Posts Tagged ‘demand generation’

Customer research makes gains in 2010

Friday, December 31st, 2010

Recently, I lost my crystal ball.  So, I won’t be adding to the posts about predictions for the new year.  Instead, I took a look backward to see whether previous year end posts still apply.  I think they do.

Learn from the past, capitalize on success

At the end of 2008, in Shorten the sales cycle next year:  Year end marketing planning, I advocated taking stock of what worked and what didn’t—so that you can capitalize on your successes and avoid repeating what turned out to be mistakes.   In particular, I suggested focusing on buyers’ perceptions in four areas: the desirability of the solutions, the reputation of the vendor, the effectiveness of the communications, and the responsiveness of the individuals leading the sales or business development effort.

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Posted in Internet marketing, market intelligence, Marketing communications programs, Marketing strategy, social media, social media marketing, Uncategorized, value propositions | No Comments »

Will marketing consultants and agencies switch places with in-house staff in a digital world?

Tuesday, May 25th, 2010

As a marketing consultant, I attend a lot of marketing seminars and marketing conferences to stay current with my craft.  Today, the buzz there is all about online marketing.

digital marketingTypical topics include content strategy, search engine optimization (SEO), social media, inbound marketing, marketing automation, and of course email marketing.  Spending in all of these areas is up–often at the expense of conventional advertising and PR.

There are several trends driving this transition.  One is that prospects are moving online so the marketers that wish to reach them must also move online.  Another is that advances in marketing technology have made it relatively easy for non-professionals to produce content that attracts and engages their audiences.

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Posted in Internet marketing, Marketing communications programs, Marketing strategy, social media, social media marketing | 6 Comments »

What are your marketing priorities for 2010?

Wednesday, December 30th, 2009

A quick search on Google indicates that surveys about business-to-business (B2B) marketing priorities tend to concentrate on tactics–rather than strategy. They also tend to focus on investments in various types of promotional activities, rather than the greater marketing picture. As for strategy, at least one survey seems to indicate that in a tight economy, B2B companies rank demand generation first and then raising awareness.

What happened to the focus on the customer?

The irony is that gaining deeper insights into customer, or prospect needs, rarely shows up as a priority, let alone a high priority. Why not?

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Posted in Buying process model, Internet marketing, Marketing communications programs, Marketing strategy, social media | 2 Comments »