Firestarter: Summer 2018 Edition Recap

The summer heat is on, so let’s fuel it with some marketing hotness. Last night, Portland marketers ate, drank, and mingled merrily at Bonfire HQ to watch Bonfire executives and account managers deliver presentations on how data-driven tactical campaigns overcome marketing challenges.

The right content, the right results

To position themselves as an industry thought leader, local tech company Viewpoint Construction Software performed in-depth research on keywords and personas to help determine what construction pros search for on Google.

Thanks to that research, they were able to increase post frequency and consistency on their blog with content covering trending industry topics—the right content. This strategy grew blog sessions over 100 percent year over year, making Viewpoint more of an authority in industry conversations.

But increasing visibility to the brand was also necessary to stay top of mind with prospects and customers. By overhauling and optimizing Viewpoint’s SEM environment, the software company was able to reach many more construction professionals, achieving a 4.9 percent click-through rate that converted nearly 6,400 prospects into leads.

The takeaway: Quality content is created when you know what your audience is searching for. Combine that with an improved blog UX and targeted ads, and you have a scalable lead generator.

The quiz conversion answer

NWEA is a research-based nonprofit that’s goal is to help all kids learn. To do that, they assess current standardized tests in schools. They wanted to make their marketing more effective to help reach more educators and decision-makers in school districts. So, they used a highly targeted nurture program to drive engagement with a quiz that evaluated current assessment systems.

By developing three profiles of people who’d receive the quiz and targeting them via three nurture tracks, NWEA offered prospects a valuable asset to help drive 355 conversions at a 25 percent conversion rate, all while learning valuable A/B testing information along the way to improve future results.

The takeaway: A/B testing revealed that (for these target audiences) splitting up the lead gen form and asking for email upfront and other personal info at the end of the asset didn’t come across as too intrusive. But that was revealed because of rigorous testing, so be sure to put your content through its paces.

Nurture + personalization = results

Yahoo Small Business focuses on helping entrepreneurs and small businesses meet goals and increase their revenue through a number of online offerings. Communication of these valuable offerings was key, and establishing regular communication to build a relationship was essential.

To help improve sales of their platform, Yahoo created a comprehensive and compelling nurture campaign to touch base with customers and prospects more frequently—providing resources, marketing tips, and more. By personalizing messaging, segmenting audiences, and optimizing CTAs, Yahoo drove a 157 percent increase in orders. And those numbers are prior to any A/B testing!

The takeaway: Convention says that one solid CTA is all an email needs. But when your audience is itching for information that will help them grow, test using more. Yahoo’s emails benefited from 3–5 CTAs in each email.

Thanks to all those that attended the summer Firestarter! The next session is on October 11, so mark your calendars and get ready for more helpful insights and tactics. If you think we can help you with any of your content or strategy needs, don’t hesitate to reach out.