Left Brain DGA

Why a “Brand-Agnostic” Content Marketing Strategy Matters

leftbrain — Wed, 16 May 2012 00:03:35 +0000

It’s no secret that content marketing is a huge strategic priority for B2B organizations. According to analysts like Forrester Research, B2B marketers are paying even more attention to content development and content marketing strategy in 2012 than in years past.

5 Steps for Staying Afloat in a Digital Deluge

leftbrain — Mon, 07 May 2012 18:20:04 +0000

Behind every news junkie or voracious reader is the know-it-all kid in school who always had his or her hand up to share the answer. You want to know the know-it-all’s biggest secret? They spend less time searching for information and more time consuming it.

Marketing Automation and the Importance of Documenting Processes – Part Two

leftbrain — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 23:23:50 +0000

In my last blog post, I discussed the importance of defining the marketing automation process. In this post, I’ll provide a brief description of the key documentation that every marketing and sales organization should outline for marketing automation success.

Marketing Automation and the Importance of Documenting Processes – Part One

leftbrain — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 20:30:23 +0000

I lost my car keys once and it was a nightmare. Why? I didn’t have a spare set. I bought my car used and had put it off because it was an expensive and time-consuming process to create a duplicate smart key with a transponder. And yet there I was, unable to go about my normal activity because I neglected to do what I knew I should have. I learned my lesson the hard way.

Demand Generation Strategies: How to Nurture Buyer 2.0

leftbrain — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 17:20:33 +0000

Is your marketing one-to-one or one-to-many? One-off email blasts to your house list offer a very low probability of your critical information making it through to your potential buyer. Even the greatest piece of marketing content does nothing to support the buying process if it is delivered to a prospect too early or too late in their journey. Marketing automation can be an effective tool for delivering content but it is often misused. Utilizing it without an integrated buyer-driven strategy that maps relevant content to your buyer will only add to your list fatigue challenges.

Demand Generation Strategies – How to Engage Buyer 2.0

leftbrain — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 17:54:38 +0000

You are always competing for your buyer’s mindshare with several competitors and a list of other priorities. In order to successfully win their attention, your communication must demonstrate that your focus is specifically on them. This requires an understanding of their needs – a “buyer-centric” approach to demand generation marketing.

The Genius of Don Draper: Three Lessons B2B Demand Generation Marketers Can Learn from “Mad Men”

leftbrain — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 00:24:57 +0000

Like many marketing professionals, I’m a big fan of the TV show “Mad Men,” which premiered its new season last weekend. If you haven’t seen it, it’s a drama centered on life in a 1960s New York advertising agency. Beyond the soapy storylines and retro styling and music, the show’s best moments for marketers are when the agency’s creative team meets with clients to discuss strategy.

Who is Buyer 2.0?

leftbrain — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 18:47:51 +0000

Greater access to information has provided B2B buyers with unprecedented power – resulting in “Buyer 2.0.” Marketing success in the Buyer 2.0 environment requires a new set of people, processes, and content to better leverage new marketing technologies and to engage with buyers on their terms.

Content Is Expensive, and Other Obvious Facts

leftbrain — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 17:37:23 +0000

Last week was my first at Left Brain DGA and in true jump-into-the-deep-end spirit, I spent it largely in client meetings. I’m pleased to report there were no major surprises, since I was already familiar with the company’s basic methodology (the Left Brain Model) and had met most of the key players. I did learn a bit about my new co-workers drinking habits (Jack and Coke? REALLY?) but that was about as soul-revealing as things got.

Do You Have the Right Demand Gen Model for the Brave New World of B2B Marketing?

leftbrain — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 23:19:40 +0000

Does your marketing organization have a thoughtful blueprint upon which to build pre-sales nurturing programs? A strategic plan will help you and your team understand the goals and objectives of upstream lead qualification and serve as a step-by-step framework for moving from initial buyer engagement to vetting the specific buyer as a lead that is ready to engage with a sales team member. It also helps diagnose opportunities and gaps that exist in many demand generation programs, by narrowing the objectives for lead qualification at each stage in the nurturing process.