{"id":18049,"date":"2022-03-02T13:02:09","date_gmt":"2022-03-02T13:02:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2022\/03\/02\/activate-the-dark-funnel-and-unlock-fresh-leads-in-this-new-channel\/"},"modified":"2022-03-02T13:02:09","modified_gmt":"2022-03-02T13:02:09","slug":"activate-the-dark-funnel-and-unlock-fresh-leads-in-this-new-channel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2022\/03\/02\/activate-the-dark-funnel-and-unlock-fresh-leads-in-this-new-channel\/","title":{"rendered":"Activate the \u2018Dark Funnel\u2019 and unlock fresh leads in this new channel"},"content":{"rendered":"

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What would it feel like if you could chat with your prospects here and now from this article \u2013 or better yet, a third-party article on your product or service? No sitting around waiting for intent signals. No banner ads with pesky redirects.<\/p>\n

Well, it\u2019s here \u2013 and not only is it the future of selling in saas, but sales teams are using it today to engage with prospects in the earliest stages of the dark funnel.<\/p>\n

The dark funnel explained:<\/strong> Did you know 75% of buyers are already halfway through their buying journey before they even speak to a salesperson? At that point, they\u2019ve already completed their pre-purchase process \u2013 checked reviews, browsed comparison sites, and perused articles on third-party sites \u2013 before even reaching your site. In other words, all of these activities have occurred anonymously in what marketers have coined the \u201cDark Funnel.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

In fact, you can experience what it\u2019s like to engage in the dark funnel simply by clicking the widget below.<\/p>\n

Okay\u2026 but what is the dark funnel exactly?\u00a0<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s the touchpoints a buyer experiences before they are tagged and identified in any marketing stack \u2013 whether through self-identification, or traditional methods like downloading a whitepaper, form fills or cookies.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The problem lies in that the digitization of the sales environment has marketers falsely believing that they can accurately track a customer\u2019s journey. The reality? Much of the customer journey happens offline and when activities occur online, they rarely follow a linear path. Instead, the modern consumer meanders along a path that bends and twists, leaving sales teams\/marketers \u201cin the dark\u201d on intent.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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So, why isn\u2019t intent data enough?<\/h2>\n

Intent data isn\u2019t a lead, nor are most intent signals actionable for sales\/marketing teams. Often, intent data comes in at the account level and not the contact level, making it challenging to action. In other words, intent data lets you know that someone at a particular company is possibly interested but isn\u2019t detailed enough to identify who to reach out to.\u00a0<\/p>\n

On the flip side, if a salesperson can discover who the contact is, they can reach out quickly. In a world where speed to lead is everything, intent decays almost instantly. The chance of the user biting on an email cadence, picking up calls, or clicking on retargeting ads diminishes every minute that a salesperson is not in contact. \u200b\u200b\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Most marketers believe a form fill on a website indicates the highest moment of intent. This does not<\/strong> appear to be true with recent research.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A study on 2000 B2B companies found that on average: it takes a sales rep 42 hours to contact a new lead, of which 38% will never respond. Additionally, 4.3 days go by before the first meeting ever takes place. In the simplest terms, timing is everything, and the longer you wait on opportunities, the fewer responses you will receive.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In the modern-day age, convenience and quick response times are everything.\u00a0 Studies show<\/a> when businesses respond in under five minutes, they are 100x more likely to connect and convert opportunities.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Imagine this process:<\/strong><\/p>\n