Focus on conversions, not clicks

It's not just about clicks.

Can I let you in on a little secret? I think that marketing will eventually replace sales. I like to say this to tease my sales com padres, but also to make a point.  If we continuously measure and optimize inbound marketing, digital marketing, advertising and social media with content that excites and engages; accessed in the places that our customers visit and use as resources; and written and packaged in the way each targeted buyer persona likes it - we can nurture the right leads and cut the buying cycle down to weeks versus months. 

That said, marketing needs to align and partner with sales, and it should share the same accountability and goals. Marketing should follow the same funnel logic that sales follows to better support conversions, nurturing and closing qualified leads.  I like the way the folks at Hubspot say it - "smarketing." Here are some short tips on what to consider in your marketing funnel along the buyer's journey.

AWARENESS ​Build brand awareness and thought leadership Partnerships for proof points and expanded use cases Create digital marketing strategy (inbound) to get found CONSIDERATION Deliver a consistent brand message via customer specific channels Differentiate with unique insights and asset content Address customer pain points and behavior Generate action and change minds

DECISION Open the right doors and get referrals Simplify content access Support targeted solution selling Map customer insights to relevant solutions CLOSE Generate top-line sales Establish reference customers Become a trusted partner Convert customer into evangelists!

When all of the above is said and done, don't forget to measure marketing qualified leads, not just clicks.  MQL Conversions are the best measure of your success and will help you shorten the sales cycle to make it easier for your sales partners to close customers.