Demand Generation In Today’s Marketing Process

1. Demand Generation In Today’s Marketing Process

2. Demand generation is like the energy drink powder from your childhood that has been re-packaged to you today with additional new nutrients. It seems to be the latest to join a series of old concepts which are being re-packaged into new styles, packed with newer concepts under it. Demand Generation as a concept has been a part of marketing for a long time now. But what have changed are the strategies to create demand.  At a very basic level, demand generation essentially means – generating demand for a product or a service or a business. It is also a targeted marketing process which aims to build a lasting connection of the brand with the consumers. It is about creating awareness and generating interest in the minds of the consumers, to bring new visits to your websites or visitors for your business to introduce them to your company.

3. It first begins with identifying consumers and audiences who are likely or willing to accept new ideas and suggestions about the brand message/marketing before directing potential customers through a funnel which focuses on various stages at a conversion process.  Demand generation includes a comprehensive marketing process that often involves entire marketing departments. How can demand generation help you? It helps you reach newer markets, promote new/different features of your product, can help you generate buzz, build public relations and engage your existing customers effectively.  The concept of demand generation is something that should be touched upon in all stages of conversion and a sale cycle process. This is because the idea is to think of demand generation as a long-term connection between the marketing and sales team of a brand and the potential customers.

4. In an increasingly digital world, marketers have to rely on technology and use it to engage buyers and with a relevant message. It is not enough that the message has to be relevant because as the buyer journeys have changed in the digital spaces, the messages also have to be personalized. So for today’s marketer, demand generation includes responding to customer questions on Twitter, promoting blog-posts through Facebook, making social media posts, creating podcasts & interviews, publishing case studies, hosting events and webinars, creating email marketing and e-book campaigns, sending out weekly newsletters and publishing SEO driven content. Demand generation is an important element in digital marketing. It is no longer simply sending email blasts, putting out banner ads or giving out multiple phone-calls via call-centres. Since we understand what demand generation includes, there are some crucial differences we must understand between it and lead generation. There are also differences between Demand and Inbound marketing.

5. Demand Vs Lead Generation Lead Generation falls under the larger umbrella of Demand Generation. While demand generation creates awareness and attracts new people towards your brand or business, lead generation works to qualify such people into what are called as ‘leads’ to prepare them for the next step of the marketing process. In terms of content, demand generation uses free content such as articles, blogs and videos etc to bring about awareness and new visitors. Whereas lead generation uses gated content (such as PDFs, whitepaper and checklist etc) which means to access the content further, a lead/visitor has to provide their contact details for an effective marketing strategy, both demand generation and lead generation have to be incorporated and used by marketers.

6. Demand Vs Inbound Marketing

7. Demand Vs Inbound Marketing Again, when it comes to differences between demand generation and inbound marketing, it must be said that inbound marketing is one type of activity under demand generation. While both include content driven strategies to pull customers towards a brand or business, inbound marketing focuses on quality content to do so. Under inbound marketing the content and its messaging should be aligned with customer interests, it becomes more likely to attract audiences or make connections with stake-holders and build your brand. After a while, a higher proportion of the inbound traffic will convert into paying customers.  Today an advertising agency or a digital marketing agency has to effectively use holistic, comprehensive strategies to include lead generation, demand generation and inbound marketing to build lasting relationships with customers on behalf of a brand or a business. 

8. Thank You  • Content Source: Water Communications • Image Sources: •  moveo • Emarkable.ie • cleverism.com • rakacreative • oneims