Category Archives: Lead Management

Why Companies Buy Marketing Automation Software

Recently, Lauren Carlson of research site Software Advice wrote a very perceptive and timely piece entitled “Tailwinds for Marketing Automation Software” about the broader market trends that, in her view, are driving the increased adoption of marketing automation technology. Two of the key trends she identifies include (I’m paraphrasing): *… Read More

21 Tips & Other Impressions from the Marketo User Summit

Earlier this week, Marketo, the marketing automation company, held its second ever user conference in San Francisco. As a Marketo agency partner, I attended along with colleagues from Spear Marketing Group to greet clients, talk shop, and hear how other companies – including Marketo themselves – are putting technology to… 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

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

Getting the Most from Salesforce.com: A Conversation with David Taber

Salesforce.com is a dominant player in the CRM category and an integral part of many companies’ lead management, database marketing, and demand generation programs. Yet in my experience marketers often have a love-hate relationship with Salesforce, a tool originally designed for salespeople that now, like it or not, has become… Read More

New White Paper: Top 10 Tips for Lead Nurturing Success

Just getting started with lead nurturing? Recently invested in marketing automation software? Concerned that your lead nurturing program isn’t everything it should be? Great lead nurturing starts with more than just software. Learn more in Spear’s newest white paper: “Top 10 Tips For Lead Nurturing Success: How to Get the… Read More

If Lead Nurturing is the Question, is Software the Answer?

I was reminded today of just how successful the marketing automation vendors have been (to their credit, it must be said) in defining their solutions as the answer to today’s marketing problems. That conclusion was prompted by this question, posed on Focus: “We want to start doing more lead nurturing… Read More