I received an email campaign from Eloqua, a company that makes marketing automation software. It’s a top-notch campaign. The email, rather than trying to sell me on Eloqua’s software, pitched its “fun” video on marketing automation. Below is an image and link to the campaign landing page.

A couple of things I really like about this [...]

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Dear Dave:
My company is considering using a cold call campaign to help generate leads. But it seems that everyone is so busy and also using Caller ID, and no one answers their phone these days. Can cold calling still work?
Signed,
In the Dark about Cold Calling
Dear In the Dark:
The name alone gives me the chills and [...]

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Dear Dave:
How can we keep prospects from filling in junk on our landing page forms, which prevents us from generating a lead and contacting that person again?
Signed,
Can’t sell to zzzyyyggyg
Dear ZZZYY …
Every company that drives prospects to the Web and offers valuable content such as white papers in exchange for contact information has met up with Ima [...]

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Everyone has heard the expression “Content is King.” Good content helps improve search engine optimization, educate prospects, generate qualified leads, position your company as experts and more. So what type of content actually is kingly, or king-like, or just king?
At the top of my list are white papers based on surveys. One of my clients, [...]

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I’m always talking to my clients about the need to create more marketing content. But what exactly is content? Information, yes, but more than that: it is water for customers and prospects who thirst for knowledge, it is sustenance to fuel the marathon process known as the sales cycle.
Content consists of web pages, white papers, articles, [...]

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Some companies tend to scale back on marketing investments when economic conditions are difficult, yet history is rich with examples of companies that gain advantage by maintaining or increasing marketing during challenging times.
What at first may seem like a bold or risky strategy – funding a variable cost such as marketing during a time of financial [...]

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MarketingSherpa is a great resource for b-to-b marketing strategy and tactics. They recently published a “Top Ten Marketing Fast Fixes” based on their survey data. You can access the quick fixes here.
Two findings stood out for me.

Marketers reported that speaking engagements deliver super high quality leads. This makes sense. When you’re a speaker at an industry event, [...]

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White papers can generate leads, position your company as a leader, gain interest from the media, and educate customers and prospects.
With benefits like these, what’s not to like about white papers? Well, for one, the term white paper has become corrupted. Historically, white papers have been educational in nature, tackling a technical or business [...]

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I had the pleasure of receiving a retail industry e-newsletter from ICSC SmartBrief. It contained sponsorship banner ads from three competing companies, each offering retailers a solution for selecting better store locations. I’ll grade the three campaigns.

 Nielsen

Offer: Plan sites with precision. Call Claritas today
Landing page: Graphics match the banner ad, providing continuity. There’s a single offer in [...]

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You know the scene when exhibiting at trade shows: the maze of booths, foot traffic, two-minute conversations, passing of business cards.
Well, in addition to a regular business card, my clients handed out cards that promoted a free eBook download. Later, when event attendees were sorting through their haul of marketing collateral, freebies and business cards — [...]

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