by Fronetics | Feb 13, 2014 | Blog, Content Marketing, Logistics, Marketing, Social Media, Supply Chain
Despite the considerable amount of attention paid to demand generation, many companies (including some companies actively employing a demand generation strategy) do not have a clear understanding of what demand generation actually is.
When asked to define demand generation, a common response is: the generation of demand. Another common response: a marketing strategy. An honest response: I don’t know; what the heck is demand generation?
Demand generation is the creation of awareness and excitement about your company and your products and services. Demand generation is not a one-off; rather it is a continuous process of engaging and nurturing both current and future customers. Demand generation helps you attract new customers and engage (or re-engage) current customers. Demand generation grows your business.
Components of a demand generation strategy include: blogs, social media, podcasts, video, newsletters, email, white papers, and case studies. These components work together. They position your company as a thought leader, expert, and influencer in your industry. They build trust. Importantly, they drive engagement and communication. The foundation of demand generation is the creation and sustaining of relationships between your company and your customers – current and future.
According to DemandGen, 90 percent of business buyers say when they’re ready to buy, they’ll find you. How will they find you? When B2B buyers were asked to rank where they turn to find a new solution, 46 percent listed a “web search” as their first source for information. The leading choice for both the second and third ranked sources was vendor web sites.
With respect to social media, DemandGen found that blogs are considered to be the social media channel with the biggest impact on the researching process (46 percent). LinkedIn was also found to be a place where buyers turned to conduct research (41 percent).
The survey also found that content had a significant impact on the decision to buy. Nearly two-thirds of respondents said “a vendor’s content had a significant impact on their buying decision,” and 34 of respondents “strongly agreed that the winning vendors provided a better mix of content to guide them through each stage of the researching and decision-making process.”
What is the take away? The take away is that a company with a strong presence and a demand generation strategy is more likely to be successful than a company who does not have a strong presence or a demand generation strategy.
What is the different between a successful demand generation strategy and one that falls flat? A successful strategy incorporates communication, engagement, and quality content. Furthermore, a successful demand generation strategy is built upon an understanding of customer needs and interests –real, not perceived.
At Fronetics we work with our clients to design and implement a demand generation strategy that is right for them – for their company and for their customers. We know how to create awareness and excitement about our clients’ companies and their products and services. We also know how to help our clients engage with and nurture their customers.
Through our demand generation service, Engage, we help companies acquire new customers and grow their businesses by penetrating new markets and deepening their presence and impact in existing markets. If you are interested in learning more about Engage and about creating a successful demand generation strategy, we’d love to talk with you.
by Fronetics | Feb 4, 2014 | Blog, Logistics, Marketing, Social Media, Strategy
This article also appeared on DC Velocity.
Research conducted by Adrian Gonzalez, founder and president of Adelante SCM, found that 30 percent of respondents (supply chain professionals) reported that their companies block access to social media sites. One of the reasons for the lack of participation in social media by these companies is likely due to a lack of understanding of what social media is and the role it can play in business. As noted by Gonzalez: “many supply chain executives and companies are stuck on the starting line because they can’t get past the word ‘social’ and the perception it creates.”
In a 2013 article in MIT Sloan Management Review, Gerald C. Kane, Associate Professor at the Carroll School of Management at Boston College, wrote: “When asked to define social media, most people probably rely on something similar to Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart’s definition of obscenity: ‘I know it when I see it.’” Unfortunately this approach to defining social media tends to perpetuate stereotypes and does not accurately reflect what social media is and how it can be utilized by business. What, then, is social media? Social media is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as: “websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking.” These websites and applications are inclusive of Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google+. Social media is part of a larger framework called social technologies. The McKinsey Global Institute defines social technologies as: “IT products and services that enable the formation and operation of online communities, where participants have distributed access to content and distributed rights to create, add, and/or modify content.” Social technologies are inclusive of Yammer, Jive, Moxie, and Supply Chain Operating Networks such as Descartes, GT Nexus, Elemica, E2open, LeanLogistics, and One Network. Also included in social technologies are network-based business intelligence and analytics.
Clara Shih, CEO and Founder of Hearsay Social, and Lisa Shalett, Managing Director and Head of Brand Marketing and Digital Strategy at Goldman Sachs, call attention to the fact that when you get right down to it, social media encompasses “a set of new and innovative ways for businesses and customers to do what they have always done: build relationships, exchange information, read and write reviews, and leverage trusted networks of friends and experts.” Furthermore, engaging in social media and utilizing social technologies provides business with the tools to manage status, social networks, and established relationships—all drivers of firm performance. Social media and social networking also enable companies to be able to better manage risk, create demand, define their reputation, innovate, enhance business intelligence, and improve productivity.
To learn more about social media and the role it can play in business, see our white paper: Social Media and the Logistics and Supply Chain Industries: Why Not Participating is a Risk You Can’t Afford to Take.
by Fronetics | Feb 4, 2014 | Blog, Logistics, Marketing, Social Media, Strategy
This article also appeared on DC Velocity.
Research conducted by Adrian Gonzalez, founder and president of Adelante SCM, found that 30 percent of respondents (supply chain professionals) reported that their companies block access to social media sites. One of the reasons for the lack of participation in social media by these companies is likely due to a lack of understanding of what social media is and the role it can play in business. As noted by Gonzalez: “many supply chain executives and companies are stuck on the starting line because they can’t get past the word ‘social’ and the perception it creates.”
In a 2013 article in MIT Sloan Management Review, Gerald C. Kane, Associate Professor at the Carroll School of Management at Boston College, wrote: “When asked to define social media, most people probably rely on something similar to Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart’s definition of obscenity: ‘I know it when I see it.’” Unfortunately this approach to defining social media tends to perpetuate stereotypes and does not accurately reflect what social media is and how it can be utilized by business. What, then, is social media? Social media is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as: “websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking.” These websites and applications are inclusive of Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google+. Social media is part of a larger framework called social technologies. The McKinsey Global Institute defines social technologies as: “IT products and services that enable the formation and operation of online communities, where participants have distributed access to content and distributed rights to create, add, and/or modify content.” Social technologies are inclusive of Yammer, Jive, Moxie, and Supply Chain Operating Networks such as Descartes, GT Nexus, Elemica, E2open, LeanLogistics, and One Network. Also included in social technologies are network-based business intelligence and analytics.
Clara Shih, CEO and Founder of Hearsay Social, and Lisa Shalett, Managing Director and Head of Brand Marketing and Digital Strategy at Goldman Sachs, call attention to the fact that when you get right down to it, social media encompasses “a set of new and innovative ways for businesses and customers to do what they have always done: build relationships, exchange information, read and write reviews, and leverage trusted networks of friends and experts.” Furthermore, engaging in social media and utilizing social technologies provides business with the tools to manage status, social networks, and established relationships—all drivers of firm performance. Social media and social networking also enable companies to be able to better manage risk, create demand, define their reputation, innovate, enhance business intelligence, and improve productivity.
To learn more about social media and the role it can play in business, see our white paper: Social Media and the Logistics and Supply Chain Industries: Why Not Participating is a Risk You Can’t Afford to Take.
by Fronetics | Jan 29, 2014 | Blog, Marketing, Social Media
There is much more than meets the eye when it comes to social media marketing. From expanding corporate communications to learning valuable information about consumers, social media has benefits that help businesses grow and expand their reach. Here are four powerful reasons why your business needs to incorporate social media into your marketing strategy:
1. Sharing Educational Content with Consumers
Leveraging social media as a tool for educating customers is a B2B marketing strategy that many businesses miss out on. Build your social media channels and develop thought leadership by providing objective, educational content that is relevant to your customers’ business problems. Become a resource of industry-related information through your original content and content curated from across the Internet. When potential customers are beginning their buying process, they gravitate towards companies with whom they are familiar and perceive as industry experts. According to Sirius Decisions, 70% of the buyer’s journey is complete before they ever contact a sales representative. Socially sharing educational content will increase your visibility to buyers during the sales process. Buyers are more informed than ever before, and businesses need to strive to be a resource for their customers on social media.
2. Improve Your SEO Ranking
Inbound links and social shares are two key performance indicators (KPIs) to be mindful of throughout the SEO process. Inbound links and social shares are two increasingly important factors that are taken into consideration during website indexes. These increase what Google refers to as Author Authority, and the more authority, the more SEO weight your website gains. Bottom line: the stronger your presence on social media, the higher your search engine page rank will be.
3. Generate New Leads
Social media can be used to help businesses build robust marketing campaigns to support lead generation, often with little to no cost. The plethora of social media networks and websites can seem overwhelming, but popular networks like LinkedIn and Twitter are a great place to start using social media to generate qualified leads.
LinkedIn is an ideal space for businesses; the community of professionals is a great resource for networking. LinkedIn supports businesses with community pages, company pages, groups and discussion boards for users to share ideas, content and talk to like-minded professionals. LinkedIn is also a useful tool for leads by gauging interest in products and services based on conversations. Additionally, Twitter is another free platform that users can use to drive lead generation efforts. According to Inside View, B2B marketers who use Twitter generate twice as many leads as those that do not.
4. Stretch Your Marketing Dollars
Even if you do chose to upgrade your social media toolkit and pay for premium benefits and services, the cost of implementing a social media marketing campaign is significantly lower than using many traditional mediums. The real-time data and analytics received through different social platforms provide users with valuable insights and the opportunity for businesses to pivot campaigns and tactics as needed in order to have the highest possible impact. Moreover, you be flexible with your marketing strategies, campaigns and tactics.
What have been some of the biggest benefits that your organization has seen as a result of their social media practices?
For more information on the benefits of social media, check out our white paper.
by Fronetics | Jan 29, 2014 | Blog, Marketing, Social Media
There is much more than meets the eye when it comes to social media marketing. From expanding corporate communications to learning valuable information about consumers, social media has benefits that help businesses grow and expand their reach. Here are four powerful reasons why your business needs to incorporate social media into your marketing strategy:
1. Sharing Educational Content with Consumers
Leveraging social media as a tool for educating customers is a B2B marketing strategy that many businesses miss out on. Build your social media channels and develop thought leadership by providing objective, educational content that is relevant to your customers’ business problems. Become a resource of industry-related information through your original content and content curated from across the Internet. When potential customers are beginning their buying process, they gravitate towards companies with whom they are familiar and perceive as industry experts. According to Sirius Decisions, 70% of the buyer’s journey is complete before they ever contact a sales representative. Socially sharing educational content will increase your visibility to buyers during the sales process. Buyers are more informed than ever before, and businesses need to strive to be a resource for their customers on social media.
2. Improve Your SEO Ranking
Inbound links and social shares are two key performance indicators (KPIs) to be mindful of throughout the SEO process. Inbound links and social shares are two increasingly important factors that are taken into consideration during website indexes. These increase what Google refers to as Author Authority, and the more authority, the more SEO weight your website gains. Bottom line: the stronger your presence on social media, the higher your search engine page rank will be.
3. Generate New Leads
Social media can be used to help businesses build robust marketing campaigns to support lead generation, often with little to no cost. The plethora of social media networks and websites can seem overwhelming, but popular networks like LinkedIn and Twitter are a great place to start using social media to generate qualified leads.
LinkedIn is an ideal space for businesses; the community of professionals is a great resource for networking. LinkedIn supports businesses with community pages, company pages, groups and discussion boards for users to share ideas, content and talk to like-minded professionals. LinkedIn is also a useful tool for leads by gauging interest in products and services based on conversations. Additionally, Twitter is another free platform that users can use to drive lead generation efforts. According to Inside View, B2B marketers who use Twitter generate twice as many leads as those that do not.
4. Stretch Your Marketing Dollars
Even if you do chose to upgrade your social media toolkit and pay for premium benefits and services, the cost of implementing a social media marketing campaign is significantly lower than using many traditional mediums. The real-time data and analytics received through different social platforms provide users with valuable insights and the opportunity for businesses to pivot campaigns and tactics as needed in order to have the highest possible impact. Moreover, you be flexible with your marketing strategies, campaigns and tactics.
What have been some of the biggest benefits that your organization has seen as a result of their social media practices?
For more information on the benefits of social media, check out our white paper.
