For the fifth year in a row, 90octane is proud to be recognized by BtoB Magazine in its annual “Top Agencies Special Report.” The list is compiled based on annual revenue, percentage of business to business revenue, innovation and top clients for small, medium, large and interactive agencies. 90octane has been recognized in the Interactive category since our inclusion in the 2008 list, in addition to receiving accolades for our work in the search engine marketing sector.

For more information about BtoB Magazine and the Top Agencies special report, please visit the publication’s website.

We would like to offer our sincerest thanks to the clients, partners and employees who have made our continued growth and success possible. It’s been a banner year for 90octane, and we look forward to many more!

A marketing analytics company called RevTrax just completed a two year study on the effect of PPC advertising on consumer in-store spending.  The study analyzed the purchase habits of consumers referred by pay-per-click ads to e-commerce sites. RevTrax used landing pages with coupons that featured a unique barcode to track the information.  The bar code information was then able to track the consumers’ buying cycles and show conversions.

At 90octane, we’re all about community. That’s why, to celebrate the close of 2011 and welcome 2012, we donated on our clients’ behalf to three charities we love and are honored to support as both a donor and partner in marketing success: Feeding America, Heifer International and Mercy Housing. We recognize that our community doesn’t stop at the door to our office, but encompasses both local and global realms. As a conversion-driven agency, we whole-heartedly appreciate the opportunity to influence change. So, as we march into 2012, we’ve decided to do all we can to keep charitable giving at the top of our and everyone’s minds.

As Margaret Mead so wisely stated, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

What charities and causes are near and dear to your heart? What would you like your community, whether it be your hometown or the globe, to work towards achieving in 2012? We’d love for you to join the efforts of our small group of dedicated people.

Happy New Year from your friends at 90octane!

Posted by: Jim Grinney, Partner

I just read Liz Wendling’s article “No trust? No sale!” on cobizmag.com. I liked the article, not only because it applies to business development for our agency, but because it relates to how we create conversion-driven marketing programs for our clients.

As Liz points out in her article, “Trust is the single biggest motivator of buyer behavior and one of the key components to establishing a successful buyer/seller relationship.” Here at 90octane, we believe that trust truly is a differentiator. And this belief drives everything in our company. It is the foundation for who we hire, the client relationships we build, and the conversion-driven marketing programs we create.

Over the past year, we have worked with clients and employees to create a model that defines the various levels of trust called the Spectrum of Trust:

This model acts as a guide on two fronts:
1) How to properly earn trust, at all levels, with our clients on a daily basis.
2) How to create conversion-driven marketing programs that help clients find the right customers by earning trust.

From B2B to B2C and non-profit, our focus is on building trust between our clients and their prospects. Whether it’s a webinar designed to educate resellers/agents, white papers created to educate end users, or best practice guides for client partners, we believe that trust is a critical factor in any relationship – and it isn’t earned with a well-placed ad or a unique offer. It’s earned over time.

Posted by: Kerry Houchin, Project Manager

There are two ways to generate BtoB leads using Linkedin: the expensive way and the free way. For advertisers who are willing to spend $25,000 or more, the site offers the “Linkedin Advertising Sales” option, which includes a variety of highly-targeted display ads, polling questions and more. For those with budgets smaller than $25,000, Linkedin offers a DirectAds text ad option that works on a highly-targeted pay-per-click or pay-per-impression model. While both of these options may have a place in your lead generation strategy, you may be wondering how to effectively generate leads without spending part of your precious media budget.

Linkedin is a social network where business professionals go to look for advice and make connections, not a venue where they look to be sold on a product or service. The key to generating leads on Linkedin is to first gain people’s attention and trust, and then become a thought leader in your area of expertise. Make sure to join Linkedin under your own name instead of a company identity. Next, use the search function to find the most active (not necessarily the largest) group in your area of knowledge. Then, join the conversation and, where appropriate, use collateral such as white papers or specially created social media landing pages to add value to the topic.

Remember that it can take time to gain a following on Linkedin and that leads may not be of the same quality that you’re used to seeing from other conversion-driven tactics, but with diligence and patience, Linkedin could become a great lead generator for your business.