Today's B2B buyer is more discerning than ever before, and has access to more information than ever before. They research online, get peer views and opinion, and they call you when their ready to buy, rather than when you’re ready to sell. So you’re involved late in the process, or more commonly, not at all. To get onto the shortlist, you’ve got to be there early in the buying cycle. And to do this takes a programme of great content.
It has to be relevant, useful and interesting. First problem; where does this content come from? Well, every organisation has their own content dungeon – just waiting to be unlocked. But, how do you do it, what’s going to be lurking down there, and how do you tame it? Then, once you’ve thrown the keys away, what are you going to do with all this content? How do you get it into the hearts and minds of the people that matter?
This presentation will involve B2B examples across different sectors and using content in all its possible guises: mobile, video, integrated infographics, Social debates. Even the odd whitepaper...
Session will look at:
Ways to find great content in your organisation, without actually creating anything
What content works, at what stage in the buying cycle
Practical ways to use interesting and different content formats
10 steps to create and implement a content marketing strategy
2. B2B Marketing is changing.
Fundamentally.
9 out of 10 buyers say
when they’re ready to
buy – they’ll find you
Source: DemandGen Report
3. Today’s buyer journey
Changes Recognition Problem Evaluate Select best Negotiate / Implement
over time of needs defined options option purchase
Our task
Early stage Awareness and Influence how Demonstrate we have the most Close the sale Ensure seamless
awareness early need they define compelling proposition and maximise customer
identification their problem the value of the onboarding –
and solution... deal. maximise time to
value
Press/online (PR) Videos Case studies Case studies Moving
Welcome packs
conversation
Testimonials
from cost to
Activity
Event attendance Word of mouth ROI aides ‘Get the most
Analyst reports value (e.g.
Web presence (Advocacy) from’ guides
Practical ‘how to’ guides Through
Our own events & expression of
Search & social webinars tangible ROI)
Campaign Recommendations and Customer portal
White papers & microsites (pURLs) references – and community
Analyst reports & guides
white papers Tailored product Formal sales presentations User group
Social media proposition events
Sponsored
research listening & Building compelling RFP
participation
Industry bodies &
associations Targeted ads
Marketing-led Sales-led
4. Why should we care?
“80% of new leads will
come from inbound
marketing by 2015”
B2Bmarketingdirections.
March 2012
Source: Hubspot
5. The challenge
To be part of the conversation, you need to have
something to say…
•Relevant
•Interesting
•Useful
•Different
•Thought provoking
•Funny?
6. Solution: CONTENT!
Think Value Exchange
“Deliver consistent, ongoing
valuable information to
buyers, and they will
ultimately reward us with their
business and loyalty.”
7. But first, some problems
“We have no “All our content
content!” is sh*t!”
“We don’t know
what content
works!” “How do we get
our content out
there?”
“I have no budget
for content!”
9. Problem 1
“We have
no
content!”
In reality
•It’s likely you have more than you need, rather
than less
•You already employ many content authors, you
(and they) just didn’t know it
They just need:
• To be given the chance
• To get some direction
• To get some TIME
10. Solution
Make it easy for them
•Do an audit first: find out what you have
already, and then just repurpose Create the ‘Rules’
•Their time is precious – work round them
•What purpose does the
•Interview & ghost-write, rather than ask for content serve
words •Always focused on value
to the customer
•Do the edit •Interesting is a must,
•Pick low hanging fruit – helps get something controversial is a bonus
•Company name
tangible fast, and proves the case mentioned less than 2
•Social collaboration tools – you can be the times…
content curator / master editor •NO SELLING!
11. Solution
Promote them:
•Ensure you’ve got top level buy-in – and
‘publish’ this…!
•Ego-time: ‘author’, photo/biog, direct email,
ideally video…
•Often helps to have a third party (outside) – PR
agency / content specialist for example
12. Solution
Reward them:
•Everything from ‘thank you’ to direct link to
bonus (if you can affect this…)
•Measure content effectiveness – and name-
check strong performers
From the outset:
•Top level endorsement (and lead by example)
means that people don’t think they’re wasting
company time…
13. Problem 2
“All our
content is sh*t!”
In reality
•It’s not necessarily bad in itself, just not fit for
purpose
•So you need to be clear what purpose you’re
trying to achieve
Which means:
• Audience 1st.
• Mapped to buyer journey.
14. Solution
Funnels and buyer journeys
•Who are is the audience?
•What do they (really)
care about?
•What is the absolute best way
you can help them out?
•Where are they (honestly)
in the funnel? A registration form
is not a purchase order!
18. Problem 3
“How do we get
our content out
there?”
Answer:
19. Distribution strategy: channels, KPIs, etc
Channel Objective Focus Desired outcome
Twitter ›Position company as thought- ›Share content we generate (blog / ›Increase in click throughs to blog /
[Owned Media] leader YouTube) YouTube / our website
›Build audience engagement & ›Share our news / promote events / case ›Increase in Mentions and Retweets
dialogue studies ›Increase in followers
›Show we are credible ›Share valuable third-party content (wider
›Keep us front-of-mind blogosphere / media)
Blog ›Position company as thought- ›Provide analysis, opinion and guidance ›Increase in page views
[Owned Media] leader on key issues, industry and new ›Increase in inbound & outbound links
›Build audience engagement & developments ›Increase in comments
dialogue ›Deliver a rich and engaging experience ›Increase in sharing of our content
›Help shape and guide buyer wherever possible ›Increase in search performance on
strategies keywords
Blogosphere ›Position company as thought- ›Listening online to identify where we ›Increase in share of voice online
[Earned Media] leader should be commenting or stimulating ›Increased participation in online
›Create and participate in discussion discussions
conversations online
›Show we are credible
LinkedIn ›Leverage professional networks ›Integrating blog and Twitter feeds ›Increase in click throughs to blog / our
[Owned/Earned Media] of our key execs to open up new ›Participating in the right online groups – website
conversations and stimulating discussion ›Increased participation in online
›Keep us front-of-mind discussions
YouTube [Owned ›Position company as thought- ›Provide analysis, opinion on key issues, ›Increase in channel views
Media] leader industry and technology developments ›Increase in channel subscribers
›Show we are credible ›Share our story ›Increase in comments
›Help shape and guide buyer ›Share client case studies
strategies
23. Video sharing
Source: Google
75% of senior executives say they
watch work related videos on
business-related websites at least
weekly
65% have visited a vendor’s website
after watching a video
Source: Forbes
24. Make it easy to share
Use industry standard platforms –
YouTube, Vimeo, Slideshare, Flickr
Always include sharing buttons online
and in PDFs
But make it interesting and compelling
enough that they want to share it!
Case example:
30,000 page views
200+ blogs
25. Time to go mobile?
Mobile web
searches
increased by 247%
1 in 4 employees
use personal Source: ITPro
smartphones at
work
26. And another important channel...
Your sales force Only 7% of IT services
companies are seen by their
90% of marketing customers as ‘strategic
deliverables are partners’
not used by sales
Source: New Rules of Sales Enablement •Need to show industry
knowledge
•‘Think for me’, not just ‘do for
me’: guidance not plumbing
•Need an opinion, an angle, a
point of view, a vision of what’s
next....
27. K.I.S.S.
8 minutes: the average ‘dead time’ before
a meeting.
•And it’s when a sales person preps for
the meeting
What is it we actually sell?
Who’s it for?
What to ask
Who to bring to the next meeting
28. Problem 4
“We don’t know Try it, test it, learn which channels
what content
works?”
work for you...
Source: Hubspot
30. Problem 5
“I have no
budget for
content?”
Get some!
Cost per outbound lead analysis –
include the cost of sale
Basic funnel analysis – shows
inbound (content) is essential due
to finite outbound universe…
32. 5 steps to successful content marketing
Get close to your SMEs, they are your raw material
Be useful. Know what your audience needs, and give it to them
Cut the sales pitch. Good content does this for you.
Be bold. Be controversial. Be interesting.
50% of your effort should be distribution, 50% creation
33. And start with one of these…
Audit and Programme Measure &
Strategy Implement
plan development iterate
Objective Identify SMEs Set up channels Publishing Dashboard
setting calendar
Proposal and Existing content Publishing Writing RAG status on
c-level endorse & channels process content
Systems &
KPIs resources SME ‘rules’ Filming Reporting &
rewarding
Influencers +
Brand + customer input Content ‘tiers’ Designing Iteration
marketing against funnel &
alignment Audience buyer journey
destinations
‘Socialing’
Competitor
activity
37. Spreading the word
YouTube branded channel
Twitter
Targeted approaches to key commentators and influencers
LinkedIn – embedding the video into our profiles
Facebook
PR – free online news wires
Blog comments
38. Beyond all expectations...
Targets: Results (6 weeks later):
1,000 video views in 6 weeks 6,500 video views
30% increase in Twitter 42% increase in Twitter
followers followers
20% increase in average site 30% increase in average site
visits visits
20% increase in inbound links 87% increase in inbound links
2 new business opportunities 2 new business opportunities
Plus
Over 90 mentions on Twitter,
extensive media coverage and
improvements in natural search