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Posts Tagged ‘marketing programs’
Monday, July 19th, 2010
 I often ask marketers to tell me about the integrated marketing campaigns they are running. Here are a few common responses:
- We’ve been running a Google Adwords campaign for the past 2 years.
- We’ve got a new PR campaign kicking off next week.
- Our print advertising campaign has been reduced to 3 insertions due to budge cuts.
These answers highlight a common misunderstanding of the word “campaign.” Is the “campaign” a singular tactic? Or, is it something more? Are there lots of campaigns, or only a few? When it comes to integrated marketing, there are strategic as well as tactical connotations concerning this key word. When the context of the word “campaign” is misunderstood, it can lead to some heartburn.
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Technorati Tags: Integrated Marketing, integrated marketing campaign planning, lead funnel, marcom mix, marketing automation, marketing blueprints, marketing programs
Tags: Integrated Marketing, integrated marketing campaign planning, lead funnel, marcom mix, marketing automation, marketing blueprints, marketing programs
Posted in Marketing | No Comments »
Thursday, May 13th, 2010
Conceptually, the theories of persona-building, positioning, and messaging are easy to understand. However, sometimes it’s helpful for a marketing team to critique a real example and then discuss the parallels to their own business. An example that everyone can easily relate to, and that is separate from the business you represent, is also an effective way to diffuse any emotion that may hinder folks from seeing the lessons associated with trying to execute a poor go-to-market strategy.
The following is a true story: the case of a better mousetrap. In 1955, an eager entrepreneur introduced a revolutionary new product that was destined to change the world of “rodent control”. In addition to producing leaflets, promoting through friends and family, this ad (click on the link below) ran in a variety of publications at the time.
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Technorati Tags: Integrated Marketing, marketing programs, personas, positioning, strategy
Tags: Integrated Marketing, marketing programs, personas, positioning, strategy
Posted in Marketing | No Comments »
Tuesday, October 20th, 2009
There’s no question that 2009 has been tough on Customer Advisory Board(CAB) programs and events. Many companies had little choice but to cancel or postpone their events this fall. But good news is on the horizon. The Dow has hit 10,000 and many expect signs of recovery to continue to blossom in 2010. Kicking off or rejuvinating your company’s CAB (or Customer Advisory Council – CAC) program is an excellent way to strengthen customer loyalty and ensure you are on the right (roadmap) track for 2010.
I’ve been facilitating CABs and other executive summits and offsites for more than 10 years. Here is a collection of articles that offer insights, tips, and best practices that will help optimize your program and build stronger executive relationships.
Technorati Tags: CAB, CABs, Customer Advisory Board, Customer Advisory Boards, Marketing, marketing programs, nurture programs
Tags: CAB, CABs, Customer Advisory Board, Customer Advisory Boards, Marketing, marketing programs, nurture programs
Posted in Customer Advisory Boards, Marketing | No Comments »
Monday, April 6th, 2009
 The key components of B2B demand generation programs include the audience/list, creative, messages and offer. While all of these are important, offers are the most critical element in driving response rates and conversions. For B2B audiences, educational content is king. Focus on delivering relevant information that helps the recipient address a business need. Here are some ideas to consider when selecting B2B offers for lead generation and nurture programs.
- Tie the offer to your prospects’ buying cycle. A simple buying cycle continuum is: awareness, interest, consideration, decision. Think about the content that is being delivered and the time commitment required by the prospect. A brand new prospect may be willing to watch a 3 minute video but not yet ready to invest an hour attending a webinar. Marketing automation tools can help you determine what stage your prospect is in and deploy an appropriate offer, such as:
* Awareness: best practices guides, research reports, books, white papers, short videos
* Interest: introductory webinars, case studies
* Consideration: feature comparison charts, web demos, ROI calculators, data sheets
* Decision: trials, introductory pricing
- Create relevant content based on buyer roles. Technical buyers, user buyers and financial buyers have different needs and perspectives. A data sheet or white paper works well for technical buyers, case studies for user buyers, and ROI calculators for financial buyers.
- Use personalized landing pages. According to Caslon & Co., PURLs (personalized URLs) can boost response rates by 100%-130%. Keep the landing page short (above the fold) with pre-filled form data, if possible. Reiterate the offer and key benefits on the landing page to drive conversions.
- Leverage the “thank you” page. Guide your prospects to another relevant offer by including the next call to action on the thank you page, or in a confirmation email.
- Re-purpose content. Get the most out of the content you generate. For example, you can conduct a survey and offer the published report of findings to participants (generating new leads). Use the report as an offer on your website or in ads. Post key findings in your corporate blog and create a webinar to showcase the results.
- Test, test, test. Test the offers along with the other key program components (audience, messages and creative) to continually optimize your marketing mix elements and boost your response and conversion rates.
As with any marketing program, focus on building a long-term relationship with your prospects and customers. By delivering relevant and timely educational content, your organization will become a resource buyers can turn to for information and solutions to their business needs.
Technorati Tags: B2B lead generation, B2B offers, buying cycle, demand generation, marketing automation, marketing programs, nurture programs, PURLs
Tags: B2B lead generation, B2B offers, buying cycle, demand generation, marketing automation, marketing programs, nurture programs, PURLs
Posted in Marketing | No Comments »
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