Google recently renamed one of its more powerful marketing tools (AdWords, now Google Ads). As with anything like this, we saw a spike in conversation over the new name and how old habits die hard. However, for many small to medium businesses in the science and technology space, the tool itself is still a mystery, regardless of the name.
Lumetrics: A Case Study in Content Success
Not too long ago, Lumetrics, a Rochester N.Y. based company who makes high-precision thickness measurement and gauging systems, was spending around $3,000 per month on Google AdWords. The clicks were there but the leads weren’t. With only 2-3 new leads per week, Lumetrics’ leadership knew that their marketing strategy had to change. At the advice of Launch Team, Lumetrics began using the HubSpot Marketing Platform for an inbound rather than outbound marketing approach. Lumetrics’ engineering team began developing technical application notes meant to drive not just web visits but new leads as well.
Though it would be ideal to have a full six months to prepare for a product launch, this is not always a reality. Delays in funding, licensing, or product development challenges can put a product manager into a challenging situation where the window between product viability and revenue expectations is extremely narrow.
Though I was enjoying LFW's Laser Marketplace at Photonics West, furiously taking notes while Allen Nogee revealed the 2018 market forecast and geeking out over photobiomodulation as Praveen Arany shared his research, the final session of the day was a marketer's dream. A panel of highly respected individuals in the industry had been asked the question—"What do bioinstrumentation developers need to know from the photonics industry?"
Scenario: You’ve spent the past three days at a trade show. You were really good about not answering emails on your phone while on the exhibition floor. You ran a lead generation promotion that brought in double the leads over last year.
But now it’s Monday. You’re back in the office and your inbox is overflowing. You’ve downloaded the lead list, but there isn’t possibly enough time to do lead qualification research on all of them—and certainly not enough time to make calls. How will you ensure consistent lead follow-up?
I often hear from companies that their marketing team collects data for data's sake—that they are mired in the minutia of marketing analytics, which have little to no impact on the sales team. The marketing team in turn complains that the sales team doesn't take the time to put the data into the CRM, nor do they learn to use the CRM well enough to make use of the available data. The finger pointing is cyclical and can leave leadership in a quandary. In this case, I believe it is up to the marketer to prove the value of the data to the sales team.
John Martin is the CTO and cofounder of Martin Materials Solutions, a U.S. company that manufactures innovative glass products for the aerospace market. Martin, whose goal is to drive the technology necessary to support this unique industry, has coined the term “spaceglass”, a reference to this truly unique type of glass.
Successful entrepreneur Brian Pitre became fascinated with the UAV market in 2012. With a business partner and enough capital to cover a discovery phase of six months, Pitre traveled the country flying drones, meeting other early adopters of this new technology, and looking for the right opportunity to invest in this new high-tech market. Six months turned into 18 as Pitre saw the tremendous growth potential of the UAV market.
There’s no doubt that inbound marketing strategies are critical to the success of today’s businesses. However, traditional outbound strategies can still play a role in capturing your audience’s attention.
B2B companies can drive buyer awareness and action with print advertising in highly targeted industry publications, but without good design, ads can go unnoticed.
Blogging has been recognized for years as an important aspect of any marketing campaign. For Launch Team clients, the most immediate impact is in the short-game of lead generation. Blog posts are used as part of an inbound marketing program to direct readers to longer pieces of content like white papers, eBooks, and tip sheets that are form protected and used to generate leads. The blog post is designed to attract leads early in the buying process, those at the top of the sales funnel. Promoting blogs in strategic locations across the web is the most effective means we have of attracting new leads.
Booth design isn’t the only thing that can make or break a company’s trade show presence. Engaged, knowledgeable staff members who are eager to share their expertise are a must-have. A cool demo doesn’t hurt either. Check out the companies and events we thought shined at this year’s SPIE Photonics West, and what could have been better.
According to a recent Gallup report, only 29% of B2B customers are engaged or feel a strong connection with the companies they buy from. Often a lack of engagement is caused by poor customer service or difficulty doing business with the company. This situation represents a significant loss of growth opportunities for B2Bs.
