Key challenges in transforming from “batch and blast” to persona-driven email marketing
Marketing Automation
Byron O’Dell Daniel Burstein
Senior Director, Demand Management Director of Editorial Content
IHS MECLABS
Session Speaker
2
Byron O’Dell
Senior Director, Demand Management
IHS
Byron has enjoyed executing marketing programs and helping to evolve the science of marketing for more than 15 years. In his current role, O’Dell works closely with the corporate, product and field marketing teams to deploy processes and marketing programs to drive revenue for IHS, based in Englewood, Colo. Prior to IHS, O’Dell worked for IMI Norgren, where he managed the marketing efforts for the Americas region for this large engineering and manufacturing firm.
Black & White Headshot
@byronodell
WHO IS IHS
We offer information, analytics and
expertise to organizations around
the world.
Organizations depend on our insights to help make decisions about everything from day-to-day operations to long-term investments.
© 2014 IHS 03
ABOUT IHS
2,600 Experts & Industry Analysts
140+ Global offices
6 0 + Acquisitions since 2005
Before: Batch and blast
• Lots of website traffic, no conversion
• Lots of contacts, no insight
• Unqualified leads
After: Personas and automation
• Actionable personas
• Higher engagement
• Sales alignment
• High-quality leads
Results: Massive increases in clickthrough rate
Touch 1 Touch 2 Touch 3 Touch 4
1,112%
741%
981%
398%
vs. Batch and Blast Baseline
Personas
• Example of personas
Results: Higher-quality leads
IHS Reporting Period
Marketing Contribution to Revenue: Aerospace and Defense
1st Half - 2013 6.5%
2nd Half - 2013 11.9% ( 83.3%)
Overcoming challenges
Keeping the rocket fueled
Getting the right content to the right people
Expanding on what you thought you knew
Initial challenge at a glance
• Great Web traffic• Big contact list • Good brand recognition• Low email engagement• Contacts go stale• Low-quality leads
• Great Web traffic• Big contact list • Good brand recognition• Low email engagement• Contacts go stale• Low-quality leads
Initial challenge at a glance
Why automation?
How to determine if automation can help your company keep the rocket fueled
Growing company
Unengaged database
Unqualified leads
Not enough resources to target manually
Automation might not be a fit for your company if…
You like doing the same thing over and over again (and expect different results).
You have more budget and people than time.
You live in a buried bus in your backyard.
Definesecondary
personas
Knowhow the
customer uses the product
Defineprimary
personas
How to build personas
Tip: Get the right people in the right room.
Definesecondary
personas
Knowhow the
customer uses the product
Defineprimary
personas
How to build personasTip: Keep the right people in
the right room.
Personas Military/Gov’t (Planning & Strategy)
•Strategy & Planning
•Research & Development
Military/Gov’t (Technical & Program)
•Training / Simulation
•Engineering / Technical (Military & Security)
•Procurement
•Technical Information / Resource Management (Military & Security)
Intelligence Analysis
•Threat / Country Analyst
•Capability Analyst
•Imagery Analyst
•Legal Counsel
Industry (Commercial)
•Strategic Planning / Competitive Intel
•Business Development
•Marketing
•Commercial Information Resource / Researcher
Industry (Technical & Program)
•Engineering / Technical (A&D Industry)
•Product Development / Program Management
•Technical Information Resource / Researcher (A&D Industry)
Media/Advertising/PR
•Reporter / Media
•Advertising
•Public Relations / Corporate Communications
Primary Persona
Secondary Persona
Military/Gov’t (Planning & Strategy)
•Strategy & Planning
•Research & Development
No, this was not one of our personas.
Knowhow the
customer uses the product
Defineprimary
personas
Definesecondary
personas
How to build personas
IHS A&D Segmentation Model
• Helps target marketing messages by knowing audience • (i.e., how do they consume content)
• Applies not only to emails/collateral, but also to assets and offers • (i.e., where are they in the buyer’s journey)
Buyer Personas
Continuethe
conversation
How To: Get fresh, high-quality content
Buildcontent
around Value Proposition
for each persona
Createcontent
around Value Proposition
for becoming a customer
Identifysegmented content for immediate
engagement
Tip: Organize to ensure the database is targeted and content is balanced
across different personas.
How To: Get fresh, high-quality content
Buildcontent
around value proposition
for each persona
Createcontent
around Value Proposition
for becoming a customer
Identifysegmented content for immediate
engagement
Continuethe
conversation
Tip: Content takes much longer to build than technology for a multi-touch nurturing
program.
Persona-specific messagingDay 8
Inbound source customization
Inbound source customization
Persona-based customization
Buildcontent
around value proposition for persona
Createcontent
around value proposition
for becoming a customer
Identifysegmented content for immediate
engagement
How To: Get fresh, high-quality content
Continuethe
conversation
Tip: Hire a copywriter.
Tip: You probably already have some of this, round it up.
Buildcontent
around value proposition
for each persona
Createcontent
around value proposition
for becoming a customer
Identifysegmented content for immediate
engagement
How To: Get fresh, high-quality content
Continuethe
conversation
Craft automated drip tracks
for each persona
Create forms to capture persona
information
Make templates
with customizable
content blocks
TestUse A/B
testing to optimize
How To: Implement automation technology
Build database
throughout campaign
using progressive
profiling
Tip: Don’t stop batch and blast – be smarter about it!
Progressive Profiling
How the program works
Nurture MessagingPersona Messaging
Welcome Email
Week 1:5 Ways IHS Can Help
Week 2:Case Study for you
Week 3:IHS best content
Week 4:Schedule Demo
Week 5:Insider Drip
Week 6:Insider Nurture
Craft automated drip tracks
for each persona
Createforms to capture persona
information
Make templates
with customizable
content blocks
TestUse A/B
testing to optimize
How To: Implement automation technology
Build database
throughout campaign
using progressive
profiling
Tip: Don’t just add technology, change the
culture.
Forms Learning #1Tip: Iceberg form strategy
From this short form, we get all this!
• Company (structured)• Address• Company Phone• Fortune 1000 flag• Industry• Employee Count• Annual Sales
Craft automated drip tracks
for each persona
Create forms to capture persona
information
Maketemplates
with customizable
content blocks
TestUse A/B
testing to optimize
How To: Implement automation technology
Build database
throughout campaign
using progressive
profiling
Persona-specific messagingDay 8
Inbound source customization
Inbound source customization
Persona-based customization
Craft automated drip tracks
for each persona
Createforms to capture persona
information
Maketemplates
with customizable
content blocks
TestUse A/B
testing to optimize
How To: Implement automation technology
Builddatabase
throughout campaign
using progressive
profiling
Tip: You don’t have to build your targeted
database all at once.
Progressive Profiling: Initial sign-up
Form shrunk from 15 required fields down to 7
Plus, this is another iceberg form:• Company (structured)• Address• Company Phone• Fortune 1000 flag• Industry• Employee Count• Annual Sales
Progressive Profiling: Contact
Tip: Auto-fill information that you
already know.
Ask for/confirm address because they are ready to
buy!
Craft automated drip tracks
for each persona
Createforms to capture persona
information
Maketemplates
with customizable
content blocks
TestUse A/B
testing to optimize
How To: Implement automation technology
Build database
throughout campaign
using progressive
profiling
Tip: Get it out the door! Follow best practices first, then optimize with data.
Top takeaways
• It is all about content – and the right target audience – and the right timing. It’s a three-legged stool.
• The payback on this approach is ultimately less overhead and higher engagement vs. traditional batch and blast.
• Getting the organization to think in terms of persona-relevant content and buying-stage-relevant content = higher success = sales.
• Use the technology: Triggered communications, form design and database enrichment will fuel your success long term.
• Just start and keep it simple. Remember, the fast eat the slow.