(One in a series of weekly interviews)
A surprisingly high number of companies of all sizes still depend on email, direct marketing and other time-honored marketing tactics that focus on delivering prospects into the sales funnel.
That's the word from David Appelbaum, chief marketing office for Act-On Software, reporting on company research. "We're absolutely stunned," he said, that more companies aren't embracing technologies that use lead-scoring, behavioral analysis and other metrics within an aggressive lead-management strategy.
Appelbaum does see smaller companies more willing to embrace the use of social media in their marketing campaigns, a trend he sees expanding in 2012. "Social media probably has taken a bigger leap in the smaller companies because of the cost-benefit."
He says the vast majority of marketers ... are still focused on and stuck at filling their pipeline.
"What truly needs to happen in more efficient organizations is marketing taking a far great role in terms of revenue ownership, in what's being contributed to the bottom line through marketing programs. Those are the organizations that are investing in things like lead-nurturing capabilities, like SEO ... all of the new functions that technology is now enabling marketers to see and to measure and really ties in very closely with the work they already are doing with social media."
Hear more from Appelbaum in the podcast below -- the latest in a series of exclusive interviews by The Customer Collective with marketing leaders on topics they consider vital for greater success in the new year.
Listen to the podcast: download it here.