As director of lead generation for ON24 Inc., I am accountable not only for the quantity of leads but also the quality of those leads. For me, I track every lead to the source and determine how much I delivered to the sales pipeline. And when I discuss this with other marketers, they are surprised that I can do this!
Everyone wants to measure the return on marketing programs. But how do you fully measure the cost of your programs while maintaining the quality. Unfortunately, it’s rare for B2B marketers to purchase media buys based on a cost per lead (CPL) or cost per acquisition (CPA) basis.
In a two part posting, I will look at how I get beyond the click-through. This post focuses on selecting the right partner for you media buy. Sometimes it’s not where you place your insertion order but rather who you work with that can maximize your program. I’ll then follow up with tips and tricks for tracking your media buys.
- Know Your Media Rep: Without a CPA or CPL model for B2B, media reps will inevitably argue that the benefit is the number of impressions and great branding. I don’t need impressions. I need measurable results that I can report back to my CEO. Personally, I’ve never seen a banner ad without a call to action. The advertiser is always expecting leads. I’m no different. In order to get the insertion order, the media rep must understand and meet my marketing objectives quarter after quarter.
- Know My Business: My biggest turn off is when a media rep calls me and tries to sell a competitive product without knowing my company. I’m seeking a rep who understands my objectives. I look for a media rep who has researched my messages, previous ad and media buys, products, and more. This earns my trust and marketing dollars.
- References – The Good, Bad and Ugly: I’m seeking a partner to help me achieve my objectives. Part of my due diligence is hearing the whole picture, not just the good points. I learn a lot about a media rep based on the references she provides to me. And if it takes the media rep too long to provide a sales reference, this raises a red flag.
These are my top three considerations. Valerie Maltoni provided her “Dos and Don’ts of Corporate Pitching” at MarketingProfs Daily Fix. What are yours?
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