For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

2009 Forrester Groundswell Awards Winners Offer B2B Tech Marketers Valuable Social Media Lessons

by Laura Ramos, November 4, 2009

Business-to-business (B2B) marketers approach social strategy with a mix of enthusiasm and skepticism. Most want to know which firms execute social pursuits well and what tangible outcomes occur. The B2B Division winners of the 2009 Forrester Groundswell . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

How B2B Technology Buyers Use Social Media

Support Forums Rank Highest Among Emerging Tactics

by Laura Ramos, October 26, 2009

Technology buying is a highly considered, collaborative process, one ideally suited for social interactions. To see how emerging digital media affect the process, Forrester surveyed 1,217 technology decision-makers to find out which online sources will . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

B2B Lead Management Automation Market Overview

Multiple Vendor Choices And Confusing Claims Slow Adoption

by Laura Ramos, September 22, 2009

Lead management automation (LMA) requires a degree of process maturity many business-to-business (B2B) firms don't possess, resulting in underachievement by vendors and users alike. Yet, the benefits of adopting LMA are clear: B2B marketers that successfully . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

B2B Marketers: Tap Into Social Networking Sites To Energize Community Marketing

by Laura Ramos, June 17, 2009

Social networking sites let members connect and share ideas, insights, and experiences. Business marketers see membership on social sites swell but wonder if marketing there will raise awareness or generate demand. Rather than treat social networks like . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

Case Study: MetricStream Builds B2B Community With ComplianceOnline

by Laura Ramos, June 17, 2009

As a premier destination for content, training, and advisory services dedicated to regulatory compliance, IT governance, and corporate risk management, ComplianceOnline is a model online community that delivers two million visitors annually to MetricStream's . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

Effective Customer Reference Management Anchors B2B Community Marketing Efforts

by Laura Ramos, May 27, 2009

Customer references validate product claims and streamline the sales process, both vital activities in business-to-business (B2B) marketing. Yet, even as program budgets grow and reference pools swell, customer reference management risks sliding to second-class . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

B2B Marketers' 2009 Budget Trends

Dollars Shift To Digital Tactics As The Recession Provokes Deep Cuts

by Laura Ramos, April 24, 2009

What a difference a year makes. Compared with our year-end 2007 study, the outlook for business-to-business (B2B) marketing budgets is, not surprisingly, dire. Facing budget reductions of 23% on average, most marketers try to fend off deeper cuts while . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

The Down Economy Pushes B2B Digital Tactics Ahead

Integrate Email, Digital, And Search Marketing To Make The Marketing Mix Pay Off

by Laura Ramos, April 24, 2009

As the current recession continues through 2009, a company's marketing mix must produce sales-ready results using less expensive channels. Digital marketing creates engaging, interesting experiences that rival personal selling without the cost of travel . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

B2B Digital Marketing: A Deep Dive Into Software Decision-Makers

by G. Oliver Young, Laura Ramos, March 31, 2009

Buying business software is a highly considered, collaborative process, one ideally suited for community interactions. Recently, Forrester surveyed software decision-makers to see how digital and Web 2.0 media affect their buying process. Overall, respondents . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

Case Study: Intuit TurboTax Uses Crowd Wisdom To Make Online Support Less Taxing

by Laura Ramos, March 4, 2009

Intuit TurboTax used the wisdom of crowds — gleaned by analyzing how tax filers and tax preparation businesses interact with thousands of pages of support and tax code information — to supercharge its online support and hold down costs. Business-to-business . . .

For B2B Market Research Professionals

Information Sources And Influences In Purchasing  (232 KB PPT)

by Laura Ramos, G. Oliver Young, Frank E. Gillett, February 27, 2009

North American and European hardware decision-makers report on information sources and influences in purchasing.

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

The Social Technographics® Of Business Buyers

How Technology Buyers Engage With Social Media

by Laura Ramos, G. Oliver Young, February 20, 2009

Social media give a voice to buyers who can now describe their experience and disappointment to a global audience. And, wow, are they saying a lot. Forrester surveyed more than 1,200 business technology buyers and found that they exceed all previous benchmarks . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

Community Marketing Boosts B2B Marketing's Value During Tough Economic Times

by Laura Ramos, February 19, 2009

Recessions send business marketers scrambling to protect budgets or rebalance the marketing mix once inevitable cuts occur. However, long after this downturn subsides, entirely different business buying behavior will emerge as prospects turn to online . . .

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Tell Your B2B Marketing Story With Online Video

by Laura Ramos, January 26, 2009

As business-to-business (B2B) marketers recognize the power of video for creating emotional, engaging connections with prospects, most struggle to make this medium personal and persuasive. As production costs drop, capturing buyer attention with full-motion . . .

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B2B Digital Marketing: A Deep Dive Into IT Security Decision-Makers

by G. Oliver Young, Laura Ramos, January 23, 2009

Security products mitigate corporate risk, and, as a consequence, buyers approach these purchases very conservatively. Forrester surveyed IT security buyers to find out how they respond to emerging social media and found that these tactics have not yet . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

Four Ways To Grade Lead Management Maturity  (112 KB XLS)

by Laura Ramos, January 15, 2009

Mature lead management processes pay off in better sales follow-up rates and higher close-rate percentages for marketing-generated leads. To define a realistic road map for process improvement, B2B marketers must sit with sales, telesales, customer support, . . .

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How To Avoid B2B Marketing Obsolescence

Community Marketing Transforms The Marketing Role

by Laura Ramos, January 15, 2009

Business decision-makers are increasingly banding together in online communities to research purchase decisions using peer insights and independent product experts. Business marketer influence is declining at a rapid pace. To remain viable, you must invest . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

Five Ways To Assess Integrated Marketing Acumen   (116 KB XLS)

by Laura Ramos, January 15, 2009

By weaving together digital and physical channels to tap into business buyers' emotions and motivations, deliver compelling brand experiences, and form ongoing relationships, integrated marketing helps B2B marketers take marketing communication beyond . . .

For B2B Market Research Professionals

2008 To 2009 IT Security Adoption: Sources That Influence Enterprises by Region  (247 KB PPT)

by Laura Ramos, G. Oliver Young, Jonathan Penn, January 9, 2009

Understanding what sources of media influence the purchasing decisions of North American and European IT security decision-makers in enterprises when researching and comparing security products.

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

B2B Digital Marketing: A Deep Dive Into IT Hardware Decision-Makers

by G. Oliver Young, Laura Ramos, January 6, 2009

Hardware firms like Dell, HP, and Sun Microsystems have made strategic bets that social media will drive hardware purchases and satisfaction. To test how well this effort is progressing, Forrester surveyed IT hardware buyers to find out whether social . . .

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Predictions 2009: Economic Trends Will Set The Tone For Technology Marketers

by Emily Van Metre, Jennifer Belissent, Ph.D., Laura Ramos, Frank E. Gillett, December 23, 2008

2008 was an eventful year, marked by a recession, the collapse of major financial institutions, and record unemployment. Next year will bring many challenges for technology marketers as they work to do more with lower budgets, differentiate their product . . .

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B2B Digital Marketing: A Deep Dive Into IT Services Decision-Makers

by G. Oliver Young, Laura Ramos, November 19, 2008

As social media permeates consumer activity, business-to-business (B2B) markets like high technology and telecommunications also begin to feel their impact. Earlier this year, Forrester surveyed IT services decision-makers to assess the influence of social . . .

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Making Social Media Work In B2B Marketing

Clear Objectives And Profiles Lead To Success With Web 2.0 Tactics

by Laura Ramos, October 21, 2008

Business-to-business (B2B) marketers' interest in social media and Web 2.0 tactics spiked during the past nine months. Yet those who focus myopically on the tools — as they contemplate whether to start a blog or advertise on social networking sites — . . .

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Case Study: HP Taps Social Computing To Boost B2B Podcast Results

Community Marketing Tactics That Work

by Laura Ramos, September 24, 2008

Business marketers hole up to produce boatloads of content that customers and sales seldom see and value little. Determined to do better, HP social media managers engaged experts who work daily with customers to develop relevant marketing content grounded . . .

For Technology Product Management & Marketing Professionals

How To Make B2B Webinars Deliver Better Leads

Planned Pre-Show And Follow-Up Communications Are The Key

by Laura Ramos, August 25, 2008

As technology and business-to-business (B2B) marketers replace traditional offer-response strategies with community marketing practices to embrace adopter community issues and values, Webinars will become a key plank in the B2B marketing platform. Technology . . .