A behind-the-scenes look at life at Origin, our team’s favourite campaigns, what our clients are getting up to and a round-up of the marketing trends you need to know about.
75% of B2B sales will be done through some type of channel - and there’s a no quick fix or autopilot button for this. You’ll need to work closely with your channel partners to make sure they’re on the same page when it comes to implementing and deploying strategies. This is where ABM comes in and can really strengthen your channel partner sales.
Read moreAlign your sales and marketing. Ditch the old school way of thinking and let your teams work together. Align their roles and goals so ROI becomes the key focus and responsibility for your whole business, and not on individual teams.
Read moreNobody likes cold calling – it’s intrusive and the statistics show it’s ineffective. Using tools to perform social listening on topics relevant to your industry allows your sales team to identify new leads that are already talking about your business, competitors, or your industry, so you can reach out to them in an appropriate way.
Read moreWe've all experienced the online customer journey. Be it as online business owners, head of ecommerce, UX/UI developers or as a consumer, we;ve all had that experience. As a consumer, you came, you saw, you purchased. As an online business owners, head of ecommerce, UX/UI developers you see prospects and customers come to your site, and look around, and purchase—or you watched them exit your site, leaving you with burning questions, like...
Read moreSocial selling on LinkedIn refers to using LinkedIn to find, connect, and build relationships with leads and prospects in hopes of driving sales. You might connect with a prospect today, schedule a video call for the next Tuesday, give them a demo that Friday, and close by the following weekend. But you won’t get those results without a solid LinkedIn social selling strategy.
Read moreWhen it comes to your content, if done right, it can lead to the development of material which attracts your target audience and inspires them to take action. Does it mean that people will read your content and instantly turn into a hot lead or sale? No. The goal of your content is to educate and inspire them to trust you, to reinforce your reputation and establish yourself as a thought leader. All of these allow you to build relationships that are nurtured towards your sales and growth.
Read moreOnly 0.75% of leads generated become closed revenue (Forrester) No, I haven’t made this up, and as a marketer myself it’s a scary stat, isn’t it? It implies that the other 99.25% of what I do might be worthless, obsolete, a waste of time – well, is it? Surely not, what about all the time spent drawing in inbound traffic? What about all the CTA clicks? What about all the conversions from visitor to lead? What about all the eBook downloads? These metrics must count, if not, I best get my jacket.
Read moreThe role of the salesperson has changed, and successful sales- people should not consider themselves as hunters but more like gardeners, because it’s all about nurturing, being patient and thinking about the long term. Big sales and high value orders take time, especially in the B2B world, in which it could take 12 to 18 months. It’s about growing relationships and having a number of opportunities built over time.
Read more‘Cut through the noise’ means to communicate in a way that garners attention. The ‘noise’ in this phrase refers to all the promotions and advertising in today’s marketplace, as defined by Quora. Cutting through the noise will allow you to attract the right people to your brand, business, profile and website. Remember: it’s not a ‘spray and pray’ mentality. Yes, you want to cut through the noise, but you want to cut through the noise and attract the right people.
Read moreThe way we communicate, interact, buy, sell, and live has been affected massively, and digital is paving a new way forward. With so many of us now online, this presents us with a fantastic opportunity. We can get to know our audience, our customers and prospects on a human-to-human level. This brings me to what I really want to help address. How having the right mindset for LinkedIn right now and moving forward can be the best thing for you and your business.
Read moreWhen it comes to B2B marketing, nothing can compare to the ROI you can expect from a marketing campaign informed by an ABM strategy, according to a recent ITSMA Survey. If you think that ABM was restricted to elite enterprise level businesses, you would be amongst many who do; but you would still be wrong.
Read moreI have to say, “What’s the ROI of social selling?” is a common question I’ve come across, and it’s now 2021. Why? Well, people are still sceptical about its value due to the effort you have to put it. Now, we all know that before digital and the IOT what remains true is that relationships build sales. You get to know your prospects and their needs, and you build trust. Then, when the time is right and prospects are ready to buy, they’ll think of you first. That’s how it worked in back then, and that’s still how it works today. This is why the very best sales professionals take advantage of every opportunity social selling has to offer. Social selling is not about selling, but about engaging the digitally-active modern buyer in order to start a sales conversation. It’s the way sales has always been, the only difference is that we do it online now.
Read moreRight now, with everything going on, there’s huge pressure and concern over revenue, and naturally with this comes concerns over jobs and longevity. Sales numbers and KPIs are on the minds of many, if not all businesses right now. It’s important to remember you are not alone. The negative effects of this outbreak have affected us all. But you need to push on, stay resilient and not neglect your sales and marketing efforts, if anything you should be ramping up your efforts.
Read moreLast year was testing for everyone on professional and personal levels. As we continue to move forward, we are some way off from ‘normality’ - but we have done an amazing job of being agile and adapting to new ways of working and communicating. This, however, has naturally brought a number of questions to the table… When will in-person meetings come back? Will events ever come back? Are we going to stay virtual forever? In due time, I’m confident we will get back to ‘normal’, but I do believe that the acceleration of digital and the habits we’ve picked up are here to stay - which is not a bad thing. But as this blog is titled: What should sales expect in 2021? Well, I believe you should expect and prepare for the following…
Read moreIt’s no surprise to say that 2020 has brought with it a lot of change. Over the year, the global pandemic has led the business world, education and health sectors, as well as general daily life, in directions we could have never thought possible. The situation has led businesses into an accelerated form of digital transformation, adopting digital-first strategies at breakneck speed in order to adapt to the newly digital world. Who would have thought at the start of 2020 that Zoom and Teams calls would become a thing of the norm?
Read moreAmazon had just launched as an online bookseller, and many people weren’t convinced it would last. But Jeff had other ideas, and wrote to shareholders explaining Amazon’s philosophy which has stood the test of time since 1997, as now Amazon’s stock share price has risen from $5 per share to around $1,800 per share.
Read morePersonal branding refers to the practice of people marketing themselves and their careers as brands. It’s the building of your personality in an online format. According to “Brand Yourself”, a personal brand should reflect your actual personality and should not be an idealised version of who you are.
Read moreAs more events and meetings continue to be cancelled, and our social lives become impacted, it’s time for businesses to adapt and change to move into a “new normal.” COVID-19 has swept across the globe, leaving uncertain times ahead for both individuals and businesses. And, with many of us taking on remote working, and following advice from healthcare and government professionals to limit our social interactions, it’s time for organisations to adopt their approach to suit the needs of their employees and customers.
Read moreSales professionals should be writing if they want to close a deal, and if you can’t write, get the support of a marketing professional but give them your insight. Conduct a brainstorming session, record sound bites, keep a journal, and capture your insight and transfer it to words.
Read moreSocial selling is all about using social media platforms to build trust, but nobody will listen to a brand that blows its own trumpet. This is where brand advocacy comes in.
Read moreHarriet Edwards, joins our graduate scheme as part of the Blurbs Advocacy team.
Read moreWhen tragedy strikes and a trauma shakes our world we have no idea how we are going to react, how we will cope, how we will prevail.
Read moreWe are extremely excited to have a new senior member of staff join the team this month.
Read moreWe helped deliver a great webinar yesterday for our Client Loqate, a GBG solution and their partner Rapyd in the U.S.
Read moreWe’ve been working with Silver Cross since 2008 and in that time have seen their online sales blossom. Their recent quarter’s sales have tripled, and the new site is performing magnificently, converting lots more visitors into sales, through the new and improved customer and experience.
Read moreWesleyan Assurance, based in Birmingham, appointed Origin in 2008 to create a new and improved website that enhanced online customer experiences and has been a loyal client ever since.
Read moreWe live in the age of search engines and modern browsers that implement built-in search bars. Search engines, like Google or Bing, allow us to quickly find answers to any question we have. Do you really need an internal search box on your site, when people already have Google?
Read moreUncertain times call for businesses to focus on building clear and transparent communications, both internally and externally – and it’s no exaggeration to say that right now, it seems the whole world is on social media.
Read moreEveryone loves badges and we are no exception. We received our new and sparkly Cludo Certified Partner Badge today, and we're rightly chuffed! Very proud to represent Cludo in the UK and integrate their fabulous AI based on-site search into our digital customer and visitor experiences.
Read moreWesleyan Assurance, based in Birmingham, appointed Origin in 2008 to create a new and improved website that enhanced online customer experiences and has been a loyal client ever since.
Read moreSilver Cross, a nursey specialist based in North Yorkshire, appointed Origin this year to create a new and improved website that enhanced online customer experiences.
Read moreLinkedIn is the most valuable tool in a sales rep’s arsenal to find, connect, and build relationships with leads and prospects in hopes of driving sales, as research shows 80% of B2B leads come from LinkedIn (Foundation Inc).
Read moreToday’s consumers live in a digital world and can independently research products and services. They also expect brands and businesses to tailor their messages based on customers' individual needs and preferences.
Read moreHaving a social media presence is, without question, essential. Social selling goes a step further to help validate your brand or position as a thought leader in your industry and establish genuine relationships.
Read moreEmployee advocacy, like brand advocacy, is another way to promote your business without singing your own praises.
Read moreIt’s commonly thought that the more followers an influencer has, the better. But this isn’t always the case, as a small influencer or nano-influencer can have a more significant impact on their audience.
Read moreHave you jumped on the TikTok bandwagon? If you haven’t, or don’t even know what it is, TikTok is a video-sharing app that allows users to create short comedy and lip-sync videos. The concept of the app is similar to Vine, but it has additional features such as allowing users to overlay music, which I think makes it more accessible.
Read moreMaintaining social media channels is a key part of your marketing strategy because it shows you’re up to speed and helps to increase brand awareness and loyalty.
Read moreHaving a social media presence as a business is no longer good enough. You also need to actively engage on channels and have a content strategy in place to build trust and make your offering attractive.
Read moreThere has been a buzz around social media developments this year, with Facebook emphasising its customisable privacy settings, Twitter updating to support iOS 13 Dark Mode, and Instagram removing its infamous following tab.
Read morePeople are increasingly using social media as a platform to research products and engage with brands more interactively, so it’s a no brainer for brands to use social media to sell.
Read moreThe distinction between the two marketing methods comes from the evolution of marketing over the past decades. The customer is now in control and has access to independent information about products and offerings.
Read moreIn marketing, it’s important to communicate the right message, to the right audience, on the right channel at the right time. And to ensure you get it right, you should conduct and use research in your marketing activity.
Read moreMarketing automation essentially makes the sales and marketing process easier. Salesforce defines marketing automation as the process of utilising technology to streamline marketing efforts and make them more effective.
Read moreDirect mail doesn’t work anymore. This is a phrase you might have heard a few times most recently, and in some cases it is true.
Read moreInbound marketing is a business methodology that attracts customers by creating valuable content and experiences tailored to them (Hubspot).
Read moreIn many businesses, marketing and sales teams work separately and this makes sense in one way as they have different roles. But, this isn’t a sustainable way of generating sales due to the quality of leads.
Read moreThere are many different types of content that can be used as part of an inbound marketing strategy, but which have the greatest impact?
Read moreThe Origin team is climbing Mount Snowdon on the 19th October to help raise money for St Peter’s Hospice. When we began working with the charity, its dedication to caring for adults with life-limiting illnesses free of charge inspired us to take on the challenge.
Read moreUser Experience (UX) is the overall experience that people have whilst navigating a website, mobile app or a digital product, and is critical to its success. Providing a product to audiences isn’t enough, and it needs to be centred around users and tailored to their needs.
Read moreAn Application Programming Interface (API) is a set of functions and procedures that allows the creation of applications that access the features or data of an operating system, application, or another service. They allow for an application to withdraw information from a segment of software and use that information for data analysis.
Read moreHigh quality sales leads are the backbone of any thriving tech business, however, there are many definitions of what a “quality” lead is.
Read moreA minimum viable product (MVP) is a concept which was publicised in Eric Ries’ book Lean Startup and is defined as a product which allows a team to collect the maximum amount of validated learning from it as possible. And, it requires minimal effort from its users.
Read moreThe beauty of artificial intelligence (AI) is that we don’t think about it despite using AI technologies daily.
Read moreYou’ve written a piece of killer content, you’ve had the design assets created and now you’re ready to push it live. Mission accomplished. But, did you know that once you publish a blog post, case study or news item on your site it continues to “work” for your company?
Read morePresenting facts and statistics to your audience is a useful strategy to engage your audience, but storytelling creates unmatched authenticity and improves trust.
Read moreWith more than 500 million active users, which places it ahead of Twitter, Snapchat and Pinterest, Instagram is leading the way when it comes to social media channel engagement.
Read moreThe Sales and Marketing landscape has evolved as traditional marketing methods have given way to strategies such as Account Based Marketing (ABM).
Read moreNew technology trends are continually emerging and contributing to the collective noise around marketing and advertising. This makes reaching and engaging customers difficult for businesses.
Read moreOn October 19th the Origin team will be setting off to climb Snowdon to raise money for St Peter’s Hospice, a charity for adults with life-limiting illnesses.
Read moreHave you seen the headlines recently about one of the newest members to the Royal family? (And no, we’re not referring to baby Archie).
Read moreThis desktop feature will allow Instagram creators to post, measure, manage and monetise content across all pages and Instagram accounts, all in one place.
Read moreThere’s a wealth of software and tools available for businesses to simplify marketing, so much so that implementing too many tools begins to complicate processes. This is where a growth stack comes in.
Read moreThere are many definitions of what constitutes a quality lead to different businesses, but for us, any prospect that has shown interest in your offering and has a valid form of communication should be considered a good lead.
Read moreOver the years, marketing has shifted from a blanket approach to a targeted strategy, with the help of technological developments such as automation tools and CRMs.
Read moreMarketing has become increasingly competitive with the development of technology such as automation that enhances the process. And, many businesses have scrapped traditional marketing in favour of Account Based Marketing (ABM) to remain competitive.
Read moreThe media are not pulling any punches. The headlines are pretty much the same everywhere; “Jaguar Land Rover to slash 4,500 jobs as part of £2.5bn plan to reverse losses”. And it’s a shame really, as JLR is a UK brand (although owned by Tata) and we’re always behind anything homegrown.
Read moreAs we progress into the second half of 2019, we’ve seen many new developments and trends in digital marketing and advertising.
Read morePhoebe, a foundation degree Graphic Design, Multimedia and Illustration student, joined Origin as an intern in February 2019 to gain agency experience and learn transferrable marketing skills.
Read moreTechnology and marketing tools are constantly evolving, and to remain current and gain a competitive edge, it’s essential to keep up-to-date with the latest developments. And, this knowledge will help you discover new ways to grow your business, generate leads and enhance your relationships with your existing customer base.
Read moreThe beginning of May 2019 saw James and Sud take a trip to San Francisco to visit our clients at the US Loqate office. This was to get the ball rolling for our next big Account Based Marketing Campaign with Loqate, a GBG Solution.
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