A key aspect of lead generation is to engage people as early in their buying process as possible, because that’s where you can make the biggest difference. Simply put, engage early and often.
An excellent way to reach people early is by developing thought-leading content. Yet most companies lack thought provoking, educational content; instead, they emphasize sales content. Sales content is most relevant in the later stages of the buying process.
Your content should be specifically designed to help support and pull your potential customer through each stage of their buying process. How? By helping people find the answers to their questions and being a resource to them, regardless of their timing to buy. Also see: Using Thought Leading Content as a Lead Generation Tool
Podcasts are a great way to share your thought leading content which is why I found this report by KnowledgeStorm and Universal McCann very compelling. They just announced the results of a joint research study on the emerging role of new media, particularly podcasts, on B2B technology purchase decisions.
Key Findings from the Study Include:
- 41 percent of survey respondents claim they have listened to podcasts on more than one occasion, while 13 percent stated that they “frequently” download or listen to them.
- 32 percent of survey respondents stated their usage of podcasts has “Increased” or “Significantly Increased” in the last six months.
- 72 percent claimed that they have downloaded or listened to podcasts on technology topics on more than one occasion; 23 percent do so “frequently.”
- Nearly 60 percent of respondents said that information on business or technology topics, currently delivered as white papers or analyst reports, would be more interesting as podcasts.
- 55 percent of respondents would be more likely to consume white papers and analyst reports if they were delivered as podcasts.
- 57 percent of the frequent podcast users stated their biggest challenge with podcasts is the scarcity of interesting content.
- 65 percent responded that they listen to podcasts for both personal and business interests.
To learn more about the Emerging Media Series study visit, Podcast Study Report.
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Brian Carroll is the CEO of InTouch Inc. InTouch is a 50-person company focused on delivering effective lead generation solutions for “the complex sale.”
Brian authors the very interesting B2B Lead Generation Blog which focuses on B2B lead generation, sales leads, and marketing for the complex sale.
