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Published on Wednesday 28th of September 2011

Do you really know your prospective clients?

Recently, a friend of mine returned from her summer vacation in Provence (France), and having become enchanted with the place, she recommended I read Peter Mayle’s “Encore Provence”. The book, written by a British author who made his home in Provence, is most intriguing when he describes the cultural differences of the region. Through his anecdotes we come to appreciate that the differences are real, and that though they are experience immediately, they can only be understood with time and after many personal encounters.

When I started reading, I was guilty much as you probably are of assuming that the only prominent cultural differences would come from an Anglophone living in a Francophone environment, but this was not the case. Peter Mayle elaborates on the beauty of Provence by contrasting its people’s ways with the Parisian way, with the British way, and with the American way. He even touches on the differences between Marseille and Avignon, both in Provence—and how the ways of doing business in one does not apply to the other.

Thus, when you consider entering a new market, or you are about to launch a new product to a target market you are unfamiliar with, it is instrumental you verify that:

1. Your have identified the prospective market that would most benefit from your solution
2. You target market can afford your solution
3. You understand how your target market operates and how your prospects expect to do business with you
4. Your solution features are highlighted in a way that fits like a lock and key, so you can open the door to your prospects

All the above is a result of:

1. A well-thought marketing strategy
2. Fine custom of your branding to the market that you are after
3. Creative marketing campaigns that attract the attention of your specific target market
4. Constant evaluation of your marketing results to ensure that you really address your prospects’ needs

If you are looking to turn more of your prospects into paying clients, please do not hesitate to contact us. We offer suggestions and solutions to make sure you have the right market approach with your products or services.

CATEGORIES:

Business Marketing Planning    Business Development Strategy    B2B Marketing Strategies    

Published on Wednesday 17th of August 2011

What's Special This Coming September?

If this September is anything like the last one, a lot of organizations are going to be ramping up their B2B marketing efforts. Last year, when the end of summer came around, the search volume for business-to-business marketing in the United States started to increase, reaching its apex near the end of September. In Canada, we observed similar results, as you can see in the charts.

The summer months, in comparison, are much more relaxed. Many people take their vacations and put off major B2B marketing projects until the fall. This means the competition is lower at that time. But when this September comes around, what are you going to do to stay ahead?

The Slowdown and Marketing Strategy

The economy has experienced another slowdown this summer. Is it time to halt your B2B marketing? Make no mistake, this time it will be most challenging for the companies that target federal clients. Private businesses have mostly recovered since the last economic crisis. A good indication of this is a recently released report by Gartner: Quarterly IT Spending Forecast July 2011 that claims that dispite of the economic climate worldwide, IT spending forecast has been revised up from 5.6% to 7.1% quarter over quarter. That means no cutting back on B2B marketing and instead adopting an aggressive marketing strategy to get ahead.

A report published a few years ago by BMO Financial Group investigated how Canadian businesses were affected by the global economic recession. It indicated that the most successful and least impacted organizations all had few things in common: they were always seeking to expand into new markets and unknown markets; they were refocusing their customer bases and getting rid of non-core business; and they were not afraid to forego the familiar and embrace the risks that can ultimately lead to further success.

Therefore, use these times to go on the offensive. Ramp up your B2B marketing, introduce new products, and spend a lot of effort making sure they’re in your customers’ minds. By taking a weaker economy head on, not only can you plow through the tough times, but you are ideally poised for rapid growth the moment there is an upswing.

This coming September, your competitors might be considering all of the above. Don’t fall behind, call Direct Objective to grow your customer base and expand into less familiar B2B marketing tactics or strategies.

CATEGORIES:

B2B Marketing    Market Slowdown    Marketing Action Plan    B2B Marketing Strategies    

Published on Monday 14th of February 2011

Attracting Clients in a New Marketing World

As we discussed in Direct Objective’s December blog about the Major Shifts of Business-to-Business (B2B) “New Marketing Evolution,” traditional marketing sales processes are becoming less effective. Many companies’ marketing strategies are based on the concept of a controlled sales environment, where actions are driven by a “number game.” Simply put: the more outgoing calls you can make = the more your message is pushed onto potential clients = more clients. In a new world where the Internet is so dominant, this equation is not necessarily true anymore.

The easiest way to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to marketing is to shift your fundamental focus; namely, from Push Marketing to Pull Marketing. Why spend enormous resources chasing down clients with constantly changing needs and ways of absorbing information, when you could entice customers to come to you? Not only does it reduce the cost of finding new clients, it also ensures the quality of clients you attract will be exponentially higher, since they’ve already recognized your company as a potential solution provider.

Your next step is to identify the right tools that can help you effectively make the transition from push to Pull Marketing. Some recent examples from our clients include:

• Search Engine Optimization (SEO) - One of our clients has been an industry leader for the past 15 years, but potential clients had difficulty finding them on search engines way down on Page 16. They are now located close to the top on the first page, and their Web visitor inquiries, along with their web-generated leads have grown significantly
• Company Blogs & Social Media – In an age where we prefer to rely on friend reviews and not necessarily on slippery salespeople, an open relationship with clients through a blog or social media outlet can build trust. We assisted one of our clients with writing their blog, spreading positive information by social word of mouth, and engaging clients with their solution and as a result, saw their registration levels increase dramatically
• Whitepapers – One company we worked with had an extremely intricate and innovative solution, but it was very difficult for them to explain it to their target market. We wrote a special whitepaper and distributed it to influential industry figures, and their company is now attracting the right clients who have an understanding of how the solution can work for them.

There are a number of other new techniques that can simplify the Pull Marketing strategy process, but it’s most effective to create a marketing strategy which successfully integrates several. Every Pull Marketing strategy should have a unique approach, but it is now clear that Pull Marketing is no longer just advisable; it’s a necessity in a rapidly changing marketing world. Talk to Direct Objective today to discuss your options for Pull Marketing strategies to get ahead of the marketing curve.

CATEGORIES:

B2B Lead Generation    Pull Marketing Strategies    B2B Marketing Strategies    

Published on Monday 6th of December 2010

The 5 Major Shifts of B2B 'New Marketing Evolution'

A very interesting 2010 is wrapping up, and the marketing industry is facing some major changes moving forward. 2010 was nowhere near as financially tough for many as 2009, but the recovery, while starting to show signs of hope, is still hampering firms. In response to the economic downtown, as well as new, emerging technologies, companies have undergone a major shift from the old marketing regime in a process we’ve coined New Marketing Evolution.

We’ve identified 5 major consequences of New Marketing Evolution to consider as we head into 2011.

1. The definition of marketing, transformed: During the last 2 years, the marketing industry has undergone a significant shift. The mindset of the potential clients has changed and if you or your company continue employing the old methods, you may quickly fall behind the curve. The key changes:

2. The competitive landscape is more spirited than ever, for three reasons: (A) the economic situation leads to less buying power, thus decreasing the number of potential consumers or clients, (B) a smaller world approach brings a lot of new competitors from international markets that were not present in our market before, and (C) the high pace of changes and the consolidation of technologies creates inherently new competitors, both direct and indirect. For example, the introduction of Apple's iPad imposed competition not only on eBook readers, but also on laptop, notebook, wireless phone, and portable entertainment devices. And in the first quarter of 2011, iPad will have its own breed of competitors; already, just two weeks ago, HP released the Slate.

3. Internal pressure to use fewer resources and deliver faster: Marketing budgets usually shrink or almost disappear in slow economies, but the need for good leads to fill your pipeline is still there. You just need to work harder with the limited resources you have in hand. Look again at the table above and notice how new B2B marketing strategies are designed for efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

4. The new marketer must master technology and create original content: While a lot of marketing is performed online nowadays, there are a hefty amount of tools that can be used to research, measure, and automate the marketing process. You need to learn them quickly, master them, and on top of that produce creative content. Here is the shift in the approach:

If you’re not producing creative, original content through a company blog, or a Twitter account, or a sales presentation, or any other part of your marketing campaign, then why should a client listen?

5. Delivery = ROI: After you’ve spent time developing and implementing a well-targeted, carefully-researched, meticulously-refined marketing solution, you’ve only just begun. It is not enough to just spend time on delivering marketing activity; you must listen to your target audience, collect and analyze marketing results, deduct what the return on investment is and how it can be improved for future marketing activity.

Marketing Evolution may have created a more competitive and constantly changing environment, but it has opened the door for customization, unique interpretation, inspiring interaction, and creativity. New technologies and techniques allow new B2B marketing strategies to build closer relationships with clients than ever before. How your company evolves with New Marketing Evolution is up to you.

CATEGORIES:

Marketing Evolution    B2B Marketing    New Marketing Strategies    B2B Marketing Strategies    

Published on Monday 9th of August 2010

Profit from the Summer Lull: Reassess Your Marketing Action Plan

Most businesses tend to slow down in the summer months. While everyone is on vacation, now is a key opportunity to generate or reassess your marketing action plan. Create an advantage by examining whether your existing marketing action plan will deliver the requested sales you need in the fall. Will you reach your goals?

Here are a few questions to ask yourself as you re-assess your marketing action plan:

1. Are you targeting the right market? Are there new niche markets you could, or should, be addressing?
2. Have events in the past year impacted your business model? What new trends or changes in the marketplace may impact the effectiveness of your current marketing action plan?
3. Has your website effectively generated leads? Are prospects able to find you on search engines? If you have invested in search engine optimization, have you targeted the right keywords that drive a high level of relevant traffic?
4. Do you have any new avenues for bringing in clients? Have your past marketing lead generation activities been successful? Measuring the results of your marketing campaigns is crucial, and an important benchmark for assessing the effectiveness of your marketing action plan.
5. Have you invested in social media marketing? Do you know what strategy you should employ and what tools to use?

These are just a few of the questions you should be asking yourself as you begin to re-examine your marketing action plan. Remember: your marketing plan is the foundation of all of your campaigns, so it pays to use the summer to prepare for the fall—especially if you want to get ahead of the competition.

In September, people come back to work refreshed and ready to roll. With better strategic marketing planning, you’ll ensure your business comes out stronger than ever! If you want advice, consult with us to make sure you have the most effective marketing action plan for your business.

CATEGORIES:

Market Slowdown    Marketing Action Plan    B2B Marketing Strategies