Buyers today are sophisticated: they explore and discuss their options by accessing relevant content and connecting with others in their social network. They form perceptions about a brand before they've even had their first direct interaction with that brand. Research shows that by the time a buyer engages with your brand, he or she is already 60% of the way through their decision-making process. In order to reach that potential customer earlier in the process, you need a magnetic, well-targeted content marketing strategy. At LinkedIn, we have always believed in a “members-first” approach to everything we do and marketers can benefit from doing the same. We have observed that professionals act differently on a professional social network as they are demanding more content and insights so that they can be great at what they do. As our members continue to seek out quality content, it opens up new opportunities for content marketers and publishers. By creating and publishing remarkable content in the form that educates, informs, inspires and entertains, marketers can begin to build relationships with prospects early on in the buying cycle. This fundamental shift is changing the mantra from “Always be Closing” to “Always be Helping.” But creating remarkable content is only half the story. The latest findings from the Content Marketing Institute show that while 87% of survey respondents use social media for content distribution yet it received less than a 50% effectiveness rating. This is a clear indicator that there is a disconnect. The answer isn’t necessarily to create more content, but create more relevant content. The focus on relevancy will provide for a much better content experience and ultimately close this gap around content marketing success.

3. Real Mahadeo

4. Adopting a Members-First
Approach to Content

5. Jonathan Lister

6. Discover
%
60
Advocate
Explore
through decision
making process
Select

7. invest time
Professional
Personal
spend time

8. Marketers need to
adopt a “members-first”
approach to content

10. Influencers

11. 1,677,557
10,332
4,149

12. Photo credit: Min-Chieh Chang

13. 328,000
Views!

15. The definitive
professional
publishing platform

16. Changing the mantra from
always be closing, to
always be helping

17. Audience
Marketers
Relationship
Content

18. %
87
50
Effectiveness rating
Use social media
for content
distribution

19. XX%

20. The key ingredient to a
better content experience
is relevance

21. Customers & Prospects
1
Customer A
2
Customer B
3
Customer C
4
Customer D
5
Customer E
6
Customer F
7
Customer G
8
Customer H
Revenue

22. Speak to the dog, in the language
of the dog, about what’s in the
heart of the dog.
– Roy Williams

23. Demographics
Male
Name
Jason Miller
Groups
Marketing Innovation
with LinkedIn
B2B Online
CM Academy
Geo
San
Francisco
Connections
2k
Size
5000+
Function
Content
Marketing
Standardized
Job Titles
Senior Manager
Occupation
Marketing
Company
LinkedIn
Industry
Technology

24. Moving from information
to insight creates
content relevance

26. engagements
connections
commonalities
information
insights

27. Not more content.
More relevant content

28. 3 types of real time
relevant content

29. Waiting for
the moment

30. In the
moment

31. Anticipating
the moment
Popularity
Catching
trending topics
Time period
Defining
content strategy

33. How do you know if your
content is more relevant?
Increased
referral traffic
Social
engagement
Higher
quality leads

34. What is LinkedIn doing
to advance relevance?
Highlight types
of content
Quantify
content influence
Provide
recommendations

35. The future of Content marketing is in your hands

36. LinkedIn Content Ecosystem
Content isn't King, Conversation Is

37. Gary Fearnall

38. Our Mission.
Connect the world’s professionals
to make them more productive and successful

39. 1 of every 3
professionals
on the planet is LinkedIn

40. Connect talent with
opportunity.

41. Inform, educate, and
inspire professionals.

42. Definitive professional
publishing platform.

43. Job seeking

44. Content is our core
Content
Jobs
6
more engagement
with content vs. jobs

45. WW Unique Visitors
68,066
31,647
27,005
26,151
24,169
22,946
source: comScore, Global Monthly Unique Visitors (Aug 2013)

46. WW Unique Visitors
179,415
source: comScore, Global Monthly Unique Visitors (Aug 2013)

47. Relevance driven by your professional profile
Early start-up exec
VS.
Tech exec

48. Influencers

49. Mobile is accelerating content consumption.
%
33
of unique visiting members
came through mobile apps
in Q2 2013

52. Content Marketing can
make our members more
productive & successful

53. Content marketing isn’t new

54. Teaching farmers to be great at what they do

55. Your audience is more receptive in our professional
context

56. B2B buyers turn to online content and conversations in
professional communities
%
87
of B2B buyers say online
content plays a major to moderate
role in vendor selection
Source: CMO Council, “ Better Lead Yield in the Content Marketing Field, 2013.

57. Company Pages help marketers connect with
audiences on LinkedIn

58. HP’s company followers are brand advocates
112%
increase in CXO followers
%
15can have dialogues with
“We
higher engagement rate
potential customers in a way
with CXOs vs. non-CXO
that encourages organic
followers
growth of the community.”
2.5
Bryna Corcoran
Digital Marketing and Social
more Strategist, HP
Media likely to recommend
HP solutions by followers

59. Why our members follow companies?
100%
90%
80%
Total Audience
70%
64%
60%
55%
55%
48%
50%
46%
43%
40%
34%
34%
33%
Influencer posts
Infographics
Software trial
downloads
30%
20%
10%
0%
New product
launches
Product reviews &
comparisons
Tech events
Webinars/demos
using video
White papers
Case studies

60. Integrated into the feed….

61. We’ve expanded our product portfolio
with Sponsored Updates

62. Adobe drives thought leadership
with Sponsored Updates
 50%
 more likely to agree that
Adobe is “shaping the future
of digital marketing”
 2.5
more likely to agree Adobe’s
Sponsored Updates capture
their attention
 79%
 more likely to agree that
Adobe can help optimize their
media spend

63. HubSpot drives high-quality leads
with Sponsored Updates
%
400
more leads within their target
audience than lead generation
efforts on other platforms

64. Integrate and amplify content from SlideShare

65. Social proof. Included.
Like (115)

Comment (11)

Share

66. Relevant content powered by accurate targeting
Who they are
Who they know
What they do
Profile
Connections
Behavior

68. Make your customers more
productive and successful

69. Be the editor

70. Make it snackable

71. Value the who
Follower Demographics
24%
Finance
8.9%
Sales
8.2%
Research
Consulting
Operations
6.7%
5.6%

72. 2014 Product Focus
Targeting
Attribution
Lead capture
Personalization

74. Team Structure
Social Media Team/Content Team
Edit
Marketing
Develop Strategy
Set strategy, establish key metrics
Create
and Manage
Optimize, Aggregat
e, Curate
Converse
and Listen
Create and manage
the editorial calendar
Optimize content for
distribution (make it
beautiful)
Engage with your
audience, respond to
comments
Coordinate content
submissions
Share relevant content
from across the web
Monitor what people
are discussing
Create content
Provide brand
perspective and
highlights
Measure
and Learn
Monitor key KPIs
Optimize content and
targeting based on
engagement and
performance