Maybe it's fatigue induced by the diminished daylight hours, but of late I've just had a heck of a time bringing myself to write. No ideas, no energy, and no desire to change the pattern. It made me think — how often are marketers afraid or unwilling to change the demand creation methods they've relied on for fear of unknown territory?


Of course change is a necessary part of life. So too, for a business to stay healthy, we must embrace the new. How do we go about shaking off the "demand creation doldrums"? Make a New Year's resolution to try something different as 2007 looms large on the horizon:


1) Pilot a demand creation initiative incorporating streaming video. B-to-B users were big on web video in 2006 and it's an area that's sure to grow. A Knowledgestorm survey said 78% of b-to-b executives believe video makes online content more compelling.¹


2) Consider mobile marketing. While still nascent in the business-to-business sector, tactics like video on phones are becoming more common: an October study by Horowitz Associates reported 8% of Internet users watching video on a handheld device at least once a month and 19% interested in service that provides streaming video on their mobile phone.² Email, IM and other phone features open up new possibilities for marketing to business prospects.


3) Go Web 2.0: Test blogging, social media, wikis, customer/prospect advisory panels, whatever. Even if you're not sure how to measure them — just get started. Larry Weber, CEO of W2 Group says "The future of b-to-b marketing is about aggregating customers and potential customers to your community."³ I agree.


4) Measure something you've never measured before. Simply.


5) Pick six publications, blogs or e-zines from outside your industry and read them regularly for at least a few weeks. You'll probably find some new ideas and sources of inspiration you can apply to your sector.

¹ "Emerging Media Series: Online Video, Social Networks and Wikis" Knowledgestorm. Nov 9, 2006.

² Maddox, Kate. "Mobile Marketing Making a Move" BtoB Magazine. October 9, 2006. pg 1. Study by Horowitz Associates of over 1,000 Internet users.

³ Krol, Carol. "Web 2.0: Join the Revolution" BtoB Magazine. November 13, 2006. pg 34.

Technorati Tags: demand creation, leads, marketing, social media, tips, web video

0 Comments:

Add a comment