Open Channels

Posts Tagged ‘automation’

Software downloads are a key metric for all open source vendors, as well as for proprietary vendors who offer freemium versions of their products.  Tracking the volume of software downloads provides management with a good benchmark of anonymous community interest and momentum.  Although I’d argue that it’s critical to track all downloadable assets (including white papers, webcast archives, various marketing collaterals, etc.), product downloads are an important community signaling device – they indicate an intention on the part of the downloader to commit time to explore, test and use your product. Read the rest of this entry »

Everyone understands the concepts of a market funnel – leads are loaded into the top from various sources; they go through some level of qualification and scoring before being passed to sales; and the sales team then develops them further into pipeline opportunities and deals.  In traditional enterprise markets, demand creation and low-touch selling are subordinate to the rolodex-driven, four-legged sales process.  In volume markets, frictionless marketing and sales are the process.  Where enterprise sales is an artful pursuit, volume marketing and selling is all about math. Read the rest of this entry »

Leads come from many different sources – inbound marketing, community cross-over, raw website registrations, integrated media programs, email campaigns and other promotional activities. While it’s important to track and measure leads from each source, it’s also vital to understand lead momentum – the velocity at which leads progress through marketing and sales. Read the rest of this entry »

Many software companies are operating in the dark ages of marketing.  Their notions of demand generation are to drop hundreds of thousands of emails on cold, externally-sourced contact lists, watch for activity on their landing pages, and shoot at whatever moves. Read the rest of this entry »