AT&T generated $47 million in new business within a period of 18 months using a combined content marketing and social media strategy. Content marketing’s ROI is real and compelling.
This slide deck explains how modern marketers are using content marketing to position their company as a trusted advisor and influence the B2B buying process from the beginning stages of the buyer’s journey.
It also contains other impressive ROI figures that can help persuade senior management to invest in a content marketing strategy, or if you’re already practicing content marketing, to increase resources for this key sales enablement initiative.
2. “
The hardest thing about B2B
selling today is that customers
DON’T NEED YOU
- The End of Solution Sales, Harvard Business Review
“
the way they used to.
3. There’s NO denying it.
The web and social media have
changed the B2B buying process.
6. While
90%
of buyers begin their SEARCH
for a solution online ....
A startling
60%
*
of the buying decision is
made BEFORE speaking
with a supplier.
* The End of Solution Sales, Harvard Business Review
7. “
“
NO LONGER are companies and their
sales people the gatekeepers that must
be sought out for help.
- Ardath Albee, author of “eMarketing Strategies for the Complex Sale”
8. represented by SEARCH ENGINES
“
“
The informational gatekeepers are now
SOCIAL NETWORKS and PERCEPTIONS
of relevance.
- Ardath Albee, author of “eMarketing Strategies for the Complex Sale”
9. Like it or not, buyers are
SELF-SERVING on the web.
16. “ ARMED TO THE TEETH
Customers are coming to the table
with a deep understanding of their
problem and a well scoped RFP. It’s
“
turning many of our sales conversations
into FULFILLMENT conversations.
- Chief Sales Officer, High Tech Company
22. INTERRUPTION IS NO
LONGER EFFECTIVE.
Instead, marketers must inform buyers with
content that builds relationships and trust.
- Content: The Force that Moves Buyers Down the Funnel (Kapost)
“
“
In a context where buyers are in control,
24. Buy our product.
It has all these great
FEATURES and FUNCTIONALITY
that you’ll love.
Self-Serving
25. Buy our product.
It has all these great
FEATURES and FUNCTIONALITY
that you’ll love.
Buyer-Centric
Self-Serving
Here are ways to
solve your PROBLEM and
attain your GOALS.
27. Chances are you’ve REVERSE-ENGINEERED
your product’s value basedwhat isfeatures,
on its known as
This is
so it doesn’t REALLY speak to buyers’ needs.
CONTENT MARKETING.
Value
Features,
Functionality
* “For Compelling Content, Let Your Buyers Be Your Guide” - Buyer Persona Institute
*
31. “
(Content Marketing) ... is being there
when customers need you and seek you out
with RELEVANT, EDUCATIONAL, HELPFUL,
COMPELLING, ENGAGING and sometimes
ENTERTAINING information.
“
- Rebecca Lieb, author of “Content Marketing: How to
Use Content to Market Online and in Social Media
32. In this brave new world, content takes
on much more interesting and helpful
SHAPES and FORMS.
33. Content GENRES
- Case Study
- Best Practices
- ROI Calculator
- How-To Tips
- FAQs
- Interview
- Trends
- Survey
- Research
- Etc.
34. Content FORMATS
TEXT
- Blog
- Article
- Whitepaper
- E-Book
VISUAL
- Video
- Demo
- Infographic
- Slideshare
EVENT
- Seminar
- Workshop
AUDIO
- Podcast
35. This means there are MANY
opportunities to create content
that positions your company
as a subject EXPERT and
trusted ADVISOR ...
36. ... for EACH question the customer has.
CUSTOMER
QUESTION
Blog
Article
White
Paper
E-Book
Video
Demo
InfoGraphic
SlideShare
Seminar
Case Study
Best Practice
ROI Calculator
How-To Tips
FAQs
Interview
Trends
Survey
Research
Other
Who has had a similar
problem and what did they
do about it? What was
the ROI?
WorkShop
PodCast
37. In addition to being helpful, publishing buyer-centric
content gives you a clear COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE.
38. you UNDERSTAND their problems and
can SHOW them how to solve them,
you build credibility .... prospects will
PROACTIVELY SEEK IT OUT.
- Ardath Albee, author of “eMarketing Strategies for the Complex Sale”
“
“
By publishing content that shows buyers
39. level of trust among their customers that makes it
EASIER FOR CUSTOMERS TO BUY.
- Joe Pulizzi and Newt Barrett, authors of “Get Content, Get Customers:
Turn Prospects into Buyers with Content Marketing”
“
“
Content marketing enables companies to build a
40. This is what is known as
There are also many OPERATIONAL benefits
CONTENT MARKETING.
to publishing buyer-centric content.
41. The more content
you publish, the
higher you’ll rank
in ORGANIC
search results.
This is what is known as
CONTENT MARKETING.
42. Better still, Google’s latest algorithm,
Hummingbird, recognizes and rewards
QUALITY content with higher ranking.
- 2012 Hubspot Report
43. Leads that are generated through organic
search have a
close rate ...
14.6%
- The 2012 State of Inbound Marketing Report (Hubspot)
44. Leads that are generated through organic
search have a
close rate ...
14.6%
... while outbound marketing leads
only have a
close rate.
1%
- The 2012 State of Inbound Marketing Report (Hubspot)
45. 3X MORE LEADS.
- Content Marketing ROI (Kapost and Eloqua)
:
“
“
Per dollar, content marketing produces
46. So it’s easy to understand why
91% of surveyed B2B companies
practice content marketing ...
- B2B Content Marketing 2013 Research Report
47. 33%
... and allocate up to
of their annual
marketing budget to content marketing ...
- B2B Content Marketing 2013 Research Report
48. ... to DRIVE key marketing and sales tactics.
Brand awareness
79%
Engagement
63%
Customer acquisition
74%
Website traffic
60%
Lead generation
71%
Lead management
45%
Thought leadership
64%
Sales
43%
Retention / loyalty
64%
- B2B Content Marketing 2013 Research Report
49. What’s more, when content is combined
with social media, you can engage buyers
in a CONVERSATION ...
50. What’s more, when content is combined
with social media, you can engage buyers
in a CONVERSATION ...
...and the ROI can be signficant.
59. You need to get your content in front of
buyers BEFORE your competitors do.
“
60. You need to get your content in front of
buyers BEFORE your competitors do.
“
And it has to truly RESONATE with them.
61. move on to a different provider
who is more helpful.
- Adele Revella, President of the Buyer Persona Institute
“
“
If your content isn’t easy to find
or doesn’t provide the answers
they are seeking, buyers will
62. Seize the OPPORTUNITY to
publish content that delivers
VALUE and INFLUENCES
the B2B buying process.