In the past, lead campaigns were often one-size-fits-all with regards to both application and cost. But today’s economic climate has forced marketers to find ways to drive down prices.

If you’re looking to save on B2B lead generation expenses, here are three great opportunities.

Pay-per-click
Many marketers, such as Google AdWords and Yahoo! Search Marketing, match a user’s search criteria to keywords found in their clients’ content, and then present an appropriate advertisement or information offer. Because companies only pay per click, they only pay for leads with decent potential — not for every piece of online content the marketer delivers. The end result is highly focused, relevant advertising that doesn’t cost you a dime if it doesn’t deliver results.

Fixed price leads
Some marketers have developed extensive, syndicated networks around particular topics, interest groups or lines of business. For a fixed price, they will distribute your advertisements or content throughout their network and return any and all leads to your attention.

The advantage of this approach is twofold:

• You’ll be able to maintain a stable, predictable budget, even if your campaign is wildly successful.
• By using the marketer’s vetted network, the quality of your leads improves exponentially.

Social white paper platforms
Another compelling –  but more specialized — approach is the relatively new practice of embedding white papers within a branded, cloud-based platform. Rather than posting white paper content haphazardly or using out-of-date email distribution lists to deliver static PDFs, social white papers allow companies to create, distribute and track content from a single source.

Not only does this method streamline production and reporting, but it also drives down overall costs through its ability to leverage other marketing campaigns as well. The result — maximized ROI across the board.

High-quality B2B lead generation will never be free — but it’s getting more affordable all the time.

In today’s environment, social content marketing is the key to making your brand blossom. But that’s not to say that your traditional white papers can’t play a role. On the contrary, your white papers can be easily adapted for distribution through social media.

Making the transition

Step one in social content marketing is to create relevant and engaging content, the type that starts conversations and begs the reader to share. Hopefully, your white papers already meet these criteria. From there, it’s simply a matter of tweaking. Remember:

• Great content creates interest, but the key to extending your marketing dollar is search engine optimization (SEO). If no one can find your content, you can hardly expect them to share it. Research keywords and strategically implement them in your white papers to achieve stronger search rankings.
• The purpose of social media distribution is to point readers back to your products and services. Be sure to include a strong “call to action,” complete with links back to your other content.
• With persistent distribution, you can engage potential buyers on their own terms while extending the white paper longevity and generating more leads at a reduced cost.
• Privately-branded social media platforms can track the effectiveness of your white papers in terms of who is sharing your content and how – resulting in a more targeted and cost-effective means of lead generation.

Thanks to social media, today’s consumer has many ways to research products and services, and the information they gather usually comes with the stamp of approval from friends and family. So it’s imperative to find new and creative ways to position yourself  as a trusted, authoritative source of information during early stages in the buying process.

With proper care, your white papers can earn your brand that coveted stamp of approval.

To learn more about how easy it is to start delivering your white papers in the cloud, click here to contact us.

But what happens after a white paper is published? How do you identify solid leads? And how do you know that your material is resonating with the audience? In a world that demands ROI from content marketing, clear, meaningful reporting is more important than ever.

For those still mired in the world of traditional PDFs, white paper results reporting remains a tremendous challenge. Other than the email distribution list used to circulate the paper and the lackluster analytical tools available to identify who viewed the PDF through the corporate website, there really aren’t many reporting options available for tracking a white paper. At least, not one produced as a PDF.

Social white papers, however, are designed specifically with reporting in mind. Because they are produced and distributed using a cloud-based platform, they are able to more effectively capture information about the individuals who view them. They go beyond merely indicating who received the paper, and instead are able to identify an overall pattern of sharing. Some of the standard metrics could include:

• Who regularly shares the papers, and with whom
• Which papers are shared most frequently
• Which social media channels are used for sharing/distribution

Report data like this paints a clear picture of who’s interested and which leads warrant a follow-up.

The white paper results reporting associated with social white papers also provides other meaningful information that can be used to enhance future marketing efforts. For example, when you can readily determine the specific pages that are the most popular (i.e., most viewed and visited), you will be able to identify the content that is the most intriguing to your customers. Armed with that knowledge, you can create online marketing content to match your audience’s interests — and build connections that will grow into future sales.

Meaningful white paper results reporting makes it possible to understand where the leads are and where they may be in the future. Will a PDF-based white paper get you where you want to be? Not so much.

To learn more about how easy it is to start delivering your white papers in the cloud, click here to contact us.

In order to get potential clients to share your social media, the content has to be relevant and engaging — attributes that should be inherent in your print white papers. Keyword optimization, however, is a new frontier for most businesses to conquer.

What is keyword optimization?

Simply put, keyword optimization involves placing emphasis on certain key terms and phrases that your target audience would use to search for your content in a search engine.

For example, if the focus of your white paper was social media marketing, “social media marketing” would be a highly ranked (though highly competitive) keyword to emphasize. To improve your ranking, you might try other related terms such as “social media marketing tips for success.”

The trick is to find various combinations of common terms that relate directly to your business and content, but allow you to narrow your field in terms of competition. It’s also important not to inadvertently compete with yourself. Be sure that each piece of content you distribute, whether it be a blog post or a white paper, is optimized with different keywords and phrases in mind. This will allow you to rank high for several search terms.

Why optimize?

By tweaking your current white paper strategy to optimize keywords, you’ll experience several benefits:

• Higher rankings with search engines
• More targeted traffic to your website
• Expanded web presence

With a few minor changes to your current white papers, you can expand your social media marketing strategy, and become a legitimate thought leader in your chosen field. This allows you to build a better relationship with potential clients, giving them the confidence needed to commit to your product.

In addition to sales conversions, this type of social media marketing can also help you rejuvenate your marketing budget by reducing the need for other marketing strategies, such as pay-per-click advertising campaigns.

To learn more about how easy it is to start delivering your white papers in the cloud, click here to contact us.

Sales cycle
The sales cycle for a typical B2C transaction is short. Measured in days or even hours, the process is fast and reasonably simple. Not so with B2B sales. Successful B2B sales evolve out of relationships developed over the long haul, through educational efforts, thought leadership and ongoing discussions. This kind of process requires thoroughly-researched, meticulously-prepared content — the kind of material that you can really sink your teeth into.

Decision-making process
In B2C sales, there is often a single decision-maker. B2B transactions usually involve several individuals — if not entire departments — all of whom have a vested interest in the outcome. This requires a breadth and depth in marketing content that simply isn’t necessary in a B2C environment.

Complexity and customization
B2B solutions tend to be complex as well as customizable, to fit the needs of individual customers. Conversely, B2C offerings are more standardized, providing a one-size-fits-all solution. This allows B2C marketing content to be shorter and less detailed than B2B campaigns.

In spite of these differences, there remains much that B2C and B2B content marketing hold in common. First and foremost, both marketing efforts require a significant time commitment to stay fresh and relevant. No matter which type of customer you seek, it’s important not to sabotage your campaigns by underestimating what it will take to make them successful.

Second, both B2C and B2B content marketing efforts are paying off. A 2011 Focus Research study found that 25 percent of the B2B and 50 percent of the B2C marketers surveyed indicated that online and social media marketing were their top lead-generating tools — and 82 percent of those surveyed were planning to increase or maintain their marketing budgets in those areas.

With numbers like that, content marketing is clearly here to stay. B2B or B2C, staying focused on your company’s unique marketing goals will ensure that you’re prepared for the challenge.

To learn more about how easy it is to start delivering your white papers in the cloud, click here to contact us.

While many businesses already familiar with social media marketing have been quick to jump on the bandwagon, others may need more encouragement to add yet another outlet to their already-packed marketing schedule. With that in mind, HubSpot has recently released an ebook that outlines the opportunities and advantages of Google+ business pages.

By providing potential users with a basic overview on everything from creating a business page to leveraging the service to improving search engine results, this ebook provides just what businesses need to take the plunge.

The ebook begins with a brief explanation of the philosophy behind Google+, as well as some instructions on how to navigate the setup process. While not intended to serve as a step-by-step guide, users who are new to the service will gain sufficient information to get started on their business pages.

The benefits of housing marketing content within the framework of a search engine giant like Google are also outlined — most important, the ability to influence one’s searchability on Google by maintaining a strong presence on Google+.

When individuals join, the service closely monitors their movements on the system, tracking everything from what they read to who they interact with the most. This provides a deeper understanding of the individual’s preferences and allows Google to fine-tune both advertising and search results.

The addition of Direct Connect functionality leverages this even further by allowing users to limit their searches to only those companies with a Google+ page. This attention to detail not only increases click-through rates, but also generates solid leads by closely matching customers with appropriate business offerings.

HubSpot’s new ebook has provided a great introduction to Google+ for business. If you’re looking for a fresh, compelling social media outlet for your company’s marketing efforts, it should be required reading.

To learn more about how easy it is to start delivering your white papers in the cloud, click here to contact us.

Enter the social media manager.

Until the Internet boom and social media’s foray into the business world, this job title didn’t even exist. But once it became clear that both time and expertise were needed to create and implement a social media strategy, the position of social media manager became a necessary addition to many an org chart.

Although the specifics will vary from company to company, there are some essential components to the job. If you’re thinking about adding this position to your own organization, consider including the following:

Strategic implementation
Social media managers develop and implement the company’s plan for maintaining an online social media presence. This requires both personal and professional experience with social media in general, and an understanding of the connection between social media and sales specifically.

Content and communication
Social media managers both create online content and act as first responders to whatever is happening with the company’s social media persona. Whether writing a blog, posting on Facebook or simply responding to customer feedback, social media managers need to maintain a polite, professional profile. As the online “voice” of the company, their job is to protect and promote the corporate brand.

Interdepartmental coordination
Successful social media managers maintain effective working relationships with other departments, such as marketing, PR and sales. This ensures consistent tone and message, and provides opportunities for constant assessment of what is and isn’t working. It also keeps the focus on bringing business in the door.

There are other characteristics that make for a successful social media manager: creativity, a natural enthusiasm for the medium and the ability to monitor trends, to name a few. If you fulfill all of these requirements and still have time to sleep — congratulations! But if not, rest assured that there’s a growing body of professionals with the tools to help.

To learn more about how easy it is to start delivering your white papers in the cloud, click here to contact us.

The answer shouldn’t come as a surprise. Social media, with its inherent ability to connect individuals and build relationships, has forever altered how marketing works. Instead of relying on a series of unidirectional communications to foster lead generation, businesses are moving toward a paradigm that develops leads more organically, as a natural extension of networking and dialogue.

By moving into the realm of social media, companies gain a host of opportunities that would otherwise be beyond reach. When they participate in the conversations that matter most to their customers, businesses learn a great deal about the interests, concerns and challenges people have across an industry. How companies respond can have a direct impact on whether or not leads develop successfully — if at all.

Every social media outlet is a potential gold mine, because each one gives companies a chance to listen and observe. For example:

• What is the reaction to a particular product release in the blogosphere?
• Does a common thread of complaints or concerns emerge as comments are posted on the company Facebook page?
• Are there topics that generate unusual amounts of interest in the corporate-sponsored discussion group?

Each venue is an opportunity to interact with customers in an authentic way. And as the online relationship grows, so does the potential for high-quality lead generation.

In spite of their reputation as serious, technical information resources, white papers — especially social white papers — have also found their way into this brave new world. By embedding social media functionality within the white paper itself, these unique marketing pieces have been able to expand their range of influence with audiences.

Readers can comment, rate, post, link or even tweet directly from social white papers — just as they would using any other form of social media. Having the capacity to instantaneously reach across personal and professional networks is what allows white-paper lead generation to expand naturally and effectively.

To learn more about how easy it is to start delivering your white papers in the cloud, click here to contact us.

Establish a content strategy
You know your topic inside and out. You’ve identified your basic audience. But have you considered how to reach the next layer of folks who might also be interested in what you have to say?  To optimize marketing content, you need to purposefully build keywords and phrases into your material that will make it easier to find across search engine platforms.

Start developing a strategy by asking yourself these questions:

• What search terms might individuals use to find a product like yours?
• Are there specific phrases that might resonate with your target audience?
• What are the most popular search parameters for your particular line of business?
• Are there facets of your business that are unique or highly specialized?

With these answers in hand, determine which terms, phrases and concepts are the most relevant and the most compelling to the audience you hope to reach. These focus terms will be the heart and soul of your content strategy.

Write with purpose
Your next task is to incorporate these terms, phrases and concepts into every part of your online content. You’ll need to be consistent in their application and strategic in their placement.  For example, your focus terms will be more visible to search engines if they are placed near the beginning of the title of your piece and used again in the first few paragraphs.

Maintain a rotating schedule of focus terms in your content — feature them in your blog today and on Twitter next week.

To optimize marketing content, you have to think and write strategically. When you do, you’ll expand your audience and your potential customer base.

To learn more about how easy it is to start delivering your white papers in the cloud, click here to contact us.

For starters, focus on the content itself. It goes without saying that your material should be professional, with an eye towards basics like spelling and grammar. But consider pushing your content beyond the boundaries of standard marketing fare. Instead, make it your goal to be a source of creative, thought-provoking and even (gasp!) entertaining content within your industry.

There’s no reason that B2B content marketing has to be dull. Let the personality and culture of your particular organization shine through. You’ll find that you’re better able to capture the attention of an audience by using a fresh approach.

If you’re lucky enough to have a strong personality on staff who can help you achieve the goal of delivering compelling content  — get that person on board fast. You may be able to develop new audiences, not based solely on the merits of your business product, but rather because the individual creating your content begins to attract a large following.

Popular bloggers drive people to their sponsoring sites because online readers often follow the person, not the corporate name. Leverage the unique voice and personal network of your business team. You may discover that they can promote the company in ways you never dreamed were possible.

Don’t forget that even high-quality, engaging content has a defined shelf life. You’ll need to design a B2B content marketing program that will continuously add new material to the mix. You may feel rushed, the material may not always be perfect — but by consistently bringing new content to the forefront, you’ll continue to command your audience’s attention. Better yet, you’ll become part of their regular online routine. Commit the resources needed to stay out front.

To learn more about how easy it is to start delivering your white papers in the cloud, click here to contact us.