#cmworld

Apply Company Positioning to Power Storytelling in B2B

Ardath AlbeeMarketing Interactions@ardath421 • #cmworld

#cmworld

Content Marketing is about more than producing content your buyers care about.

#cmworld

5 Core Goals for B2B Content Marketing

Catch Attention

Grow Engagement

Create Conversation

s

Shorten Buy Cycles

Produce Viable

Opportunities

#cmworld

Positioning

The art of sharing your distinct value

in ways that resonate with your

buyers, compelling them to engage,

trust, and ultimately buy from you.

#cmworld

Distinct Value

The intersection of your company’s

strengths with customer needs.

#cmworld

#cmworld

Apple = Intuitive Use

#cmworld

Find Anything

#cmworld

#cmworld

#cmworld

#cmworld

#cmworld

Simplify and Automate IT Processes

#cmworld

Corporate Positioning is the Pivot PointManual

processes

Cost reduction

Missed SLAsPerformance improvements

Tool sprawlSimplify & Automate IT Processes

Applying positioning in support of buyers’ needs.

ITSM

#cmworld

Buyer Value Statement as Premise

As the Director of IT Service

Delivery, I need to eliminate

manual processes for the

service desk in order to improve

performance and meet SLAs.

#cmworld

Corporate Positioning is the Pivot PointFaster service provisioning

Lower CapEx

Improved time to value

Unified management

for virtual services

Capacity planning and

scalability Simplify & Automate IT Processes

Applying positioning in support of buyers’ needs.

Cloud Lifecycle Management

#cmworld

Buyer Value Statement as Premise

As the VP of IT Infrastructure, I

need faster service provisioning

to keep up with the demands of

business objectives. Cloud

seems to be the answer, but…

#cmworld

Story: a narrative meant to inform, educate or entertain.

#cmworld

“Story gives people enough space to think for themselves.” Annette Simmons

#cmworld

#cmworld

3 Critical Components of Stories

Hero

Villain

Mentor

#cmworld

Crafting a Story

A story starts with trouble.

What’s gone wrong for your prospect?

ITSM: Missed SLAs due to manual processes

#cmworld

Respond to TroubleHow to evaluate your ITSM maturity level

What to do when you’ve outgrown your service desk processes

3 Steps to service desk evolution

How to ensure your service desk meets SLAs

Is your service desk holding back business productivity?

Tip: In each piece, make sure the underlying theme is “simplify and automate IT processes.”

#cmworld

Anticipate What Comes Next

Stan: Okay – so we’re only at level 2 of our ITSM maturity – what do I do now?

You: What to do when you’ve outgrown your service desk processes.

Stan: Well, that sounds great, but also hard and too expensive to deploy. I’m not even sure my team has the right skills for this.

You: Oh, but you can do this. And you can do it iteratively with 3 steps to service desk evolution.

Stan: Hmm. Sounds interesting. But will those steps really help my team meet SLAs?

You: Absolutely. Take a look at how to ensure your service desk meets SLAs.

Stan: You make it sound easy. But I’m not convinced. I’m not sure I can make the case for budget.

You: Have you thought about the costs of stalled business productivity? How much is that costing your business?

#cmworld

Story Drivers

Objectives Obstacles

#cmworld

Storytelling and Interactivity

Make sure you connect the dots for your prospects.They will not do it themselves.

#cmworld

Channel Consistency in Storytelling

#cmworld

As long as the “trouble” exists, the story works.

#cmworld

6 Mistakes Made in B2B Storytelling

1. Too much about YOU2. Not serializing the story3. Failing to tell the story across channels4. Addressing the wrong “trouble”5. Forgetting about conflict6. Talking about your company in 3rd

person

#cmworld

6 Things to Remember

1. Distinct value drives story theme2. Distinct value allows pivots for all offerings3. Always start where there’s trouble4. Anticipate what comes next5. Tell consistent stories across channels6. Connect the dots

#cmworld

Thank You!

Ardath Albee, CEO & B2B Marketing StrategistMarketing Interactions, Inc.

Web: www.marketinginteractions.com Twitter: @ardath421Blog: http://marketinginteractions.typepad.com