The Key to Unlocking the Value of Direct Response Programs: Branding

As marketers, we now have the ability to impact the direction of our respective businesses like never before. We’ve entered the age of the revenue marketer where we strive to tie every marketing dollar invested to revenue contribution — and we look to test, measure, and learn from everything we do. We also now have the systems to help accomplish this and really shine in our roles. But, we may have a blind spot...[read more]

CIOs Are More Than Just IT Buyers

Even if you believe in love at first sight, the likelihood of a marriage proposal on the first date is highly unlikely. Committing yourself to someone without getting to know him or her first is a ridiculous idea. Yet far too often companies are asking audiences to “commit” despite knowing little about each other at the first hint of an interaction...[read more]

Direct Response Marketers: Spend More Time Educating Your Audience

Are you addicted to leads? I'm a recovering direct-response program junkie, and I'll always be addicted to leads. Pitch me a program that can cost-effectively get my target audience to take an immediate action (white-paper download, webinar registration or free trial sign-up), and I ask: "Where do I send the signed IO"? As long as I can systematically track the program's ROI in terms of leads, CPL, pipeline contribution, and deal value, I'm at the top of my marketing game, right? Actually, as much as it pains me to admit, we may all be missing the mark...[read more]

A Jobs Solution: In-Shoring and Education

Everyone from President Obama to the corner grocer to the typical 20-something graduating from college has one topic weighing on their minds right now – jobs. Specifically, what is the United States going to do about the jobs crisis, and the structural changes discussed above that have pushed us to potentially permanent 9%+ unemployment rates? As the CEO of Bizo, a fast growing company in the technology industry, I have a simple solution...[read more]