What’s the Difference Between CRM and Marketing Automation in B2B Demand Generation? (DG)

I tackled this important topic last Wednesday in a new post on the Silverpop Demand Generation (DG) blog – a post that also was highlighted on the Savvy B2B Marketing blog in their weekly roundup.

Source: iStockphoto

I’ve noticed a resurgence of this question in recent months — or at least I personally find I’m getting asked this question more than ever by B2B marketers.  I think the trend is linked to a new generation of B2B marketers that are adopting marketing automation and that are trying to wrap their heads around the demand generation technology ecosystem.

“CRM and marketing automation have purposes and capabilities that are related and complementary but very different, and these differences are salient to what we’re trying to accomplish with B2B demand generation,” I note in the post.  “The two are integral.  You need both, but you need to understand what each one does for you, and what it doesn’t do.”

So clearly it’s great timing both to be talking about the two types of platforms and for a blog post that digs into the details, comparing them.

The DG post breaks down the two platforms at three levels:

• A first take: What are some top level similarities and differences, and where do these platforms sit in the larger marketing technology ecosystem?  This section includes a great contributed chart from David Raab.
• An analysis of the goals of each platform: What is the intended strategic purpose of each platform?
• A deep dive into features and capabilities: What are the specific things each platform does and doesn’t do?  This section includes some great contributed charts from Malcolm Friedberg with Left Brain Marketing and Jep Castelein, a.k.a. “The Lead Sloth.”

I think the most interesting aspect of the dialogue in this post is around the strategic role of marketing automation – a topic I also covered in a past post on MarketingProfs Daily Fix blog.  I note in the DG post:

Marketing automation — at it’s most fundamental level — was developed to help marketers better target and execute one-to-one communication with key prospects within the context of demand generation efforts, simultaneously orchestrating and tracking marketing resources against this activity.  CRM consolidates a great deal of information about prospects and customers; however, it provides virtually no framework or tools for true nurturing of earlier-stage prospects, and it definitely is not a communication platform.  Marketing automation leverages CRM and addresses these gaps, but it then presents new capabilities for B2B marketers that enable them to take their demand generation programs to the next level.

I think of marketing automation as the technology infrastructure you need to power buyer-centric demand generation.  It is a critical element in scaling and managing a pattern of dynamic campaigning that is buyer led and that engages buyers on a ‘mass one-to-one’ basis.

Honestly, this is a worthwhile post to check out – with great insights from a number of industry luminaries – so I won’t steal any more of its thunder here.

Click here to read the full DG post.

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Closing the Technology Innovation Vs. People/Process Stagnation Gap in Modern B2B Demand Generation (DG)

On Friday I published a new post to the Silverpop Demand Generation (DG) blog — one that responded to the comment thread on Jep Castelein’s Lead Sloth post, “Will Marketing Automation Be Free?”  My DG post placed this dialogue in the context of what I believe really are the major challenges facing B2B demand generation today.  I also linked this back to the very-timely four-part series on the ‘real state’ of demand generation I published on this blog this past week.

The DG post argues that much of the discussion around ‘freemium models’ in the marketing automation space right now is potentially focusing on the wrong challenge:

What struck me about this ‘freemium model’ dialogue is that it is semantically interesting, but fundamentally focused in the wrong place.  As important as your choice of marketing automation technology provider is — and it is important — I’d argue that the stumbling block for most B2B marketers attempting to take their demand generation to the next level is not access to the technology, itself.  So giving it away for free doesn’t necessarily improve adoption rates.

The major obstacle today for the next generation of B2B demand generation is actually the ‘people and processes’ that must be in place to successfully leverage marketing automation technology.  And this is a point backed up by stacks of recent research reports and commentaries by some of the best and brightest in B2B marketing today.

The focus of my post then shifts to what we can do about this, and I argue (from the perspective of my role at Silverpop), that it is critical for marketing automation technology vendors to play a catalytic role in improving the state of ‘people and processes’ among B2B marketers.  “We have to pay it forward,” I noted.  We are still in single-digit-percentage adoption of marketing automation, and we’re past selling to early adopters.  The future growth of the marketing automation space, thus, is going to be closely linked to evolution of skills and approaches among mainstream B2B marketers.

The post highlights the B2B marketing programs and education Silverpop has contributed to the marketplace during my current tenure at Silverpop.  It provides updates on the Fall 2011 B2B Marketing University (B2BMU) series, as well as links to all of Silverpop’s blog content on demand generation since launching the B2BMU series.  So it’s a good combination of commentary, data and also resources for closing the gap.

Click here to read the full DG post.

And in case you missed any of my series, “The Unspoken ‘Real State’ of Modern B2B Demand Generation,” here are links to all four parts:

• Part 1:  Introduction
• Part 2:  Technology, Alone, Is Not Enough
• Part 3:  Disconnect Between Tactics and Revenue
• Part 4:  Our Lack of Buyer Focus

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Top B2B Marketing 2.0 Luminaries to Follow in 2010

The New Year’s period is always chocked-full with ‘top ten’ lists and countdowns, and unfortunately, too many blog posts and articles that come out in this period are pretty much news/information you can’t really do anything with.  Inward reflection, but not actionable; sentimental, but not really something you can leverage moving forward.

I’ve been thinking for the last few weeks that for the New Year I wanted to do a post that is action-oriented and that will help you be a better B2B marketer in 2010. 

I also believe strongly in being a catalyst for sharing ideas — which is why I started this blog — and so I thought one of the most-actionable posts I could do would be to point you to resources where you can learn from the best and brightest in the B2B marketing community throughout 2010.  The gift that keeps on giving …

    

What are my criteria for the luminaries I’ve included in this list?

I didn’t start out with a formal set of criteria, but here’s what’s emerged:

• First, these are all people that prolifically share their insights — cross-medium.  They Tweet, they blog, they speak, they write books, they consult, etc.  And they are generous in this regard.
• Second, their expertise centers around new strategy, innovation and technology for marketing — particularly B2B marketing — and they are truly advancing the body of Marketing 2.0 knowledge … advancements that will help us cure the ad-centric, interruptive, paternalistic Mad Men hangover that has plagued marketing for decades.
• Third, these are people whose insights I actually follow.  There is no one on this list whose insight I would not personally recommend and whose own books, blogs posts, Tweets, etc. I do not personally read.
• Fourth, and in all honesty, all of these folks — except for one — are on Twitter.  Because if you’re not, and you have any insight into Marketing 2.0 … well, get with it!
• Fifth, I did not look at anyone else’s ‘top influencer’ list in putting my own list together, nor have I feigned reverence to others’ ideas of who is a thought leader … and who is not.

Disclaimer 1: This list may or may not be exhaustive, and it may or may not include people you think should be included on this list.  So don’t be offended if I’ve left someone off.  I probably have, and so I’ll endeavor to add additional people in the comments area below.  And you should too!

    

Who made the list? 

So who has new and innovative insights for ‘propelling’ B2B brands going into 2010?

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