3. 3
PLEASE QUEUE UP THIS VIDEO AT
2M15S
Play: http://youtu.be/cV0tCphFMr8?t=2m15s
4. 4
OUR VALUE EXCHANGE
A framework for developing a content marketing
strategy that matters in the context of demand gen
Look at and beyond assets
Tons of data
5. 5
CONTENT CONTINUUM
• This is the story of the content continuum. How
companies win the hidden sales cycles along the
road to revenue.
• Each toll gate represents a milestone moment in
the buyer’s journey. To achieve the value
exchange, content marketers must successfully
answer the buyer’s question.
6. 6
PACE: ABERDEEN’S MATURITY CLASS
FRAMEWORK
!
PRESSURES ACTIONS CAPABILITIES ENABLERS
External and internal
forces that impact an
organization’s market
position,
competitiveness, or
business operations.
The strategic
approaches that an
organization takes in
response to industry
pressures.
The business
competencies
(organization,
process, etc…)
required to execute
corporate strategy.
The key technology
solutions required to
support the
organization’s
business practices.
What are Best-in-Class
Companies doing
differently?
What pitfalls are they
avoiding?
Why are they achieving
greater success?
What technologies and
services are enabling
them to succeed?
7. 7
TRIP KUCERA
VP & CMO-in-
Residence
Aberdeen Group /
Harte Hanks
Over 15 years experience in B2B
Marketing
Industry Experience:
➔ Sr. Research Analyst; Aberdeen Group
➔ Corporate Communications; Successfactors / Plateau
➔ Corporate Communications; LogMeIn
➔ Product Marketng; Progress Software
➔ PR; Sonic Software
Principle Marketing Research Analyst
Lead Aberdeen’ client delivery & success team
8. 8
Today's Road to Value
The Content
Continuum
Recap:
Hidden Sales
Cycle
Content
Competition
What’s the
Question?
Content
Marketing
Stats
Recommendations
9. 9
ControlofMessage&Visibility
Competitors Content + Community Marketer (You)
Discovery Consideration Evaluation
Selection
What’s my
problem?
How do I
solve this?
What tools
do I need
for
success?
What are the
risks?
REVISITING THE HIDDEN SALES CYCLEANSWER THE QUESTION
Marketing’s Imperative:
Get Vision-Shaping Content In the Path of the Buyer
14. 14
THREE “Fs” OF CONTENT SUCCESS
• Fine – Beautiful, smart, highly-creative content
will find an audience.
• Fit – Content must have utility to be effective.
Beautiful content that doesn’t move the buyer to
action (eventually) isn’t going to be seen as
beautiful for long.
• Findable– Being there is 90% of success… (but
Google takes care of this, right?)
24. 24
WHAT ARE CRITICAL QUESTIONS?
• The question must be answered to progress
through the gate stage (or false positive results)
• Questions are often implied, if not explicit
(especially in early stages)
• The answer is generally contained in content
(especially in early stages)
• Some buyers may pass go (they may already
know the answer)
25. 25
WHAT’S THE QUESTION?
Buyer’s stage: Discovery!
!
Critical questions: What don’t I
know? How can I be successful at
work? What skills do I need to
be competitive?!
!
Content criteria: vision
forming, challenges status quo,
benchmarks performance
(generally shorter-form) !
!
!
29. 29
WHAT’S THE QUESTION?
Buyer’s stage: Consideration!
!
Critical questions: Which
problem should I solve now? How
do I solve the problem? Which
capabilities are important?!
!
Content criteria: Capabilities
and best practices (buyer begins
to become mental user), use-case
examples (longer-form content
emerges)!
33. 33
WHAT’S THE QUESTION?
Buyer’s stage: Evaluation!
!
Critical questions: Who can help
me solve this problem? How can I
reduce risk, maximize ROI?!
!
Content criteria: Solution-
centric; ROI (risk of doing
nothing perceived as higher than
risk of action)!
!
34. 34
WHAT’S THE QUESTION?
Buyer’s stage: Selection!
!
Critical questions: How will I
succeed? Are we making the right
choice? !
!
Content criteria: Customer
success, peer-driven insights!
!
39. 39
RECOMMENDATIONS
• Consider your buyers’ information needs – they’re
critical questions – at each stage of the discovery/
decision cycle
• Make content more than clever (create bias in favor
of your solution)
• Extend the conversation thru to Sales
• Measure the impact of content based on this model