The 5 Building Blocks For A Sustainable Content Strategy - #SPS2015

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The 5 Building Blocks For A Sustainable Content Strategy

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Panelists MODERATOR: Kim Zimmermann Sr. Managing Editor, Demand Gen Report

Dana Harder VP of Client Strategy Content4Demand @DanaHarder

Ma5hew McKenzie Chief Content Officer Content4Demand @mstuartm

The 5 Building Blocks For A Sustainable Content Strategy Dana Harder, VP Client Strategy, Content4Demand MaO McKenzie, Chief Content Officer, Content4Demand

CONTENT4DEMAND 8

Agenda

THE STATE OF CONTENT MARKET ING

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IF CONTENT IS GOOD…

MORE CONTENT MUST BE BETTER, RIGHT?

90% of B2B marketers now use content markeIng

73% produce more content than they did a year ago

55% plan to increase their content markeIng investments

T H E S T A T E O F C O N T E N T M A R K E T I N G

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BUT NOW WE HAVE…

CONTENT FATIGUE! •  Inside out: The “markeIng selfie.” •  ReacLve: The customer speaks, you respond (oken too late). •  Generic: “One-‐size-‐fits-‐all” is an insult, not a strategy.


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THIS IS NOT SUSTAINABLE . . . The content faIgue trap: MORE and MORE content – LESS and LESS response. It’s a vicious cycle – and we know how it ends:


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BUT WE CAN FIX IT….


The 5 Building Blocks For A Sustainable Content Strategy:

1.  Personas 2.  Content Audits / Gap Analysis 3.  Messaging 4.  Content / Repurposing 5.  Measurement

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Agenda

PERSONAS : GET TO KNOW YOUR BUYER

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From Theory to PracIce: Applied Buyer Insights Buyer insights are the starIng point on a journey to

messaging and content to support consistent, impachul and cost-‐effecLve demand-‐gen programs.

P R O J E C T E L E M E N T S & G O A L S

PERSONAS IdenIfy Key Buyer Insights

MESSAGING Synthesize & PrioriIze Insights

FRAMEWORK Applied

Messaging

AUDIT/GAP Content

Impact & ROI

NURTURE Content

Deployment

TRACK/MEASURE/ANALYZE/EXPERIMENT/ADAPT

CONTENT4DEMAND 15

Persona Development Process

This doesn’t have to be complex, but it does need to be a repeatable and reliable formula.

B U Y E R P E R S O N A S : M E T H O D S & F I N D I N G S

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Getting started: •  Insights from data sources, internal stakeholders. •  Customer conversations. Best in class: •  Quantitative research: Surveys, focus groups. •  Testing and validation: “Assumptions behind the assumptions.”


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Identify target market/audience segments. Organize insights by key business/behavioral categories: •  Buying triggers: WHY do they take action. •  Pain points: What KEEPS THEM AWAKE at night? •  Content preferences: Where are their digital WATERING HOLES?


CONTENT4DEMAND 18

IT Leader: ConservaLve vs. Progressive Mindset

This job role appears to embrace two segments with surprising differences. One segment is highly engaged, opImisIc and focused on turning IT into a source of strategic business value. The other segment can be more conservaIve and even cynical about business-‐IT collaboraIon, the use of technology as a compeIIve differenIator and other issues. For the la5er group, technology value is largely a quesIon of idenIfying and validaIng tangible business benefits.

Profile Snapshot

Titles I May Have: CIO, IT Leader or Director, IT Manager (at smaller firms), VP of Technology

Buying Role Specific IniIaIves Top Pain Points General PrioriIes

Measures of Success

Watering Holes

Vendor Eval. Criteria

Buying Triggers •  Contract expiraIons. •  Serious issues with an exisIng technology provider.

•  Major downIme events or tech-‐related disrupIons that can be addressed by changing vendors.

BUYER PROFILE CORE PERSONA IN

FORM

ATIO

N

•  Evenly split between primary decision-‐maker and recommender/ influencer. When self-‐idenIfied as a recommender, the CEO/Owner is usually cited as the decision-‐maker.

•  Assessing and maintaining network/Internet capacity.

•  EvaluaIng and implemenIng managed IT services as part of a broader cost-‐and-‐efficiency iniIaIve.

•  IT security iniLaLves are now a “huge” part of many day-‐to-‐day priority lists.

•  “AcIonable” analyIcs and BI iniIaIves. •  [ConservaIve] IT infrastructure assessment and implementaIon.

•  Working with business stakeholders to support innovaIon and growth.

•  Long-‐term strategy and planning. •  Modernizing and upgrading technology systems.

•  Staying ahead of IT security threats. •  [ConservaIve} Controlling costs and finding ways to do more with less.

•  [ConservaIve] “Keeping the lights on” basic maintenance acIviIes.

•  Security threats that pose a criLcal risk to company systems, data stores and business processes.

•  Business applicaIon downIme -‐ with or without a cyber-‐security aspect to the problem.

•  Network reliability/capacity limitaIons. •  [ConservaIve] Dealing with outsourcing and headcount/budget cuts related to percepIon of IT as a cost center.

•  Efficiency – in this case with a focus on maximizing the ability to use exisIng resources to serve more aggressive business goals.

•  Reliability: The key impact in this case is about business impacts (e.g., unplanned downIme for key systems) – the most direct threat to the IT leader’s credibility and job security.

•  Mostly in line with global average content preferences.

•  Web search. •  Technology news publicaIons and web sites.

•  Vendor web sites. •  Analyst reports. •  Not generally recepIve to vendor-‐supplied content; excepIons in cases where the vendor is known and trusted.

•  Tangible business impacts are extremely important to this group, with over 75% ciIng as a top factor.

•  Employee producIvity gains reflect the same focus on specific and acIonable success metrics.

•  Delivered on promised features or capabiliIes.

•  Minimal impact on exisIng IT staff and resources.

CONTENT4DEMAND 19

Agenda

AUDIT/GAP ANALYS I S : RO I RESCUE

CONTENT4DEMAND 20

WHY AUDIT?

Where to focus new content investments.

When to update/repurpose/reIre content.

Which assets have quality/usability issues.

Which buyers/stages are not yet addressed.

What content is available for “turnkey” campaign use.

C O N T E N T A U D I T & G A P A N A L Y S I S

B2B marketers rouInely spend MILLIONS on content they never use. A content audit enables you to FIND and FIX the underlying problems.

CONTENT4DEMAND 21

WHAT AND HOW TO AUDIT

T YP I CA L AUD I T C R I T E R I A : Content format Date created Repurposing potenIal Age & vulnerability to aging “Problem” assets Persona alignment Buyer’s journey alignment Product/soluIon menIons

C O N T E N T A U D I T & G A P A N A L Y S I S

CONTENT4DEMAND 22

A P P L I E D M E S S A G I N G , C O N T E N T S E L E C T I O N & G A P A N A L Y S I S

THE GAP ANALYSIS

The quesLon: What content is available for a campaign targeIng a given persona, message/topic focus and buyer’s journey stage? A gap analysis shows what’s missing – allowing you to make smart use of scarce resources and create content where you need it most.

CONTENT4DEMAND 23

A P P L I E D M E S S A G I N G , C O N T E N T S E L E C T I O N & G A P A N A L Y S I S

THE GAP ANALYSIS

S T A G E C O N T E N T O P T I O N S / N O T E S S T A T U S G A P ?

Inform Client PerspecIve: InnovaIng the Way You Innovate Turnkey

Trigger BT 2020: IGT’s Future in the Empowered Era Turnkey

Benefit BYOD Delivers on IT Leaders’ ExpectaIons Turnkey

Diff. Shadow IT & the Rise of the Cloud Turnkey

Bus. Case Looking to Run a More Efficient & Cost-‐EffecIve Business? (Should be updated to arIculate specific business impacts & BT alignment.)

Update/ Refocus

Confirm Case study gap – looking for a relatable example of an IT group using Client to support the new business relaIonship.

New

CONTENT4DEMAND 24

Agenda

APPL IED MESSAGING

CONTENT4DEMAND 25

ConnecLng The Buyer To The Content

Messaging is often the missing step between

personas and content.!

A P P L I E D M E S S A G I N G

CONTENT4DEMAND 26

Personas & Buyer-‐Focused Messaging

EducaLon Phase TRIGGER: Pinpoint the idea or concept that will persuade persona taking on acIon.

INFORM: Connect the persona with the business issue

BENEFIT: Explain how soluIon can meet the persona’s need or solve problem.

DIFFERENTIATE: Illustrate how your soluIon is unique from other alternaIves.

BUSINESS CASE: Offer investment raIonale based on persona’s decision criteria.

CONFIRM: Reinforce the vendor choice via peer tesImonials or success examples.

PRODUCT OR SOLUTION MESSAGING MAP

NarraLve Elements SiriusDecisions B-‐to-‐B Buying Cycle

Our process using the sirius nauIlus as a framework

PERSONA VALUE PROPOSITION

Loosening of the Status Quo

Commi|ng to Change

Exploring Possible SoluIons

Commi|ng to a SoluIon

JusIfying the Decision

Making the SelecIon

1

3

4

5

6

2

SoluLon Phase

Vendor SelecLon Phase


CONTENT4DEMAND 27

Messag ing Recap : Sample

PRIMARY MESSAGING ELEMENT My IT group has commi5ed to a strategic shik: CollaboraIng with the business as trusted advisors – not acIng like gatekeepers or order-‐takers. Help me prepare my team – and learn how to assess and implement the right IT soluLons – to make this transformaIon.

SECONDARY MESSAGING ELEMENT Security was an issue in the past, but today it is an all-‐consuming imperaLve. I can’t afford to ignore this, but I also can’t sacrifice our strategic business technology goals. I need help resolving this dilemma – and I need it yesterday!

INFORM:

How has the business-IT relationship evolved? What do I need to know as an IT leader about how my business colleagues think about and use business technology

today?

TRIGGER:

What’s at stake for my budget, my team and my career as this new approach to

business technology continues to evolve?

BENEFIT:

How do we adapt our technology assessment and implementation decisions

to serve our new strategic role? How do particular technology solutions meet our

requirements?

DIFFERENTIATE:

How do Verizon’s solutions serve our business technology goals? What makes them uniquely suited to drive innovation,

collaboration and growth without sacrificing our IT security imperatives?

BUSINESS CASE:

Are there business metrics or KPIs that we can use to measure our progress

towards this new view of the IT organization? Can Verizon demonstrate its ability to help us move the needle on

these KPIs?

CONFIRM:

How are IT groups similar to ours using Verizon solutions to solve these

challenges, support business innovation and growth, and make this strategic shift?


CONTENT4DEMAND 28

Agenda

Conten t C reaIon / Repurpos ing

CONTENT4DEMAND 29 MAPPING BUYER INSIGHT TO CONTENT STRATEGIES. 3 Begin with the buyer. End with engagement.

KEYS TO A KILLER CAMPAIGN

1.  Create content in a progression and align to the buyers journey. 2.  Let the persona define the asset type. 3.  Create content for the enLre funnel. 4.   Repurpose and modularize content.

C O N T E N T C R E A T I O N A N D R E P U R P O S E

CONTENT4DEMAND 30

STEP 1 : Create A Progression

EducaLon Phase TRIGGER: Pinpoint the idea or concept that will persuade persona taking on acIon.

INFORM: Connect the persona with the business issue

BENEFIT: Explain how soluIon can meet the persona’s need or solve problem.

DIFFERENTIATE: Illustrate how your soluIon is unique from other alternaIves.

BUSINESS CASE: Offer investment raIonale based on persona’s decision criteria.

CONFIRM: Reinforce the vendor choice via peer tesImonials or success examples.

PRODUCT OR SOLUTION MESSAGING MAP

NarraLve Elements SiriusDecisions B-‐to-‐B Buying Cycle

Our process using the sirius nauIlus as a framework

PERSONA VALUE PROPOSITION

Loosening of the Status Quo

Commi|ng to Change

Exploring Possible SoluIons

Commi|ng to a SoluIon

JusIfying the Decision

Making the SelecIon

1

3

4

5

6

2

SoluLon Phase

Vendor SelecLon Phase



EDUCA

TION

E-books, Infographics, Assessments, Motion Graphics, White Papers, Guides, Blogs, Newsletters

SOLU

TION

White Papers, White Board Videos, Checklists, Q&As, Briefs, Case Studies

SELECT

ION

Checklists, Q&As, Briefs, Case Studies, Testimonials, ROI Calculators

STEP 2 : Let The Persona Define The Asset Type


CONTENT4DEMAND 32

S TEP 3 :

Content For The EnLre Funnel



S TEP 4 :

Repurposing / Modular Content EducaIon SoluIon SelecIon

Progressive

Blog

Webinar Guide

Repurposed

Infographic

G-‐book Video

Many-‐to-‐One

Blog round-‐up Top 5 checklist Case study por}olio


CONTENT4DEMAND 34

Agenda

WHY MEASUREMENT MATTERS C O X M E D I A C A S E S T U D Y

CONTENT4DEMAND 35

When it comes to measurement… WH Y M E A S U R E M E N T M A T T E R S

you need to walk !before you run!.!

CONTENT4DEMAND 36

Semng RealisLc Goals

1.  What can you measure right now?

2.  How will you define success?

3.  How can I repeat my results consistently?

WH Y M E A S U R E M E N T M A T T E R S

CONTENT4DEMAND 37

Case Study: Cox Media

2014 Success Kit

•  Partnered with Content4Demand to build a foundaIonal content library for this theme.

•  The 2014 Success Kit campaign comprised of 5 assets in a variety of formats designed to appeal to their SMB customers.

W H Y M E A S U R E M E N T M A T T E R S

CONTENT4DEMAND 38


2014 Success Kit Results

•  Generated interest from more than 2,300 potenLal leads.

•  More than 750 downloads/views.

•  Major contributor for Q1 lead and demand gen performance; pu|ng Cox Media more than 16% ahead of last year.

•  Content conInued to pay dividends as content was repurposed all year long and assisted in driving Q4 leads.

WH Y M E A S U R E M E N T M A T T E R S

CONTENT4DEMAND 39


Taking What They Learned Into 2015

EDUCATION

SOLUTION

SELECTION

W H Y M E A S U R E M E N T M A T T E R S

CONTENT4DEMAND 40

QUEST IONS

Ma5hew McKenzie Chief Content Officer [email protected]

415.490.6535

Dana Harder VP, Client Strategy

[email protected] 224-‐578-‐2099

#SPS2015

Q&A \\ Panelists MODERATOR: Kim Zimmermann Sr. Managing Editor, Demand Gen Report

Dana Harder VP of Client Strategy Content4Demand @DanaHarder

Ma5hew McKenzie Chief Content Officer Content4Demand @mstuartm

#SPS2015

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The 5 Building Blocks For A Sustainable Content Strategy - #SPS2015