December is the time when marketing and sales complete their plans for 2021. As sales and marketing professionals look online as to where marketing dollars are being spent this year, it’s no secret that digital marketing campaigns consume most to all of the budget.
According to WebStrategies, Forrester Research and eMarketer reported in their 2021 study that the average company is expected to allocate half of their total marketing budget to online, with the largest spend with online display ads.
“How can we get noticed and fill our sales funnel for 2021?”
The marketing term is omnichannel marketing, in other words, use as many avenues as possible to touch your prospects and customers. Let’s review a few…but with a bit of a twist.
Broad vs. Narrow
Taking a broad approach to digital marketing and sales means you’ll touch any company regardless of size, industry, and need. With the increased digital noise, you may want to consider a narrower approach. One of the best ways to decide on how to focus is to review your past and current customer successes. Where has that been? Try to go as narrow as possible in a couple different areas. Quality over quantity.
Marketing & Sales Channels that Produce Results
Below we’re going to touch on some of the most productive channels for sales and marketing to use. Remember, being targeted or focused will help yield the best results.
The New Overused Communication: Email
It’s interesting how articles are supporting the use of emails as a lead generation tactic. It took a while, but Campaign Monitor recently stated that following the pandemic in March, emails increased a staggering 36% from the previous year. However, open rates only increased 12% and click-through rates did not increase at all.
The bottom line? When using email, be targeted, specific, and personalized.
Calling Still Works
There’s nothing like picking up the phone and calling the prospect. Most companies have now figured out a way to route calls to employees. By picking up the phone and calling the prospect, you’ll be utilizing a touch point that hardly anyone else is using. Be ready to qualify when you have them live!
Project Reports
This is a perfect time to bring up Project Reports provided by SalesLeads. Project Reports are identified projects, meaning there’s business to be won if you pick up the phone and call the contact person(s) with the supplied direct phone number. If they don’t answer, use the email address provided and let them know you called and left a message regarding the project. It’s a great way to get a call back.
Referrals
You have great customers in the specific focus you’re selling and marketing to. Give them a call and ask a couple of questions:
- Do you know anyone who could use a solution like you currently have?
- Will you talk to a prospect and share your wonderful experience?
You’ll get at least one yes from the conversation.
Case Studies
If you have case studies already done, use them. When a prospect can identify with a current customer that has successfully used your product and/or service, the faster they can go through the sales funnel. Case studies share the customers’ need, their business reason for purchasing, and the result of their choice. Discuss it with the prospect and use it to draw out the their unique business need. Once you know what that is, you can now begin to help them solve a problem that is costing them time, money, and energy.
Digital Advertising
Digital advertising platforms such as Google Ads or LinkedIn Ads are good avenues to explore. However, the best way to get an ROI is to focus the ads on your specific target. By focusing, only those who are interested and in the right field will see the ad. If you have a compelling reason to click on the ad, take them to a landing page to learn more. The likelihood of it turning into a sales lead will be far greater than if you cast a wider net.
Now You Won’t Get Lost
By focusing your digital marketing efforts on some or all of these key programs we discussed, you’ll have a better chance of being successful in 2021.
Author: Evan Lamolinara
Since 1959, SalesLeads, based out of Jacksonville, FL has been providing Industrial Project Reports on companies that are planning significant capital investments in their industrial facilities throughout North America. Our professional research team identifies new construction, expansion, relocation, major renovation, equipment upgrades, and plant closing project opportunities so that our clients can focus sales and marketing resources on the target accounts that have an impending need for their products, services, and indirect materials.
