Content Marketing – Guiding the Customer through the Funnel

Ashutosh Gupta Head of Marketing Solutions, India

LinkedIn Marketing Solutions

Your buyers’ behavior is forever changed

90% Before customers reach out directly

Source: Forrester, “Buyer Behavior Helps B2B Marketers Guide the Buyer’s

Journey,” October 2012

10 Pieces of content

are consumed before a purchasing decision

is made

Source: Zero Moment of Truth Study, Google

It’s a challenging world…

Increase targeted reach and quality conversions

The Challenge

5%

Fill out a form*

20% Open emails**

1% Opportunities captured

*B2B campaign form conversion rates range from 1-5%, Sirius Decisions Benchmark Survey. **Ayaz Nanji, “Email Open and Click-Through Rates: Benchmarks by Vertical,” MarketingProfs, May 13, 2013

6

Reach only the right people

Deliver highly relevant

and helpful content

Tailor your message based on

where they are in the decision process

Imagine if the funnel worked like it should…

Reach only the right people

Content

Groups

Content Strategy

B2B Social Media

Friends of LinkedIn

Occupation

Sales

Standardized

Job Titles

Director

Function

Sales

Company

LinkedIn

Industry

Technology

Size

5000+

Demographics

Age

gender Geo

India

Education

IIM

1

7 More engagement with content v/s jobs x

Content is our core

482,514 3,369 1,972

Share 12K Send a message

2 Deliver highly relevant and helpful content

Set up a test of different updates to reach different audiences

Sponsored Update 1:

Targeted to CMOs

These insights can help you drive

transformational change to your business. [link to white paper landing page with tracking tag 1]

Sponsored Update 2:

Targeted to Marketing Directors

Need to demonstrate the ROI of your

marketing efforts? These insights can help. [link to white paper landing page with tracking tag 2]

Sponsored Update 3:

Targeted to Social Media Managers

Social media managers: Get the insights you

need to drive the engagement you want. [link to white paper landing page with tracking tag 3]

Big Rock

Content

Example: B2B Marketing company XYZ

has recently launched a new piece of

research and is publishing updates to

LinkedIn to drive marketers to download it.

Use targeting on LinkedIn to deliver the right

message to the right person at the right time

But be careful NOT

to over-target.

It’s important to reach everyone

who could influence a buying

decision, so cast a wide net and

then refine your

targeting preferences.

Mapping Content to the Top Funnel

Typical top-funnel buyer needs:

• Do I have a business challenge?

• Who can solve my challenge?

• What should I be looking for a solution?

Education

Evaluation

Proposal

Purchase

Awareness Awareness

Education

Evaluation

Proposal

Purchase

3 Tailor your message based on where they are in the

decision process

Meet top-funnel needs with content

that is educational, “ungated,” and

addictively shareable:

• Blogs

• Infographics

• Videos

Mapping Content to the Top Funnel

3 Tailor your message based on where they are in the

decision process

Meet top-funnel needs with content that is educational, “ungated,” and

addictively shareable

Mapping Content to the Top Funnel

Promote Adobe thought leadership to

marketing DMs

Result: After exposure, decision makers were:

• 50% more likely to agree that “Adobe is

shaping the future of digital marketing”

• 79% more likely to agree that “Adobe can help

me optimize my media spend”

Mapping Content to the Top Funnel

Typical mid-funnel buyer needs:

• I’m ready to start learning about this product/service.

• How does this compare to other products?

• What other companies have used this solution? Education

Evaluation

Proposal

Purchase

Awareness Awareness

Education

Evaluation

Proposal

Purchase

Mapping Content to the Middle Funnel

Mid-funnel content begins to

address specific interests and

questions around the

product/service :

• eBooks

• Webinars

• Demos

• Case Studies

Mapping Content to the Middle Funnel

Mid-funnel content begins to address specific interests and questions

around the product/service :

Mapping Content to the Middle Funnel

Typical bottom-funnel buyer needs: • How much does this cost?

• Do I need to get buy-in from others?

• I need customer references to make a decision Education

Evaluation

Proposal

Purchase

Awareness Awareness

Education

Evaluation

Proposal

Purchase

Mapping Content to The Bottom Funnel

Bottom-funnel content is the “deal-closer”:

• Evaluation guides

• ROI calculators

• Free trials

• Case Studies

Mapping Content to the Bottom Funnel

Bottom-funnel content is the “deal-

closer”:

Mapping Content to the Bottom Funnel

Promote gated content offers to marketers

Result: Delivered 400% more leads –

and higher quality leads – within target

audience than lead generation efforts

on any other platform

Mapping Content to the Bottom Funnel

The Sophisticated Marketer’s Guide to LinkedIn

Repurpose, repurpose, then repurpose some more

Infographics

Blog Content

Physical Book

Mobile Download

SlideShares Influencer Blogs

Webinars Podcasts

MQL

Turkey Slices (Non Gated)

Lead Capture

No Yes

Revenue Sales

SDR Sales Qualified?

BIG ROCK

(Gated)

Nurture

No Yes

Impact Every Stage of the Journey

• Generate Awareness

• Increase Education

• Influence Evaluation

• Impact Proposal

• Drive Purchase

Welcome To The Funnel!

• Generate Awareness

• Increase Education

• Influence Evaluation

• Impact Proposal

• Drive Purchase

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