Faletra On The 'Dark Science' Of Digital Marketing

Robert Faletra, CEO of The Channel Company (CRN's parent), spoke about the impact of digital marketing on the channel during the XChange Solution Provider 2017 conference last week.

"Marketing, in general, has always been a dark art,’ Faletra said. ’It's kind of moving towards a dark science now because, in digital, it is more measurable."

Faletra spotlighted some of the key aspects of digital marketing that work well as a revenue driver for solution providers. He also emphasized the importance of adopting digital marketing strategies, such as paid search and the use of social media for ad campaigns.

"Ultimately whether or not it is the right thing to do, we believe that you have to try these things," he said. Email and organic search top the list for revenue drivers, and, as Faletra explains, the No. 1 objective is generating quality leads over quantity.

"One of the things that we’re finding in the market ... is the importance of turning a lead into a sale."

Faletra also highlighted the significance of new customer acquisition as well as ROI on lead generation. This ability to track results, he said, is exactly why digital marketing sets itself apart from traditional methods and should be explored by all solution providers aiming to grow their businesses in 2017.