Content Marketing 101: Latest thinking on lead generation

Transcription

1 Content Marketing 101: Latest thinking on lead generation by David Newcorn, VP/Digital & Custom Media Summer 2011

2 Content marketing fills the gap Web stands between sales team and your prospects Delays/eliminates need for early-stage discussions A knowledge vacuum! Vulnerability Content marketing is about filling this gap Marketers must step up to fill in this gap

3 Reviewing the stages of the B2B buying cycle Pre-Internet Your sales person was consulted throughout all four stages direct control of the buying conversation

4 Reviewing the stages of the B2B buying cycle Content TODAY Marketing gap Early/middle stages: Magazines Internet Peers Trade shows Search engines Vendor web sites (No direct control) Later stages: Your sales reps & distributors (Direct control)

5 Invert your focus! Not about what you re selling Rather, what your customers are buying Produce content that helps step prospects through the buying process Not content that sells your product

6 It s about their problems, not your company & products Traditional marketing content talks about the marketer s company and new products Not the best way to engage new prospects If they see their issues, their pain points, in your headlines, opening sentences, they ll engage

7 Education Why must issue be dealt with? Industry trends driving solution of the problem Setbacks if put off addressing the need. Goal: Help prospects answer their questions

8 Expertise Prospects may perceive your product as a commodity Your company s expertise can make the difference Buyers looking for vendors whose expertise adds value Showcase your expertise through thought leadership campaigns

9 Evidence Don t take our word for it Here s proof we deliver Two versions of case study Problem/solution for early stage Save detail for later stage Analyst reports Media mentions

10 Content for each stage of cycle Stages Name Description 1-2 Status Quo and Discovery 3 Vendor research Educational content Industry research Benchmark data Best practices How-to-buy guides Boardroom powerpoint for convincing higher-ups Product-specific webinars, videos, white papers Brief case studies (problem / solution) 4 Short list In-depth case studies (including published in media) Customer testimonials Executive Benchmark Assessment tools Competitive comparisons ROI tools

11 Content 2.0: Chapterized content Chapterize on-demand webinar content, so you can chart their movement through the buy cycle (80% of IDG s customer webinar content is short ondemand pieces 20 min or less) Boardroom powerpoint for convincing higher-ups

12 Content 2.0: Assessment tools Executive Benchmark Assessment tools Calculator tools Can be simple or sophisticated You can get GREAT data this way from someone who ordinarily might resist filling out a reg form People love tools! Interactive Vastly under-utilized resource

13 Content 2.0: Comparison charts Head-to-head competitive comparison charts! Your prospects will be doing it anyway Why not do it yourself and direct the outcome? Biased, yes, but these perform very well

14 Questions? David Newcorn VP/Digital & Custom Media Automation World 312/