Why demand generation works where traditional advertising and marketing falls short?

Let’s focus on the basics. Marketing is all about selling stuff. We know this and our customers know that we keep the lights on by selling. So, why marketing has become the black sheep in the family? Why is our advertising and direct response programs are no longer bringing the results they used to?

We need to think in terms of demand generation and not simply soapbox style message distribution.

Here is why:

Interruptive marketing stopped working: We have all heard the adage that only 50% of advertising works. Well, we can actually now measure which half is working and why. It is a continuous process of testing, measuring and tweaking. Relevancy is the key and customer focus is an absolute necessity. Demand generation programs test, measure and help you develop marketing content that is sure to resonate with your target audience. The result is customer engagement and continuous flow of qualified leads.

Every sale is a complex sale: Gone are the days of marketing managers with annual marketing budgets that are only called to question at the end of the year. We live in a world where every business decision is made by a committee of executives with various priorities and business challenges. Organizations need to create messaging that speaks to various angles; many touch points with different channels.

Sharing knowledge is cool: Internet has brought the age of free content to our lives. Sharing best practices and your organization’s accumulated knowledge in your field is a sure way to bring you to the thought leadership position. The tools are out there for you to accomplish this and become a publisher of quality content in no time. Organizations that see themselves as content publishers are very successful at inbound marketing where leads come knocking at their door, instead of the other way around.

Being human is cool: The C level decision maker is a busy executive. She could fill it up with back to back 15 minute meetings if her day can be 36 hours. She does not want to be interrupted by cold calls. But this does not mean she does not want to hear from someone who is on her top 5 list. The trick is to know if you are on her list. You know this because your demand generation program has been following her activities on your website. You have been sending her truly relevant content that she forwarded to her team. She participated on your LinkedIn discussion. Three other people from the same company signed up for your webinar. You sent her tips and tricks white paper and she twittered it (or tweeted it, one or the other…but you get my point). So when you call her, all you have to do is be human and ask if she is ready to talk to you.

To summarize, demand generation programs enable marketers to work more effectively. Generating results is fun and data can be really sexy too.