Understanding the different phases of a customer’s buying journey is crucial for marketing success, and first-party data is a powerful tool that can significantly enhance this process.

Three key stages, each with a unique purpose, happen as a customer engages with a brand. The awareness phase takes place when a customer first learns about a brand or product. During the consideration phase, a customer may start to research and evaluate the brand and its products to determine whether it meets their needs. Once a customer takes action, they enter the conversion phase, and may make a purchase, sign up for a newsletter, or download a case study or whitepaper.

For B2B companies, knowing who those customers are is equally as important as capturing their attention. Enter first-party data: this is the information collected directly from an audience – for Annex Business Media, this means data collected through website interaction, email newsletter subscribers and other touchpoints where customers engage with one of our 60+ B2B media brands. This type of data is owned and controlled by Annex, making it a valuable asset in shaping personalized digital marketing strategies, targeting precise and engaged audiences who are ready to learn more about your company.

The LeadDriver+ approach: a comprehensive strategy

First-party data enhances automated marketing campaigns like LeadDriver+, powered by Annex Business Media. With more than 70 campaigns to draw data from, the program proves that combining an engaging message with a highly targeted audience drives above-average engagement – while standalone eBlasts continue to perform well, eBlasts sent as part of an automated marketing campaign see an average of 39 per cent more clicks. LeadDriver+ delivers a client’s message to Annex-owned and operated first-party audiences, providing touchpoints at each phase of the customer buying journey. In addition, an omnichannel program amplifies this message, extending the target audience with 100,000 more impressions. Using a LeadDriver+ campaign from 2023 as a case study, the advertising partner saw a 93 per cent increase in total conversions (form fills), and a 60 per cent increase in total engagements, resulting in five closed sales with leads driven from this campaign.

The program includes:

• An exclusive first-party list, customized to your target audience
• A four-email drip campaign, complete with educational and informational assets with strong calls-to-action
• A modal pop-up on an Annex-owned brand site
• A Sponsored Spotlight position in an Annex-brand eNewsletter
• A personalized landing page, where all of your content lives as a hub of information for your audience
• 100,000 omnichannel impressions through programmatic advertising (open exchanges and networks) on the web, social media and through search engines
• Gated access to capture the most audience information
• A list of scored leads, showing who engaged with your brand and content

Incorporating first-party data into your marketing arsenal not only enhances targeting precision, but also empowers you to guide customers seamlessly through each stage of their buying journey. With the power of first-party data, LeadDriver+ uses marketing strategies and tactics to drive brand awareness, engagement, and conversion.

Please enter your name and email for more information about Lead Driver, powered by Annex Business Media, and how it can help you to INFORM, ENGAGE and ACQUIRE prequalified leads to give your Sales Team the easiest call they’ll ever make.

To learn more about Lead Driver, contact our CEO, Scott Jamieson.