| Online marketing offers B2B marketers the opportunity | | | | these lukewarm leads while allowing your sales |
| to reach millions of potential clients around the globe, | | | | organization to focus on following-up only on the hot |
| but the early phases of your online efforts can feel a | | | | leads. |
| bit lonely. | | | | So, for example, let's say you require a bit of contain |
| Working online will often make you feel like you're | | | | information in exchange for your new paper or report. |
| standing in the middle of an empty field yelling about | | | | When the contact downloads the paper, their |
| your amazing service. Everything you say is both true | | | | information is sent to the marketing automation |
| and potentially compelling, but no one is around to hear, | | | | platform. The best systems will then score the lead |
| and more importantly, act on what you're saying. | | | | based on the data the entered. If the lead's profile is |
| B2B marketers often feel this way upon the | | | | rated highly, the lead's info is passed to sales; anyone |
| completion of a great new white paper. They've | | | | who falls below the preset benchmark is sent into a |
| developed clear and helpful content and their | | | | nurturing, or drip, campaign. |
| deliverable is expertly designed, and the executives | | | | The nurturing campaign then sends the lead |
| are excited about the potential results. | | | | information from your company weekly or a few |
| So what now? Obviously, online is the only realistic | | | | times a month. This content usually consists of other |
| distribution method for white papers and other thought | | | | white papers, case studies, reports, and other helpful |
| leadership pieces, but simply offering the paper on your | | | | and interesting information. Ideally, your content both |
| website fails to leverage the capabilities of online | | | | helps them do their job better while positioning your |
| marketing. | | | | company as a thought leader in your space. |
| The value of marketing automation | | | | This scenario is a very high-level view of how white |
| In the online space, user attention spans are incredibly | | | | papers and marketing automation work together. |
| short. Even if someone goes through the trouble of | | | | Without a strong white paper distribution strategy, |
| providing the necessary information to download your | | | | however, your b2b marketing plan will fail to leverage |
| content, it's probable that you'll never hear from them | | | | the invsetment you've already made in creating your |
| again. Marketing automation, however, allows your | | | | white paper. |
| company to maintain top-of-mind awareness among | | | | |