Observations we want to share with you
We are not financial analysts nor are we analyzing macro economics. However, we like picking up trends and ideas in the business to business marketing field, and we’d like to share some of our ’pick-ups’ with you. These originate from our own findings, as well as various sources. Here are some recent observations, plus general news on Intemarco’s development:
Are your marketing and sales resources aligned?
You might think this is an obvious question and say ‘of course’. In my experience, marketing often creates programs and tools more or less in isolation from sales, with the hope that they will work well in one way or another. The sales team is often a passive receiver of new tools, such as new brochures, other presentation materials, and even campaign ideas. One problem is disconnected metrics, where marketing looks at aspects of segments to penetrate, brand awareness, campaign metrics, and top of Lead Funnel, whereas sales focuses on accounts, sales targets, velocity through the sales cycle, and on closing deals.
If marketing is to more effectively support sales, you need to start by getting everyone on the same page regarding what success looks like. If you don’t invest the time to align on the big picture, then you shouldn’t expect to see any change when you look at lead quality and quantity. […]
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Merry Christmas to all my clients and cooperation partners! Thank you all for a great 2018! Let’s all aim for another good year and hope that peace and happiness will prevail in the world in 2019. See you in 2019! //Peter
Why conduct a Marketing Audit?
The word ‘audit’ may strike fear in the hearts of taxpayers, but it shouldn’t scare marketers. Conducting an audit of your marketing department can be a fruitful exercise. Finance departments undergo annual reviews, but too few marketing departments bother to do the same, which means your entire business might not be running as efficiently as it can be. Quite a few companies often think audits are not necessary because their marketing departments and budgets are small. Even if you have only one marketing employee you can still benefit from an audit.
There are many different dimensions to audit, but a central dimension to audit is whether Marketing and Sales are aligned: a) Are your current funnel definitions and metrics in need of an update? b) What can Sales and Marketing do as a team to improve lead conversion? c) Are leads falling through the cracks at any point in the sales cycle? d) Does the sales team need improved sales enablement materials or processes from Marketing? e) What about competitive and customer research? f) What can be done to shorten sales cycles?
These questions are just a few examples of the many dimensions you should audit in order to create more vital marketing activities to better support sales. Marketing is the lifeblood of any company. An audit process ensures a company’s marketing arteries stay clear and the blood keeps pumping! (July 1, 2018)
Traditional direct mail gains ground
Intemarco is mainly involved in building optimum marketing and sales processes, but it’s impossible to resist mentioning one example of an activity to help warm up Prospects, namely traditional direct mail campaigns. Almost everyone in business complain about far too many e-mails in their in-boxes. For a marketeer this is an obvious challenge with a big risk of not getting through with their message. Adding a traditional direct mail piece, sent by post, is now, despite increased digitalization, gaining ground again to find a way around overfull e-mail boxes.
Research actually shows that response rates may increase with 35% by using both e-mail and direct mail. Some of the advantages with direct mail are that people tend to spend more time with physical advertising than digital, they have a stronger emotional response to physical ads and remember them better, and QR-codes can be used to link your direct mail piece to your digital campaigns. Also, direct mail comes in a variety of sizes and formats that can be used to attract attention.
So why not try combining your next e-mail campaign with postal direct mail? Don’t forget the 40/40/20 Rule: 40% of a mailer’s success will come from the list (targeting the right prospects at the right time); 40% from the offer (compelling and relevant offers are the best); and 20% from the creative (the copy and artwork must be attention-getting and motivating)!
Peter Tomczak, May 10, 2018. (Source: marketingprofs.com)
Does your website matter?
I remember the days when setting up a website was seen as something that had to been done because everyone else was doing it. This view was common especially in the B2B-field. Today it’s of course different. I found an article that describes this focal point for your B2B-marketing quite well:
“All roads lead to your website.
Though you may pursue a long list of online marketing tactics and explore myriad channels, ultimately you aim to pull prospects to your home on the Web.
And that’s no small challenge. Over 1 billion websites exist today. Roughly 25% are active websites, so 250 million or more sites are fighting for attention. However, through your efforts, visitors will find their way to way to your website. Then what?
You need to ensure your website not only communicates your brand effectively and distinctively, but also serves as your round-the-clock sales force. Your website must be your company’s most powerful marketing tool. The websites that work are the ones that cause visitors to engage in a shortlist of actions and generate specified outcomes. What’s more, websites that work afford the company insights that enable marketers to continually improve on results.”
See more: https://www.marketingprofs.com
Content Writer vs. Copywriter
A common question raised by marketeers is what the difference between content management, content writing and copywriting really mens. MarketingProfs discusses this in a recent articles. See more here: To the article
B2B Marketing Is Increasing
Marketing is becoming more and more crucial to secure success, also for industrial corporations. This is supported in a recent report, the “2017 State of Customer Marketing Survey”. It involved more than two hundred B2B organizations, (www.koynemarketing.com) and says: “Over the next year, 93% of organizations expect that their customer marketing efforts will take on greater importance, and 62% will increase their staff or budgets in the customer marketing area”.