IDG Delivers Highest Quality Sales Leads to Technology Marketers

IDG Market Fusion Services Combine Buyer Research with Behavioral Analysis and Lead Scoring Systems

12/18/08

Technology marketers are demanding performance-based programs that take lead generation beyond demographics and business card information. The need to convert prospects to customers has never been greater in these extraordinary economic times. Taking advantage of Web capabilities and a proprietary lead management system, IDG Market Fusion services (www.idgmarketfusion.com) provide unique insight into IT buyers and their interactions with information and assess their readiness to make purchases.

At the core of IDG Market Fusion capabilities is the Engagement Intensity Indexsm that is a scoring system for each prospect that separates those with a casual interest in a product or service from ready-to-buy customers. The automated Index, customized for each marketing campaign, assigns a value score to an individual as he interacts with content online such as white papers, Webcasts, podcasts, and tools. Based on IDG research the value is matched to what similar IT buyers prefer for content. The data on each prospect is then prioritized and can be moved into a number of standard customer resource management systems for action by customers' sales representatives.

Avoid Random Acts of Content

IDG research shows there is a lack of useful information on the Web, according to a recent survey of IT buyers, who report that they found relevant content only 42 percent of the time. It is a failing grade that can be significantly improved with a content audit where a range of marketing materials are reviewed by IDG experts (documents, audio, video, etc.) to determine where they fit in the purchase process. The IDG Market Fusion audit can analyze more than 20 marketing asset attributes such as content format, content type, and target audience and then apply measurements to truly reflect the prospect's engagement with an asset and determine his intent to purchase. Both technologists and business professionals, who are members of most buying teams, said they favor certain information at different times as they move from general education to business case development to implementation scenarios, shortlist, and final decision. This information mix includes vendor content such as documentation, white papers, and frequently asked questions with articles, case studies, reviews, and peer commentary in various formats such as documents, audio, and video. The audit maps the content to the preferences and identifies any gaps. "According to buying team members a lack of appropriate content can reduce the chance of closing a sale by up to 45 percent," said Bob Johnson, vice president, Content Optimization at IDG Connect, who conducted the online research involving approximately 400 participants.

Brands, Databases, and IDG Market Fusion Services

For several decades, technology buyers have relied on IDG media brands and events to learn from their peers and gather information to make informed decisions. Their trust in Computerworld, CIO, InfoWorld, Network World, PC World, Macworld, CSO, Linux World/OpenSource World, and Macworld Conference and Expo is the foundation on which sellers interact with prospects. With information on several million readers and event attendees, the media brands and IDG Connect (www.idgconnect.com) match buyer interests with appropriate products and services via e-mail marketing and Web-based campaigns. The information consumption by individuals over time is monitored, scored, and reported back to the technology vendor that is able to immediately identify the best prospects. The five-step IDG Market Fusion service includes:

Understand vendor content.

Know the relationships between assets.

Present content in a logical progression and priority as defined by buyers.

See when and how prospects engage.

Score individual opportunities based on engagement details and target profile attributes specified by the marketer.

"With IDG Market Fusion services we're taking a lot of the guesswork out of lead generation and nurturing to provide marketers with engagement details that they need to justify marketing programs and satisfy sales colleagues," said Matthew Yorke, senior vice president, Sales and Marketing, IDG Communications, based in Framingham. "Our services match the measurability of Web traffic with behavioral profiles that are much more useful than simply using traditional demographic data."