1.
Optimize Your Content Marketing to Facilitate the Buyers Journey Tom Pisello, The ROI Guy Chairman & Founder, AlineanSeptember 20, 2011

2.
Our SpeakersTom Pisello: The ROI Guy – A 25-year career helping companies to get more business value from their IT and business investments – Serial Entrepreneur – Pundit & Blogger – Chairman and Founder • Alinean – Content Optimization w/ Interactive Smart Content and Value-Based Sales Enablement Tools • Akonna – Social Media Marketing Competitive Benchmarking Page 2 9/20/201 2 © 2011 Alinean, Inc.

3.
Agenda1. The Significance of Content for Marketing & Sales Enablement2. Top Content Challenges3. New Content Optimization Strategies & TacticsPage 3 9/20/201 3 © 2011 Alinean, Inc.

4.
The Significance of Content for Marketing & Sales Enablement © 2011 Alinean, Inc. 4

5.
Content Spending and Tactics 51% increasing budget over next 12 months © 2011 Alinean, Inc. 5Junta42 and MarketingProfs, 2010 Content Marketing Benchmark Survey

6.
Top Content Marketing Challenges © 2011 Alinean, Inc. 6Junta42 and MarketingProfs, 2010 Content Marketing Benchmark Survey

7.
Crisis in Confidence? Only 41% indicate that their content marketing efforts are effective. © 2011 Alinean, Inc. 7Junta42 and MarketingProfs, 2010 Content Marketing Benchmark Survey

8.
Why The Content Marketing Crisis in Confidence? © 2011 Alinean, Inc. 8

9.
Buyers Have Fundamentally and Permanently ChangedMore Leads to Close Same Executive Scrutiny Reduced Deal Size Amount of Business Longer Sales Cycles Increased CompetitionMore Stakeholders Stalled Deals Page 9 9/20/201 9 © 2011 Alinean, Inc.

10.
Frugalnomics: the new mantra for B2B Buyers On average 90% of corporations surveyed require Quantifiable benefits quantifiable proof of bottom-line benefits on most are mandatory projects. Two-thirds (65%) of buyers indicate that they do not Quantifying value is have the knowledge or tools needed to do business difficult for buyers value assessments and calculations. Buyers turn to vendors 81% of buyers expect vendors to quantify business for value proof points value of proposed solutions. Most trusted sources are: Industry Analysts (31.4%), Third party validation is and Peers (28.7%). essential Vendors lag as a trusted source for only 8.1%.Source: IDC 2010, survey of 200 B2B buyers,Sirius Decisions 2010 B-to-B Buyer Survey on trusted sources. © 2011 Alinean, Inc. 10

11.
Describe the budgeting/approval process for most recent solution purchase? 26.7% Budget for project was approved and allocated during beginning of the year 26.1% Budget was allocated as part of a larger line item once need was established 20.6% Budget was determined post multiple bids 15.8%Budget was taken from another line item after need was established/clear 10.9% Determined potential impact through other adopters and built a business Demand Creation Specialists B2B Buyer Survey - 2011 © 2011 Alinean, Inc. 11

12.
How has the buying/decision-making process changed for the most recent purchases vs. prior decisions? Multiple Responses AllowedTook more time to research and consider 48% solutions Utilized a wider variety of sources to 36% research optionsDid more detailed analysis of costs/ROI of 34% solution before finalizing the process More internal team members provided 30% their input into decision process Relied more on live customer 21% feedback/recommendations Demand Creation Specialists B2B Buyer Survey - 2011 © 2011 Alinean, Inc. 12

13.
Which Content is The Most Effective? Most often used to help make purchase decisions 70% White papers 60% Peer referrals 50% Webinars 40% Email 30% User Events 20% Analyst reports 10% Case Studies 0% Early Middle LateSource: SiriusDecisions 2010 © 2011 Alinean, Inc. 13

14.
Content Optimization Strategies & Tactics © 2011 Alinean, Inc. 14

15.
Fight Frugalnomics™ with Value Selling & MarketingProduct Focus Solution Focus Value FocusDiscussion: Discussion: Discussion:• Customer knows issue • Prescriptive & Quantified • Customer knows issues &• Tie features / functions to desired outcome • Discover… Is customer needs aware of issue? • Questions to discover pain• Compares product points alternatives • Diagnose… How bad is it?• Feature • Function • Price • Recommend solution to • Quantify … Value of change solve pain • Compare … Value vs. StatusDrive: Sales Led: Product Drive: Sales Led: Pain-Point Quo / CompetitionDriven Driven Drive: Diagnostic Led: What is issue & value of change? Solution Vendor Trusted Advisor Provider © 2011 Alinean, Inc. 15

16.
Making Content Relevant by Mapping to the Buyer’s JourneyBuyer’s Journey Purchasing a Solution is a Complex Change Management Process Discovery Consideration Decision Need Help in Facilitating the Steps in the Process: • Easier to Do Nothing than to Change • More Stakeholders • Competitive Agendas • More Economic Scrutiny Seeking Content that is: • Consultative, Not a Sales Pitch • Proactive • Personalized and Concise: One-to-One • More Relevant 16 © 2011 Alinean, Inc.

17.
Content to Facilitate the Buyer’s Journey © 2011 Alinean, Inc. 17

18.
Facilitating the Buyer’s Journey w/ Interactive Smart Content & Diagnostic Sales ToolsBUYER’S JOURNEY Loosening Exploring Committing Justifying Committing Making the of the possible to a the to change selection status quo solutions solution decision DISCOVERY CONSIDERATION DECISIONContent Marketing & Sales Enablement Strategy Help Align Align buyer solution Validate/ Create reinforce problem with identify with Make the awareness choice business needs in specific business casearound a new issues; drive solving sets of for change Prove best problem urgency the business value problem needs PROVOCATIVE APPROACH VALUE APPROACH Interactive White Diagnostic Assessment ROI Analysis Tools TCO Comparison Tools Papers Tools © 2011 Alinean, Inc. 18

19.
Interactive White Papers • Interactive Profiling to Align Content • Intelligent Quantitative & Qualitative Personalization • Concise • Increased Relevance © 2011 Alinean, Inc. 19

20.
Diagnostic Assessment Tools • Identify / Prioritize Issues and Recommend Solutions • Survey to Identify Opportunities • Peer / Leader Benchmarking • Intelligent Roadmap Recommendations © 2011 Alinean, Inc. 20

21.
ROI Calculators & TCO Comparison Tools • Quantify Cost of Doing Nothing • Justify Solutions • Differentiate Value © 2011 Alinean, Inc. 21

22.
Are You Ready to Optimize Your Content?• Buyers Have Changed – Purchase process is more complex – More empowered, but overloaded – More skeptical and frugal / economic focus – Need help from solution providers• Content Must be More Relevant to be Effective – Facilitate the Buyer’s Journey – Consultative & Concise – Personalized / One-to-One• New Content Marketing Needed to Drive Relevancy – Interactive White Papers – Diagnostic Assessment Tools – ROI Calculators – TCO Comparison Tools © 2011 Alinean, Inc. 22

23.
Next StepsContent Optimization Assessmenthttp://www.alinean.com/COABest Practice Resource Centerhttp://fightfrugalnomics.com Page 23 9/20/201 23 © 2011 Alinean, Inc.

24.
Questions? © 2011 Alinean, Inc. 24