B2B Lead Generation | A Great View of the Changed World

“I follow your blog every day and have learnt so much”
Katy, Rational Software

Jon Miller, Founder and VP of Marketing at Marketo presented this slide. It really sums up how the world has changed in B2B marketing. I loved its simplicity and clarity.

Jon shared history in three eras, Before Google, Before Social and Now. Let’s explore all three:

Before Google

Google went public in August 2004. Before that time, it was hard for prospects to find information. Sellers did outbound marketing - trade shows, direct mail, cold calling. All leads, qualified or not, went to sales.

Before Social

Once people started using search, companies started building robust websites. Because websites are where everything was found, companies focused on search (SEO and PPC) to drive traffic to their websites. Once they were there, you engaged them with your content, nurtured them and scored their behaviors.

Now

We live in a different world today. Websites are not the only place to get information. There’s a massive amount of information out there, free for the asking.

Companies need not only robust websites, but they also need lots of great content to share on social networks.

Jon coined the term “seed nurturing” for content shared with people who have not yet registered. That’s just like planting seeds and hoping they grow. After registration, they are in traditional lead nurturing.

We thank Marketo and Jon for this great slide.

What do you think? Is Jon’s world-view accurate? We love comments and those who share.

“If more companies listened to (Find New Customers) a lot more would be sold.” Dan McDade, Pointclear.