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I’ve been working in the media industry for almost 10 years now. I started in radio working in both promotions and marketing, then moved into sales where I really began understanding the business of media.
Now, at LeadG2, I get to work closely with a variety of media companies across the US helping them take their B2B marketing to a whole new level. What I love about working with these clients is that they are the brightest, most innovative sales organizations in the media industry. They are ahead of their peers when it comes to transitioning from “the way things have always been done” to really understanding the changes in the consumer path for advertisers and marketers.
With this experience, I can confidently share the three things that I believe are absolutely necessary for every media company to do in order to step up their game in 2015 and to truly bring their sales organization into the 21st century.
1. Have an Online Presence for your B2B Brand
Most media companies - whether TV, radio, print, or niche publications - tend to have a stunning lack of online presence when it comes to the actual business you’re in (offering advertising and marketing solutions).
Of course, marketing departments focus on attracting new ears and eyeballs, and budgets are spent building out websites for your audience… but what about your advertisers? Do you have a local-market online presence that easily provides advertiser prospects with the information they need to make an educated buying decision? Or do you simply rely on hoping your salespeople are distributing the right information to the right people at the right time?
In my professional opinion, this is the #1 area where media companies need to step it up. Advertisers in your town are online right this minute looking for ideas, information, resources, and people who can help them. If you don’t have a website and a content publishing initiative (a blog) for them to find, I guarantee you they are finding it somewhere else.
2. Incorporate Social Media and Content into the Sales Process
In 2014 our parent company, The Center for Sales Strategy, launched an online course called Brand and Connect to help B2B salespeople brand themselves and connect with new prospects. One important part of this is the use of social media, especially LinkedIn, in the sales process. If your salespeople don’t have an updated social media presence and aren’t using LinkedIn (and LinkedIn groups) to effectively and consistently connect and engage with prospects and customers, then the world is passing them by.
One primary use of social media, especially in the B2B world, is to distribute and consume content. This is why having your own unique company content is a huge must--but even sharing content from other thought leaders in the industry is a valuable part of the social media world, and one that all of your salespeople should understand and be actively participating in.
3. Utilize Lead Intelligence to Better Understand your Prospects and Customers
If your salespeople aren’t currently using some type of marketing software equipped with powerful lead intelligence, showing which emails leads are clicking on and which website pages they’re visiting on your site (and when!), then it is time for you to realize the tremendous power of lead intelligence and what it can do to improve and expedite the sales process.
Here at LeadG2 we use HubSpot, but there are other options out there that can provide the kind of lead intelligence that will help your salespeople better understand each of their prospects individually and customize their approach and communication, saving everyone’s time.
The face of media is changing, and if you don’t change with it, you will be left behind. Start with these three steps, and let us know if we can help with the transition! We've helped media companies successfully take their brands from the airwaves to the internet, so we know what you need.
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