How To Make Your Trade Show Exhibit Count
by MGB2B
For manufacturers looking to get their products and/or services in the hands of company decision makers and buyers, there’s no better forum than a trade show. Attendees show up in droves specifically looking for new ideas or investments to improve their business. Because of their large scale, trade shows can often be hard to prepare for, especially in the limited timeframe given and the number of moving parts involved. But don’t panic. We’re here to help prepare you to put your best foot forward. (more…)
Continue ReadingINFOGRAPHIC: How Engineers Consume Content
by MGB2B
Ever want to see inside the mind of an engineer? If you run the marketing department of a manufacturing company, the answer is probably a resounding “yes.”
This infographic – Part 1 of a 2-part series – takes a look at how engineers approach content. In particular, it explores which content they consume during the Buyer Journey and where they consume it. You’ll see how the Journey is broken down into four phases: Research, Consideration, Evaluation, and Buy. And content is consumed differently in each phase.
It’s likely no surprise that Case Studies are consumed more heavily in an engineer’s decision-making process earlier in the Buyer Journey. Or that Product Info Sheets are more influential later in the process.
But it’s worth noting how different types of video work better in different phases. And just how much engineers prefer LinkedIn over other social platforms. Take a look at the full infographic to get a better look at the engineer’s decision-making process. It will give you great insights as you fine-tune your Content Marketing Plan in the second and third quarters of 2018.
Read the Full Infographic on How Engineers Consume Content Below:
(And stay tuned for Part 2… coming soon.)
B2B Monday Myth: Once the Lead Is Generated, My Job Is Done
by MGB2B
Myth: Once a Lead Is Generated, My Job Is Done.
The Truth: Lead Nurturing Is Necessary to Drive Prospects Towards a Purchase Decision.
Your B2B sales funnel has multiple steps: Awareness, Interest, Decision, and Action. As marketers, we spend a lot of time trying to generate leads and get prospects into the top of the sales funnel by promoting awareness. Once we have the lead, it’s time to pass the contact onto Sales, where they can try to work their magic on convincing the prospect to make a purchase, right? Not quite.
Before the prospect is ready to make a decision, they spend some time in the Interest portion of the funnel. This is the opportunity to nurture the relationship, and move the buyer along in the decision-making process. Here are a few tips to get you started:
Develop the Right Media Mix
The different steps of the sales funnel require different strategies in terms of media mix. So if you are targeting those who have shown some interest, attempt to settle their skepticism with targeted, informational media. This could include paid social media posts on topics in the industry, webinars with trade publications, sponsored e-blasts, or paid search. Take this step to foster interest. As a result, prospects will be engaged and ready to make a move toward decision-making.
Know How the Lead Was Generated
The way you nurture a lead will depend a lot on how you garnered the prospect’s awareness in the first place. They took some palpable step to give you their information, whether it was filling out a form on your website or giving you their business card at a trade show. How you go about nurturing one lead will differ from the others. The channels you use and the content you share will depend on many factors. For instance, if a prospect watched one of your webinars, send an email thanking them and asking for feedback. Then invite them to the next one. Automated B2B lead nurturing can help you get the right messages out to prospects based on their behavior. And it can raise conversion rates significantly.
Segment Your Prospects Into Personas
Creating a fictional character who represents a buyer in one of your audience segments will more easily allow you to share relevant content that the prospect actually cares about. Your target segments have different needs, preferences, motivators, challenges, media preferences, and belong to different verticals. Don’t ignore the power of personalization. Start here by checking out our guide to persona creation.
Be Authentic
Nothing will turn a prospect off more than trying to pitch to them every time you’re in contact. Your purpose for lead nurturing is to maintain relationships with your prospects, and convince them of you authority in the industry. This can be done without sending out weekly promotional product emails. Distributing relevant content will position you as a trustworthy company with integrity. And talking to your prospects like they are actual human beings can only benefit you. While promotions should be tastefully added, content should be your primary focus.
Marketing and sales teams should work together to master the lead process. Resist the urge to pass your contact along for a sales pitch without first increasing their interest. And remember — it often takes 7-10 touchpoints to have a qualified, interested lead for the sales team to close. If you beef up your lead nurturing program, you’ll enable your business to do a lot more closing. And the marketing team, the sales team, and the CEO will all be very, very happy.
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