Thanks for the many responses (last time I checked, there were 13) to yesterday’s first question.
Another interesting question that I, as an ANA conference panelist, will be asked next week, is:
What new customer engagement techniques are we using?
As you think about this question, focus on ideas or techniques we’re encouraging our clients to use or
experiment with to (1) create “hand raisers? (filling the top of the funnel) and (2) generate response and more interest through successive stages of the buy cycle.
A backdrop trend is the increasing difficulty, due to technology and increased production values of movies and video games, of just getting people’s attention in the first place. What do you see our clients and/or other b-to-b marketers doing to break through the increasing clutter, using traditional or new media and other techniques in the process?
I can’t tell you what I think we’ll see, but I can tell you what I’d like to see, re: new engagement techniques: A return to “old school” methods of getting attention. In other words, face-to-face contact to build business, generate leads, etc.
I’m seeing a resurgence of neatly signed and carefully folded, good old-fashioned letters.
I think web sites and micro sites can do much to get people engaged to the point of “hand raising.”
When we give visitors the tools to to assess their situation it effectively aligns the company as a logical provider of the solution. Let them answer some questions to assess their situation, e.g., a scorecard allowing them to identify holes in their current sales efforts. Or perhaps give them a tool to diagnosis what ails them, i.e. perhaps a calculator that let’s them tally their real costs of operating old equipment.
I worked at a company leveraging these web site tools and when the phone rang prospects frequently (and proudly) announced what their problem was and the conversation around how we can help solve the problems commenced seamlessly. And that sales cycle was sped up.
Using microsites, rich media (e.g. expandable banners, peel-back ads etc), customized media programs (resource centers, online classes, etc), video, podcasts, mobile, etc are all great ways to keep users engaged. Depending on the goals and target audience, users typically are more engaged when they can learn something new and have that information right at their finger tips. Having the right message and medium can have an affect on brand perception, the purchasing process and the success of a campaign.