Lead Liaison

10 Ways to Improve Email Marketing ROI

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Improve Email Marketing ROIEmail marketing can certainly boost your sales effectiveness. However, email campaigns can drag down your marketing ROI if the execution is flawed. Here are ten ways to improve email marketing ROI.

Clean Lists

Though B2B email list buying is not always the best way to go,  if you do purchase lists make sure the lists are “clean”. Studies have shown that on average over 20% of list records are not delivered. And ISP mail servers can prevent your domain from future messaging if your emails are repeatedly sent to invalid addresses. Random address checks can help determine if your lists are worth the money paid.

Chase Ambulances

With the digital footprints that can be seen today, there is plenty of data that can be used to target email recipients. For example, if a company recently leased new space and your business sells office furniture, a friendly email campaign saying “congratulations!” and offering discounted items can prompt a conversion.

Deploy Videos

Video marketing has skyrocketed for a reason. A 2012 study by Experian Marketing Services revealed that embedded video increased conversion rates by 21% for companies surveyed. In addition, CTR rates improved 7% to 13% by simply including “video” in the subject line for video messages.

Use Analytics

From video analytics to CTR, the data available through reporting programs is staggering. You can examine response rates, engagement duration, and message timing. Marketing automation programs, such as our Lead Management Automation™ platform, provide analytics that can be used to improve messaging, targeting, and timing.

 Go Mobile

Email messages should be designed to be easily viewed via mobile devices if you hope to compete. Email is often the preferred choice of marketers over SMS and IM (though each has their place in a robust marketing strategy) because it is less costly and easier to analyze. Plus, email can be sent to multiple recipients at a lower cost than text messages.

Combine Email and SMM

Email marketing provides a great partner channel with social media marketing. Through email integration with social media ROI from both channels can be improved. Email subscribers can easily share content, offers, and other information. Using Facebook or Twitter to provide email opt-in opportunities can be effective as well.

Make Landing Pages Convert

If your email recipients are routed to ineffective landing pages, your ROI drops. Even with solid CTR numbers, if your landing page cannot convert, the email was wasted. Align landing page copy with the email message but also provide more “meat”. A landing page visit should not simply rehash the email; provide an additional offer or include additional reasons to buy. Above all, make sure the landing page offers something substantial in exchange for the click-through.

Target Behavior

Frequent buyers should receive emails that encourage brand loyalty and repeat purchases. Email can also provide a feedback mechanism that allows customers to easily respond to customer satisfaction surveys. Take the time to analyze activities that have resulted from previous campaigns and implement messages that trigger similar behavior in subsequent campaigns.

Get Them Back to the Cart

Email can be used to target customers who abandoned ecommerce shopping carts during a site visit. An email message with a time-sensitive discount can be an effective way of resuscitating a pending purchase.

Avoid Being a Spammer

According to the February 2013 Symantec Intelligence Report, spam, phishing, and malware events have all decreased; however, spam still accounts for just over 64% of all email sent. Do everything possible to send “clean” emails so your company is not targeted as a spammer.

Lead Liaison

How to Use Marketing Automation to its Fullest

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Using Marketing AutomationLearn how to use marketing automation to its fullest. Marketing automation is designed to turn website visitors into leads and then into life-long customers. It is a strategic process of generating leads and subsequently guiding them through the buying journey until they are ready to make a purchase. Marketing automation streamlines the entire lead management process by eliminating time-consuming and expensive manual labor from the process. Let’s discuss  how to use marketing automation to its fullest.

Generates Leads

Marketing automation systematically tracks every visitor on a website. Automation software starts the process at the moment of initial engagement by capturing the location and visiting patterns of every user on any given website. It deciphers the country the user lives in, the number of pages they visited, and even how long they spent on each specific page.

Creates Profiles on Leads

Marketing automation software then uses online registrations and forms to extract additional information on each lead. Additional demographics can be easily obtained using free offers for valuable information or services in exchange for a visitor filling in contact information like their email address.

Divides Leads into Segments

Once a profile has been started for each lead, they can be divided into lead segments or groups based on similar characteristics and interests. It is too difficult to provide a truly personalized approach to every visitor on a website, since most successful websites have hundreds or even thousands of visitors each day. Breaking them down into segments is a more realistic approach.

Nurture Leads with Relevant Campaigns

Now that leads have been divided into categories based on an initial profile, they can be targeted using strategic and compelling lead nurturing campaigns. Lead nurturing content needs to be informative and relevant, while guiding the lead in the right direction. It must provide value to the reader to keep them interested.

Scoring each Lead

Throughout the nurturing process, marketing automation software will score each lead based on predetermined criteria. Marketers first create a profile for a typical lead based on the behavioral and demographic characteristics of their existing consumers. Each aspect of the profile is ranked based on the strength of the indicator. This lead scoring profile is then used to evaluate where the lead is at in their buying process and how likely they are to make a purchase.

Marketing Automation Builds Stronger Relationships

Every component of the marketing automation process is focused on learning more about each lead, so content can be customized to benefit their needs. The more emphasis that is put on nurturing leads in a useful and relevant manner will result in stronger relationships. As long as the same quality of service continues after a lead has committed to a purchase, this will create a greater loyalty between the consumer and the business.

Marketing automation software is focused on managing the lead’s lifecycle from initial engagement, through to lead nurturing and lead qualification, to the moment the lead is handed off to the sales team for conversion. It is a complete process for tracking and directing leads using an automated, yet personalized approached.

Lead Liaison

Landing Page Improvements, Bounce Rate and ROI

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Landing Page ImprovementsKISSmetrics has a great article and infographic discussing the particulars of bounce rates by industry. Average industry bounce rates are at about 40.5%, while lead gen websites can expect a 30-50% bounce rate. Service and retail sites rank in at about 10-40%, while one page sites exist simply to gather info or as a cart tend to have a higher bounce rate – 70-90%.

What Is Bounce Rate?

If it sounds like we’re speaking Greek, it’s time to get in the know about your bounce rates. A bounce rate refers to the number of viewers who visit your site, then leave without looking at any further pages or taking any further action on your website. Bounce rate is one of the top ways you can assess landing page improvements. Once you make these improvements, you can bring in a wealth of new web leads. You can find your bounce rate by taking a look at any analytics tracking platform (might we suggest Lead Liaison’s stellar lead management software for this?).

Knowing your bounce rate is important because the higher the bounce rate, the more you’ll be able to get an idea of the necessary landing page improvements. Modifying landing pages is a good way to ensure your customers:

  • Know what you have to offer
  • Understand the value proposition of your services
  • Can get in touch with you multiple ways if needed
  • Will leave valuable information you can use to get the customer into your funnel

If your landing pages aren’t doing any of these things, you’ll see your bounce rates increase. Landing page improvements can keep people looking through your site for more information about your company, which better increases the chance they’ll engage.

Landing Page Improvements

Landing page tracking will show you what areas of your page need improvements. Some areas you might need to focus on:

  • Header. The top of your site should feature your logo and contact information. If users land on your page and aren’t sure what to do, they’ll bounce. Try to develop a common look and feel to your landing pages which provides visitors with “familiar territory”.  Consistency is good thing with your landing pages. Use Lead Liaison’s landing page builder to easily create templates, just like you would with a PowerPoint slide.
  • About your company. You’d be surprised how many companies leave this out – even on their homepage! Immediately tell your users who you are and why you’re the best at what you do.
  • Offer. Landing page improvements should focus around what you’re offering and what you’re looking to get from your customer. For instance, if you’re offering an eBook in exchange for an email address, make sure the sign up form is above the fold of your page.
  • Structure. Users are used to seeing crisp-looking professional pages that are well-put together. A graphic or video that highlights your service followed by more about your company and the offering should all be showcased above the fold of the page. Most users read from left to right- just like a book – so it’s good to give users a visual or text representation of who you are followed by a call to action (e.g. fill out our form, watch our video, etc.). If you’re interested in placing a video on your landing page then Lead Liaison’s landing page builder can help you drag/drop YouTube videos or other flash content directly on your page.

If you see your bounce rates are higher than industry standard for certain pages – particularly your landing pages – make the recommended landing page improvements and watch to see if your bounce rate decreases over time.

Landing page improvement tracking is best measured through landing page ROI. If you’re not sure your landing pages are getting you the best possible ROI, Lead Liaison can help! Our suite of solutions can help you assess whether your landing pages are performing as needed. Bounce rate assessment is an important part of that info. We’d love to hook you up with effective landing page ROI solutions today!

Lead Liaison

Five Marketing Trends that will Generate Revenue in 2013

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Five Marketing Trends that will Generate Revenue in 2013It should come as no surprise that the internet is behind the top five marketing trends allowing businesses to generate more revenue in 2013. The internet is designed to make most business functions more efficient, which in turn will generate more revenue.

These are the top five marketing trends for generating revenue in 2013:

The Power of Social Media

There are billions of people using Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and other social media sites on a daily basis. Few users don’t feel the need to login daily and search what is going on in their online society. One of the biggest new marketing trends is connecting with people directly using a variety of social platforms. By creating engaging content and irresistible offers, it entices potential or existing customers to follow a business or brand. The more followers a company has, the faster their news will spread, and the more potential customers will be reached. If the social media site is created strategically, it should direct potential leads to their website for further lead nurturing and hopefully, conversion.

Save Time & Money with Marketing Automation

In the world of technology, every company should take advantage of more efficient automated systems. Marketing automation takes lead generation and nurturing to the next level by turning it into an automated process that can be customized to individual lead segments.

Qualify Leads with Lead Scoring

A critical component of the marketing automation process is qualifying and scoring leads. Marketers create a list of behavioral and demographic characteristics that define a typical consumer to compare leads against and then cater their marketing efforts based on the profile that has been developed. It also indicates which leads have the highest potential for conversion, so these higher-quality leads can be given to the sales team.

Compelling and Informative Website Copy

Google is increasing their ranking standards and insisting on unique and relevant website copy and blogs. Articles no longer can be saturated with keywords, as a method for climbing to the first page, or the coveted top three spots on Google. One big marketing trend for 2013 will be a greater focus on high-quality website copy that is focused on the consumer’s needs.

Building Stronger, Lasting Customer Relationships

All of the first four trends are designed to strengthen relationships between customers and the businesses they frequent. Social media marketing is designed to connect with consumers on a personal level, marketing automation is used to capture leads that have come in contact with a site for further nurturing, lead scoring builds an in-depth profile of each leads, and quality content builds trust. All of this done to create brand loyalty and build relationships that goes beyond a typical sales pitch, which is the fifth and final marketing trend for 2013.

Lead Liaison

Using Lead Scoring to Build a Bridge between Marketing and Sales

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Lead Scoring Bridges Sales and MarketingEvery company’s marketing and sales teams should share the same critical objective. Fortunately, lead scoring bridges sales and marketing teams. After all, both teams main purpose is to bring in new business and generate revenue. Despite having the same goal, they use drastically different strategies and methods of achieving it. The marketing department is usually focused on bringing in an abundance of potential leads through either large advertising campaigns or efficient marketing automation software programs. The sales department, on the other hand is striving to secure high-quality leads through real-time customer engagement and personalized communication.

Combine Marketing & Sales for Lead Scoring and Build a Bridge between Marketing and Sales

Lead scoring can take lead generation to the next level by making it a collaborative effort that combines the knowledge and experience of both the marketing and sales departments. Most marketing professionals have spent their time creating numerous broad stroke lead generation techniques that are strategically used to appeal to a multitude of potential customers at once. When they put together a list of possible lead scoring criteria, it is usually based on the characteristics of the leads who respond to their “open-call” for new customers. Some of these leads have a high chance of conversion while others may have no interest in ever making a purchase.

Salespeople converse directly with potential customers, as well as existing customers. They know how to make a connection and which techniques to use to turn an undecided lead into a loyal customer. A company’s sales department can use its front-line experience and expertise to validate marketing’s lead scoring assumptions. They knew what their customers are looking for and how to reach out to them. The sales team can fine-tune the list of criteria created by the marketing department and assign higher ratings for lead behaviour or demographics that demonstrate the actions or attributes of past sales.

Sales & Marketing are Meant to be Together

A combined effort builds a foundation for an effective lead scoring system and keeps both sales and marketing working together on the same team with the same goal. Lead scoring is not the only aspect of generating new business that works better when you tap into both your sales and marketing departments.

Marketers need to understand the strategies and tools the sales team is using, so they can help them accomplish their goals. The sales team has more direct contact with qualified leads and customers, which gives them a better insight into the type of content that marketing should be sending to potential leads. Sales can also advise marketing what triggers to look for in a lead, so they can more easily recognize leads that are ready-for-sales.

The marketing department can provide sales with an abundance of leads, as well as a profile on each lead, to assist with conversion. Marketing can also use lead scoring to eliminate leads that are not likely to ever convert. The more each department understands and assists the other, the better the end results. Start with lead scoring to build a bridge between marketing and sales and a powerful revenue generating force will grow from their union.

Lead Liaison

The Five Biggest Benefits of Quality Lead Scoring

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The Five Biggest Benefits of Quality Lead ScoringLead scoring is a sales and marketing methodology used to rank prospects against a scale that represents high-quality leads. Savvy marketers are quickly discovering the impact quality lead scoring can have on generating leads with a higher potential for conversion, which is critical in today’s competitive global marketplace.

These are the five biggest benefits of quality lead scoring:

Quality Lead Scoring Simplifies the Lead Evaluation Process

Using an automated lead scoring system will make it easier to quickly qualify leads based on pre-determined criteria. Quality lead scoring is based on attributes and behavior of typical customers, so there is solid basis for comparison. By using an automated process to rank each lead, marketing can quickly determine which leads require additional information and which leads are ready to make a purchase.

Lead Scoring Provides a Detailed Profile of Potential Leads

Quality lead scoring defines leads based on both behavioral and demographic characteristics, which offers sales and marketing a clear and detailed picture of a lead’s needs and interests. This information is invaluable when nurturing and guiding a lead through the marketing funnel.

Good Lead Scoring Strengthens the Relationship with a Lead

The better insight into a lead’s needs and interests the better  marketers have the ability to personalize content that is shared with the lead, which creates a more meaningful connection. Providing leads with useful and relevant information prior to making a sale strengthens trust in the brand and creates loyalty.

Lead Scoring Processes Provide insight into the Lead’s Buying Process

Leads that marketing automation generates from a website will be at different stages within their buying process. Some could still be investigating the need for a product or service, while others may be on the verge of making a decision. Lead scoring helps decipher at what point the lead is at in their journey, so the right follow-up is done to convert them into a customer.

Lead Scoring Methods Produce Higher Quality Leads

Leads need to reach a certain ranking which shows they are not only interested in a product or service, but they are currently ready to make their decision, before they are given to the sales department. Due to this systematic screening process, the chances of the sales team converting a lead improves exponentially.

These five factors are the main reasons why so many business leaders are tapping into the world of marketing automation by using the benefits of lead scoring to their advantage. Every company wants the inside scoop on their potential customers and lead scoring does exactly that.

Checkout Lead Liaison if you’re interested in seeing how we use unparalleled lead qualification technology by combining lead scoring, lead grading, recency, buy signals and total activity to better qualify leads.

Lead Liaison

Using Lead Nurturing to Build Trust and Establish Long-Term Clients

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Lead Nurturing Builds TrustUse lead nurturing to build trust and establish long-term clients. It’s always interesting to hear business owners talk about how they don’t have time to “court” leads. The purpose of lead nurturing isn’t to create an extra, unnecessary step in your closing process – it’s about making more money and increasing your bottom line.

It’s also about establishing trust. Customers who are more reluctant to part with their money will require lead nurturing but will also come to you further engaged in the trust process. It might not seem like developing a lead nurturing system will save you time in the long run, but you’d be surprised to learn how much more hands-off clients will be when you develop trust before starting work.

Lead Nurturing to Build Trust: The Financial Adviser

To prove this point, we talked with a financial advisory for a major bank who prefers to remain anonymous. He has a robust, multi-step lead nurturing process that takes place before he counts a lead as lost. There’s not room to discuss his funnel in this article, but his process is so tight he actually didn’t want to disclose much of it – or reveal his name.

“It’s not like you’re bugging leads,” the adviser tells us. “When I say 12-step process for lead nurturing I’m not talking about sending them 12 emails, or even making 6 calls and sending 4 emails and 2 mailers. It’s about assessment and lead quality. What do these people need, and what can I give to them?”

He continues, “It’s not just about a solution to their pain, it’s about connecting on a personal level. Sending out cards for birthdays can be a lead nurturing step. Throwing a mixer, inviting a select group of potential clients who would have a great time together or putting on a relevant class is a lead nurturing step.”

So we get it – the lead nurturing process isn’t just about figuring out what to say to get someone to buy from you, or to reach out to them using their preferred method of communication. It’s about what works – not just on a business level, on a personal level that deepens trust and highlights the connection.

Lead Nurturing Systems: The Advertising Agency Owner

To get a second opinion, we talked with an advertising agency owner. While her lead nurturing system requires far fewer steps, she mentions that a longer hiring process tends to lead to a longer working relationship over all. We asked how lead nurturing processes affect client retention level over the long term.

She says, “Building trust is the best thing you can do to keep long term clients. The lead nurturing process is a good way to build trust before you’re even hired. You’re showing you’re reliable because you want this sale – and the longer you invest and the more you nurture, the more of a stake you have in the client’s future. They pick up on this and hold you accountable.”

Lead nurturing systems are as different as the personalities of clients they bring on. By developing a lead nurturing system that addresses your potential client’s particular needs – both on a business and personal level if applicable – you’re giving clients that extra level of service that could get you the sale.

Lead Liaison has a sophisticated lead nurturing suite that will take the legwork out of lead nurturing and tracking for businesses of any size. Try us out today!

Lead Liaison

Calculating Email Marketing ROI: How it Works

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Email Marketing ROIAccording to the most recent Direct Marketing Association Power of Direct Marketing report, in 2011 calculating email marketing ROI returned $40.56 for every dollar spent. This blew away other touch points including:

  • Search engine – $22.24
  • Desktop display ads – $19.72
  • Mobile display ads – $10.51
  • Catalogs – $7.30

EmailStatCenter.com revealed in its 2010 Compensation & Resources Study that “70% of email marketers say they don’t have enough staff to prove (email marketing) ROI”. In addition, ClickZ claims that “44% of email marketers measure their email program using ‘customer engagement’ as a yardstick”.

It should be no surprise that email is among the most popular marketing channels available. If you’re not using email as a marketing tool, you should. But it’s not all about blasting messages and engaging respondents. The metrics should support your campaigns or money is being lost. So how do you determine the return on investment? Let’s take a look.

Email Campaign Results

The first step is to input data from your completed campaign into a formula. There are some online calculators that will compute the results for you. When you are examining your email campaign results a few of the generally accepted data points to include are

  • Number of email records (total list count)
  • Response rate (% of responses against total blast)
  • Conversion rate (% of respondents who purchased)
  • Unique buyers (first-time purchasers)
  • Average profit per sale
  • Campaign costs
    • Creating message (in house or contracted)
    • Delivery (Constant Contact, etc.)
    • Analytics (reporting and analysis costs)

Analyze Email Campaign Results

The next step is to review the results each campaign. Each company may use different metrics to judge the success or failure of a campaign, but some of the critical data points include

  • Number of responses (total opens, click-throughs, replies)
  • Number of buyers (Web purchases via landing pages or site links)
  • Cost per response (total dollars  responses)
  • Cost per buyer (total dollars  buyers)
  • Cost per first-time purchaser (total dollars  new buyers)
  • Cost per address (total dollars  total records)
  • Total profit from campaign

Keep in mind that ROI should not be calculated until a sufficient period of time has passed to allow for purchases to take place (up to 60 days following a campaign). Multi-release campaigns require a longer window to more accurately determine cost per purchase.

As with any business cost center, email marketing should be examined to ensure that marketing dollars are being well spent. ROI from lead nurturing email campaigns requires some different computations but is just as important as determining ROI from a direct marketing email campaign. Although email is not the holy grail of marketing avenues, statistics show a significant bang for the buck. The key is to keep track of the bang from each buck.

Let us know if you have other metrics you use for measuring your email marketing ROI. For more automated marketing strategies talk with a Lead Liaison account representative today!

Lead Liaison

92 Lead Management Data Points Released

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Allen, TX (PRWEB) February 19, 2013 – Lead Liaison, a leader in B2B marketing automation and revenue generation software, has released an infographic that provides the top 10 lead management statistics and details the consequences of poor lead management practices with 92 lead management data points.

The company is providing this decision-making tool in an effort to educate customers and other interested parties about the hazards of an ineffective lead management system. The infographic defines the risks associated with the lack of a good lead management strategy.

Lead Liaison’s mission is to improve alignment between marketing and sales professionals within small to mid-size companies. By providing the information contained within the infographic, company leaders expect to stimulate discussions, provide direction, and increase awareness of specific issues that arise from ineffective lead management policies.

Within the infographic there is an easy-to-follow flow chart that includes ten issues, such as poor lead distribution or a lack of a customer relationship management (CRM) software, then between two and 17 effects associated with each issue. From every set of effects there is an outcome that results from each specific issue. In all, there are over 70 details associated with the consequences of poor lead management within this helpful tool.

Statistics highlighted in the infographic include the percentage of B2B buyers who research purchases online, the average number of attempts needed to contact leads, and the percentage of leads initially disqualified that eventually buy within 12 months.

Company executives believe the information provided in the tool is critical to the development of effective lead generation, lead nurturing, and lead transition strategies. The goal for releasing the data is to improve lead conversion rates through a defined, well-executed lead management process.

The infographic is available for download on Lead Liaison’s Revenue Generation blog on The Consequences of Poor Lead Management post. For more information visit http://www.leadliaison.com or call 888 895 3237.

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Lead Liaison is an application development company that designs, develops, and sells cloud-based marketing and sales automation software. The company markets to small and medium-sized businesses worldwide, and focuses on creating the broadest and most user-friendly revenue generation software platform. Applications cover all phases of lead management automation including sales prospecting, lead generation, and marketing automation functions that directly influence revenue generation. It’s innovative and robust lead management platform combines unparalleled sales prospecting, lead capture, real-time lead tracking, lead qualification, lead distribution, database segmentation, lead nurturing and ROI reporting. The Software as a Service (SaaS) model delivers an effective user experience and integrated cloud computing capabilities.

Media Contacts:
Alex Brown
VP Corporate Communications
abrown(at)leadliaison(dot)com
888.89.53237 (LEADS)
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