The Beacon: Your Path to Data-Driven Success
In today's world, making data-driven decisions is crucial for the success of any organization. The Beacon is a powerful tool that can help you achieve this goal. In this article, we will explore the Beacon and its capabilities, as well as provide use cases and insights on how to leverage it to optimize your marketing objectives.
What is the Beacon?
The Beacon is a script that is installed and configured within the global code of your website. Its primary purpose is to generate cookies, which are small files stored on a user's device that contain information about their visit to your website. The Beacon enables you to identify and differentiate visitors from known prospects in the system, track and send behavioral data from various web properties over to the Acton platform, and power your ability to leverage the data-driven elements of marketing automation.
How Does the Beacon Work?
When a user visits your website, the scripts generate a small piece of data that is stored on their browser. The Beacon then uses this information to recognize the user and retrieve relevant data or preferences associated with their visit. The website can use this data to provide personalized experiences and enable you to build intent insights. The Beacon also enables you to track and send behavioral data from various web properties over to the Acton platform, which powers your ability to segment, score, and automate your overall contact engagement.
Use Cases
Manufacturing
A manufacturing company has a landing page about a new tooling option for assemblers within the automotive industry. A visitor comes to the site, completes a form, and is now generating first-party data. Over the next week, this visitor visits over 14 different blog posts on the same site addressing challenges that their organization is facing. The Beacon provides insights into how people are navigating through the information provided, enabling the company to frame what that sales conversation should look like. Once the lead score reaches a certain level, it triggers an alert to a sales representative to immediately phone that particular prospect.
Insurance
A visitor lands on a homepage and inputs their contact information to access a financial needs calculator for life insurance. They navigate to the long-term care page, generating first-party data. The visitor is immediately added to the life insurance and long-term care segment, and their email follow-ups comprise information that is highly relevant to topics around life insurance and long-term care. Once the sales representative reaches out to the prospect, they have data that supports a progressive sales conversation about long-term care as well.
FinServ
A visitor lands on a homepage and inputs their contact information to access a financial needs calculator for life insurance. They navigate to the long-term care page, generating first-party data. The visitor is immediately added to the life insurance and long-term care segment, and their email follow-ups comprise information that is highly relevant to topics around life insurance and long-term care. Once the sales representative reaches out to the prospect, they have data that supports a progressive sales conversation about long-term care as well.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- The Beacon enables you to identify and differentiate visitors from known prospects in the system.
- It tracks and sends behavioral data from various web properties over to the Acton platform.
- It powers your ability to leverage the data-driven elements of marketing automation.
- It provides insights into how people are navigating through the information provided, enabling you to frame sales conversations.
Cons:
- The Beacon requires installation and configuration within the global code of your website.
- It generates cookies, which may require user permission in some cases.
- It may require additional resources to fully leverage its capabilities.
Highlights
- The Beacon is a powerful tool that can help you achieve data-driven success.
- It enables you to identify and differentiate visitors from known prospects in the system.
- It tracks and sends behavioral data from various web properties over to the Acton platform.
- It powers your ability to leverage the data-driven elements of marketing automation.
- Use cases include manufacturing, insurance, and FinServ industries.
FAQ
Q: What is the Beacon?
A: The Beacon is a script that is installed and configured within the global code of your website. Its primary purpose is to generate cookies, which are small files stored on a user's device that contain information about their visit to your website.
Q: How does the Beacon work?
A: When a user visits your website, the scripts generate a small piece of data that is stored on their browser. The Beacon then uses this information to recognize the user and retrieve relevant data or preferences associated with their visit.
Q: What are some use cases for the Beacon?
A: Use cases include manufacturing, insurance, and FinServ industries. The Beacon provides insights into how people are navigating through the information provided, enabling you to frame sales conversations.
Q: What are the pros and cons of using the Beacon?
A: Pros include identifying and differentiating visitors from known prospects, tracking and sending behavioral data, and powering your ability to leverage the data-driven elements of marketing automation. Cons include installation and configuration, user permission requirements, and additional resource needs.
Q: How can I learn more about the Beacon?
A: Acton offers workshops and resources to help you learn more about the Beacon and how to leverage its capabilities. You can also reach out to Acton's Solutions Consultants for more information.
