How to Best Connect and Engage Buyers in a World of "Short Attention Span Theater"?

The Best Content For

Short Attention Span

Theater

Tom Pisello, The ROI Guy, Chairman &

Founder, Alinean

December 01, 2011

http://www.alinean.com/

© 2011 Alinean, Inc. 2

Our Speaker

Tom Pisello: The ROI Guy

– A 25-year career helping companies to get more business value from their IT and business investments

– Serial Entrepreneur

– Chairman and Founder

• Alinean – Content Optimization w/ Interactive Smart Content and Value-Based Sales Enablement Tools

• Akonna – Social Media Marketing Competitive Benchmarking

– Evangelist & Blogger

http://www.alinean.com/

http://www.akonna.com/


Agenda

1. The Significance of Content Marketing

2. Content Marketing Challenges

3. Why the Content Marketing Crisis in Confidence?

4. New Content Optimization Strategies & Tactics

12/1/201

1

Page 3


The Significance of Content for Marketing & Sales Enablement


51% increasing budget

over next 12 months

Content Marketing Spending and Tactics

Junta42 and MarketingProfs, 2010 Content Marketing Benchmark Survey


Content Marketing Challenges



Crisis in Confidence

Only 41% indicate

that their content

marketing efforts

are effective.


http://www.contentmarketinginstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/B2B_Content_Marketing_Confidence_Gap.jpg


Why The Content Marketing Crisis in Confidence?


Buyers Have Fundamentally and Permanently Changed

12/1/201

1

Page 9

Longer Sales Cycles

Reduced Deal Size More Leads to Close Same

Amount of Business

Stalled Deals

Increased Competition More Stakeholders

Executive Scrutiny


How would you describe the budgeting/approval

process for your most recent solution purchase?

Determined potential impact through other adopters and built a business case

Budget was taken from another line item after need was established/clear

Budget was determined post multiple bids

Budget was allocated as part of a larger line item once need was established

Budget for project was approved and allocated during beginning of the year

26.7%

26.1%

20.6%

15.8%

10.9%

DCS - 2011


How would you say the buying/decision-making process

changed for most recent purchases vs. prior decisions?

Fewer internal team members provided their input into decision process

Relied more on live customer feedback/recommendations

More internal team members provided their input into decision process

Did more detailed analysis of costs/ROI of solution before finalizing the process

Utilized a wider variety of sources to research options

Took more time to research and consider solutions 48%

36%

34%

30%

21%

16%

Multiple Responses Allowed

DCS - 2011


Which resources did you find most useful in the

early stages of buying process?

10.3% 16.4%

21.2%

34.5% 40.6%

44.2%

70.9%

DCS - 2011


As you progressed through the research process on the

company, which types of communication/content did you

feel were most helpful in supporting your decision?

Other

White papers supporting the business case/impact of the solution

Documents/Tools that supported the ROI justification for the project

Case studies of successful implementations

Vendor Comparison Analysis

26.1%

7.3%

57.6%

48.5%

43%

DCS - 2011


In the later stages of selecting a vendor and rolling out the

product or solution, which tools did you feel were most helpful

in supporting your decision?

12.1% 12.1%

23.6% 27.3%

56.4% 56.4%

“Freemium”

Approach

DCS - 2011


Who do Buyers Trust for Decision Support

Content?

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

Early Middle Late

Internal events/triggers

Peers

Industry analysts

Trade publications

Search engine results

VARs/Partners

Consultants

Vendors

Most often selected as trusted source for purchase decisions content

Source: SiriusDecisions 2010


Short Attention Span Theater

Making the Case for Shorter Content, IDG Connect, Bob Johnson, Analyst, n=389, October 30, 2008

http://www.idgconnect.com/view_abstract/6005/making-case-shorter-content?source=connect









Lack of Content Relevance Has a Significant Cost

• Drives up content creation costs

• Increases the buyer’s decision making process by two weeks or more

• Reduces the chances of making the buyer’s selection shortlist by 1/3rd

• Shrinks the chance of getting the sale by almost 50%

Making the Case for Shorter Content, IDG Connect, Bob Johnson, Analyst, n=389, October 30, 2008


86% of respondents indicated that

relevant content drove the buyer’s decision









Content Optimization Strategies & Tactics


Making Content Relevant to Facilitate the Buyer’s Journey

Buyer’s Journey

Discovery Consideration Decision Purchasing a Solution can be a Complex Change Management Process for the Buyer

Buyers Need Help in Facilitating the Steps in the Process:

• Easier to Do Nothing than to Change

• Several Stakeholders

• Economic Scrutiny

• Competitive Agendas

Buyers are Seeking from Solution Providers:

• Decision Support Content that is Personalized and Concise: One-to-One

• Consultative Advice Not a Sales Pitch

• Relevancy

• Answers to Reasons Why

Why Change? Why Now? Why You?


Relevant Content to Facilitate the Buyer’s Journey


Interactive Smart Content™ & Diagnostic Sales Tools

• Interactive

• Increased Relevance

• Intelligent Quantitative & Qualitative Personalization

• Interactive White Papers

• Diagnostic Assessments

• ROI Calculators

• TCO Comparisons


Other Content Optimization Techniques

• Social Sharing of Content & Collaboration

• E-Books

• Video

– Presentations

– Case Studies

– FAQ Guides

– Landing Pages

• Free Trials / Demos


Conclusions

• Buyers Have Changed

– Purchase process is more complex

– More empowered, but overloaded

– More skeptical and frugal / economic-focused

• Content Marketing Must be More Relevant to Be Effective

– Concise

– Personalized

– Consultative

– Facilitate the Buyer’s Journey

• New Content Marketing Needed to Drive Relevancy

– Interactive Smart Content

– Diagnostic Sales Tools

– E-Books, Video / Video White Papers / Video Landing Pages

– Demos & Trials

– Social Sharing and Collaboration


Questions?


Next Steps

Content Optimization Assessment

http://www.alinean.com/COA

Best Practice Resource Center

http://fightfrugalnomics.com

Ask the ROI Guy Resource Center

http://www.alinean.com/faq

DCS Research & Content Connection Blog

http://www.demandcreationspecialists.com/blog/

12/1/201

1

Page 25

http://www.alinean.com/COA

http://fightfrugalnomics.com/

http://www.alinean.com/faq

http://www.demandcreationspecialists.com/blog/