The sales cycle of many businesses got more complicated due to COVID-19. And that’s perfect for inbound marketing. Many have spent money on traditional sales & marketing efforts with an unknown ROI. Digital marketing in today’s world requires using innovative, evidence-based strategies your competitors aren’t.
These digital marketing strategies help B2B clients in manufacturing, tech and professional services fill their sales funnel with qualified, excited leads that are ready to talk.
Short term results have included: 2 additional qualified leads per day, 200 page views per day (both trending upward). Click-through-rates at 5+% (nearly double industry average) and the client currently owns a 14% impression share, meaning they show up in 14% of all searches nationwide for their category, which is more than Amazon.com and second only to Uline for total impression share in this category.
Long term results have included: 398% growth in organic google search traffic, a $300K sales contract directly from inbound marketing, 1,290% growth in organic google search traffic, 136% growth in email leads from content, 12% growth in sales conversions (not just leads)
8. Effects of COVID-19:
Won’t Our Website Sell
Them?
Shift to Phone and/or
Video Chat
Tradeshows, conferences,
networking events, job
fairs, sales meetings,
travel, etc. on hold
Modify Approach Due
to COVID?
Prospects (or Even
Customers) May Not Be
Ready for Sales Calls
9. COVID-19
Spending more time
on computer
Watching more on
streaming services
Spending longer on
WhatsApp, Facebook
Messenger
Listening to more
streaming services
Spending longer on
social media
10. Won’t We Go Back to Normal?
03 More Will Retain This Preference
01
02
04
New Normal Will Be Forever Changed
More Prospects Getting Used to Online Research First
Digital Will Continue to Amplify Qualified Lead Generation
& Nurturing, Warming Them Up for Sales
16. Passive vs
Passive candidates make up 70%
of the global workforce,
you are limiting
your search for talent.
- LinkedIn -
70%
Passive candidates
30%
Active candidates
Open roles
30. Growth in organic
Google search traffic
contract secured by the client
directly from content marketing
Growth in organic
Google search traffic
Growth in email leads from
content
I want you to take a moment and think back to a time in your life when things sucked. Maybe it was marketing. Maybe it was something else. Maybe it was someone. How did you feel? What were you experiencing?
I'm going to talk about my personal journey before jumping into the topics of marketing and technology...
Ever felt this way? I know I have...
Over a decade ago, a great number of people have "Their 2008 Story" due to the massive impact of the financial collapse. And now some people will have their 2020 Pandemic Story.
Just finished MBA while working full time and all 3 children born
Found myself unemployed
Working odd jobs to provide financially and emotionally
Depressed and struggling
More mental than physical surroundings
Landlord paid part of our mortgage
Harder to receive than give
Offered a job in Tulsa and turned it down, wrestled with this, parents didn't understand
Then connected to company in Green Bay
Offered and accepted the job
Moved to Green Bay, Cowboys and Viking fans. You can guess how that went over. Like a lead balloon!
Why do I tell you this story?
There is hope...you will make it through.
You've made us laugh and cry...so what does that have to do with marketing?
companies fail because they are using the same methodologies (every day on the calendar) and/or are employing prehistoric strategies (speak to the speed in which companies need to adapt to a highly dynamic and ever-changing marketplace) to gain exposure to their product
The current industry is using prehistoric thinking (i.e. no longer relevant nor effective) and as we know, things did not workout so well for the dinosaurs. (possible one-liner...the last time I went to the zoo, I do not recall visiting the "Adaptive Dinosaur" Exhibit) In the word association game, after the word dinosaur, most people think "extinct" (not "adaptive") and this is where organizations will be if they do not adapt.
The additional points we discussed for this slide, of many, is that the industry is running the same game plan every day. Essentially, it is predictable and it does not standout in the noisiest times since 2008. (i.e. we are getting more marketing solicitations than ever, so effective and precise marketing is the most critical it has been - for companies and their employees - in over a decade)
Significant point "for now": Right now is the new 2008 and those who have the best plans will have the powerful success stories to tell for years to come. (here is how we not only survived, but thrived)
Hence, without having to say the words, it is the setup for how Miles is going to take you on a journey out of the old and navigate you into the new!
Most leaders tend to want it now, not plan it out. You can't tase your boss. Or maybe you are the boss. Tase yourself. Stop yourself.
Early in my career, I had some AMAZING jobs!
I'm convinced that car dealerships are there to wear us out. Just give me the damn car.
Used car story: Billy Hogue (unconventional thinking)
Terminix story here about interview and job offer
Maybe you've heard of it. Maybe you use it. Maybe you love or hate it.
Consider running ads
Don’t underestimate the power of word of mouth
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/07/business/economy/age-discrimination-jobs-hiring.html
https://www.facebook.com/pg/GreatLakesVeneer/jobs/?ref=page_internal
Explain the difference between short term and long-term digital strategies... Either here to set up this section or individually at the start of short term here and later at the start of long term.
Everyone wants to land the FANG companies (Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, and Google) as their client, but organizations need to stay in their lane and wisely spend their financial resources on what will keep them strong in the short, mid, and long term!
There may be a stronger Slide 23...I continue to think about that.
I believe it has to be something relatable - leading into the Google example - where people will leaf through something, but eventually stop looking, because they either find what they want, get distracted, bored, or continue to find the options less desirable.
Much more complex than just placing the right words on a page (that’s called a “hope and a prayer”)
Walk them through the process for kw research, tie back to the exercise
Then Content curation and publishing
Influencer outreach to jumpstart quality links
Email opt-ins and automation of content-focused email series based on funnel segmentation
Sales team reviewing lead scoring and engaging (manual email and/or phone call) with those who have higher scores.
companies fail because they are using the same methodologies (every day on the calendar) and/or are employing prehistoric strategies (speak to the speed in which companies need to adapt to a highly dynamic and ever-changing marketplace) to gain exposure to their product
Yet we far too often do part of a strategy/plan and hope the rest goes ok...
Remember my 2008 story? It prepared me for the pandemic.
I wouldn't want to go back and go through that situation again, but I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.
Humble Beginnings
Remember that job I took in Green Bay, Mark's a keynote speaker
Why I'm standing on the stage in front of you
There will be times in your life where you wil say to youself, just like Garth Brooks did, I'm much too young to feel this damn old. I guarantee it!
But this isn't about 2008 or 2020, it's about 2021 and beyond! It's about how you are going to position yourself and your company coming out of this.
I realized that there is a lot in business life that sucks: technology, marketing, and even our career paths- you name it. It sucks!
But here’s the secret- IT DOESN’T HAVE TO SUCK!
Come on, enjoy the journey with me and accept...no, embrace...Why Stuff Sucks. It is our opportunity to allow our experiences to shape, not cripple us.