The Funnel of Uncertainty

As a hurricane barrels up the Eastern seaboard, my local TV weather lady keeps blabbing about the "Funnel of Uncertainty" between Florida and New Jersey, as she gestures at the cartoon conoid on her screen.

Management theorists talk about the "Tunnel of Uncertainty," the corridor on the road to results where "project dampeners" resist "project amplifiers" at every step.

And software developers talk about the "Cone of Uncertainty," the passage of time from when every cost-estimate is a sheer, wild-ass guess to when costs are nailed tighter than a drum.

But I'd never heard anyone talk about the "Funnel of Uncertainty," until my weather lady brought it up.

It's an apt phrase to describe the hell hole prospective customers tumble into, once they surrender their email addresses to marketers.

"Funnel" because that's where marketers shove you as you begin—wittingly or not—your "buyer's journey."

"Uncertainty" because you never know what treatment you might receive along the way. 

In most cases, first you get an email from someone named Kyle, who insists you need a demo. Then you get an email with a link to some goofy infographic. Then, another with a link to an inscrutable slide show. Then, another containing a newsletter you wouldn't read under penalty of death. And then another email with a threat to remove you from the list, should you fail to respond.

There's nothing wrong with funnels; there's nothing wrong with uncertainty.

There's something very wrong with most marketers' graceless treatment of prospects.

Entertaining and educating prospects in the funnel is the corrective to the "buy now or go away forever" vibes you're sending.

Try them out.

Outside the Lines

Companies aren’t looking to sponsor events, they’re looking for marketing opportunities.

Ed Lord

Event producers are lousy, on the whole, at designing 21st century sponsorships, and at helping sponsors activate them.

Far too often, they pitch sponsorships as if they were seeking the charitable funds necessary to defray operating costs. And just as often they vamoose after the sale, leaving sponsors feeling like castaways.

But sponsors don't want to be funders; they want to be thought leaders. And sponsors don't want to blend into the wallpaper; they want to be integral to the attendee experience.

The good news: one in two event producers wants to improve, according to research by GES. "They're willing to take a look at new opportunities that allow sponsors to customize the relationships they have with eventers—resulting in a win-win-win connection," says EVP David Saef.

Event producers who are delivering win-win-win connections are coloring outside the lines—some outside their industries; others, outside their venues.

Live Nation, for example, wrapped a sponsorship with Hertz around attendee hospitality and privilege.

Live Nation partnered with Hertz to enable concertgoers to rent cars when they bought concert tickets on line. Live Nation then cordoned off the parking spots in front of each concert venue—the best ones of all—for exclusive use by Hertz rental customers. The company also allowed the customers to go backstage to meet the performers.

Wound Ostemy and Continence Nurses Society created a 21st century sponsorship for device manufacturer ConvaTec by leveraging event content.

The society partnered with ConvaTec to livestream its annual conference to nurses unable to attend the face-to-face event. An average of 150 nurses attended each livestreamed conference session, generating brand awareness and leads for ConvaTec outside the venue.

Results are In: Fast-growth B2B Companies Blog

A new study by Mattermark of the 50 fastest growing B2B companies in the country finds 80% blog.

According to The State of Sales & Marketing at the 50 Fastest-Growing B2B Companies in the US, "content has become the cornerstone" of fast-growth companies' marketing—and blogs have become the cornerstone of content.

"Blogging drives top-of-the-funnel traffic to a company’s website," the report says. "From there, calls to action encourage visitors to download content (e.g., ebooks, white papers, and templates) so they can learn more about a particular topic.

"This process can be repeated and scaled by marketing teams to include a wide variety of tactics at every stage of the funnel, but the end goal is always the same: to add value and build relationships that drive revenue for your business."

Does your company blog?

If not, what on earth are you waiting for?

Can Customers Find You?

"Blogging is my front door," says marketing maestro David Meerman Scott.

Replete with posts as much as 12 years old, Scott's blog is the power magnet that attracts him new business.

"I'm always surprised at how effectively this tool helps me accomplish my goals," he says.

"There are many posts I wrote a decade ago, back when George W. Bush was President, that are still indexed highly by the search engines and are still driving people who do not know me into my content."

A new study by Mattermark of the 50 fastest growing B2B companies in the country shows 80% of them blog.

If you're among the B2B marketers who don't, please, check your excuses at the door.

Due to Lack of Interest, the Future Has Been Canceled

Almost a score of years before the Allies were deadlocked on the western front, a Polish banker foresaw with uncanny accuracy the coming of trench fighting. But the war offices and the general staffs paid no attention to his predictions. As always, they were preparing for the last war.

The Washington Post, November 1936

Are there grim signposts among all the green shoots?

Just days before its doors were to open, Future of Events, a first-time trade show slated for late August in Amsterdam, was canceled due to lack of interest. The organizer has filed for bankruptcy.

Grim predictions of irrelevancy surround the producers of large trade shows, but most—like the war offices and general staffs—pay no heed. They're too busy preparing for the last war.

The new war is being waged to win over GenXers and Millennials.

Boomers' tactics won’t work.