Posted by karenses on February 27, 2009
Wow! A friend of mine recently introduced me to HubSpot, an inbound marketing system that, in one centralized portal via an easy to use interface can help you quickly set-up, manage and get metrics on your online efforts including SEO, Blog, Landing pages and more… to ensure maximum ROI.
“HubSpot inbound marketing software helps your company get found by the qualified prospects that are looking for the products or services that you sell in search engines, blogs and the blogosphere, and social media. Once these qualified visitors are on your website, HubSpot helps you convert more of them into leads and paying customers through landing pages, lead intelligence and marketing analytics.”
HubSpot has been featured in the Wall Street Journal Online, MarketingSherpa, PC Magazine, AdAge, and MarketingProfs. I definitely think it’s something worth checking out www.hubspot.com >>
Posted in Blogs & Wikis, Lead Generation, Marketing Automation, SEO & Paid Search, Web Marketing | Tagged: Hubspot, Marketing Automation, SEO, Social Media | Leave a Comment »
Posted by karenses on January 6, 2009
What is meant by a “Webcentric Customer Lifecycle”?
Below I’d like to share with you an interesting exchange I had with Reed Overfelt, COO of a “very cool” Online Creative Agency (MuralVentures.com). Thought it provides incredible insight…
Q. MarketingLAUNCH.com: Do you believe – or not believe – in web forms (i.e. complete form for white paper, pre-recorded demo, etc…)? Sounds like you are against this method of lead capture. Since marketing campaigns’ success are mostly based on how many qualified leads produced… how do you address that? Or do you feel ROI on campaigns should strictly be focused on FREE trials, orders, etc… Lot’s of debate on this – would love an “expert opinion”.
A. MuralVentures.com: Excellent question! The key challenges with white papers and pre-recorded demos is your customers don’t trust them. The reality is USER generated content has fundamentally replaced company created content.
A recent Universal McCann study found that only 14% of Users trust company created content, whereas 78% trust recommendations made by other consumers.
So, what’s a marketer to do!?
Our job is to drive qualified leads to the sales teams.
- You have to ensure your target customers can find you -using personas (defining target customers), custom URLs, and highly targeted landing pages.
- You have to ensure you answer their burning questions in 12 words or less.
- You have to give them the info they need to self-qualify; that you have a potential source/solution for solving their burning problem (i.e. super, super, super high quality, interactive demos supported by user generated feedback!)
- You have to ensure when they are ready to raise their hand (i.e. buy!), they can do so immediately (i.e. click-2-chat or click-2-call > 24 hrs a day or at min. 6AM to 9PM in all 4 US time zones).
These are the Search, Find, Qualify, Try (i.e. demo), and Buy steps of the MuralVentures WebCentric Customer Lifecycle.
Getting a customer to this final step – particularly click-2-chat - is the #1 priority for a good online marketing campaign.
We did some research for Microsoft, 80% of their most qualified leads for their ERP and CRM business (i.e. complex product sale) now originate from Click to Chat! Over 60% of these leads closed within 90 days. 60%! That is HUGE!
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We’d like to hear from you. Share your thoughts on this idea!
Posted in Web Marketing | Tagged: customer life cycle, Marketing, web | Leave a Comment »
Posted by karenses on April 13, 2008
Wow, below is an interesting article. Initially, I began blogging to collect my own content in one central location – much like a marketing reference guide. Then I began writing for others who might gain value from my content, in turn trying to keep up with the Jones’s. Now I’m back to focusing on my original strategy. You’ll probably see only 3-5 posts on average per month (so sign up for my e-Updates). The added stress is definitely not what I’m looking for, although I enjoy this medium (when I have time for it). You read… you decide.
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In Web World of 24/7 Stress, Writers Blog Till They Drop
SAN FRANCISCO — They work long hours, often to exhaustion. Many are paid by the piece — not garments, but blog posts. This is the digital-era sweatshop. You may know it by a different name: home.
A growing work force of home-office laborers and entrepreneurs, armed with computers and smartphones and wired to the hilt, are toiling under great physical and emotional stress created by the around-the-clock Internet economy that demands a constant stream of news and comment.
Of course, the bloggers can work elsewhere, and they profess a love of the nonstop action and perhaps the chance to create a global media outlet without a major up-front investment. At the same time, some are starting to wonder if something has gone very wrong. In the last few months, two among their ranks have died suddenly.
Read more >>
Posted in Blogs & Wikis, Social Media, Web Marketing | Tagged: Blog Marketing, Blogging, NY Times | Leave a Comment »
: April 6, 2008