality prospects may decline your content offer if they have to give up contact information.

My own perception of the content marketing trend is for companies not  to require registration. But it doesn’t have to be exclusively one way or the other. Try these techniques for your content initiatives…

1) Mix it up: Provide some white papers, case studies and other content without requiring registration. See what results you get

 2) Offer a powerful incentive: For non-registration content, include incentive text and a hyperlink to your opt-in page at the end of the marketing document. Tell the reader she can access other valuable content by registering at your site — such as a more detailed report on the same topic. Marketing Sherpa publishes a lot of marketing industry reports for a fee, but often provides a free Executive Summary pdf of each topic — offering web visitors a small taste of the full meal deal.

3) Test Response. Try rotating your content from non-registered to registered. Do you get a higher response for some topics versus others? Do templates, demo software, or online tools get a better response than case studies or white papers? Monitoring the results over time can deliver valuable marketing intelligence on the type of content that appeals to prospects.

 4) Include text that encourages readers to send your content to their colleagues. Again, include an incentive for new readers to visit your site and register.

 5) Summarize your privacy policy. To ease prospects’ fears, place a brief description of your policy near your opt-in form. For example: “Privacy assured. We do not sell, rent or exchange your information with Third Parties.” Depending on your marketing goals, you may sweeten the policy with “We will not contact you by phone, unless you request a consultation.”  Also, remind visitors they can unsubscribe at anytime.

David Coyne
http://www.b2bcopywriter.net

Each episode is 20 to 30 minutes in length. My preference is for topics that appeal to the business-to-business sector, as this is my area of expertise. However, I won’t rule out guests who work in the business-to-consumer marketplace.

 If you’re comfortable being interviewed and are an expert in a marketing channel or technology, please send me an email. Put “Podcast” in the subject line. 

The CMI also published a list of the most popular marketing channels the B2B industry uses to distribute content.

The top five most common channels in 2011 were ...

1. Articles -79%
2. Social Media Marketing (excluding blogs) – 74%
3. Blogs – 65%
4. eNewsletters – 63%
5. Case Studies – 58%

I was surprised case studies weren’t closer to the top, but they did better than white papers, which lagged behind at number 9 (51%). CMI also noted that social media declined by 5% over the previous year.

If you struggle to find content ideas, listen to Episode 2 of The Multichannel Marketer.

Discussion points we talk about include…

•  Search engines and social media

• Do you need to use every social media site?

• Authenticity and social media

The podcast is 15 minutes.

David Coyne
http://www.b2bcopywriter.net