Content As A Competitive Differentiator

transcript

Content As ACompetitive Differentiator

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Panelists

Andrew GaffneyContent DirectorDemand Creation Specialists

Ardath AlbeeCEOMarketing Interactions

Author of: eMarketing Strategies for the Complex Sale

Rethinking Marketing

• “Never before have companies had such powerful technologies for interacting directly with customers, collecting and mining information about them, and tailoring their offerings accordingly…And never before have customers expected to interact so deeply with companies, and each other, to shape the products and services they use.”

Jan./Feb. Issue of HBR has a feature titled: “Rethinking Marketing”

Defining Content Marketing

Budgeting For Content Marketing

• Avg. content marketing budgets are 33% of the total marketing budget (up from 29% in 2008)

• 6 of 10 marketers are increasing content marketing spending in 2010.

• Small companies spend more than 2x the amount on content marketing as larger companies.

Budgeting For Content Marketing

• Nearly 3/4 of survey participants are leveraging their content through social media channels such as Twitter and Facebook

Our Featured Speaker…

Ardath Albee, CEOMarketing Interactions, Inc.

www.marketinginteractions.comardath@marketinginteractions.com

Differentiation is a BIG Opportunity

“Only 14% of the ‘unique benefits’ promoted by companies drive enough preference to have a commercial impact.”

Corporate Executive Board

What’s the Difference?

Achieve Dramatic Cost Savings, Increase Operational Efficiency and Business Agility

Reduce Costs, Improve Service Delivery, Enable Business Innovation

Reduce IT Costs, Improve Performance, Do More with Less

What You Sell is NOT What They Buy

Buyers say they only find relevant content 42% of the time.

Listening Fuels Relevance

• Priorities

• Phrasing

• Perspective

• Proximity

Sources for Listening

• Blogs

• Industry Portals

• Google Alerts

• Twitter Streams (#keyword)

– http://bit.ly/aZwqTO+

• LinkedIn

• Webinars

What Makes YOU Different?

• Unique

• Unexpected

• Understood

• Ubiquitous

Build Your Content Storyline

Listening + Your Difference

The Role of B2B Content is to…

provide pieces of the puzzle for solving a business problem in a way that promotes active response.

Online Dialogue – One-off is Over

Hmm. Should I click? Okay – I clicked… now what?

Dialogue: an exchange of information and ideas on a particular subject of interest.

Contagious Content as Differentiator

• Focused on top priority issues.• Answers questions to build momentum.• Builds confidence through expertise.• Serves as a guide to what’s next.

Peers and Colleagues

The people prospects turn to first.

Prospects and Salespeople

• Seamless Transitions

• Relevant Extensions

• Strategic Advantage

• Partner, not Peddler

Prospects With Buying Committees

• Share Your Ideas• Equate Impact to Priorities• Influence the Invisibles

Recognition & Credibility

• 100% increase in lead qualification

• 171% increase in sales-accepted leads

• 200% higher personal connection rate

• 30% shorter sales cycles

Pipeline Momentum

• Sales Opportunities increased from 16 to 76 per month.

• Added $4.9M to the sales pipeline in 8 mos.

Trusted Advisor

eMarketing Strategies for the Complex Sale

Content + Conversations = Pipeline Growth

Situation:

• Dormant Leads – had been qualified at one time.

• Untouched for 90 days or more.

• Began nurturing with email, content articles - including phone outreach with follow-up content.

Outcome:

• 3 month program

• 2,200 Decision Maker conversations based on business priorities.

• 119 sales-qualified leads accepted into pipeline.

5 Tips for Content as Competitive Advantage

• Listen to Your Markets

• Incorporate Your Secret Sauce

• Share Relevant Ideas

• Promote Conversations

• Keep it Coming

Questions

Andrew GaffneyEditorDemandGen Reportandrewg@demandgenreport.com

Thank you!

Andrew GaffneyEditorDemandGen Reportandrewg@demandgenreport.com