When are we gonna atop creating so much crappy content? When are we gonna realize that the world has changed. When are we gonna start creating content our audiences actually want? I realize that some marketing leaders are claiming to consider content marketing over advertising. but we have a long way to go before we start seeing more branded content that is actually helpful to our target audience. I keep asking "why do we create so much self-serving and ineffective content?" I think it's easy to blame it on our bosses or the non-marketers who "don't get it." But it's up to us to stand up to our sales and executive colleagues. We need to challenge the status quo. We need to use data-driven insights and business results to show that acting like a publisher will bring more prospects to know, like and trust us enough to buy from us. So today, I am presenting to a couple hundred of our B2B Marketing colleagues at FWD:B2B. My message: It's time to start acting like a publisher. That means: Create great content AND delivering business results in the form of more customers, revenue and marketing efficiency. Treat content like an asset that needs to be managed and produce a return on investment Create a brand newsroom, content team, publishing group. Whatever you call it, these need to be people with the skills to create great content that moves through the social web and is free of brand promotion. Measure results in the form of business metrics, not marketing speak Work with publishers resources to create great content Consider news, entertainment, and emotional storytelling For more details on how to do it, check out 8 Steps To Become A Brand Publisher. Check out my slides below and let me know what you think in the comments below. Please follow along on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Google+ or Subscribe to the B2B Marketing Insider Blog for regular updates.

1. It’s Time To Act Like A Publisher
Michael Brenner
SAP - VP, Marketing & Content Strategy
@BrennerMichael

2. Most People Think
This is Marketing
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Public
@BrennerMichael2

3. My family spent a day on a Times Square
billboard…I think my Klout score went down!
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Public
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4. Advertising + Marketing = Down
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Public
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5. Digital + Content = Up
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Public
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6. We have always told stories
@BrennerMichael

7. It’s really about emotion
@BrennerMichael

8. Life was easy when I was young
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Public
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9. Then the internet happened
Me, 20 pounds years ago
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Public
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10. Now we’re all telling stories
Today we are all connected
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Public
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11. What’s Wrong With Our Content? It’s Too Much Like This…
• 5,000 marketing messages per day
• 2/3 of U.S. on the “Do Not Call” list
• 86% of people skip television ads
• 44% of direct mail is never opened
• 90% of emails are never opened
• 99.5% of emails never clicked
© 2013 SAP AG or an SAP affiliate company. All rights reserved.
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Public
@BrennerMichael

12. And our marketing stinks

13. 73% of people surveyed wouldn’t care if the brands
they use disappeared from their life.
Source: Co.Exist
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@BrennerMichael 13

14. Our customer are bored
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Public
@BrennerMichael

15. @BrennerMichael
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16. What is Marketing?
“The aim of marketing is to know and
understand the customer so well the
product or service fits him and sells
itself…
~ Peter F. Drucker
“Marketing is too important to be left to the
marketing department.”
~ David Packard
© 2013 SAP AG or an SAP affiliate company. All rights reserved.
@BrennerMichael
Public
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17. We need to connect!
And Not Enough Like This…
@BrennerMichael
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18. We need to create great content
@BrennerMichael
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19. And pour our fans a beer
@BrennerMichael
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20. Our Story

21. The buyer journey starts with a search . . .
Customer Questions:
• What is real-time analytics?
• What is cloud computing?
• What is Big Data?
• What are mobile solutions?
• How are companies benefiting from … ?
• Who are the top vendors in … ?
• What does SAP sell?
10 - 1000X
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Public
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22. How Much “Early Stage” Search Traffic Do We Get?
Early Stage Visitor:
•100,000’s
of searches / mo
Later Stage Visitor:
•100s
of searches / mo
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@BrennerMichael
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23. We Were Not Answering Our Customers Top Questions
• 99.9% of our web traffic from visitors
who already know us or bought from
us.
• Less than 0.1% were net-new or
early-stage prospects
• Less than 10 keywords generated all
the early-stage search traffic
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Public
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24. Why Is Content Marketing Important?
Get Found
(SEO*)
Content
Marketing
Get Shared
(Social)
Get Leads
(Conversion)
*search engine optimization
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Public
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25. The Answer: Think And Act Like A Publisher
Content Strategy: Get the content your audience needs…
… delivered in all the places they go
•
•
•
•
For each persona
For each stage of the buyer journey
For all media channels
Requires created, curated and syndicated content
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Public
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26. Source: Ann Handley
www.annhandley.com
© 2013 SAP AG or an SAP affiliate company. All rights reserved.
26
Public
@BrennerMichael

27. Business Innovation
http://blogs.sap.com/innovation
Mission
Statement:
To earn our audience’s
attention through
content that shows
business people how
technology and
innovation can help
them grow their
business, out-perform
their competition and
advance their careers.
© 2013 SAP AG or an SAP affiliate company. All rights reserved.
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28. Business Innovation
A “Content Hub” to earn traffic instead of buying it
 Deliver content our audience wants
 NO PROMOTIONAL CONTENT
 Daily, Social, Mobile
 “Curated Authors:” 400 Contributors / 50% external
 Subtle branding
 Personalized Experience
 Appropriate CTA to explore SAP solutions
Market examples: AMEX Open Forum, Adobe CMO.com and BCGPerspectives
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29. Business Innovation Site Objectives
Become a destination of business insights
Answer Early-Stage buyers questions about
how technology and innovation drive growth
Drive affinity for the
SAP brand
Drive Business Results (subscribers / leads)
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30. Infographic to Report on Goals:
Reach, Engagement AND Conversions
Traffic, engagement and leads we would’ve
NEVER seen
• What
• How
content drives Unique Visitors?
much traffic from Social + Search?
• How
much of our search traffic is non-branded or
using product terms?
• Are
we showing true ROI?
Recognized for customer-centric content strategy by Fast
Company, Digiday, Content Marketing Institute, more…
YTD through Sept, 2013
Always optimizing
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31. Organic & social traffic continues to grow
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Public
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32. Continuously Optimizing For Conversion
Focus on Subscriptions
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Appropriate Offers
Public
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33. Most Popular Articles (10X average Pageviews)
•
Top 50 Influencers / 10 Blog Sites
•
Terms You Need To Know
•
Myths…Busted
•
10 Predictions for…
•
What is…?
•
The First Step to Success in…
•
How To Get Ahead With…
•
Infographics
© 2013 SAP AG or an SAP affiliate company. All rights reserved.
Public
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34. The half-life of a piece of content
shared on top social networks is 3 hours.
(Half-life is the amount of time it takes content to reach 50% of the clicks it will ever
Source: Bit.ly
receive).
© 2013 SAP AG or an SAP affiliate company. All rights reserved.
@BrennerMichael 34

35. We've created this resource to help you – whether you are a business leader, a social consumer, a
millennial employee - to help drive transformational change within your corner of the world.
Because no matter what you do, where you do it, how much experience you have or whatever
industry you serve, the future of business will be created by you.
Click here to view all 99 Facts on The Future of Business.
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Public
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36. 90% of all internet traffic in 2017 will be video.
Source: Cisco
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37. Business Insider: Future of Business Site Sponsorship
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Public
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38. Business Insider: Future of Business Site Sponsorship
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Public
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39. Business Insider: Future of Business Site Sponsorship
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Public
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40. The Future of Content Marketing?
•
Customer-Centric
@BrennerMichael

41. The Future of Content Marketing?
•
Customer-Centric
•
More Visual, Consumable, Snackable
@BrennerMichael

42. The Future of Content Marketing?
•
Customer-Centric
•
More Visual, Consumable, Snackable
•
Brand As Publisher, Newsroom
•
Brand + Publisher
@BrennerMichael

43. The Future of Content Marketing?
•
Customer-Centric
•
More Visual, Consumable, Snackable
•
Brand As Publisher
•
Brand + Publisher
•
Brand As Entertainer?
@BrennerMichael

44. Slides available on:
Slideshare.net/MichaelBrenner
Thank
you!
Michael Brenner
Vice President,
SAP Marketing & Content Strategy
Michael.Brenner@SAP.com
Connect with Me:
© 2013 SAP AG or an SAP affiliate company. All rights reserved.
Marketing Blog:
B2B Marketing Insider
SAP Content Hub:
Business Innovation
Twitter:
@brennermichael