Lead Generation from Start to Finish: A Marketer’s Reference Guide
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© 2013 emedia | All Rights Reserved. » Web » eMail » Twitter » LinkedIn
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Lead Generation from Start to Finish: A Marketer’s Reference Guide
© 2013 emedia | All Rights Reserved. } Web } eMail } Twitter } LinkedIn
Overview
No statement is truer these days. If you offer a set of solutions for a particular business issue, you need to be able to educate prospects when they’re just researching the problem. You have an unparalleled opportunity to position yourself as a leading solution at the time they’re scrutinizing and judging their options. Furthermore, you need to be in position to differentiate yourself when prospects are in the decision stage.
You can even start educating prospects, and getting them to associate you as a solution, before they realize they even have an issue. This gives you a real head start over your competitors in the content marketing race.
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The most successful
lead generation
practitioners
make their offerings
available where
and when their content
consumers are looking.”
“
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Lead Generation from Start to Finish: A Marketer’s Reference Guide
© 2013 emedia | All Rights Reserved. } Web } eMail } Twitter } LinkedIn
The Lead Generation Content Plan Can Be Boiled Down to an Easy-to-Grasp ProcessIn its entirety, following emedia’s time-honed process will build a quality lead funnel – and drive your company’s sales machine – to put you light-years ahead of your competition.
How Does this Work?
} Create content for all major decision stages of the B2B buying process.
} Craft these into valuable offers for educating and enlightening prospects about the issue at hand, and then about potential solutions.
} Putyourfirms’contributionstothesolutionsetinto a favorable light.
} Then get this content, selected and customized for each stage, in front of decision makers when they are going through each of the stages.
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Are you interested in identifying the types of content you should
create for your prospects?
} Yes
} No
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Lead Generation from Start to Finish: A Marketer’s Reference Guide
© 2013 emedia | All Rights Reserved. } Web } eMail } Twitter } LinkedIn
How Do You Go to Market? What Types of Content Should You Create for Your Prospects?Start with a SurveyLet’s ask your prospects. Start with a survey to determine which content types are appropriate for your needs.
} To which forms of communication does your audience respond?
} Are the business issues addressed by, and does your audience expect, information represented graphically – multiple graphs, flowcharts,tables,etc?
} Would your prospects, given the issues at hand, put time into viewing video explanations or demos, or webinars?
} Would your customers put the time into using a trial version of your product as a short-term trial?
You may combine this line of inquiry with one focusing on respondents’ current desktop management situation, and familiarity/experience with the platform compatibility issue.
Combine this Survey Data with Practical Considerations} Is it advantageous to represent your solution visually, or, if not, can you tell a good story that supports an intangible sale?
(Video can do very well as collateral.)
} Is there any practical downside or restriction to putting a trial version of your product out there?
} Do you have the resources, and the organizational support, for collateral types you’re considering – a collateral set that will serve your audience at all steps of their decision process?
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Lead Generation from Start to Finish: A Marketer’s Reference Guide
© 2013 emedia | All Rights Reserved. } Web } eMail } Twitter } LinkedIn
The Process in ActionLet’s illustrate the process with a realistic example, using a typical horizontal B2Bsale.DexteroTechnologies,afictionaldesktopmanagementsolutionsvendor, markets to network managers and IT administrators across all industries. Clearly a dynamic space, its customers are busy, often harried, multi-taskers. Dextero customers are responsible for accommodating their internal clients, keeping them digitally secure, and managing their access to organization resources. Their own departments are staffed as lean as can be, yet they’re expected to be up on all relevant threats and opportunities, as well as solutions enabling action on any of these.
How Dextero Capitalized on Each of the Decision Stages of the B2B Buying ProcessIn the early days of desktop virtualization, not long ago, many IT managers were not clear on the problem of cross-platform compatibility. Tech-savvy as they are, these professionals were beginning to realize the promise of user-level virtualization, and consider it for upcoming budgets. Yet not all variables were on their radar. Dextero saw this issue early, and added a key compatibility component to its desktop management suite. The company faced an awareness-building need before being able to cultivate prospects into customers.
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Lead Generation from Start to Finish: A Marketer’s Reference Guide
© 2013 emedia | All Rights Reserved. } Web } eMail } Twitter } LinkedIn
The Decision Stages of the B2B Buying Processemedia has found that B2B decision makers undergo a multi-stage decision process, similar to that described by other thought leaders in the lead gen space. Our stages progress as follows:
Early in the Sales Cycle} Issue Existence/Initial Awareness – The decision maker may not yet be aware
of a looming issue affecting their industry, profession, or environment. More likely, thedecisionmakerissuperficiallyaware,butdoesnotyethaveenough information,anddoesnotyetfeelsufficientpain,loss,orinconvenience,to seek more knowledge or to consider solutions.
} Pain Awareness – The decision maker’s performance is hampered by the issue at hand, and is quite aware of it. The decision maker actively researches the causesofthisissue,itsramifications,andpotentialsolutions.
Later in the Sales Cycle} Assembling the Solution Set – The decision maker compiles and begins to organize options. This may include assembling
a budget at this point, and actively engaging superiors and other stakeholders to gather their awareness and opinions. Most significantB2Bsolutionsaremadebyagrouptoday,withinformationgatherers,domainspecialists,andoccasionallyclients/vendors playing roles.
} Evaluating Solution Options – The decision maker and his team considers and ranks each option, and ultimately selects one.
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Which decision stages of the buying process
interest you?
} Early Sales Cycle
} Late Sales Cycle
} Both
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Lead Generation from Start to Finish: A Marketer’s Reference Guide
© 2013 emedia | All Rights Reserved. } Web } eMail } Twitter } LinkedIn
Issue Existence/Initial AwarenessDextero’s SurveyDextero executed a research project with a two-fold purpose:
} The primary objective was to help it better understand its customers’ familiarity with the cross-platform compatibility issue, and to determine what form of communication they prefer.
} The company also planned to package the results into an original research paper and share with its market – increasing its stature as a thought leader and adding to its arsenal of lead generation offers.
Drawingfromasampleofover1500qualifiedrespondents,theresearchconfirmedsome of what Dextero knew, and revealed new insights too. Following analysis, the vendor formulated a plan for releasing content pieces, tailored by topic and by type, to its IT audience. Dextero assembled a set of high-level white papers to enlighten its audience, along with a calculator tool. To further inform audience segments in consideration mode, and to nurture prospects, Dextero created a one-hour webinar and a product trial offer.
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Lead Generation from Start to Finish: A Marketer’s Reference Guide
© 2013 emedia | All Rights Reserved. } Web } eMail } Twitter } LinkedIn
The Survey Research as CollateralDexteroalsocreatedcollateralspecificallywithissueawarenessobjectives.Asmentioned,Dexteroreleasedaresearchreportsummarizingthefindingsofitssurvey.Dexterotitledit“TheCross-PlatformCompatibilitySituation:AwarenessandResponseamongEnterpriseandSMEITDepartments–OriginalResearch.”Thispiecepresentedageneralexplanationofthecross-platformcompatibility issue, and then laid out the survey results. Desktop management users learned where they stood in terms of behavior, attitudes, and issue awareness, among other factors. Dextero did not share data on how to best communicate and nurture the audience.
IT Audiences Appreciate Practical Tools as CollateralDextero took the extra step to create a desktop management platform compatibility tool. This tool:
} Provides the IT professional a convenient overview of the compatibility features of each major user platform for desktop management implementations
} Enables the IT professional to calculate the hours likely needed to implement in the traditional way
} Broke new ground within its space and owed its existence to the company’s content survey
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bDextero Technologies
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Lead Generation from Start to Finish: A Marketer’s Reference Guide
© 2013 emedia | All Rights Reserved. } Web } eMail } Twitter } LinkedIn
Promoting the Survey, Research Paper, and Platform Compatibility ToolProactive Media Especially Useful in the Awareness Generation Stage
Dextero used a combination of promotional vehicles to place its early stage collateral in front of its audience. In addition to emailing to its house list of prospects, and circulation on social media channels, Dextero posted the survey research results paper on web-based lead gen properties and in email bulletins. In this early awareness-generation stage, it was critical to use proactive solutions, such as email, branded email bulletins reaching permission-based IT audiences, and social media.
The company made prospects and other constituents aware of its platform compatibility tool on these same channels, though the tool washostedonDextero’sownwebsiteandtrafficaccesseditviadirectlinks.(Withinaweekofthetool’srelease,Dextero’swebsitetrafficspikedover75%andcontinuedatanelevatedlevelformonths.)
For execution of the survey, Dextero relied on emedia’s email bulletins to carry it to its audiences of IT professionals and management. emedia’s Windows Desktop, Network Management, and SME Technology, as well as IT Security audiences, readily noticed the survey, as it was pushed to them using a solus (dedicated) email deployment – and because they anticipate receiving brandedemailbulletinsweekly.Asanincentive,DexteroraffledoffapairofiPad2stoqualifyingsurveysubmitters.
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© 2013 emedia | All Rights Reserved. } Web } eMail } Twitter } LinkedIn
Lead Generation from Start to Finish: A Marketer’s Reference Guide
Pain AwarenessWhite Papers Great for Generating Awareness and Framing the IssueDextero created an eight-page white paper, plus a single-page executive summary, tailored to the portion of the audience exploring desktop management implementations and facing the platform compatibility issue. Dextero titled this“FivePlatformCompatibilityEssentialsforYourDMEnvironment.”Targetreaders were either certain they needed desktop management to enable further efficiencieswithintheirenvironment,orwereconsideringit.
Furthermore, target readers had some awareness of the platform compatibility issue. But readers typically had a long way to go to understand how platform compatibility impacts their plans. Dextero designed its white paper to help its audience gain this fuller understanding.
With its survey, Dextero’s reinforced its conclusion that its audience preferred to absorb data, as well as to compare choices, using visual media, such as graphs and charts. So Dextero strategically placed a series of data descriptive visuals throughout the paper. Also mindful of audience time constraints, Dextero leaned toward bullet points and short paragraphs as the predominant paper elements. Finally, the company gave an overview of its solutions and capabilities at the end of the paper.
In the end, readers gained a fundamental understanding of the platform compatibility issue, potential solutions, and Dextero’s role in providing these solutions, as well as a general impression of Dextero as a solution provider.
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© 2013 emedia | All Rights Reserved. } Web } eMail } Twitter } LinkedIn
Lead Generation from Start to Finish: A Marketer’s Reference Guide
Promoting the White PaperValuable Synergies between Promotion via Proactive Media and on Web-based Lead Gen Properties
To promote the paper:
} Dexterocapitalizedonitshouselisttoplug“FivePlatformCompatibilityEssentials.”
} The company also made use of a select set of email bulletins and newsletters to bring the paper to its target IT audiences.
} Where possible, Dextero pushed this paper to earlier requestors of its research paper via the same email vehicle.
} The vendor placed the paper on web properties devoted to desktop management and related audiences, such as emedia’s Windows Pro Zone.
Dextero discovered that CPLs (cost-per-lead) are lowest, indicating greatest value, when it promoted a paper on a web-based lead generation property as well as on a proactive vehicle, such as within an email bulletin or newsletter, going to the same audience. There is a reinforcement effect, a synergy, between the two options. It also realized the incremental value of presenting paper #2 to audiences exposed to paper #1 via the same vehicles. The synergy between the static audience destination property and dynamic audience vehicle was again apparent with two sequential papers.
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© 2013 emedia | All Rights Reserved. } Web } eMail } Twitter } LinkedIn
Lead Generation from Start to Finish: A Marketer’s Reference Guide
Lessons for the B2B Marketer} Determine how your customers approach each of the decision stages. How do they gather information, how do they consume
content, and how do they involve others in making purchase decisions? What information do they require to make a decision?
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Lead Generation from Start to Finish: A Marketer’s Reference Guide
© 2013 emedia | All Rights Reserved. } Web } eMail } Twitter } LinkedIn
Lessons for the B2B Marketer} Determine how your customers approach each of the decision stages. How do they gather information, how do they consume
content, and how do they involve others in making purchase decisions? What information do they require to make a decision?
} Create appropriate content to help your audience (your market) understand the issue at hand, their solution set, and your role within it. What information will, more generally, help your audience understand the problem, and therefore help them create a decision set?
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Lead Generation from Start to Finish: A Marketer’s Reference Guide
© 2013 emedia | All Rights Reserved. } Web } eMail } Twitter } LinkedIn
Lessons for the B2B Marketer} Determine how your customers approach each of the decision stages. How do they gather information, how do they consume
content, and how do they involve others in making purchase decisions? What information do they require to make a decision?
} Create appropriate content to help your audience (your market) understand the issue at hand, their solution set, and your role within it. What information will, more generally, help your audience understand the problem, and therefore help them create a decision set?
} Position diverse content for each stage of the decision process, though there will be some overlap between the decision stages, and most content pieces can be referenced throughout the decision process. In doing so, you help position your company as a key thought leader, and therefore an authority, within your space.
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Lead Generation from Start to Finish: A Marketer’s Reference Guide
© 2013 emedia | All Rights Reserved. } Web } eMail } Twitter } LinkedIn
Lessons for the B2B Marketer} Determine how your customers approach each of the decision stages. How do they gather information, how do they consume
content, and how do they involve others in making purchase decisions? What information do they require to make a decision?
} Create appropriate content to help your audience (your market) understand the issue at hand, their solution set, and your role within it. What information will, more generally, help your audience understand the problem, and therefore help them create a decision set?
} Position diverse content for each stage of the decision process, though there will be some overlap between the decision stages, and most content pieces can be referenced throughout the decision process. In doing so, you help position your company as a key thought leader, and therefore an authority, within your space.
} Make your content available where and when your audience findsvalueinaccessingit,whileoptimizingyourbudget.Useacombination of proactive and static (hosted) media. Continue to test appropriate social media. Also, rely on low-risk Cost-per-Lead (CPL) agreements with media partners.
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© 2013 emedia | All Rights Reserved. » Web » eMail » Twitter » LinkedIn
} Information Technology
} Electronics
} Supply Chain/Logistics
} Occupational Health
}HumanResources
} Environmental Management
} Marketing/Sales • Project Management
} Corporate Finance/CFOs
} Packaging/Converting
} B2B Events
} Construction & Architects
} Manufacturing
} Professional Development
} Small Business
} Design Engineers
} Procurement
} Control Engineers
} Hospitality Management
} Printing
} Healthcare Technology
} Facilities Management…and more
About emediaemedia has specialized in B2B lead generation, white paper marketing, and building demand since 1999. We reach more than 3.5 million decision-makers across over 80 niche-oriented audiences within the following B2B areas:
emedia’s expertise and personal service permit effective implementation of Guaranteed Cost-per-Lead programs for our clients’ offersandcollateral.Orwecandrivehighlytargetedtraffictoclients’webpages.
emedia offers both proactive media (permission-based email bulletins to our audiences) and web-based lead gen properties ideal fordecisionmakersinresearchmode.Ourclientscapitalizeonthesynergiesofthesetwochannelstofilltheirleadpipelinesandnurturing systems. emedia can also help you create winning collateral selections for your lead generation campaigns. Contact emedia at 800-782-6167, 630-288-8480, or [email protected].
ACCELERATEDB2BLEADGENERATION–ONDEMAND www.emedia.com
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Lead Generation from Start to Finish: A Marketer’s Reference Guide
© 2013 emedia | All Rights Reserved. } Web } eMail } Twitter } LinkedIn
Promoting the White PaperValuable Synergies between Promotion via Proactive Media and on Web-based Lead Gen Properties
To promote the paper:
} Dexterocapitalizedonitshouselisttoplug“FivePlatformCompatibilityEssentials.”
} The company also made use of a select set of email bulletins and newsletters to bring the paper to its target IT audiences.
} Where possible, Dextero pushed this paper to earlier requestors of its research paper via the same email vehicle.
} The vendor placed the paper on web properties devoted to desktop management and related audiences, such as emedia’s Windows Pro Zone.
Dextero discovered that CPLs (cost-per-lead) are lowest, indicating greatest value, when it promoted a paper on a web-based lead generation property as well as on a proactive vehicle, such as within an email bulletin or newsletter, going to the same audience. There is a reinforcement effect, a synergy, between the two options. It also realized the incremental value of presenting paper #2 to audiences exposed to paper #1 via the same vehicles. The synergy between the static audience destination property and dynamic audience vehicle was again apparent with two sequential papers.
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Lead Generation from Start to Finish: A Marketer’s Reference Guide
© 2013 emedia | All Rights Reserved. } Web } eMail } Twitter } LinkedIn
Assembling the Solution SetWebinars Work Well with IT Teams in Research or Decision ModesFor audience members in serious consideration mode, and for anyone willing to put the time into more fully understanding platform compatibility, Dextero also created a live one-hour webinar:
} Led by Blake Mathews, a renowned writer, consultant, and thought leader within the space, the webinar consisted of 35 minutes of critical, impartial discussion of the issue and options facing the typical decision maker.
} The producers followed this with a 10-minute segment on Dextero’s capabilities, and where these stand among other options.
} Mathews then addressed a number of questions via phone, email, and text message, closing out the webinar with a link to the webinar slides/video.
Several hundred IT decision makers attended, and many more accessed the archived webinar over the following months. Members of Dextero’s core audience invited other team members to the webinar, or forwarded them the link to the webinar recording. The webinar piece proved especially useful in this regard; almost all IT solutions decision makers operated within a team, often consisting ofcolleaguesgatheringinformationandresearching,enduserrepresentativesandotherstakeholders,superiors,financialtypes,andothers. The webinar piece served as a unifying source of information supporting their decision steps.
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Lead Generation from Start to Finish: A Marketer’s Reference Guide
© 2013 emedia | All Rights Reserved. } Web } eMail } Twitter } LinkedIn
Promoting the WebinarMake Research Stage Offers Available Where Prospects Go
As a desktop management solutions provider, Dextero is accustomed to customers making purchase decisions on a team basis. Dexteropromoteditswebinar,“PlatformCompatibility101forDesktopManagementPrograms,”liketheotheroffers,acrossseveralchannels – email bulletins/newsletters, social media (LinkedIn Groups, Facebook pages for desktop management pros, Twitter feeds), specialty web properties, and direct email. This time the company placed a special emphasis on two tools in particular: targetedemailtoconsumersofthe“FivePlatformCompatibilityEssentials”whitepaperandweb-basedleadgenerationproperties.
Dextero sent emails to a nurtured segment of their house list, targeting especially those who downloaded its platform compatibility papers. Multiple contacts at each prospect organization were invited. A similar outreach was deployed via emedia’s nurturing tool, ReTouch.Inaddition,Dexteroplacedthepaperonavettedsetofwebproperties,specializinginresults-basedleadgeneration,created for desktop management audiences. emedia’s Windows Pro Zone site featured highly at this stage. Over time, web placement has done well for webinars; decision makers search for, and then attend, webinars when they are in a serious research or pre-decision mode. Furthermore, it is convenient for them to share links to webinars, hosted on lead gen sites, with colleagues.
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Lead Generation from Start to Finish: A Marketer’s Reference Guide
© 2013 emedia | All Rights Reserved. } Web } eMail } Twitter } LinkedIn
Evaluating Solution OptionsProduct Trials Ideal for Reassuring Purchase-Ready ProspectsFor a select subset of the small-medium business segment of their audience, Dextero offered a trial version of its desktop management solution, including the platform compatibility piece:
} The trial consists of the ability to deploy a limited version of the software within the user’s own environment for a predetermined term, generally ten days to two weeks.
} Enterprise-level prospects set up custom sandbox trials directly through account managers.
} Potential customers accessing the trial brought a relatively high level of interest and commitment, and were generally in a stage of purchase consideration and/or vendor assessment.
Much like the webinar, the Dextero product trial permitted multiple members of the decision team to become involved and experience how Dextero’s solutions eliminate platform compatibility issues. But the product trial offered something close to actual evidence – hands-on experience. It also displayed the ease of use and simplicity that Dextero wanted prospects to understand about its solutions.
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Lead Generation from Start to Finish: A Marketer’s Reference Guide
© 2013 emedia | All Rights Reserved. } Web } eMail } Twitter } LinkedIn
Promoting the Product TrialMarket Later-Stage Offers Where Prospects Accessed Awareness-Stage Collateral
Dextero designed its SME product trial for prospects well into the consideration stage. Prospects that attended the webinar, or thatdownloadedtherecordedwebinar,weredeemedtofitthisprofile,andDexteroreachedouttothemwithitsproducttrialoffer.A bit more expansively, the vendor posted it in emedia’s Windows Desktop and SME Technology email bulletins, after promoting platform compatibility papers and the webinar in them, so as to catch prospects that were exposed to each of the earlier offers. This promotionalcycletookaboutsixmonthsfromresearchpaper(thefirstone)throughproducttrial.
Inaddition,Dexteroenhanceditschancesofreachingdecisionmakersin“kicking-the-tires”modebystrategicallyplacingtheproducttrial on key industry web properties, including emedia’s Coding Insights, IT Security Watch, and Windows Pro Zone sites. Once again, this was placed well after earlier offers, especially the webinar, to catch prospects at point of peak interest.
Email Bulletins/Newsletters and Lead Generation-Focused Online Properties are Mutually ReinforcingCertain prospects respond better to proactive media, such as email bulletins/newsletters – media that reaches out to them. Others put more project time into their decision, and convert at higher rates, accessing later-stage offers on hosting sites. Most prospects access proactive media and visit lead generation sites, to differing degrees. It is critical to take advantage of both types of lead generation media to make the most of your campaigns.
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Lead Generation from Start to Finish: A Marketer’s Reference Guide
© 2013 emedia | All Rights Reserved. } Web } eMail } Twitter } LinkedIn
Lessons for the B2B Marketer} Determine how your customers approach each of the decision stages. How do they gather information, how do they consume
content, and how do they involve others in making purchase decisions? What information do they require to make a decision?
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Lead Generation from Start to Finish: A Marketer’s Reference Guide
© 2013 emedia | All Rights Reserved. } Web } eMail } Twitter } LinkedIn
Lessons for the B2B Marketer} Determine how your customers approach each of the decision stages. How do they gather information, how do they consume
content, and how do they involve others in making purchase decisions? What information do they require to make a decision?
} Create appropriate content to help your audience (your market) understand the issue at hand, their solution set, and your role within it. What information will, more generally, help your audience understand the problem, and therefore help them create a decision set?
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Lead Generation from Start to Finish: A Marketer’s Reference Guide
© 2013 emedia | All Rights Reserved. } Web } eMail } Twitter } LinkedIn
Lessons for the B2B Marketer} Determine how your customers approach each of the decision stages. How do they gather information, how do they consume
content, and how do they involve others in making purchase decisions? What information do they require to make a decision?
} Create appropriate content to help your audience (your market) understand the issue at hand, their solution set, and your role within it. What information will, more generally, help your audience understand the problem, and therefore help them create a decision set?
} Position diverse content for each stage of the decision process, though there will be some overlap between the decision stages, and most content pieces can be referenced throughout the decision process. In doing so, you help position your company as a key thought leader, and therefore an authority, within your space.
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Lead Generation from Start to Finish: A Marketer’s Reference Guide
© 2013 emedia | All Rights Reserved. } Web } eMail } Twitter } LinkedIn
Lessons for the B2B Marketer} Determine how your customers approach each of the decision stages. How do they gather information, how do they consume
content, and how do they involve others in making purchase decisions? What information do they require to make a decision?
} Create appropriate content to help your audience (your market) understand the issue at hand, their solution set, and your role within it. What information will, more generally, help your audience understand the problem, and therefore help them create a decision set?
} Position diverse content for each stage of the decision process, though there will be some overlap between the decision stages, and most content pieces can be referenced throughout the decision process. In doing so, you help position your company as a key thought leader, and therefore an authority, within your space.
} Make your content available where and when your audience findsvalueinaccessingit,whileoptimizingyourbudget.Useacombination of proactive and static (hosted) media. Continue to test appropriate social media. Also, rely on low-risk Cost-per-Lead (CPL) agreements with media partners.
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© 2013 emedia | All Rights Reserved. » Web » eMail » Twitter » LinkedIn
} Information Technology
} Electronics
} Supply Chain/Logistics
} Occupational Health
}HumanResources
} Environmental Management
} Marketing/Sales • Project Management
} Corporate Finance/CFOs
} Packaging/Converting
} B2B Events
} Construction & Architects
} Manufacturing
} Professional Development
} Small Business
} Design Engineers
} Procurement
} Control Engineers
} Hospitality Management
} Printing
} Healthcare Technology
} Facilities Management…and more
About emediaemedia has specialized in B2B lead generation, white paper marketing, and building demand since 1999. We reach more than 3.5 million decision-makers across over 80 niche-oriented audiences within the following B2B areas:
emedia’s expertise and personal service permit effective implementation of Guaranteed Cost-per-Lead programs for our clients’ offersandcollateral.Orwecandrivehighlytargetedtraffictoclients’webpages.
emedia offers both proactive media (permission-based email bulletins to our audiences) and web-based lead gen properties ideal fordecisionmakersinresearchmode.Ourclientscapitalizeonthesynergiesofthesetwochannelstofilltheirleadpipelinesandnurturing systems. emedia can also help you create winning collateral selections for your lead generation campaigns. Contact emedia at 800-782-6167, 630-288-8480, or [email protected].
ACCELERATEDB2BLEADGENERATION–ONDEMAND www.emedia.com
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Lead Generation from Start to Finish: A Marketer’s Reference Guide
© 2013 emedia | All Rights Reserved. } Web } eMail } Twitter } LinkedIn
Issue Existence/Initial AwarenessDextero’s SurveyDextero executed a research project with a two-fold purpose:
} The primary objective was to help it better understand its customers’ familiarity with the cross-platform compatibility issue, and to determine what form of communication they prefer.
} The company also planned to package the results into an original research paper and share with its market – increasing its stature as a thought leader and adding to its arsenal of lead generation offers.
Drawingfromasampleofover1500qualifiedrespondents,theresearchconfirmedsome of what Dextero knew, and revealed new insights too. Following analysis, the vendor formulated a plan for releasing content pieces, tailored by topic and by type, to its IT audience. Dextero assembled a set of high-level white papers to enlighten its audience, along with a calculator tool. To further inform audience segments in consideration mode, and to nurture prospects, Dextero created a one-hour webinar and a product trial offer.
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Lead Generation from Start to Finish: A Marketer’s Reference Guide
© 2013 emedia | All Rights Reserved. } Web } eMail } Twitter } LinkedIn
The Survey Research as CollateralDexteroalsocreatedcollateralspecificallywithissueawarenessobjectives.Asmentioned,Dexteroreleasedaresearchreportsummarizingthefindingsofitssurvey.Dexterotitledit“TheCross-PlatformCompatibilitySituation:AwarenessandResponseamongEnterpriseandSMEITDepartments–OriginalResearch.”Thispiecepresentedageneralexplanationofthecross-platformcompatibility issue, and then laid out the survey results. Desktop management users learned where they stood in terms of behavior, attitudes, and issue awareness, among other factors. Dextero did not share data on how to best communicate and nurture the audience.
IT Audiences Appreciate Practical Tools as CollateralDextero took the extra step to create a desktop management platform compatibility tool. This tool:
} Provides the IT professional a convenient overview of the compatibility features of each major user platform for desktop management implementations
} Enables the IT professional to calculate the hours likely needed to implement in the traditional way
} Broke new ground within its space and owed its existence to the company’s content survey
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Lead Generation from Start to Finish: A Marketer’s Reference Guide
© 2013 emedia | All Rights Reserved. } Web } eMail } Twitter } LinkedIn
Promoting the Survey, Research Paper, and Platform Compatibility ToolProactive Media Especially Useful in the Awareness Generation Stage
Dextero used a combination of promotional vehicles to place its early stage collateral in front of its audience. In addition to emailing to its house list of prospects, and circulation on social media channels, Dextero posted the survey research results paper on web-based lead gen properties and in email bulletins. In this early awareness-generation stage, it was critical to use proactive solutions, such as email, branded email bulletins reaching permission-based IT audiences, and social media.
The company made prospects and other constituents aware of its platform compatibility tool on these same channels, though the tool washostedonDextero’sownwebsiteandtrafficaccesseditviadirectlinks.(Withinaweekofthetool’srelease,Dextero’swebsitetrafficspikedover75%andcontinuedatanelevatedlevelformonths.)
For execution of the survey, Dextero relied on emedia’s email bulletins to carry it to its audiences of IT professionals and management. emedia’s Windows Desktop, Network Management, and SME Technology, as well as IT Security audiences, readily noticed the survey, as it was pushed to them using a solus (dedicated) email deployment – and because they anticipate receiving brandedemailbulletinsweekly.Asanincentive,DexteroraffledoffapairofiPad2stoqualifyingsurveysubmitters.
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© 2013 emedia | All Rights Reserved. } Web } eMail } Twitter } LinkedIn
Lead Generation from Start to Finish: A Marketer’s Reference Guide
Pain AwarenessWhite Papers Great for Generating Awareness and Framing the IssueDextero created an eight-page white paper, plus a single-page executive summary, tailored to the portion of the audience exploring desktop management implementations and facing the platform compatibility issue. Dextero titled this“FivePlatformCompatibilityEssentialsforYourDMEnvironment.”Targetreaders were either certain they needed desktop management to enable further efficiencieswithintheirenvironment,orwereconsideringit.
Furthermore, target readers had some awareness of the platform compatibility issue. But readers typically had a long way to go to understand how platform compatibility impacts their plans. Dextero designed its white paper to help its audience gain this fuller understanding.
With its survey, Dextero’s reinforced its conclusion that its audience preferred to absorb data, as well as to compare choices, using visual media, such as graphs and charts. So Dextero strategically placed a series of data descriptive visuals throughout the paper. Also mindful of audience time constraints, Dextero leaned toward bullet points and short paragraphs as the predominant paper elements. Finally, the company gave an overview of its solutions and capabilities at the end of the paper.
In the end, readers gained a fundamental understanding of the platform compatibility issue, potential solutions, and Dextero’s role in providing these solutions, as well as a general impression of Dextero as a solution provider.
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Lead Generation from Start to Finish: A Marketer’s Reference Guide
© 2013 emedia | All Rights Reserved. } Web } eMail } Twitter } LinkedIn
Promoting the White PaperValuable Synergies between Promotion via Proactive Media and on Web-based Lead Gen Properties
To promote the paper:
} Dexterocapitalizedonitshouselisttoplug“FivePlatformCompatibilityEssentials.”
} The company also made use of a select set of email bulletins and newsletters to bring the paper to its target IT audiences.
} Where possible, Dextero pushed this paper to earlier requestors of its research paper via the same email vehicle.
} The vendor placed the paper on web properties devoted to desktop management and related audiences, such as emedia’s Windows Pro Zone.
Dextero discovered that CPLs (cost-per-lead) are lowest, indicating greatest value, when it promoted a paper on a web-based lead generation property as well as on a proactive vehicle, such as within an email bulletin or newsletter, going to the same audience. There is a reinforcement effect, a synergy, between the two options. It also realized the incremental value of presenting paper #2 to audiences exposed to paper #1 via the same vehicles. The synergy between the static audience destination property and dynamic audience vehicle was again apparent with two sequential papers.
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Lead Generation from Start to Finish: A Marketer’s Reference Guide
© 2013 emedia | All Rights Reserved. } Web } eMail } Twitter } LinkedIn
Assembling the Solution SetWebinars Work Well with IT Teams in Research or Decision ModesFor audience members in serious consideration mode, and for anyone willing to put the time into more fully understanding platform compatibility, Dextero also created a live one-hour webinar:
} Led by Blake Mathews, a renowned writer, consultant, and thought leader within the space, the webinar consisted of 35 minutes of critical, impartial discussion of the issue and options facing the typical decision maker.
} The producers followed this with a 10-minute segment on Dextero’s capabilities, and where these stand among other options.
} Mathews then addressed a number of questions via phone, email, and text message, closing out the webinar with a link to the webinar slides/video.
Several hundred IT decision makers attended, and many more accessed the archived webinar over the following months. Members of Dextero’s core audience invited other team members to the webinar, or forwarded them the link to the webinar recording. The webinar piece proved especially useful in this regard; almost all IT solutions decision makers operated within a team, often consisting ofcolleaguesgatheringinformationandresearching,enduserrepresentativesandotherstakeholders,superiors,financialtypes,andothers. The webinar piece served as a unifying source of information supporting their decision steps.
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Lead Generation from Start to Finish: A Marketer’s Reference Guide
© 2013 emedia | All Rights Reserved. } Web } eMail } Twitter } LinkedIn
Promoting the WebinarMake Research Stage Offers Available Where Prospects Go
As a desktop management solutions provider, Dextero is accustomed to customers making purchase decisions on a team basis. Dexteropromoteditswebinar,“PlatformCompatibility101forDesktopManagementPrograms,”liketheotheroffers,acrossseveralchannels – email bulletins/newsletters, social media (LinkedIn Groups, Facebook pages for desktop management pros, Twitter feeds), specialty web properties, and direct email. This time the company placed a special emphasis on two tools in particular: targetedemailtoconsumersofthe“FivePlatformCompatibilityEssentials”whitepaperandweb-basedleadgenerationproperties.
Dextero sent emails to a nurtured segment of their house list, targeting especially those who downloaded its platform compatibility papers. Multiple contacts at each prospect organization were invited. A similar outreach was deployed via emedia’s nurturing tool, ReTouch.Inaddition,Dexteroplacedthepaperonavettedsetofwebproperties,specializinginresults-basedleadgeneration,created for desktop management audiences. emedia’s Windows Pro Zone site featured highly at this stage. Over time, web placement has done well for webinars; decision makers search for, and then attend, webinars when they are in a serious research or pre-decision mode. Furthermore, it is convenient for them to share links to webinars, hosted on lead gen sites, with colleagues.
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Lead Generation from Start to Finish: A Marketer’s Reference Guide
© 2013 emedia | All Rights Reserved. } Web } eMail } Twitter } LinkedIn
Evaluating Solution OptionsProduct Trials Ideal for Reassuring Purchase-Ready ProspectsFor a select subset of the small-medium business segment of their audience, Dextero offered a trial version of its desktop management solution, including the platform compatibility piece:
} The trial consists of the ability to deploy a limited version of the software within the user’s own environment for a predetermined term, generally ten days to two weeks.
} Enterprise-level prospects set up custom sandbox trials directly through account managers.
} Potential customers accessing the trial brought a relatively high level of interest and commitment, and were generally in a stage of purchase consideration and/or vendor assessment.
Much like the webinar, the Dextero product trial permitted multiple members of the decision team to become involved and experience how Dextero’s solutions eliminate platform compatibility issues. But the product trial offered something close to actual evidence – hands-on experience. It also displayed the ease of use and simplicity that Dextero wanted prospects to understand about its solutions.
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Lead Generation from Start to Finish: A Marketer’s Reference Guide
© 2013 emedia | All Rights Reserved. } Web } eMail } Twitter } LinkedIn
Promoting the Product TrialMarket Later-Stage Offers Where Prospects Accessed Awareness-Stage Collateral
Dextero designed its SME product trial for prospects well into the consideration stage. Prospects that attended the webinar, or thatdownloadedtherecordedwebinar,weredeemedtofitthisprofile,andDexteroreachedouttothemwithitsproducttrialoffer.A bit more expansively, the vendor posted it in emedia’s Windows Desktop and SME Technology email bulletins, after promoting platform compatibility papers and the webinar in them, so as to catch prospects that were exposed to each of the earlier offers. This promotionalcycletookaboutsixmonthsfromresearchpaper(thefirstone)throughproducttrial.
Inaddition,Dexteroenhanceditschancesofreachingdecisionmakersin“kicking-the-tires”modebystrategicallyplacingtheproducttrial on key industry web properties, including emedia’s Coding Insights, IT Security Watch, and Windows Pro Zone sites. Once again, this was placed well after earlier offers, especially the webinar, to catch prospects at point of peak interest.
Email Bulletins/Newsletters and Lead Generation-Focused Online Properties are Mutually ReinforcingCertain prospects respond better to proactive media, such as email bulletins/newsletters – media that reaches out to them. Others put more project time into their decision, and convert at higher rates, accessing later-stage offers on hosting sites. Most prospects access proactive media and visit lead generation sites, to differing degrees. It is critical to take advantage of both types of lead generation media to make the most of your campaigns.
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Lead Generation from Start to Finish: A Marketer’s Reference Guide
© 2013 emedia | All Rights Reserved. } Web } eMail } Twitter } LinkedIn
Lessons for the B2B Marketer} Determine how your customers approach each of the decision stages. How do they gather information, how do they consume
content, and how do they involve others in making purchase decisions? What information do they require to make a decision?
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Lead Generation from Start to Finish: A Marketer’s Reference Guide
© 2013 emedia | All Rights Reserved. } Web } eMail } Twitter } LinkedIn
Lessons for the B2B Marketer} Determine how your customers approach each of the decision stages. How do they gather information, how do they consume
content, and how do they involve others in making purchase decisions? What information do they require to make a decision?
} Create appropriate content to help your audience (your market) understand the issue at hand, their solution set, and your role within it. What information will, more generally, help your audience understand the problem, and therefore help them create a decision set?
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Lead Generation from Start to Finish: A Marketer’s Reference Guide
© 2013 emedia | All Rights Reserved. } Web } eMail } Twitter } LinkedIn
Lessons for the B2B Marketer} Determine how your customers approach each of the decision stages. How do they gather information, how do they consume
content, and how do they involve others in making purchase decisions? What information do they require to make a decision?
} Create appropriate content to help your audience (your market) understand the issue at hand, their solution set, and your role within it. What information will, more generally, help your audience understand the problem, and therefore help them create a decision set?
} Position diverse content for each stage of the decision process, though there will be some overlap between the decision stages, and most content pieces can be referenced throughout the decision process. In doing so, you help position your company as a key thought leader, and therefore an authority, within your space.
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Lead Generation from Start to Finish: A Marketer’s Reference Guide
© 2013 emedia | All Rights Reserved. } Web } eMail } Twitter } LinkedIn
Lessons for the B2B Marketer} Determine how your customers approach each of the decision stages. How do they gather information, how do they consume
content, and how do they involve others in making purchase decisions? What information do they require to make a decision?
} Create appropriate content to help your audience (your market) understand the issue at hand, their solution set, and your role within it. What information will, more generally, help your audience understand the problem, and therefore help them create a decision set?
} Position diverse content for each stage of the decision process, though there will be some overlap between the decision stages, and most content pieces can be referenced throughout the decision process. In doing so, you help position your company as a key thought leader, and therefore an authority, within your space.
} Make your content available where and when your audience findsvalueinaccessingit,whileoptimizingyourbudget.Useacombination of proactive and static (hosted) media. Continue to test appropriate social media. Also, rely on low-risk Cost-per-Lead (CPL) agreements with media partners.
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© 2013 emedia | All Rights Reserved. » Web » eMail » Twitter » LinkedIn
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About emediaemedia has specialized in B2B lead generation, white paper marketing, and building demand since 1999. We reach more than 3.5 million decision-makers across over 80 niche-oriented audiences within the following B2B areas:
emedia’s expertise and personal service permit effective implementation of Guaranteed Cost-per-Lead programs for our clients’ offersandcollateral.Orwecandrivehighlytargetedtraffictoclients’webpages.
emedia offers both proactive media (permission-based email bulletins to our audiences) and web-based lead gen properties ideal fordecisionmakersinresearchmode.Ourclientscapitalizeonthesynergiesofthesetwochannelstofilltheirleadpipelinesandnurturing systems. emedia can also help you create winning collateral selections for your lead generation campaigns. Contact emedia at 800-782-6167, 630-288-8480, or [email protected].
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