Developing Demand Generation through Multiple Channels

by Jeff Chamberlain of Aprimo

B2B buyers have changed. Like the rest of us, they are consumers when they are at home and they have carried the tricks and tools learned as a consumer to their office environment as a buyer. They’re also more tech-savvy than ever before, and they know how to navigate online resources and social media networks gather information and references. Plus, they’re keeping a close eye on their budgets. And they’re busy –very busy –with only enough time to pay attention to the most relevant and compelling messages.

How can you succeed in this uber-competitive marketplace? What’s the most effective way to attract and convert the modern B2B buyer?

For quite some time now, I’ve been making the argument that your best bet, without a doubt, is an integrated, multi-channel messaging strategy. These days, you need to appeal to B2B buyers wherever they happen to be, whether that’s:

• Online –across a variety of digital channels (your website, their email inbox, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, other social media networks, etc.).
• Offline  --including   direct mail, telemarketing ,events (conferences, seminars) as well selective use of traditional channels (print, television, radio)
• Mobile –SMS and customized apps offer valuable opportunities for direct, personalized communication

In other words, if you’re getting momentum on LinkedIn, but your website hasn’t been updated in a year, you’re missing out. If you publish a weekly blog, but most of your prospects subscribe to an industry magazine, you’re missing out. If you buy print advertising, but never attend trade shows . . . Well, you get the point.

I’m not saying you have to do it all. But, I am saying you should utilizing more than one and constantly experimenting in this rapidly changing environment. You have to be smart about where to expend your energy, and you want to use a consistent message strategy across all channels.

This summer, MarketingSherpa published a cool infographic that underscores my point. The infographic, which was developed from the results of MarketingSherpa’s upcoming 2012 B2B Marketing Benchmark Study, shows the most effective strategies for converting today’s B2B buyer.

For example, at the top of the funnel, at Stage 1, Marketing Sherpa lists the top five most effective demand generation tactics:

• Website design, management and optimization (31 percent)
• SEO (29 percent)
• Email marketing (26 percent)
• Content marketing (23 percent)
• Tradeshows (20 percent)

Then, at Stage 2, Marketing Sherpa reports the top three tactics for creating engaging content:

• Using a multi-channel messaging strategy (46 percent)
• Improving thought leadership (45 percent)
• Segmenting the delivery of content (37 percent)

VIEW PDF OF THE INFOGRAPHIC HERE 

Based on these results, it’s clear that a multi-channel messaging strategy is evolving into a necessity. Your prospects now use a variety of platforms to talk talk shop, share information and learn about solutions and vendors. If you want to optimize your funnel, you simply must be active across these platforms.

Although, as Daniel Burstein point out in his post:

“ . . . to optimize a funnel, first you have to have a funnel.”

As remarkable as it sounds, more than two-thirds (68 percent) of the B2B organizations in the MarketingSherpa survey reported they have not yet identified their funnel.  That’s a truly astounding statistic –and a truly fascinating topic that I’m sure we’ll explore further here, on the Aprimo blog.  Stay tuned.