Lead Generation is Old and Boring!!

February 10, 2009

sexy  New Marketing, Social Media and Web 2.0 are the new “sexy” terms marketers love to use today. But what do those terms really refer to anyway?

chris-brogan  Chris Brogan writes on his blog today about the “The Rise of Microfame.” His point is that social media platforms have provided all of us the opportunity to become mircofamous. He is spot on!   Becoming “microfamous” should be at the core of any business’s marketing strategy.  

godin-image     hubspot-with-heartlogo    However, at the end of the day, whether you are building your own “Tribe,” (thank you Seth Godin), creating an Inbound marketing machine (thank you Hubspot) or becoming Microfamous you are doing that same thing the very best marketers have always excelled at: “generating leads to build brand and grow the business.”

 There is no more effective avenue to showcase your insights and expertise than social media platforms (blogs, communities, twitter, facebook, etc).   Brogan further explains “fame isn’t trust, and the real goal, in my estimation, would be to develop trust, build relationships, and earn the attention of people in our circles of interest.   That’s what matters.”  

As a small business, freelancer or sole practitioner you can leverage these new platforms to quickly build relationships with your target market.   Every single resource spent on marketing (time exhausted and dollars invested) should be focused on building credibility and trust within your market.  Once more, lead generation programs must be designed to identify who out there may have reason to purchase your product or service one day (aka Lead Generation).

stage-with-audience Social media platforms, even in today’s economy, present a great opportunity for the little guy to grow their business doing the same ole, same ole…..generating business by building trust and credibility within your marketplace ….this is at the core of good old fashion Lead Generation.  So jump on the social media stage and become Microfamous!

webinar-globe   Join us Wednesday at 8PM to discuss these topics further. I am moderating a great panel of experts (via webinar) who will discuss the most important of these tactics ….it’s free so register now! Details at: http://marketingstudio.eventbrite.com

Leave a Comment » | B2B, Event Marketing, Groundswell, Lead Generation, Marketing, Relationship Marketing, small business, Social Media, Web 2.0, Webinars | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Eric Glazer

4 Things to Quick Start A Social Media Lead Generation Program – for Small Business Owners and Practitioners

February 3, 2009

geico-commerical   Quick commercial …join us for a complementary webinar and expert panel: Lead Generation Tactics for Resource Limited Small Businesses.  Register at:  http://marketingstudio.eventbrite.com …I know, not as entertaining as GEICO commercial ….at any rate, latest post below.
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 frustrated-at-computer  When I speak with small business owners about lead generation and social media, I am often asked one rhetorical question (usually in a very loud tone of voice): “How can I find the time!?”

There is no doubt that when you are small, and busy selling and delivering your services/products, its lead nourishment and pipeline generation that often gets ignored.  

 desk-with-pile-of-papers   This is simply a fact of life … a fact of the small business owner’s life. Everything takes time. Social media is no different, but before you say “I am too busy to get in involved in social media” take one weekend or a couple of weeknights away from the television to do the following four things:

1. Find 10 blogs or discussion forums that your market may have reason to read – Remember to think of it from a potential client point of view and not your own
Think broader than your business! For example:

* If you are a personal injury attorney with a focus on “slip and fall” injuries don’t look for blogs covering only legal issues and plaintiff’s rights, look for content around physical therapy, wellness, treatment, etc.
* If you are a web design firm, rather than focus on content specific to design, follow blogs that talk abut branding, e-marketing or lead generation.
* If you are a benefits consultant or talent recruiter, rather than focus on human resource issues, broaden the scope to small business strategy.

2. Join twitter_logo_s

“Leveraging Twitter to Grow Your Small Business” is a topic of our March webinar, and the topic of many, many other blog posts, some written by very knowledgeable and talented folks. Thus I will give you only a few tips to get started on twitter:

* use Twitter Packs to start following “packs” of people who may be your target market.
* use your first and last name as your username and if that is not available add an underscore, middle initial or choose first initial, last name (don’t use your company name)
* upload a photo of yourself, people without photos are viewed suspiciously (don’t ask, they just are)… twitter is casual, so your clothing in the photo should be as well; business casual.
* don’t start promoting … listen, watch, observe …this also can be a great way to finding those 10 blogs you need to follow …
* anytime you see anything of value provided by other people “tweet it” and give the source the proper credit
* Google “Twitter etiquette” and “Twitter best practices” and read up on more details on how to best leverage Twitter (topic for my March webinar)

3. Start your own blog. You don’t have to say anything intelligent, don’t even tell anyone about it …. yet!  Just go to www.wordpress.com, sign up and write a simple top 4 list …see how it works, how it feels. ..no commitment …..just a test drive.

4. Start logging your insights in a word document. Before you leave the desk each evening, ask yourself what are the things that came up at work today that others may find interesting or useful to their business? For example:

* I saw a great example of how Starbucks is building customer loyalty and spreading the Starbucks “virus” through Twitter
* I had further confirmation on how simple, inexpensive and valuable industry polls and surveys are for lead generation
* I learned of a great new tool called Blitztime that can help complement web-based, social media platforms.

Within a week you will have dozens of topics for potential blog posts. The challenge will be deciding which ones have the most immediate interest to your market.

one-big-dayIn summary, the above list should take no more than a day to complete. Your effort will result in a basic foundation for you, the busy entrepreneur and practitioner, to generate more leads and further build your brand by tapping into the “groundswell” that is social media.

Another good post on the topic is byRick Burnes at Hubspot.

Email me if I can help or if you have additional questions.

4 Comments | B2B, Event Marketing, Groundswell, Lead Generation, Marketing, Relationship Marketing, small business, Social Media, Web 2.0, Webinars | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Eric Glazer

Seven Steps to A Successful Web Conference

January 12, 2009

webinar-globe   Offering a free web based conference is a tremendous lead generation vehicle  ….one of my favorites.  Here are seven important steps to ensure your next web conference generates an attractive ROI for your organization:

 

1. DEFINE A CLEAR OBJECTIVE

Is it sales, brand awareness, PR?  Make sure there is one clearly defined and agreed upon objective behind the web conference.

 

2. DELIVER VALUE

No matter the objective make sure the presentation is not just a sales pitch but delivers value to your audience.

 

3. HONEST PROMOTION

When promoting the web conference make sure you outline the “deal” behind the free VALUE you are offering.   This type of communication informs the attendees that in exchange for the free value you are offering there will be a marketing/sales component to the event.   In other words, avoid  surprising the audience with a long sales pitch by being forthcoming about the OBJECTIVE of the web conference  …  “the presentation will highlight research and analysis generated during the production of a recently published report on XYZ” or  “the case study will highlight the use of XYZ’s technology in reducing Company A’s R &D cycle by 25%.”

 

Your honesty helps establishes longer term creditability and trustworthiness between you and your market.

 

4. PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE

I recommend a minimum of two dress rehearsals for veterans and five rehearsals for rookies … anticipate questions, go over your answers …you will miss out on your OBJECTIVE if you are not prepared in a manner that allows you to convey your professionalism and expertise

 

5. ANTICIPATE PROBLEMS

Technical and operational kinks almost always occur the day of your event.  Anticipate problems by logging and calling-in multiple time prior to your attendees arrival, and you can usually solve everything before it’s show time.

 

6. SURVEY/FEEDBACK

The most powerful lead generation tool attached to a web conference is the survey …present a survey or “feedback form” at the end of the web conference (use a simple web based tool like Survey Monkey).  Offer a copy of the presentation as incentive to anyone who completes the form.  Make sure attendees can complete the form in less than five minutes by being brief (20 questions or less) and providing primarily multiple-choice questions.  And don’t forget you are always trying to generate leads so ask the question “would you like to hear more about (my services)?”

 

7. PLAN FOLLOW-UP

Most companies get caught up in the promotion and execution of the webinar and then find themselves scrambling to take advantage of all the hot leads that emerge from their efforts.  If you and your team do not have a plan of action from the minute the web conference ends than you will dramatically reduce the positive impact the event will have on your business.  Don’t lose site of that fact that well planned, timely and appropriate responses is the key to converting any lead generating activity into sales and generating a healthy ROI.

 

Web conferences are powerful lead generation tools but they do require time and a well thought out plan to be successful.  Follow the seven steps and maximize leads generated from this fun and exciting marketing tactic. 

contact-me1 Email me with any questions or if you need assistance producing your company’s next web conference!

Attend the free Marketing Studio webinar series: Lead Generation Tactics for Small business at: http://marketingstudio.eventbrite.com.

Leave a Comment » | B2B, Event Marketing, Lead Generation, Relationship Marketing, small business, Webinars | Permalink
Posted by Eric Glazer

Update on Webinar: Lead Generation for Small Business

January 7, 2009

Thank you for all your input!   The Webinar and Panel is entitled:

Lead Generation for Small Business: Tactics to Drive an Inbound Marketing Strategy
February 11, 2009 at 8 PM EST (sixty minutes in duration)

Register (free) at: http://marketingstudio.eventbrite.com

 

 

I summarize below the insights I have received into three buckets.  Any additional thoughts are welcome …feel free to forward along to other smart folks as well.  Thank you all again!   

 

bucket  I. Strategy

* Do you have a lead generation strategy?

* What lead generation tactics work best for your business?

* How can small companies be seen among the ever-widening pool of larger companies who are flooding into social media?

* What are the biggest barriers to executing a lead generation strategy?

 

bucket II. Resource Allocation and Prioritization

* Sharpening your market focus

* How do you overcome resource limitations that often challenge small companies?

* How do you find  time to execute marketing programs when you are busy “delivering”?

* Tying your marketing strategy to what you are best at doing

* Focusing on tactics/projects that are vital to your survival and/or prosperity

* Allocating resources to try something different

* Ensuring new tactics are aligned with your existing strategy
* What are the best lead generation tools (i.e. website, CRM, networking, SEO, etc)?

 

bucket III. Client Retention

* Gaining a clear perspective on your core customer segments: their pain points and how you provide value to them

* Retaining existing clients – ongoing communication and feedback gathering (i.e. customer surveys), understanding their ongoing needs

* How are companies nourishing relationships with existing clients?

* What tactics are you using to increase sales/billable hours from existing clients?

 

Remember, mark the calendar for Feb 11 at 8 PM EST ….we’ll try to address a subset of these issues through an expert panel (session will be free).

 

Register at: http://marketingstudio.eventbrite.com/

Leave a Comment » | B2B, Event Marketing, Lead Generation, Marketing, Relationship Marketing, small business, Uncategorized | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Eric Glazer

Producing a Free Webinar – Looking to Speak with Owners of Small Businesses

January 5, 2009

i-want-you-for-feedback  I am looking for input from small business owners and marketers.

I am producing a webinar and panel tentatively titled “Lead Generation for Small Business: Tactics to Drive an Inbound Marketing Strategy” to be held February 11, 2009 at 8 PM EST (sixty minutes in duration).    Details below:

Cost?  The webinar is free to attend.  Register here.

Focus?  The session will feature a panel of business owners who will address questions around:

* Do you have a lead generation strategy? 

* What lead generation tactics work best for their business?

* What are the biggest barriers to executing such a strategy?

* How do you overcome resource limitations that often challenge small companies?

* What are tactics you use to overcome these barriers?

* What “proof of concept” or “ROI” is need to convince you that a lead generation strategy is necessary?

* What are examples of a very small business creating an “inbound marketing vortex” in a bad economy?

We will also field questions from attendees.

Who should attend?  Owners and/or practitioners that run and market their small business (loosely defined for purposes of this webinar as businesses that generate less than $15M annually).  These may be lawyers, consultants, software vendors, accountants, insurance brokers, store owners, publishers, etc.

ur-doing-it-wrong   I need your feedback!  Over the next two weeks I am looking to speak with as many small business owners and/or marketers as possible to gain feedback and insights on specific questions and topics we should address.   Please provide your feedback within this blog or simply email me to arrange a brief teleconference so we can connect one-on-one.  Your insights are truly appreciated! 

See you (virtually) on February 11 (I will post confirmed panelists and their bios on this site soon).

2 Comments | B2B, Event Marketing, Lead Generation, Marketing, Relationship Marketing, small business | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Eric Glazer

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