We don’t realize how good we have it in the digital era. The idea of today’s technology would of had even the wisest man shocked. After all, we live in the world of drones, virtual reality technology and self-driving cars.
Technology has truly made a difference to the way that we live our everyday lives. Including the way that businesses are run on a daily basis.
One of the big marketing elements that technology has influenced is lead generation. Which just so happens to be a pretty important part of running any business!
Through this article we plan to go through some of the biggest influencer technologies companies can use to improve their lead generation. Hopefully, by the end, you will have a few more ideas to capture the interest of new leads for your business.
“Some people call this artificial intelligence, but the reality is this technology will enhance us. So, instead of artificial intelligence I think it will augment our intelligence.” - Ginni Rometty.
Okay, so I know there has been a ton of controversy where artificial intelligence is concerned. Despite the fear that robots will take over the world, as of right now - there is no doubt about the impact that AI has had on lead generation for businesses.
There are implementations of artificial intelligence, where the algorithm contacts thousands of leads a day, while promoting natural conversation. The potential of this alone is enough to ensure 26-percent of all businesses are aligning themselves for AI implementations in the coming year.
Let’s take a quick trip in the time machine.
30-years ago, the only way to see the product that you wanted to buy was to walk into the brick and mortar store.
23-years ago, there was a huge leap! Ebay was founded in 1995 and the era of online marketing and shopping was created. Consumers could now see a 2D version of the product that they wanted to invest in.
Today, however not only can consumers see the product that they want right from the comfort of their couch. But thanks to augmented reality, businesses are able to show consumers exactly how their product solves problem in the consumers every day life.
It also helps customers visualize products in their home.
Thanks to this, 60-70% of all consumers see the benefits of AR, and admit it helps them see the value of a product in their home or daily life.
AI has more potential then simply finding ideal consumers to target on behalf of businesses. However, this simple procedure has helped businesses reduce the cost of lead generation by almost 60%.
Which is crazy in the business world.
But there is more to it then just that. There are other technologies that can also help businesses stay on top of their stock, streamline the pipeline and reduce operational cost. From inventory management software right down to organizational tools - the world is a businesses oyster.
This particular point will make B2B marketers breathe a sigh of relief. Back in the day, B2B marketers had to invest a large portion of their time in content creation, targeting and marketing. Nevermind social media marketing management.
But now there are content automation platforms such as buffer that can take over the majority of repetitive publishing tasks. Of course, thanks to AI being synchronized with these platforms - they are also able to help content marketers determine exactly what they need to focus on to attract ideal customers, and well… improve lead generation.
Finally, the same CRM platform can also be used as an organizational management tool to help keep your pipeline up to date. Keep your team members informed. Most importantly of all? Ensure you are developing new leads, and targeting new markets on a daily basis.
The Big Data market is expected to be mountainous by 2019, sitting with a value of $102 billion. The reason why this is considered so advantageous is due to the power it gives to businesses. It can be the tool for virtually anything. From increasing contact lists, to helping with personalisation.
But it’s practically impossible to digest just by scrolling through, Thankfully, there are already databases, organizational tools, and management softwares that marketers can use to decipher the big data, and filter it to see exactly what they need.