Firestarter: Spring 2018 Edition Recap

Let’s keep this fire roaring, shall we? Firestarter: Spring 2018 Edition was held last night at Bonfire HQ. Marketers from all over the greater Portland area gathered to network, eat, drink, and—most importantly—learn how proof-based marketing leads to success. During the panel session, three Bonfire account managers offered a glimpse into the challenges facing three clients, the strategies that went into crafting unique marketing campaigns, and the results that followed. Here are a few quick takeaways. 

Smart UX wins

Koru, a Seattle-based tech company specializing in predictive hiring software, had a goal of reaching 536 marketing-qualified leads (MQLs) in Q1. But a lack of low-barrier, awareness-stage content was keeping them from reaching that aggressive goal. Bonfire worked with Koru to create a low-stakes lead gen asset in the form of a single-question quiz to wake a dormant database and usher in MQLs.

After distributing the asset through a targeted three-email campaign and testing how emotional messaging affects open rates, the floodgates were opened. Just two months into the campaign, Koru hit 103% of their quarterly lead goal, proving that interactive, low-friction content is a win.

Personalized content = higher engagement

Nuance Communications, a leader in speech recognition and IVR technology, was behind their revenue targets and needed to gain some traction with their strategic accounts. Bonfire worked with them to identify immediate sales opportunities and boost the pipeline. The M.O. was to leverage existing data to create and deliver personalized, engaging digital ads to reinforce Nuance’s primary message and to build awareness.

Those ads not only helped Nuance gain visibility and keep their message top-of-mind; the personalized nature of the campaign helped garner over 300 clicks to landing pages and boosted marketing’s credibility with sales. Proof won the day, as marketing and sales were able to align their efforts to move forward with additional ABM campaigns.

Tell a story, win fans for life

If you needed any more proof that quality content is key to success, you need only look to Northwest Self Storage (NWSS). Already a well-established self-storage company in the Pacific Northwest, NWSS sought ways to differentiate themselves from the competition. Brand awareness was the name of the game. A paid SEM campaign, engaging blog content, and lots of A/B testing were just the beginning.

And the numbers speak for themselves. SEM conversions increased nearly 115%, while cost-per-lead decreased 46%. Social conversions increased 941%, while website sessions and unique visitors continues to grow.

If you attended Firestarter, we invite you to take a few minutes and let us know what you thought of the event and what you’d like to see from future panels. If you weren’t able to attend this valuable session, you’ll have another chance in June.

Every quarter, we’ll share new insights we’ve gained and offer fuel for your marketing fire. Keep an eye on your inbox and our social channels for future invites and save the date now; the next Firestarter will happen in June. Until then, keep fanning those flames!