As a follow-up to the article I wrote for ClickZ the other day, I wanted to talk a bit more about the use of technology and the adoption of best practices in large B2B organizations.
My research for the ClickZ article looked at B2B companies on the Fortune 500* and their adoption of modern marketing tools. But when you look at the raw data, it becomes clear that there are three easy lessons for any B2B marketer.
Lesson 1: Technology is only the
beginning
When adopting radical new technologies, the technology itself is often only part of the story. The other part is a shift in thinking or action....
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With
the right marketing automation solution, you can automate both
simple and complex marketing activities with just a few clicks from
one-off to batch messaging, data movements, integrations, and
report delivery.
The holidays are the time of year
when email marketing becomes a contact sport. Retailers are
notorious for cranking up the email volume during the holidays,
especially around Black Friday/Cyber Monday (the weekend after
Thanksgiving). Everyone knows that there's a delicate balance
between pushing a few more emails and burning out your list with
unsubscribes and complaints. So what can we do to accommodate
the extra emails, cut through the clutter that your competitors are
so inconsiderately creating, and keep our lists healthy?
Nearly every week, there's one piece of
snail mail I can almost bank (pun intended) on receiving--a letter
from one of my financial institutions (banks, credit card issuers,
investment brokers, etc.) enticing me to "go green" by opting-out
of print statements in favor of email statements.
My greatest frustration with my bank right now is that
I can't set-up custom alerts. I want to know when my
balance is low, when a large check clears, when I'm about to go
into overdraft-fee-land. All I have right now is a
daily balance email. Sure: that works; but not
the way I want it to. 
How do you communicate with your customers about relevant
and new products or services offered at your organization? I
receive postal mail from every Financial Services company I have a
relationship with on a weekly basis that I quickly turn around and
recycle. Alternatively, I don’t receive any postal mail from
any of my favorite retailers – instead, they send me emails.
Marketing in the financial industry is not about cool
commercials, bold advertising or slick emails. Rather the
most powerful marketing from banks, investment firms and insurance
providers give customers a reason to remain engaged. Let’s
face it, the financial industry is part of the fabric of our
lives. We work, we get paid, money gets deposited, money is
withdrawn, and we then start the cycle all over again.
Those financial firms that make that vicious cycle easier and more
efficient are the ones that drive positive word of mouth marketing
and create an immersive brand presence that...
Beyond Deliverability: Consumer Choice &
Control
Recently, I had the opportunity to talk with...
