What does your web form tell your prospects?

Web forms are necessary for online lead generation. Or at least so the conventional wisdom goes. But with 80%, 90% or more of visitors leaving when they reach a web form, what is the cost? Is there a better option?

Generally, prospects reach web forms in response to an offer. They raised their hand, they are interested. They may even be a valuable prospect. But then they stop.

The message to marketers: I'm not ready to share my information.

As marketers, are we ready to share our content, that presents our thought leadership or highlights our solutions, without capturing a lead? No, really?

Lets ask the question another way. A prospect walks into your office and asks for information on how to select a solution that meets her requirements. There is a stack of 200 copies of a brief written by your team sitting on your desk. Are you going to say 'no, we won't share that information'? If you do, would you expect her to have a high opinion of the service and support your company would provide?

Not only did you sour her opinion of your service, you lost the shape how she approached the search for a solution. It sounds like a ludicrous decision to make, but it is the decision that marketers make online every day.

More Webcasts on the Way

If you thought webcasts were already nearly ubiquitous, just wait a couple more years. According to B2B magazine, the webcast market will go from $83.3 million in 2007 to $3.4 billion in 2014. If that's true, what might it mean for webcasts in the future?

First, webcast noise will increase. Today, you can't approach a trade site, or even magazine, and not find an advertisement or mention of a webcast. This will continue expanding to other areas with complex messages. Colleges and universities are already using webcasts, soon we will see webcasts become a standard content offering for other traditionally consumer areas.

Second, webcasts will become much more like today's social media formats. A webcast channel may develop a following like a blog does today. More likely, webcasts will become a format for creating longer or more complex blog post.

Third, webcasts will become primary training vehicles. We are already seeing this today in many markets, with webcasts used as a way to train clients and staff.

But as the number of webcasts increase, where will the time come from? Unlike advertising slots in TV, billboards along a highway, or banner ads online, webcasts require a significant time commitment from the audience in order to be valuable. With more webcasts, will the current 30 to 90 minute webcast formats survive? Will webcasts become shorter, brief clips, that add to the myriad of other short, easily digested content formats available on the web today?

The Power of Poor Segmentation

Here is an example of poor segmentation from a publisher and how it can potentially impact business.

This morning, I received an email inviting me to attend a breakfast on multi-channel buying. It is hosted by two large enterprise software and infrastructure players that serve the market. So what is the problem? I am not a peer, I work for an agency and work on a competitive account. I never opted in to receive communications, but was signed up by a sales rep as a media contact.

So why invite me to a breakfast? Working in the industry, we know why it happens. Publishers increase the size of their list, the number of contacts is so small as to be trivial, it drives an increase in the number of registrations, and they showcase what other advertisers are doing through their marketing channel. But extending this to an invite for a networking breakfast is going to far, it is a disservice to their advertisers.

What are the ramifications of this? First, the publication's audience was always suspect, more so now that I know I'm included as one of the 'retail executives that start their day with us'. Second, it made a lasting impact on my opinion of the publication's promotions (did I mention the invite was flash, included bad music, and tried to launch a popup when I clicked that was blocked by default Firefox settings!). And finally, the impact was so significant that it inspired me to share it within our agency and take a few minutes to memorialize it here.

Blogging on Lead Generation

Well, welcome author. You read, write and react to what you see in the market around you. Particularly about online lead generation. Particularly about B2B lead generation. So why not use a blog as a place to capture those reactions, categorize them, and possibly even share with others.