Every marketer has been there one time or another. You put a ton of effort into developing just the right campaign, carefully plot distribution strategy and spend your hard-won budget dollars only to find (wham!) the leads that result aren’t at all as expected.
So what went wrong? Consider some of these common missteps.
You Didn’t Prioritize Pipeline Enablers. Leads don’t happen in a vacuum—you need to get on prospects’ radar first. Branding, whether through banner ads, print display or other means, should be ongoing and part of every media plan. These efforts help ensure you’re top of mind once the prospect is actively researching. More awareness leads to more interest, which results in more leads.
Also, audit the types of content in your marketing plan. Most likely you
have solid product spec sheets and brochures. But are you creating enough
videos, white papers and other content focused around prospect pain points?
Too often marketers focus so much on their sales pitch that they miss the
day-to-day educational opportunities that make prospects ready to hear it.
You Were Blinded by the Dazzle of VIPs. Who doesn’t like to see that Mr. CEO of Big Name Company viewed your content? While it’s certainly never a bad thing to have senior-most buyers know who you are, they shouldn’t be your primary focus. Senior executives generally are not very responsive to content. And more important, they are only one of the 5+ people typically involved in B2B purchase decisions. If you’re focusing extensively on senior-level titles, you’re missing out on the key voices who will be the most likely to bring your company to the table to begin with. Your best bet: Focus on the real deal signals that are out there every day: “Where’s the buying center?”
Pro tip: PMMI Media Group offers ability to target audience not just by certain industry or buying interest but also By plant process—so you’re sure to hit all of those decision makers around a particular function.
You’ve Been Putting Form-Based Access (“Gates”) Around the Wrong Types of Content. One of the biggest things marketers can do to get better sales-ready prospects—because that’s what actually matters vs. mere content engagement—is to gate content minimally and strategically. Prospects prefer to research anonymously, so product brochures and basic thought leadership should be discoverable. Reserve gates for your deep thought leadership content assets (such as high-value articles or e-books) and for low-funnel requests (such as product demos).
You’re Not Communicating with Enough Frequency. Frequency is key to getting seen. Consistent content establishes awareness, authority and credibility for your brand. More important, frequent communications will ensure you’re noticed on the prospect’s timing. If you’re pushing out content only around show season, you’re missing out on all of those in market the rest of the year.