It’s rare that a b-to-b company sees fewer email bouncebacks and higher conversion rates without implementing a new product and/or service provider. But that’s exactly what happened when Eloqua, a Vienna, Va.-based revenue performance management technology provider, decided to supplement its old marketing models with a newer, more original technique.
Eloqua, a marketing automation and demand generation services company, knows a thing or two about prospecting and nurturing leads. The company works with more than 700 companies worldwide, including Dow Jones, Rosetta Stone and The Miami Heat to enhance customer interactions to boost purchases.
Anna Glushkovsky, database marketing manager at Eloqua, says her company “always used ZoomInfo” for its lead contacts list to build upon the company’s existing 700-company client list. She preferred ZoomInfo to other list providers, she explains, because bounce-back rates with ZoomInfo were lower than others and its service team is quick to respond.
“As opposed to waiting seven business days, I can get a list together fast so we can roll it out,” says Glushkovsky. “I’m able to speak to a salesperson instead of a broker. I can speak to someone actually running the names for me.”
Despite her satisfaction with ZoomInfo, she wanted to change Eloqua’s typical database marketing model. Rather than contacting prospects based on industry or revenue, she decided she also wanted to target within the first few weeks of a prospect’s job change. As a result, Glushkovsky asked ZoomInfo for a list of records added to the database within the previous month.
“My speculation is that when a person gets added to a new database it’s probably because they’ve switched jobs,” she explains. “They’re likely open to new ideas, products and services. When you buy a new house you need furniture. Moving to a new job you need to prove yourself.”
ZoomInfo delivered roughly 200-300 names that fit her criteria within two days.
Eloqua sent welcome emails to the prospects provided by the ZoomInfo list. The emails consist of brief explanations of Eloqua’s capabilities and a video explaining the company’s mission. If a prospect responds to the welcome email, Eloqua will then nurture the prospect in a second email that more thoroughly explains the company’s lead nurturing and revenue performance management products.
Compared to previous initiatives, the new strategy produced a 220% lift in response rates and 30% fewer bouncebacks. Although Glushkovsky wouldn’t reveal how much cheaper this made her cost-per-lead, she did say her savings were “significant” and that she will continue to use this strategy moving forward.
