Hubspot has published a helpful e-Book called “Marketing Fact vs. Marketing Fantasy.” It’s for Marketers, PR folks, Product Evangelists or any executive that really wants to understand the changing dynamics of business communications. Though marketing is in the title, it could have easily been named,”Business Development: Fact vs. Fantasy.”
A lot of what HubSpot calls “Fantasies” in the book are dearly held beliefs in many companies. Those beliefs are brick walls to better customer service and profitable revenue growth for their companies.
HubSpot’s “facts,” which I re-dubbed “reality,” need better PR—much better. Their e-Book is 99 pages long, so I’ll summarize the salient facts that I found to be the most illuminating. To review all of the facts, download their e-book, Marketing Fact vs. Marketing Fantasy. (It’s good stuff.)
FANTASY:
B2B companies don’t need to waste their time on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.
REALITY:
- 39% of B2B companies using Twitter have acquired new customers from it.
- 41% of B2B companies using Facebook have acquired new customers from it.
- 41% of companies using LinkedIn for marketing have generated business with it.
FANTASY:
Email can be relied upon to be the workhorse of your marketing and communications efforts.
REALITY:
Your email addresses expire at a rate of 25% per year.
In B2B—an area in which I have experience and a subscriber email list of over 174,000—I’ve found that B2B email addresses can go bad at a rate of 3% to 6% per month. That doesn’t sound like a lot, but do the numbers—it is. And wait until you try to replace them with new subscribers. Who subscribes by email anymore? It’s tough just breaking even on your email subscribers.
EMAIL IS SO 2008
Email usage is declining by as much as 59% across all age groups. Having a teenage daughter, I can attest to it, or to quote her, “Email is so 2008.”
FANTASY:
Most companies are increasing their investments in traditional outbound marketing programs.
REALITY:
Companies’ investments in social media and blogs increased by 54% in 2011.
WHY?
Leads generated via inbound marketing tactics like blogging and social media cost 62%.
FANTASY
Trade shows are a great, cost-effective way to generate a ton of new customers.
REALITY:
Trade shows are one of the most costly ways to generate leads and customers.
FANTASY:
Blogging is overrated and not particularly effective for marketing. Besides, nobody reads blogs. (I guess you—who’s reading this right now—is a nobody.)
REALITY:
- 65% of daily internet users read blogs.
- Companies that blog get 55% more web traffic than those that don’t.
- Companies that blog get 70% more leads.
- 57% of companies have acquired a customer through their blogs.
FANTASY:
Optimizing your content and website for mobile devices isn’t worth the effort.
REALITY:
- 86% of C-Level executives have smartphones.
- 78% of business people use their mobile device to check email.
- 74% of smartphone users have made a purchase from their smartphones.
FANTASY:
Social networks are for youngsters.
REALITY:
- 40% of active Facebook users are over the age of 35.
- 52% of 55 to 64 year-olds have joined a social network.
FANTASY
Twitter is boring and a complete waste of time for businesses.
REALITY:
- Companies that use Twitter average two times more leads than those that don’t.
- Companies with 1000+ followers get six times more web traffic.
- 42% of companies that use Twitter for marketing have acquired a customer through it.
All of those fantasies above are dearly and closely held beliefs in many businesses. Don’t believe me? Ask around your company.
All of those realities cited need better PR.
Or not.
Those that are dealing in realities will succeed.
Those that aren’t won’t. Not for long.
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Check out the complete e-book Marketing Fact vs. Marketing Fantasy.
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