Matching the right tool to the job.

Marketers use variety of methods to bring in new business. But often it is not all that clear what is really working and why. To maximize marketing efforts, not to mention hard to come by budgets, it is important to match the tool to the purpose. This is where demand generation programs are most effective. These programs include different methodologies that can be designed to serve different marketing issues.

Here is a set of specific programs to consider:

- Lead generation campaigns. The purpose of these campaigns is to attract new names to your prospect database. Lead gen campaigns are also useful to re-activate dormant leads. Before any tactical elements such as emails, search campaigns, direct mail pieces, landing pages and call scripts are produced, it is important to carefully segment your list. Once the campaign is moved to implementation phase, the key indicators like conversion rates can give you the wrong signal if the message is not delivered to the right audience. You might think your program is not working but the truth may be that you are offering an exquisite chocolate cake to someone who is just looking for a quick sandwich.

- Lead nurturing programs. These campaigns are designed to maintain continuous contact with your prospects with the purpose of moving them through the sales pipeline. After all, the objective is not to repeatedly call on people and push your sales message, but rather send them relevant content so that when they are ready to buy they turn to you. It involves sending messages to inform prospects about your company, products and services, and gathering information about their behavior so you can understand their needs better. Important element of lead nurturing programs is to provide continuous supply of fresh and relevant content.

- Lead scoring. Final element of successful demand generation program is lead scoring which is useful in managing the actual transfer of leads to sales reps because it indicates when the lead is sales ready. Typically, companies that have complex sales cycles and dedicated sales teams benefit from complimenting their demand generation programs with lead scoring and tracking element.

Demand generation programs offer variety of tools to measure, track and optimize marketing efforts. A comprehensive program will match the tool to the specific business need. But it is important to remember that this is a cyclical process that requires several trains running on time on different tracks. The good news is that results are measurable.