Author: Franz Malten Buemann

For B2B sales and marketing teams, few metaphors are as powerful as the sales funnel.
It’s a near-supernatural, multi-layered vortex that pulls in leads from the wider world, then draws them down toward closing. At the top of the funnel (TOFU) are fresh new leads who are just discovering your offerings. In the middle of the funnel (MOFU) are leads who are interested to learn more. Finally, at the bottom of the funnel (BOFU) are those leads who are poised and ready to make a purchase.
Modeling your sales funnel so you can better target and nurture leads at each layer is critical to increasing your conversion rate. But for accurate modeling, you need a lot of reliable data. And one major opportunity for collecting that data lies in your social media tools.
The importance of social media in marketing is unquestionable. In fact, businesses that market on social media are 40% more likely to hit their sales goals. Plus, a whopping 95% of buyers purchase from sellers who provide content that addresses their concerns and questions at each sales funnel level — and, nowadays, a lot of that content is posted on social platforms.
But the question remains: How can you measure and analyze the true impact of social activity on your sales funnel?
Here, we’ll explore what social media data is, and how you can use that data to strengthen your B2B sales funnels.

What is social media data?
Social media data (or social analytics — the terms are interchangeable) includes any information gleaned from the activity of visitors, prospects, and leads on your social media channels. Any data you obtain when someone interacts with your profile or content on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or any other social media channel counts as social data.
Specific metrics can vary from platform to platform. However, the following social data points are common to all of them:

Shares/reposts
Likes
Comments
Mentions
Impressions
Conversions
Clicks

Clicks can be the most revealing of all social data points. Many outside factors can determine what post a visitor might choose to comment on or share. Click metadata can tell you what types of content they would like to explore further.
Why is social media data important to B2B funnels?
You can’t analyze the efficiency of your B2B social media marketing efforts without raw data. With so many marketing activities and steps in the buyer’s journey taking place on social media, analytics without social data won’t yield many useful insights.
With social analytics, you can answer some crucial questions about whether your social media activities can help you meet your goals. Analytics help answer questions such as:

Which social media platforms are generating the most leads?
What kind of content is making our audience click, share, and convert the most?
What are our top-converting posts?
Are our audiences more interested in engaging with TOFU, MOFU, or BOFU content?

By analyzing the right social data, you can learn what is and isn’t working — and then tailor your social media marketing strategy accordingly.
How Social Media Data Impacts Your B2B Funnels
Many aspects of the marketing, sales, and product development processes feed into modeling your sales funnel. The goal is to create a funnel that effectively addresses your buyer’s needs and brings them closer to closing a sale. Within this process, there are two critical areas where social data analytics are especially beneficial.
1. Lead Enrichment
Lead enrichment involves supplementing, correcting, and normalizing your data on a lead. The goal is to establish a more in-depth, up-to-date, and accurate picture of who your leads are and what they want. You can automate lead enrichment by importing third-party data into your CRM. You can also accomplish the same outcome by conducting manual research and verification on leads.
Lead enrichment makes it easy to perform several associated functions that will improve your sales funnel’s efficiency. These are:
Lead Scoring

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How do you know which leads are eager to buy and which ones are just looking? The solution is to quantify their signs of interest, assign them a score, and rank them.
The process of lead enrichment ensures you aren’t missing essential information about your lead, such as whether they are a decision-maker at their company. Social data can provide evidence of their signs of interest, as shown through their social media page interactions.
Lead Segmentation
A lead with a low score isn’t necessarily one you should ignore. However, a low-scoring lead might need different levels of attention or types of content.
The same goes for leads showing the same level of interest. If they’re in different industries or countries, the same approach might not work on all of them.

Social data can enrich your lead profiles with these details. Then you can segment your leads into separate audience groups, which enables you to target each group with custom-made content to address each group’s top concerns.

Lead Nurturing
You move a lead from one level of your sales funnel to the next by nurturing them.
Lead nurturing is accomplished by providing leads with content that answers their questions, addresses their concerns, and builds interest in your offers. The more data you have on your leads, the more hints you have about creating content most likely to engage them.
Lead Attribution
It’s great when your latest lead steps up engagement within your sales funnel. But if you don’t know what motivated them to provide their contact information, download that ebook, or request pricing, you’re missing out. That kind of knowledge is vital to improving your sales processes.
Enriched leads and social data analytics strengthen your attribution models. Lead attribution gives you the best chance of finding out which content deserves credit for the conversion.
2. Perfecting Your Messaging
The second key area impacted by social data is your messaging. Ultimately, all of your content is just a form of communication between you and the buyer.

When your messaging is perfect, it strikes the right tone, and speaks to your lead’s most pressing concerns — while also entertaining and educating. That’s when you know you’re putting your best effort into closing the sale.

When your messaging falls short on these fronts, leads can lose interest and drift away.
So, how do you perfect your messaging? The two easiest ways are through personalizing your sales outreach, and creating more engaging content.
Personalize Sales Outreach
Social data can tell you what your leads are most interested in and which channels are best for reaching them. This information allows you to personalize your sales outreach.
Let’s look at how this works in practice. Say you have a lead who consistently likes your tweets about a specific function of your product.
From that small piece of data, you can create a personalized outreach. A Twitter DM might be a great way to make a “sales call” — and now you have an even better idea for a good conversation starter.
Create More Engaging Content

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Content that engages is critical to move leads toward conversions. But what content should you be making to engage more leads?
First, step back to take a broader view of what your social data is telling you. Measuring how and where your leads engage with your sales funnel allows you to create more engaging content at all levels.
Let’s say you’re doing well at moving leads through the MOFU and BOFU, but many of them seem to get stuck in the TOFU. The leads who spend the most time in the TOFU aren’t converting their way further through the funnel at high enough rates.
Through careful parsing of your social data, you discover that the leads that slowly escape the TOFU heavily engage with your video content. This data tells you that you probably want to have video as a more significant share of your TOFU content.
It’s true that collecting, organizing, and analyzing raw social data can be overwhelming at the outset, but having the right resources can take a lot of the difficulty out of this endeavor. Tools like Oktopost can help you automate and optimize your social data processes, making it easy to finetune your content at every level of the sales funnel.
By leveraging social data to create better B2B sales funnel models, you will reap the benefits of its true impact with higher engagement rates, more conversions, and better ROI.

Imagine this: You run a successful online store and have a sleek app that makes shopping a breeze.
Most of your sales come from paid ads on Facebook and Instagram, and your usual process involves retargeting customers who open your app but leave without purchasing anything.
The more app installs you get, the more sales you log. This process is seamless because you’re able to track user activity across apps and optimize your ad spend as you see what works and what doesn’t.
But, with this week’s release of IOS14.5, the data you collect from Apple mobile devices will change. Here’s how.

Apple’s New Privacy Policy
Apple has confirmed that along with the launch of iOS14.5, there is also a change coming to Apple’s AppTrackingTransparency (ATT) Framework, which is essentially its data sharing and privacy policies.
Apple will now require that all mobile app advertisers gain opt-in from users to track their web and app activity.
While this provides consumers with the ultimate privacy, security, and control over the ads they see across their web and mobile devices, it’s expected that not all users will accept this prompt to opt-in. This could make it more difficult for businesses to reach their target audience, and deliver relevant ads.
From now on, whenever an Apple user downloads your app, they’ll be shown a prompt, asking if it’s okay for the app to track them. Additionally, with limited app user data, companies like Google report that ads could show poorer performance and returns than before the change.
While Apple’s pivot might seem shocking, it is not the first major tech giant to take action when it comes to data privacy. Just in the last year, Google, another major player in the advertising world, announced that it will phase out third-party cookies on Chrome and will be offering replacement tracking tools, such as its Privacy Sandbox, after 2022. You can read more about that news here.
What will happen to Apple’s IDFA (Identification for Advertisers)?
To better understand what’s happening with Apple’s new update, let’s take a moment to learn about Apple’s identifier for advertisers (also known as IDFA). IDFA is tied to each Apple device and is used by advertisers to identify users.
Typically, the IDFA code is visible to advertisers, and it enables them to retarget consumers. Now, it will only be provided to advertisers if users give them the go-ahead and permission to track their usage across apps.
To prepare app owners, Apple has laid out the instructions for gaining proper tracking permissions on its website:
“You must also include a purpose string in the system prompt that explains why you’d like to track the user. Unless you receive permission from the user to enable tracking, the device’s advertising identifier value will be all zeros and you may not track them,” Apple explains.
 
How this Affects MMPs (Mobile Measurement Partners)
Traditionally, MMPs have been able to pull data from mobile apps and serve up data such as installs, views, and ad clicks, in an organized and insightful fashion. They provide advertisers an understanding of where their consumers come from, and what the results of a mobile campaign are, within their platform. With the changes coming to ATT, their ability to have access to all this could be diminished.
However, some MMPs, like AppsFlyer, are leaning into Apple’s SKadNetwork to glean insights for their mobile advertisers.
The SKadNetwork is a secure way for MMPs and advertisers to understand app installs and campaigns, without connecting those installs to specific user identities. Apple coordinates this attribution, and while using the SKadNetwork is a good alternative, it does not take into account view-through attribution and only provides data 24 to 28 hours after the first launch.
The Early Response to Apple’s Privacy Pivot
As you can imagine, this new update has caused ripples across the mobile advertising ecosystem, and brands like Facebook have already responded.
“Apple’s policy will prohibit certain data collection and sharing unless people opt into tracking on iOS 14 devices via the prompt. As more people opt-out of tracking on iOS 14 devices, ad personalization and performance reporting will be limited for both app and web conversion events,” says a Facebook for Business statement.
Meanwhile, Google, which has also been taking on its own privacy initiatives, provided information for developers and advertisers about how the change will impact them while also reminding readers of the importance of user privacy:
“At Google, we’ve always put users and their privacy first. Transparency, choice and control form the bedrock of our commitment to users, and advertising is no different. We remain committed to preserving a vibrant and open app ecosystem where people can access a broad range of ad-supported content with confidence that their privacy and choices are respected,” the Google post explains. “That’s why we’ll continue to invest in privacy-preserving technology ― including aggregated and on-device solutions ― like what we’re developing for the web, along with ecosystem partners, in the Privacy Sandbox.”
Quick Tips for Navigating Apple’s Privacy Changes
While this change will likely impact your current ad campaigns, and the size of its impact is still somewhat uncertain, there are a few areas you can still lean into and optimize your content for the right audiences:

Don’t forget about Android campaigns: the iOS 14.5 update only affects Apple devices and users, so you can still segment your audiences by Android users and target them.

Turn to your website: Use your website’s tracking capabilities or analytics tools to understand where your visitors are coming from, and create audiences based on those visitors.

Amp up organic efforts: take a closer look at your organic social media and content strategy. Then use that data to strengthen your brand.

While the times ahead are uncertain and may not seem as ideal for marketers and advertisers, the industry is likely to evolve and find ways to reach prospective customers. As Apple rolls out this update, we’ll be paying close attention to how advertisers respond and will continue to update this post in the future.
Disclaimer: This blog post is not legal advice for your company to use in complying with data privacy laws like the GDPR. Instead, it provides background information to help you better understand current privacy shifts. The tips provided are not the same as legal advice, where an attorney applies the law to your specific circumstances, so we insist that you consult an attorney if you’d like advice on your interpretation of this information or its accuracy.
In a nutshell, you may not rely on this as legal advice, or as a recommendation of any particular legal understanding.

You probably already know that content marketing can do amazing things for your business. But do you know what types of content you should be focusing on? Whether you’re just getting started with a content marketing strategy or you’re trying to refine an existing one, focus on the types of content that meet your needs…
The post 10 Kinds of Content You Should Already Be Creating appeared first on Benchmarkemail.

I send out lots of direct mail and then follow up by calling them. On this paper mail I have a QR code that links to my website. Each mail has the name of the owner and more other relevant things about their company. So what I want to do is know who opened it and how many times. If possible, also if it was opened on different devices but not if that makes it so they have to accept this with on a pop-up. I have seen stacking services that allow you to know when a link was opened. Well, I send 1000 paper mails a week and plan to increase that number. Does anyone know a service where I can get a URL that redirects to my site but informs me when it was opened? Better yet if the service: can generate links automatically or through an API allows me to have 10,000k plus links can inform me when the link was opened can inform me how many times it was opened can inform me on what type of device it was opened and is cheap or better yet free I can always build my own system but I don’t want to deal with the complexity involved if someone has already done the work. Do you think people would freak out if a call them while they are looking at the site? Will they get a pop-up saying I am tracking them? Has anyone here tried this? Really appreciate the incite
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In recent years, we’ve seen the power of video on the internet — Facebook alone gets eight billion average daily views, and YouTube’s video platform has enabled young teens to become national superstars (Justin Bieber, anyone?). Also, a Cisco report estimates that, by 2022, watching video will account for 82% of internet traffic. 
There are various channels for marketers to consider when sharing videos, like the above-mentioned YouTube and TikTok or Snapchat. There’s also Instagram TV (IGTV) which, launched in 2018, is different from Instagram Stories.

Additionally, IGTV is primarily meant for smartphones, as the videos are vertical, and users don’t need to rotate their devices to watch. If you’re interested in testing out the app for your own business or simply want to know which brands to follow on the app, you’re in luck — here, we’ve compiled all the tips and information you need to get started with IGTV.

There is also a standalone IGTV app that you can download from the app store. To get it, simply go to the App Store or Google Play, search for IGTV, and click Get or Install. 
IGTV Video Length
Anyone with an Instagram account can upload an IGTV video. 
Unlike Instagram Stories’ 15-second video limit, IGTV videos can be up to 15 minutes long when uploaded from a mobile device and 60 minutes when uploaded from the web. 

How To Make IGTV Videos
To upload and edit your IGTV video title and description, follow these steps:
1.Open the IGTV app and click on your profile icon. Then, click Upload Video. If you haven’t yet given permission, you will be asked to allow IGTV access to your video library.

2. Select the video you want to upload.

3. Click Next in the top right-hand corner.

4. Add your preferred video title and description, and edit the cover image, which users will see before the video begins playing.

5. Click Post to publish your video. 

You can also upload a video to IGTV from the native Instagram app. Here are the steps:
1. Navigate to your profile and select the plus sign icon on the top right-hand side of the screen. 
2. When the Create menu pops up, select IGTV video. 
3. Select the video you want to upload, choose your preferred cover, and add a title and description.
4. Click Post to IGTV. 
IGTV Analytics
IGTV provides the following in-app analytic insights for your videos: views, likes, comments, average percentage watched, reach, saves, and interactions. 
To get these insights, open your IGTV app and click on one of your published videos. Then, follow these steps:
1. Open your video, and then click the “…” icon at the bottom.

2. Select View Insights.

3. The IGTV Video Insights menu should appear and contain your audience analytics info. As this video is just a test, there is no analytics data for the video.

The image below displays the IGTV channel preview from popular internet show The Daily Show. 

Watching Videos on IGTV
As soon as you open the IGTV app, a video will immediately start playing — presumably with the hope that users will become immersed in the content.

To watch a video, simply click on it. If you’re not interested in watching it anymore, you can scroll up to see other options.
There are four video categories: For You, Following, Popular, and Continue Watching. You can scroll left and right to view your options and select the one you want to watch. As mentioned above, you can also use the search bar to search for channels you’re already familiar with or to see if someone you’re interested in has a channel. 
To watch an IGTV video within the Instagram app, navigate to a user’s profile, select the IGTV icon, and pick the video you want to watch.
Best IGTV Channels and Brands to Follow
There are hundreds of brands and channels that create impressive and unique IGTV content. If your business is starting from scratch and looking for inspiration, here are a few channels and brands you’ll want to check out: 

Netflix

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Netflix US (@netflix)

NAACP

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by NAACP (@naacp)

The Daily Show

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by The Daily Show (@thedailyshow)

National Geographic

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by National Geographic (@natgeo)

Food Network

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Food Network (@foodnetwork)

Top Influencers on IGTV
While IGTV doesn’t have the same audience reach as Instagram or YouTube, it is still a worthwhile platform to use to reach your audience members, especially if they don’t use other video sharing apps you’re on like TikTok, Snapchat, or YouTube. 
Below is a list of IGTV content creators using the platform to create content that appeals to their specific niche.

LaBeautyologist

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Nayamka Roberts-Smith, LE (@labeautyologist)

Hannah Stocking

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Hannah Stocking (@hannahstocking)

AskDrJess

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Jessica Clemons, MD (@askdrjess)

Huda Kattan

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by HUDA KATTAN (@hudabeauty)

David Chang

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Dave Chang (@davidchang)

Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide whether IGTV offers valuable benefits for your business. It’s critical you consider your audience’s preferences when deciding — would they prefer to watch your brand on IGTV, or are they consuming content elsewhere?
If you feel your brand does well in relatively unmarked territory, perhaps you want to give IGTV a try. Get out your camera, record some unedited behind-the-scenes looks at your company, and press Post. Your audience insights will tell you soon enough whether it’s an avenue worth pursuing.

10 of My Favourite Salesforce Summer ’21 Features Continue reading →
The post Top Ten Gems of Salesforce Lightning Experience Summer’21 Release! appeared first on Automation Champion.

Really interested in hearing what tech you are using in the enterprise environment for your SDR teams. Our tech stack is Hubspot with Zoom info but our SDR team has been a bit neglected and I’ve been asked to rebuild it . Our current model is where SDRs do basic qualification and contact and then pass it to sales. Our sales DQ rate is an abysmal 33% (sales immediately dqs a mql ). I’ve been thinking about moving from a primarily inbound SDR team to an outbound one? anyone made that transition? If so, what automation do you use to handle inbound lead qualification and routing? Thanks all.
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