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Marketing Automation -- The Importance of Head Scoring in B2B

I have spent significant amounts of time of late analyzing various marketing related technologies to make out some efficiencies and adopt some of the newer tricks out there. In an earlier posting, I dug into my approach to the content management area. As it turns out, several of the written content management and WEM vendors also include Marketing Automation.So I thought I'd talk a little how to use the idea to nurture leads.

Marketing Automation: What Is It?

If you work inside Marketing, there's a good chance you currently know what this means. Just to be certain we're all to the same page, let's review a quick definition to receive on common ground.

"Marketing Automation is a software-based solution that provides advanced email marketing functionality including drip marketing, multi-step campaigns, landing page generation, and full analytical pursuing. It also can include tough one message testing and directed at features not commonly obtained in simple email marketing merchandise. "

Essentially, these products exist to aid marketing teams better nurture and qualify leads within the early stages of this sales funnel. That way, once a lead causes it to become to sales, the person is prone to be qualified, interested, and ready to dig straight into consider the product in more detail. They likely have a genuine project and budget, maybe even a wanted time line, leading to a accurate opportunity waiting and ready on your sales team.

Lead Scoring: The Key to Nurturing and also Qualifying

In order to attain that vision just defined, it is absolutely critical which you think carefully about how you need to designate what a skilled lead is. This can be executed very simply, or it can be quite complicated in greater enterprises or businesses which has a broad product portfolio.

Simple Version: Response Indicates Interest

The simplest example of the way to implement lead scoring is to start with a multi-step campaign. Let's say that, once you identify a new lead, they go into an marketing automation solution campaign that sends the following emails:

1. A welcome email by using links to free information about your product and the problems it solves

2. (Two weeks later) A second message including a bit more product information, as well as make contact with info should they need to demo a product

3. (Four weeks later) A third message leading with a more focused offer centering all-around a demo

4. (Eight weeks afterwards) A fourth in addition to final message extending a premium or urgent, time-limited offer that moves them along the sales cycle

Like I said, this is very simple. Basically, you are providing a tad bit more motivation to respond everytime. If this does not get a response, then perhaps they usually are not ready to buy quite yet. Or maybe they haven't gotten the project approved, even though they could. But one way or another, they were willing to let you be in touch along. Unless they unsubscribe, you still have an excuse to push on.