For B2B marketers wanting to improve their demand generation efforts, listen up. There’s a lot to consider in the recent controversy involving NBC’s Brian Williams. The 55-year-old poster boy for debonair journalism has come under fire after an episode of Nightly News where he said he fabricated an on-location Iraq War report.
This was later contradicted by people who were with him when the helicopter they boarded was forced to land after taking a “hit” from an RPG. Call it a deception of memory, but Williams’ obscure February 4 apology has directed public attention towards a string of other fabricated observations in his past reportage. One can only imagine the negative impact on Williams’ reputation.
Honesty is the best policy
By now, you want to know the significance of this issue to B2B lead generation and appointment setting.
First of all, in order to drive leads, you first consider the type of inbound strategies that generate demand. You can produce stories, testimonials, case studies, visual resources, webinars and videos in order to seize audience attention.
But ever since the social media revolution, buyers (especially in the B2B market) treat content beyond their face value.
“Organizations couldn’t hide things from us, and if they did they’d get caught out quickly,” says Bite director Jon Silk in a B2Bmarketing.net blog post, “The power shifted towards the consumer, who demanded more from their interaction with brands. They wanted to be entertained. They wanted free stuff. They wanted a relationship.”
What he means to say is that customers want pure authenticity, and simply lying to their face just won’t cut it. Honesty and integrity, now, these are the virtues that produce real results and a strong brand image.
Trust and knowledge: A perfect combo
Silk outlines two other essentials: trust and knowledge-sharing. Focusing on both in your demand generation opens up a whole world of possibilities within the buying cycle. B2B buyers can gain a definite view of the value your products can achieve for them. They are able to provide you with the intelligence you need in developing better email and social media strategies that further enhance interest.
But again, honesty goes a long way. And if you don’t want to end up in a similar situation as Brian Williams, then make your communications authentic and reliable.
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And if you want authentic and reliable B2B lead generation services, look for a multi-channel B2B marketing company with a debonair attitude towards driving demands and leads.
