Thursday, May 7, 2015

B2B Lead Plan Hones Aim to Hit Today's Buyers

Today's business-to-business buyers may have completed 90% of the buying process by the time they see a company's marketing message! So a lot of B2B lead gen is probably missing the mark with mistimed or irrelevant messaging, which is why marketers who want to improve their B2B aim should check out a recent b2bmarketing.net post's four-step plan. Step 1: Realize that one-size-fits-all automated communications aren't enough in today's competitive landscape. Create data-driven "buyer personas" to personalize and guide relevant messaging along the sales cycle. For B2B buyers, a persona would include names of the person and company as well as key characteristics such as job responsibilities, sources of information, role in the purchase process, business goals, pain points, preferred content medium, objections anticipated, etc. Step 2: Win over leads by matching messaging to the B2B buying journey so you deliver desired content at each stage. Note that a recent B2B buyer survey found 61% of buyers choose vendors who deliver a better mix of content. Step 3: Accept that today's average sales cycle is 22% longer than it was five years ago, so invest in nurturing leads for the extended sales journey. Research shows nurturing produces a 20% increase in sales leads on average. Use intelligence across multi-channel touch points to keep buyers moving toward sale. Step 4: Create brand advocates to cheer on those leads as they travel toward purchase. Research shows that 67% of B2B buyers say they had heard of the chosen supplier before they ever purchased. So make it easy for customers and partners to become brand advocates by rewarding and recognizing referrals, reviews, content sharing, and content generation. For a free B2B marketing guide, including how to build buyer personas, along with links to relevant articles, see http://www.b2bmarketing.net/blog/posts/2015/04/21/marketing-modern-b2b-buyer

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Use Brain Science to Turn CTAs Into Click Magnets

Neuroscience offers proven ways to turn your next call-to-action effort into a click magnet, according to a recent eM+C article. The article cites three brain-science tips for boosting digital conversions. First, use images that point visitors in the right direction. It turns out that images of people and faces are what grab the brain's attention in your landing page or e-mail design. In fact, if you add a smiling face looking at a CTA button, studies show people will look where the image is looking--right at your CTA. Next, choose a button/text color that reinforces your message. Science shows that 90% of immediate subconscious judgment is based on color. For example, orange encourages immediate action (great for low-cost join /buy appeals); red increases the sense of urgency (a good limited-time offer choice); and blue builds trust and security (a financial offer favorite). Not sure which color will drive clicks? That's what A/B testing is for! Third, tell prospects exactly what you want them to do. For example, scientific testing finds the most effective CTAs use active, specific verbs (Download, Get, Start) and keep it short (the top converting buttons in a recent study were all two words or less). But don't forget urgency; just adding "Now" can significantly boost conversions. For more science-based tips to improve CTA results, read the full article at http://www.emarketingandcommerce.com/article/want-more-clicks-3-brain-science-hacks-that-boost-conversions/1