Monday, November 24, 2014

FIR B2B #19: Doubts about Social Media’s Lead Gen Potential

FIR B2BIn this episode:

News & Trends

Two new surveys cast doubt on the value of social media as a lead generation vehicle. A Hootsuite survey found that the top three value propositions cited by respondents relate to ongoing customer engagement rather than lead generation. A separate Software Advice study looked at cost per lead compared to lead quality and found that traditional tactics like events and e-mail marketing have the best returns. Organic social media marketing and social media advertising, which have some of the lowest costs per lead, also produced the worst quality leads. The big loser was online display advertising, which finished near the bottom in lead quality and near the top in lead cost.

Writing on the Biznology blog, Heather Lloyd Martin asks, “Are you tired of playing Google’s game?” She cites Google’s frustratingly frequent changes in direction as a reason for marketers to diversify their platforms beyond the search giant’s. Her advice: Use email newsletters, guest posts and off-line vehicles like direct mail and events.

HubSpot has “43 Bright Ideas for Promoting Your Lead Gen Content,” and many are very good and inexpensive. Use blog posts, podcasts and SlideShare as well as signposting across all of your owned properties to make visitors aware of your content assets. Don’t just assume that because you post it they will come.

Special Guests: Don Lesem and David Wagman of IHS and Engineering360

Our special guests are Don Lesem, vice president of Digital Media and Engineering Insight at IHS, Inc. and David Wagman (left), editorial director of Engineering360, which is the company’s newest information and community portal. IHS has provided information and analytics across a variety of industries for more than 50 years. Since going public in 2005 it has acquired dozens of companies and expanded its services to include communities and news as well as deep insight and reports. IHS now has community sites in maritime, aerospace & defense, electronics and engineering as well as smaller specialty sites for data sheets and airport management. Future launches are being considered in auto transportation and chemicals.

Each portal provides curated and original content written by knowledgeable freelancers, with the focus being on educating and informing the audience rather than selling services. Marketers should regard them as legitimate media outlets for vertical audiences as well as potential sources for placing thought leadership content. David Wagman explains how the day-to-day news reporting process works, what he’s doing to better understand audience needs and how marketers can work more effectively with his team.

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About Your Host

Paul GillinPaul Gillin is a veteran technology journalist and a thought leader in new media. Since 2005, he has advised marketers and business executives on strategies to optimize their use of social media and online channels to reach buyers cost-effectively. He is the author or co-author of five books, including Social Marketing to the Business Customer (2011), the first book devoted entirely to B2B social media marketing. He is also a social media trainer and coach at Profitecture, a training firm for B2B companies and their channel partners.

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Posted by Paul Gillin on 11/24 at 10:21 AM
FIR B2B • (2) Comments • Permalink