As an existing customer, I already receive emails, catalogs, and other mailings from these companies on a regular schedule. So why are more and more companies like these using real people to call their existing customers? Staying in touch by email marketing, direct mail, social media, and other vehicles can be highly effective, it keeps the name brand at top of mind, and can drive quote requests and sales leads. But it's not enough anymore.
The Carv marketing team likely counts me as a Facebook ad conversion, which is true, and some marketing professionals might be inclined to pour more budget into Facebook advertising. But more experienced marketers know this narrow view of metrics and analytics that relies heavily on last click attribution fails to explain my willingness to click or my confidence in signing up for the demo. Read more about accumulated exposure to a brand over time.
Thanks to your brilliant new product, your customers will most certainly cut costs and save time but it will also require they change their workflow. Did you figure out how to help resolve this predictable objection before going to market? A sales manager I know didn't bother to try. If you are creating fear and uncertainty anywhere in the sales process then even a brilliant new product that's likely to quantifiably save money and boost efficiency may be ultimately remembered as a great idea fumbled to what might've been.
I'd invite ski resort managers to take a look at what's being shown on their webcams and consider how much value each of those perspectives offers their guests. Then consider how the webcams might be moved or repointed to better answer the most frequently asked questions that resort staffers face day after day.
“Yes, we're getting a lot of serious leads and we're quoting a lot and a number of people are testing, the lead generation has been great,” my client began. “But everyone who's tested it so far has said no and their feedback has been very sensible – it's just not a great product, no one really needs it.”
People often say a great product sells itself but can a poor product sell even if it's supported by superior marketing and sales support?
An informal Google Analytics study of Website traffic sources for a number of machinery manufacturers revealed the companies running consistent advertising and content marketing programs that blend digital and print media enjoyed serious increases in Website traffic - of course - but more specifically – increases in direct traffic. What's direct traffic? These are the people who
From a review of Google Search Console reports for multiple machinery and equipment manufacturers, it seems the industrial purchasing prospects who search and click may not always behave in the way some of the SEO companies hope.
When customers and prospects agree to receive emails from your company, it means you've established a certain level of trust and respect. It's not easy to create so much interest in a product or service that people willingly provide their real contact information and risk being spammed with emails to delete every day. But trust is a two-way street. There's an expectation that the company sending the emails will exercise some restraint and respect for the recipients – a show of some gratitude in exchange for subscribing. Here's how you can tell if you're demonstrating respect for the people on your list.
ChatGPT is now showing up in Google Analytics as a source of Website traffic. From a review of Website traffic reports for multiple manufacturers, it’s clear that industrial product buyers are asking ChatGPT the same questions they’ve been asking Google for years. ChatGPT recently began citing sources used to generate its responses and recommending additional sources it considers credible for further reading. And it’s linking out to those Websites.
Is ChatGPT recommending your Website content or your competitors’ content?
It's easy for anyone to react and offer opinions based on his or her own perspective and life experience. “I'd be offended, better not.” Or, “That seems too expensive to me.” But experienced marketing professionals know better. Skilled, experienced marketing professionals know how to step into the shoes of their target audience to offer insights, guidance, and recommendations based on the perspective and life experience of the people expected to buy the product or service.
Anyone experienced in industrial sales knows a click isn't necessarily a lead and a lead isn't a sale. Look at these two emails or Website form submissions and think about which one you would rather get if you had to close the sale or else.
PPC pay-per-click digital advertising with Google Ads, Bing Ads, and other platforms captures leads and counts the number of clicks. This provides great comfort to marketing managers under pressure to defend investments in advertising and document results. Print, outdoor, and other advertising platforms confound those of us looking for hard data documenting results, even when the results may be quite obvious to the happy sales team. And when the PPC ad program is structured well, it can be very effective. That’s why it’s so tempting for B2B marketing managers to throw money at Google Ads and call it a day. But what makes someone click on your ad?
About Us
Paul Entin’s Marketing In Real Life explores every facet of marketing from advertising, PR and lead generation to content marketing, direct response and the latest in marketing automation – and more. Paul Entin’s Marketing In Real Life provides real-life insight into the relationship among sales, marketing, and customer service – and the customer – plus quick commentary from epr founder, Paul Entin.