New Capabilities Enable Marketers to Acquire Leads using Personalized Facebook Tabs;
Expanded Social Features Provide Advanced Targeting, Mobile Optimization
INDIANAPOLIS – Global cross-channel digital marketing leader ExactTarget (NYSE:ET) extended its Pardot business-to-business marketing automation to Facebook today, enabling marketers to acquire new prospects on Facebook for lead nurturing campaigns.
“Acquiring and nurturing leads is the lifeblood of b-to-b marketing automation”
The new capability integrates Pardot’s technology into Facebook tabs built on ExactTarget’s SocialPages, enabling marketers to acquire new leads by providing prospects an opportunity to register for contests or special offers on Facebook.
“Acquiring and nurturing leads is the lifeblood of b-to-b marketing automation,” said Scott Dorsey, ExactTarget chairman and chief executive officer. “By extending Pardot to Facebook, we are bringing our expertise in B-to-C marketing automation to B-to-B, making it easier for marketers to create a true cross-channel experience that delights customers and prospects and ultimately accelerates sales.”
With Pardot’s integration with ExactTarget’s SocialPages, marketers can drag and drop Pardot’s lead capture connector into their Facebook page and publish it. Customers and prospects who register via the Facebook page can be automatically placed into a lead nurturing program designed to deliver relevant content throughout the buying lifecycle and accelerate the sales process. Pardot’s integration with ExactTarget’s SocialPages works with all native Pardot CRM integrations, including salesforce.com, Microsoft Dynamics, SugarCRM and Netsuite.
“The distinct lines between B2B and B2C continue to exist, but are becoming more blurred,” wrote Chris Fletcher, Gartner analyst and author of Magic Quadrant for CRM Lead Management published April 23, 2013. “B2B marketers are adopting technologies and channels formerly associated primarily with consumer-facing activities, such as social, and integrating those into B2B lead management processes.”
In addition to extending Pardot’s lead capture capabilities to Facebook via SocialPages, ExactTarget also announced several new innovations for its social products, including:
- Country, Language and Age Targeting: Enables brands to manage their global Facebook presence by targeting tab content to specific countries, optimizing for language and segmenting for different age groups
- Device Optimization: Allows Facebook Fans to view Facebook Tabs from any device – desktop, laptop, smartphone or tablet—by recognizing devices to properly display content
- Absolute Positioning Editor: Provides an expanded drag and drop interface for SocialPages with new snap-to-grid capabilities
The launch of ExactTarget’s integration between Pardot and SocialPages follows Gartner, Inc. naming ExactTarget a “visionary” in lead management in the “Magic Quadrant for CRM Lead Management” report. The report recognized ExactTarget for market for completeness of vision and ability to execute. To download the “Magic Quadrant for CRM Lead Management” report, visit http://www.exacttarget.com/leadmgmtvisionary.
About the Magic Quadrant
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About ExactTarget
ExactTarget is a leading global provider of cross-channel digital marketing software-as-a-service solutions that empower organizations of all sizes to communicate with their customers through email, mobile, social media, Web and marketing automation. ExactTarget’s suite of integrated applications enables marketers to plan, automate, deliver and optimize data-driven digital marketing and real-time communications to drive customer engagement, increase sales and improve return on marketing investment. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana with offices in Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and South America, ExactTarget trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “ET.” For more information, visit www.ExactTarget.com.
