Monthly Archives: September 2021

B2B marketers have recognized the importance of ABM and its impact on ROI. Due to its immense popularity, account-based marketing is gaining momentum and is creating more opportunities for better lead conversion. However, it needs to be backed by a solid strategy, and b2b marketers need to avoid certain mistakes too so that they can harness the effectiveness of ABM for generating and converting leads.

When ABM is planned and implemented strategically it can give some valuable benefits to b2b organizations.

Here are some important benefits of ABM-

• You can build strong and long-lasting relationships with the prospects
• Get more highly qualified leads that can convert easily
• Develop more personalized engagement with prospects
• Create more relevant and focused content for specific accounts
• Shorten the sales cycle

Though ABM has many more benefits, let us see the common mistakes that can actually stop b2b marketers from enjoying those benefits.

This blog discusses 3 ABM mistakes that should be avoided by b2b marketers at all times.

Targeting more accounts than one should-

Though there is no thumb rule as to how many accounts should one manage at a time, ABM is all about focus. ABM accounts need dedicated efforts, time and resources for it to show results. Rolling out your strategy across too many accounts at a time can reduce the chances of success.

One can think big but when it comes to ABM it’s always better to start small and gradually scale up the resources as well as the number of accounts. The whole main approach toward ABM should be exclusivity and ABM involves specific accounts that demand more and dedicated attention. This exclusivity leads to success in ABM. But if too many accounts are targeted and they flood in all at one time, it won’t give you the time or the focus to achieve the desired results that are expected of ABM.

Lack of measurement of results-

Following up with results is one of the most critical aspects of ABM. It’s always good to begin with a great strategy and planning along with implementation, but if the results are left unmonitored it can hamper the overall effectiveness of ABM campaigns.

Specific accounts need specific measurement and analysis to get the desired results. Measurement techniques need to be very relevant to specific accounts as each account is exclusive and has different needs. There is no one-size-fits-all formula when it comes to measuring ABM results.

Innovation is key to ABM! Marketers therefore should think out-of-the-box and create special metrics to make sure they are aware of the results.

Absence of alignment between sales and marketing-

This is where most b2b marketers go wrong- not realizing or not being aware of the consequences of lack of alignment between sales and marketing functions in the organization.

Both team members need to be on the same page and need to be fully aware of what strategy is being used and why. Sales and marketing cannot afford to work in isolation especially in the case of ABM.

Insights, planning, strategies, and implementation can be done more effectively with cooperation from both sales and marketing teams.

Conclusion-

ABM if done systematically and with all the focus it needs can deliver incredible results. It has the capability to convert the best leads into customers. Avoiding pitfalls and taking an innovative approach can help marketers win at ABM.

Generating b2b leads and converting those leads into customers isn’t an easy job. Technology companies often struggle to come up with the best techniques that can generate more leads that convert.

Simply using in-house techniques and resources isn’t enough for reaching out to specific target audience and for capturing and nurturing leads too. It may be due to various reasons such as lack of expertise or experience, absence of marketing mix or lack of innovative strategies. In such a scenario, having a demand gen partner can always help technology companies find new opportunities to get more leads!

Innovation-

When it comes to lead generation, there this one element that could be lacking in today’s tech company strategies and that is innovation! Innovation in strategies and a strategic mix that can enhance lead generation and conversion to a great extent comes from expertise and knowing the prospects well. For example, a demand gen partner can use Omni channel approach to get more leads and create more opportunities to enhance sales.

A demand gen partner can use more innovation in messaging, communication and in their sales approach that can help tech companies to reach out to a wider audience and motivate the prospects to make quick buying decisions.

Solid email campaigns-

Demand gen partners often study the buyer personas in detail to be able to reach out to them effectively through email campaigns. An email campaign is only as strong as it can convey the right message to the right target audience. Tech companies often have specific target audience from different tiers and catering to these needs focused and customized messaging.

Having a demand gen partner means having dedicated resources for different campaigns. This dedicated time and effort can bring better results in terms of reach, lead nurturing and lead conversion.

Retargeting-

Having a demand gen partner means having an expert who knows how and whom to retarget. Technology companies often go searching for new leads forgetting about those leads that had once shown the inclination but did not convert.

One can offer good and unique deals, verify data and communicate with a new approach. The advantage you get while retargeting is that you already know the prospect to a certain extent. So you don’t really have to build the profile from the scratch.

What’s important is that you focus your resources and expertise on those prospects who didn’t convert the first time. You can use Google Ads, social media or email marketing campaigns to retarget and get them back into the loop.

Here are a few things that demand gen partners can help achieve-

• Identify high sales opportunities
• Capture leads that are most likely to convert
• Create more brand awareness and visibility
• Reach out with strong and relevant messaging
• Offer unique content assets to generate more demand
• Communicate strategically for further engagement
• Create differentiation for technology companies in the market
• Retain and retarget leads for more chances of conversion
• Shorten sales cycles for better ROI

Conclusion-

Technology companies can create leads in-house but they are definitely better off with a demand gen partner who has years of experience, knows the pulse of the market and has the expertise to grab the right leads and convert them in less time.

Over the past few years, the impact of intent data has only been expanding in the b2b industry. From simply ‘trying out’ intent data to making it an integral part of the got-to-market strategy; b2b marketers have now matured to actually use and optimize intent data for enhancing sales. Majority of b2b organizations are now incorporating intelligence that is sourced from intent data to be used in their sales and marketing strategies.

Let us see how intent data has impacted and changed the way b2b marketers do business today.

The early applications of intent data were more for identifying and finding buyers in the market. But today, marketers need more than just being able to find customers. They need a hand-raise from the buyers which is not easy to come by especially in the long sales cycle of b2b buyers. In such a scenario, intent signals have come as a rescue to resolve this b2b challenge.

Here are some advantages of intent data and how it has been able to make a huge impact on business in various different ways-

Several business owners are thrilled by the impact of intent data. It is showing a very positive impact on the overall business and sales growth. Intent data is helping to impact beyond short-term pipeline results as it is also helping companies in the longer sales cycle too. Many are witnessing faster conversions, better relationships with prospects, and incredible insights into the buyer’s journey.

Apart from the benefits and advantages of intent data, what marketers need to address today is how to best manage intent data. It is clear that the intelligence it brings across sales and marketing domains is the real value of intent data. Marketers need to optimize it, use it to their advantage to not only convert leads and to enhance sales, but also to understand their end customer well.

Intent data is also helping marketers to focus on their marketing dollars and has helped them bring more relevance in their content and content marketing efforts. With hyper-personalization dominating the market, more and more business owners are looking at intent signals to create relevant messaging and communication to reach the right audience.

Conclusion-

Intent data has come at the right time to solve many challenges of the b2b market. It has not only resolved the long sales cycle challenge of b2b, but it also helping marketers to up their sales quotient and convert leads faster than before. All one needs to do is use and optimize intent data and also learn how to manage it well.

Email marketing has gained immense importance in the b2b industry. It is considered as one of the most critical communication tools that can be further optimized to convert leads. You can reach out to a wider and relevant target audience and engage in personalized communication. Following certain email etiquettes can definitely increase your email conversion rate.

This blog talks about 3 techniques that can accelerate email conversion rates for your business.

Start segmenting

Segmentation is the most critical aspect of email marketing as it makes sure that you send the relevant e-mailers to the right audience. None of your email campaigns will work without segmentation.

Start with the database! Have a clean and updated database or contact lists. Know your target audience well and then align your offers and the e-mailers accordingly. Segmentation will only optimize your efforts.

Segment your emails based on the following –

• Shortlist the type of subscribers
• Update your database and lists from time to time
• Make sure all the contacts are active
• Segment your emails based on the demographics and firmographics
• List out their online behavioral patterns
• Monitor their purchase history and habits
• Use psychographs to further know the prospect well
• Keep it as relevant as possible

Create compelling subject lines and opening lines

No matter whom you send the email to, if the subject line isn’t attractive or engaging enough, your email open rate will always remain low. Create customized subject lines and focus on the opening lines as well.

The subject line should not hint at things that are not offered in the email.  Personalize the subject line by adding the sender’s name and the most exciting offers. You can hint at how a service can solve the most critical problem of the prospect and highlight data if needed. But whatever you choose, be sure to keep it short and crisp.

You can also introduce an element of surprise in the subject line. Compelling content is the key to higher open rates and conversion rates when it comes to email marketing. So invest a lot of time in creating the right subject line, opening lines and keep the overall messaging relevant and insightful.

CTA (Call-to-Action)

A lot has been said about CTAs and still many marketers do not take CTAs seriously and as a result, it hampers the overall success of the email campaigns. CTA or Call to Action is a kind of navigation that you offer the prospect. It can be a big deciding factor as it can motivate the prospect to take further action of doing business with you.

Hence a CTA needs to be relevant to the audience, the CTA button should be in the eye-line of the prospect and the content should be compelling enough to motivate him to take action.

Conclusion-

Email Marketing is one of the most important aspects of your b2b sales and marketing strategy. E-mailers are the best way to reach the relevant target audience and enhance sales. A comprehensive strategy needs to be built if you want higher email conversion rates.

In today’s b2b market, creating good content alone isn’t enough.  If you really want to put content to good use, you need to focus on content distribution and marketing.

Content syndication can help you to optimize content, get more people to see your content and your brand, thus creating more opportunities to attract leads and enhance sales.

B2B marketers often struggle with the issue of having a limited or ineffective market reach. With limited and repetitive options chosen for content distribution, the scope of growth becomes narrow. Wider market reach can naturally increase your chances at enhancing sales.

What b2b marketers need today is unlimited options to distribute content and a wider reach for better sales.

The process of republishing content on a third-party website and collaborating with partners for content distribution creates higher chances of attracting more leads. This is a powerful way to collaborate for more business.

Third-party websites are delighted to get more content being shared through their website and your content gets a bigger audience by increasing the chances of attracting more business.

Attract more website visitors

One of the important platforms for attracting more visitors to see your products or services is through your website. Often marketers think of a website as a one-time activity. But it is not true!

Today, the website acts as a lead magnet for b2b companies. When you syndicate content on a third-party website with backlinks to your own website, you are attracting potential leads. This is a huge opportunity for allowing more and more people from all over the world to see who you are and what value your brand can bring to them.

Content syndication is one of the most lucrative options if you want to bring more visitors to your own website. Once you start getting more visitors, it is then not very difficult to divert them to the landing page or get them to fill the form, or simply get to know these prospects well for building a rapport with them.

Identify the right target audience

Content syndication is intelligent to work. Just because you have good content should not simply upload it to every other third-party site or collaborate with a partner. It’s a strategic activity wherein you need to choose the right channels, relevant third-party websites, and also the right partners so that your content reaches the relevant audience through content syndication.

It’s very important that your content reaches the target audience who will be interested in your services and also those who are actually looking for your kind of services or products.

Several b2b companies have started adopting content syndication for more benefits against traditional content distribution methods. The tricky part of content syndication is in realizing how to choose the right channels and third-party websites. You also need to evaluate the need for guest blogging and related activities. But most importantly you need to evaluate your content syndication goals. Not all companies need content syndication, but most of them will benefit if they do it.

Conclusion-

A powerful content distribution strategy is paramount if you want to bring more leads through content. Before you start with content syndication, it is important to know why you need it, what are your goals and what is it that you want to achieve. Once you have clear goals, it will help you to choose the channels, methods, and partners for content syndication that are unique to your business type and to your target audience too.