On Focus.com, Adam asks: ““What percentage success rate do people (expect from) direct mail campaigns? We (get) 7% response rate when marketing to existing customers and 2% to new customers.” My response: It’s a cop out, I know, but there is no right answer to this question or to its… Read More
Category Archives: B2B Marketing
Q4 Marketing Budget: 4 Key Areas to Consider
In B2B circles, Q4 is historically a time of year when marketing spend picks up. Sales teams need the push to meet year-end numbers, whilst at other companies, spending marketing dollars in Q4 is simply a matter of “use it or lose it.” Even with the recession now officially over,… Read More
Does Renting Email Lists Make Sense Any More?
I wrote recently in this space about the resurgence of direct mail as a viable outbound component to an integrated demand generation strategy. Most of that resurgence is due to the benefits of using direct mail on its own merits, but there’s another factor: the greatly diminished effectiveness of rented… Read More
Gmail Priority Inbox: the Death Knell for Email as Lead Generation?
This month, Google released a new feature called Priority Inbox, designed to help Gmail users better cope with email overload by automatically determining which emails are most important to the recipient. For example, messages sent from people that you typically respond to immediately will receive special attention and preferential placement,… Read More
Eloqua’s “Juan Eloqua” Campaign: Email Creative at Its Best
The email below from marketing automation vendor Eloqua is part of one of those rare B2B campaigns that combines email marketing best practices with an impeccably executed creative concept. In the process, what is otherwise a fairly straightforward “get your free report” lead nurturing program is elevated to a degree… Read More
Banner Ads I Like: Adobe
When it comes to banner ads and online advertising in general, I will confess a prejudice for clean and simple. Multiple frames, flash animation – they may look cool but in my view they’re more often a distraction to the reader, and a crutch for copy that was too long… Read More
5 Ways To Incorporate Direct Mail Into Your Marketing Mix
Pop Quiz! Direct Mail is: a) more expensive than email b) quaintly old-fashioned c) regaining popularity in B2B circles d) often overlooked as an effective way to reach customers and prospects. Answer: (e) all of the above. Yet many B2B marketers continue to be allergic to the idea of using… Read More