For many marketing managers, keeping on top of current thinking is relatively easy; the difficult bit is explaining what needs to be done to the MD. So this week I thought I’d cover five really basic points which still need making in 2013, not that they’ll be news to you, dear reader, but in the hope that my explanation might help when it comes to making the point to the boss.
2. Online lead generation is a good investment, and a measurable one.
There are many ways to generate leads, from networking and exhibiting at trade shows, to PR and advertising. However, whether you’ve presented to people, sent a brochure or whatever, you’re relying on them to take the next step and visit your website. And there’s an inevitable wastage as it may not be convenient or compelling enough for them to do so.
If the lead is generated online, through web marketing, email or social media, the prospect gets to the website as part of the process, giving online marketing an advantage in terms of efficiency. This may well be enough for it to offer a better return on investment than other promotional activities.
What’s more, it’s measurable. You can quickly see how many first-time visits to your website came from individual online sources. Measuring the website visits from prospects generated offline is possible, if more tricky. Otherwise, they will all show up as unidentified. However, it’s often the case that the best individual online sources of first-time visits to your website can outnumber all offline sources added together!