By Alicia Fiorletta, Associate Editor

Executing campaigns across different verticals and segments is a growing challenge for most marketers, but it is especially difficult in the healthcare industry, where solution providers need to communicate with a range of unique audiences.

MedeAnalytics, a provider of performance management solutions for hospitals, physician practices and payers, was managing prospect information, email and campaign results manually by a small marketing team. The Emeryville, CA-based company sought out a solution to streamline database and campaign management, and track the efficiency of primary marketing tools.

By Alicia Fiorletta, Associate Editor

Executing campaigns across different verticals and segments is a growing challenge for most marketers, but it is especially difficult in the healthcare industry, where solution providers need to communicate with a range of unique audiences.

MedeAnalytics, a provider of performance management solutions for hospitals, physician practices and payers, was managing prospect information, email and campaign results manually by a small marketing team. The Emeryville, CA-based company sought out a solution to streamline database and campaign management, and track the efficiency of primary marketing tools.

By Joe Chernov, VP of Content Marketing, Eloqua

Social media and demand generation are becoming marketing’s equivalent of the Hatfields and McCoys. The feud runs hot, and ultimately comes down to fundamentally different worldviews. Social media practitioners tend to trust that great content and great experiences will, eventually, result in new buyers. demand gen professionals believe in one thing: data.

Believe me, I run social media for Eloqua, a company in the lead generation industry.

By Joe Chernov, VP of Content Marketing, Eloqua

Social media and demand generation are becoming marketing’s equivalent of the Hatfields and McCoys. The feud runs hot, and ultimately comes down to fundamentally different worldviews. Social media practitioners tend to trust that great content and great experiences will, eventually, result in new buyers. demand gen professionals believe in one thing: data.

Believe me, I run social media for Eloqua, a company in the lead generation industry.

With content marketing emerging as a key part of demand generation programs and strategy, marketers are challenged to develop a deeper understanding of how to effectively engage prospects and encourage content sharing.

Given the popularity of Farmville-type gaming, and the increasingly critical need to create more interactive BtoB brand experiences, “gamification” has become a hot topic of discussion to drive engagement and quality leads. During Custom Media Day, hosted by the Custom Content Council and Content Marketing Institute July 27 in New York City, the sessions focused on extending the life of your content collateral. Chris Sullivan, Regional VP of Sales at gaming platform provider Bunchball, shared key insights into how gamification is helping brands integrate game dynamics into their web sites, services, community, content or campaigns to drive participation.

With content marketing emerging as a key part of demand generation programs and strategy, marketers are challenged to develop a deeper understanding of how to effectively engage prospects and encourage content sharing.

Given the popularity of Farmville-type gaming, and the increasingly critical need to create more interactive BtoB brand experiences, “gamification” has become a hot topic of discussion to drive engagement and quality leads. During Custom Media Day, hosted by the Custom Content Council and Content Marketing Institute July 27 in New York City, the sessions focused on extending the life of your content collateral. Chris Sullivan, Regional VP of Sales at gaming platform provider Bunchball, shared key insights into how gamification is helping brands integrate game dynamics into their web sites, services, community, content or campaigns to drive participation.

Act-On Software has acquired the assets of Marketbright, including its customers, intellectual property, marketing materials and knowledge base. The company will pick up Marketbright’s free email platform IP, but has other plans for upcoming freemium offerings, according to Act-On CEO Raghu Raghavan.

Newly acquired customers will join Beaverton, OR-based Act-On’s existing 350-client roster, including brands like Siemens and Motorola.

Recent research has pointed to growth in the marketing automation category slowing from its break-neck pace of last year, but recent results from leading vendors support strong momentum for the category heading into the second half of the year.

Several vendors reported June was their strongest month ever in terms of adding new customers, and leading providers reached further milestones in their growth. 

With the web now driving the majority leads and prospect engagement, BtoB organizations are presented with a unique opportunity to rethink selling processes to match the new patterns of buyer research, behavior and decision-making. With that said, marketers must implement more creative ways to guide buyers through a structured process, built on the careful selection of topics and timing to nurture the need for self-directed discovery, rather than ineffective push techniques.

Presented by ClickZ and Online Marketing Connect, The Online Marketing Summit (OMS) Regional & International Conference Tour, July 12 in Jersey City, NJ, explored buyer 2.0 and the increasingly larger role of the web in the buying journey.

By James Rogers, VP of Marketing, Hoover’s

Uncovering new leads to add to the pipeline isn’t easy. Strategies that were once successful may no longer generate positive outcomes, signifying the need for a change in your approach. There are many tactics to help drum up qualified leads, but it’s important to remember that there is no “one-size-fits-all” model for success. If your marketing and/or sales teams are struggling to generate qualified leads, consider the following five tips to refresh your lead generation efforts: