IT service companies know their supported technologies, security, cloud computing, data storage best practices, and sometimes virtualization. Yet many do not yet know and appreciate the importance of defining a value proposition that positions their brand in the marketplace. Value proposition...
When it comes to lead generation, there are many studies and resulting statistics available online. There are even a number of different definitions of a lead. How about thinking of a lead as an identifiable person who has expressed interest in your product or service. Here, we use some of them to...
Too many B2B marketing teams fail to consider the bigger picture. The main mistake is focusing on just one relationship stage in the marketing to sales lifecycle. Successful inbound marketing assesses customer experience at each stage in the buyer journey. In defining the marketing to sales...
How does an institution stand out in the glutted higher ed market? These 5 inbound marketing best practices can help. Michael D Beckwith. The Leeds Library. Flickr. Image was cropped from original. Inbound Marketing for Higher Education Search Engine Optimization (SEO). More prospects and their...
Nonprofits need to be careful stewards of their money. A reluctance to take money away from the mission can stand in the way of implementing best marketing practices or embracing marketing automation technology that can help extend reach and win new advocates. Yet most nonprofits already recognize...
Twitter enables the open exchange real-time information with the world in quick, frequent messaging. This is exactly what makes Twitter great, but also challenging for marketing. How does a company or brand stand out? Hashtags are the main way for people to find what they are looking for. Putting...
There once was a time, ages ago, or at least decades ago, when Internet visitors wouldn’t question a website with a stodgy layout, some distracting link colors (too often fluorescent), and generic clip art. We all know those days are gone. Design is an essential part of building trust with inbound...
B2B sales are all about building relationships. You know that. Yet what are some best practices for building the B2B Sales Funnel? After all, you can’t build relationships if you don’t have the leads to be nurturing in the first place. 1. Connect marketing automation with customer relationship...
“Always be closing” is a familiar mantra for sales. If you haven’t seen Alec Baldwin’s blistering tirade about this in David Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross movie, you should: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4PE2hSqVnk Yet while Baldwin remains one of today’s top actors, his close message is now old...
Marketers aim to nurture leads and convert prospects into buyers while increasing the lifetime value of each relationship. Ultimately, marketing is a process of providing ongoing education, inspiration, connection, encouragement, purpose, and resolve -- leading to “yes.” A foundational...