At this point you’re expecting me to give you the magical answer, yes! However, instead I am going to be completely, 100% honest with you – I have no idea. I think we can all understand that each buyer needs to closely evaluate how lead scoring could benefit their operations to be able to answer that question appropriately. The first step for buyers is to determine what questions are they looking to have answered by lead scoring. Answering this question will get you on the right path to deciding whether or not lead scoring is right for your company.

Last week I had the pleasure of traveling to the wonderful town of New Orleans to attend TARGUSinfo’s Lead Scoring Summit. The intimate conference is an excellent conference to get the lowdown on all levels of lead scoring. Whether your a newbie or a lead scoring pro you can rub elbows with the best and pick up tips and tricks that will push your lead scoring strategies to the next level. What was refreshing about the show is that I got a chance to hear all points of view. One session included a school that implemented lead scoring a year ago and was still struggling to make work. There was not coverup agenda in place to say that lead scoring is easy. In fact, it’s hard and companies should be serious about the investment of time and resources that it takes for lead scoring to reap the intended benefits. On the other hand I spoke with a number of buyers that saw clear benefits as soon as they implemented scoring. From being able to optimize their lead buying efforts to targeting the right demographic and geographic segments they were able to better place their marketing dollars and effectively manage leads to a higher conversion rate. The point learned at the show is that lead scoring is not always an e-Ticket to the front of the line.

If you have questions regarding lead scoring and if it is right for you, feel free to reach out to us here at GearyPMG and will help you get pointed in the right direction.

There is a misperception that when companies embark on a lead generation campaign they relinquish control of their brand to affiliates and partners, but this is categorically untrue. The best lead generation campaigns stem from a strong brand which resonates within all of its components. Good branding creates trust around a company and advances lead generation programs because the focus can move beyond questions like “who are you?” to “what can you do for me?”   Branding should be the key framework for any successful lead generation program; without it marketers are forced to compete on a generic level.

By building a strong reputation and brand awareness, companies will strengthen all of their campaigns, including lead generation campaigns. As users progress down a consideration funnel, they are more likely to use branded search queries or go directly to brand-owned web properties. This is a win-win situation for marketers because leads are more qualified, and sales processes shorten when users already know the companies they like.

When lead generation efforts consider a holistic brand, they are able to incorporate additional lead sources into the mix. Search engine optimization, paid search, social media and website structure should play important roles in a branded lead generation program.

So Branded Lead Generation, “Will you be our Valentine?”

Session Details:

“I am excited to moderate this panel on behalf of GearyPMG, as it’s an area that we are extremely passionate about,” said Ferree of his panel participation. “We are committed to providing our clients with the highest quality customers that address their long term marketing goals like retention. I am excited to speak alongside our peers about approaching lead generation in an ethical, accurate and strategic way.”

In addition to Ferree’s panel, the TARGUSinfo Interactive Insights Summit will focus on how third-party online targeting data can help marketers justify increasing their advertising investments.

• How marketers are mismanaging their lead generation campaigns
• Criteria for evaluating a lead management technology solution
• Strategies and tactics to increase the efficiency of lead management programs

The following in an excerpt from a newly released whitepaper from GearyPMG. To download the whitepaper in its entirety, click the download link at the bottom of this post.

Lead generation is a common marketing goal. Most strategies and a majority of marketing programs are created with the goal of producing leads. While this goal keeps marketing and sales departments progressing forward, lead generation is only the means to the end goal of driving revenue. If leads do not convert into business, are they serving their intended purpose? This whitepaper will investigate how marketers might be losing leads through fragmented management tactics and present tips and tricks about how marketing departments can manage earned leads efficiently—so not one lead is wasted.

Lead generation is a sizeable marketing investment with $1.7 billion projected to be spent on lead generation in 2011. Digital lead management is still transitioning into the digital space as 65 percent of marketers note that they are increasing spending on lead generation-based website design and 47 percent are investing in online data quality and management (CSO Insights). While efforts and budgets are being allocated to digital lead generation, most marketers note it as one of their top three challenges—behind lack of budget and lack of time for efficient program execution (MarketingProfs). This means that generating leads is a top marketing priority that will get resource support, but there is still a gap between generating leads and generating business.

Download here–

GearyPMG Whitepaper_Lead Management Generation Strategies

I recently wrote an article about how lead management is a major component of many industries—including enrollment marketing. A study released by Leads360 showed that converting a lead is 57 percent lead quality and 43 percent an efficient sales process. This bears mentioning because it shows that conversion is not based just on lead quality; it is a combination of lead management and quality.

Speed to contact
The first problem is a perceived lack of urgency around contacting leads. Education marketers must understand that their potential students are researching several institutions at one time. They probably don’t have an idea of which career college best meets their needs, so they need your help deciding. As a rule of thumb, most users complete 2-3 forms before ending their research. Consider contact speed the most important factor in lead management. Students need to be addressed when their interest is high. A minute later, they may lose interest or, even worse, enroll with another institution.

A study performed by MIT, and recently confirmed by LeadQual, showed that the odds of converting a lead are five times greater when the lead is contacted within five minutes of form completion versus waiting 10 minutes. The worst possible scenario is when students are not called at all. The same survey notes that of a 423 lead sample, 37 percent were never contacted. Edu marketers should use a lead management system to guarantee timely lead delivery.

The rules of lead management are simple: Call your leads, and call them within five minutes. Doing so will greatly affect your bottom line, guaranteed.

Call frequency
Finding a call frequency “sweet spot” is another issue of concern for education marketers.

Another survey by Leads360 proved that contacting a student 6 times is optimal. Calling a lead at a higher frequency than recommended will not improve your chances of making contact. One other thing to note is that marketers have an 87 percent higher chance of contacting the lead on call No. 2 versus call No. 1.

I suggest calling potential students at different times during the day and take note of any trends.

Try not to focus on just lead generation and think about the larger lead management picture. As an edu marketer, it’s your responsibility to process leads effectively. Effectively managing leads needs to be a top priority for education marketers.