We recently had someone reach out to us for marketing help in Grand Rapids. You may be thinking “So? You’re a marketing agency. That’s what people should be reaching out to you for.” And you’re right, but what made this particular lead so interesting was how they’ve followed us since launching 1 Bold Step. Not only did we hear that in our initial call with them, but we were able to see that in the data as well.
Because we use HubSpot as our marketing automation platform (which cookie tracks), we could look back and see more than a year’s worth of data on this lead (yes, a whole year!) once they opted into our system by filling out a form (it’s only creepy if you make it creepy).
Let us explain. Cookie tracking means visitors will be tracked anonymously even before they become a contact in your database. If and when a visitor fills out a form, the system will associate them with their previous page views and activities based on the tracking cookie. And since this tracking was in place, we were able to go back and look at all of the marketing pieces we created that they viewed overtime.
Take a look at the data we received below.
A Lead Getting to Know 1 Bold Step
The next couple of images will show you what our lead was doing even before we knew they were a lead (cool, right?!). We know from the data that they entered into our HubSpot platform through a form conversion on September 14, 2020. However, they followed us since we launched 1 Bold Step in January of 2019. Check it out.
Then, they came back and visited our site when we launched a few new offers and services (June 12, 2019).
Later, they followed us through our new hire (June 21, 2019).
As the months went on, they continued to check us out periodically until it was finally a social media post from our LinkedIn that helped them convert into a lead in September of 2020.
And they filled out our Contact form.
We created these marketing pieces over time and shared them through social posts, blogs, press releases, and website updates. Each one of these touchpoints helped the lead get acquainted with our business and learn more about how we could potentially help them.
A Range of Marketing Tactics Matter
We share this example because as marketers and leaders, we can tend to forget that:
Marketing takes time.
According to an Aberdeen Marketing Lead Management Report, it takes an average of 10 marketing touches from the time prospects enter the top of the funnel until they become customers. We’ve seen similar results with our clients that typically range between 7-12 touchpoints. However, don’t get stuck thinking that all of the 7-12 touchpoints have to be all emails, or all social media posts, or all blog posts that they’ve interacted with. In fact, we suggest having a mixture of several different touchpoints to reach your audience.
Some examples of different touchpoints include:
- Email (Personal and commercial like newsletters or product offers)
- Social (Both paid and organic)
- Webpage or blog views
- Mail (Yes, physical mail is still a thing and it still works)
- Display ads and retargeting
- Webinars
- In-person events
This list can definitely be larger, but as you can see in the real example above, this lead engaged with many different marketing tactics over a period of time before they felt it was time to reach out.
Lead Conversion and Keeping The Marketing On
This form submission converted an unknown person and allowed us to meet them. After all this time, we finally got to put a face to a generic analytics data point.
This allowed us to connect with them, get to know them, and have a real conversation (and of course, provide even more marketing).
The lead funnel can be different for each industry and target market, but marketing shouldn’t be considered a switch. It should never be “on” or “off.” Marketing is a dial that is always on and can be dialed up and down depending on your current situation. Be intentional about what you are posting, stay consistent with the story you are telling, and remember… In marketing, getting a conversion is only half the battle. Closing the deal is next…
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