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BREAKING NEWS & VIEWS
b2b Turns to Social Media for LeadsThursday, June 3, 2010 Marketers generally have been investing in social networks in order to handle customer service and customer relationship management (CRM) by enhancing their corporate presence in these networks. But increasingly, the social platform is being leveraged for lead generation, according to new research from virtual events provider Unisfair. In a survey of U.S. technology marketers about emerging channels for generating leads, 74% cited social media as a leading source, while 39% said virtual events and 34% said mobile channels were the most fertile fields for harvesting leads. Among the 500 respondents, Unisfair found that 68% considered lead generation their top priority, trailed considerably by brand awareness (16%) and customer retention (16%). The biggest impediment to the b2b marketer’s quest, however, is the unqualified lead. A third of marketers say that 16% to 30% of the leads they receive get rejected because they have not been properly qualified. In 49% of cases the prospect is rejected because the lead doesn’t have sufficient funds budgeted to make the relevant purchase in the next 12 months. In 45% of cases the product is not a good fit, and 32% of the time the contact information is incorrect. The best cure for poor leads seems to be asking questions about the prospects in the lead-gen process in order to identify real interest. While the survey does not go into any detail about how companies expect to use social media to generate leads, it makes sense that companies can use this channel to cultivate deeper conversations with prospects. Some b2b publishers are helping major clients establish a social media presence that includes lead-gen products like white papers and e-newsletters. Networks like Facebook allow marketers to engage more easily in direct conversations with prospects that might filter in the best prospects. Where are the funds going when it comes to increased spend for b2b marketing? Sixty-three percent of these tech marketers say they are raising their budgets for their own Web presence, 63% will increase spend on email campaigns, 40% on live conferences, 38% on online advertising, 33% on paid search, 25% on virtual events, 17% on direct mail and 3% on broadcast media. If you have breaking news to share please contact Steve Smith at ssmith@accessintel.com
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