What Do Audrey II and Lead Generation Have in Common?

Guest blog post by Marsha Leest, President, Leest Consulting

“Feed Me”

What do a business’s lead creation engine and Audrey II from Little Shop of Horrors have in common? For their owners to survive, both need to be fed regularly. And that’s where the similarity ends.

Because the internet and social media have given buyers an unprecedented level of access to what different sellers are offering, messaging is crucial. Outlining the company’s value proposition clearly and concisely across various platforms should be one of marketing’s highest priorities.

In addition, it takes a combination of targeted traditional and social media marketing strategies and tactics to reach increasingly sophisticated audiences. To generate leads today, BtoB marketers need to feed their target audiences very defined “food.” This is true even if contact with a prospect is made through a personal referral.

Nurturing leads with relevant content, such as webinars, whitepapers and thought leadership articles can encourage prospects to choose a company’s offer. Recent research bears this out.

According to Vitberg LLC’s 2013-2014 Survey of CPA Firm Best Lead Generation Practices, 72% of firms defining their marketing as progressive/aggressive reported that content marketing was a top lead generation tactic. Over half of these firms have earmarked at least 25% of their annual marketing budget to lead generation. 

Marketers often encounter resistance when they propose lead nurturing programs, largely because marketing is viewed as a cost center rather than a profit center. Cost is a factor, certainly, but establishing the right lead nurturing strategies, tools, and technologies increases the likelihood of gaining new business that will offset the cost.

MarketingSherpa’s 2012 Lead Generation Benchmark Report found that companies with lead nurturing programs had a 45% increase in lead generation ROI.

Try thinking about it this way: how long do you take to make a large purchase like a car? How much research do you do before you actually buy? I lease my car. I started researching my next car when I got the first renewal offer from the dealership, about a year before the lease was up. Every time the dealer poked me with a new message or offer, I did more research. When the car was ready to be turned in, I was ready.

Sales didn’t play a role until the very last step in the process. It was the marketing messaging the dealer fed me throughout the one-year sales cycle that guided me back to the dealership.