The Key to Content Marketing Success: Focus on Customer Experience by Shelly Kramer #bmakc

The Key to Content Marketing SuccessFocus on Customer Experience

Shelly Kramer, V3 Integrated Marketing@shellykramer

Today’s business environment?

Most days, people feel like this

Attention is fractured

The customer journey is constantly evolving and changing

The Sales “Funnel” Isn’t Really a Funnel

There’s just one way to get their attention….

Understand this ….

Keep It PersonalBuyers are 60% of the way down the purchase path before they

want live help.

95% of purchasers said the solution provider they chose provided them with ample content to navigate through each stage of the buying process.

66% of recent purchasers said that consistent and relevant communication provided by both sales + marketing was a key influence in choosing that company.

Source: Forrester’s Rethink Marketing in the Buyer’s Context, 2/2013

@shellykramer

What they care about….Finding CustomersDealing With the CompetitionManaging CostsDeveloping New Products + Services

Source: Bredin, 2013 SMB Survey, http://www.bredin.com/press_01092013.html

@ShellyKramer V3 Integrated Marketing

Digital: The Dominant Sales Channel

Survey of 4,000 CMOs, 64% said they want to approach customers as individuals. Those same marketers recognize that digital will replace face-to-face as the

dominant sales channel in the next 3-5 years. What to do?

Source: BM, CxO Study, 10/2013

V3 Integrated Marketing

This is what people thought I looked like

@ShellyKramerV3 Integrated Marketing


This is what people thought I looked like

@ShellyKramerV3 Integrated Marketing

V3 Integrated Marketing@ShellyKramerV3 Integrated Marketing

Where to Start?

@shellykramer

Content Impacts Everything

What Marketers Say…

Let Strategy Drive Tactics• What makes us a company they want to do business with?• Do they need what we sell? Do they know it?• Do our values and culture align?• What makes us better, different, interesting, unique, more

appealing? Worth paying attention to?

• What problems do we solve? How do we make customers’ lives easier and them more successful, profitable, etc.

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Content Marketing & Personas

• Who is this person?• What are their work habits?• What are their challenges?• What are their responsibilities?• Who do they work with and report to?• How much purchase authority do they have?• What is their vendor selection role: End User, Influencer, Decision Maker etc• Do they have a relationship with your company today?• What do they read?• How do they measure success

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•

What to do?

@shellykramer

Know what you’re up against

@shellykramer

Everybody’s a “Content Creator”





Like these people….


Like these people….

Let the Buying Stages Drive Your Content Strategy

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Learn

Solve

Compare

Purchase

Content + Search + Social Inform the Customer Journey

Remember the 96% Rule

If you want success, learn this. Let it drive everything you do.

Prospects come for a reasonThey have a problem or they need information.

• Live for 8 seconds.• Don’t make the copy on your website or your blog

posts about you, make it about them.• Understand the 96% rule. Give them something of

value in exchange for what you value.• Look at the home page of your website as soon as

we’re done here. Is it 100% clear what problems they have that you solve? If not, go fix that.

@shellykramer

Can you see this? Can you use it?

Making Opting In a Breeze• Sidebar• Lightbox popup after x amount of time on site• Header or Footer• In the content itself, at the bottom• On your Resources page, where you offer

other things of value

Use short, intuitive forms

What Does Your Research Show?What do they talk about online with regard to your

product, service, industry, niche, problems, etc.?What do they need?What motivates them?What do they really care about?What makes them laugh?

How to get there? Search volume and language, social listening, social interaction, insights from your sales team and customers.

Let’s Talk About Underwear

Understand why they like you

Appreciate them

Know your audience

Feed their desire to be a part of the experience

Understand Triggers + Pain Points

• Learn (I have a problem, something has to change)

• Solve (How should I solve that problem?)• Compare (Am I solving the problem in the

right way?)• Purchase (Help me build the business case

so that I can buy this from you and make my life easier)

Let’s Talk About BleachersWhat NOT to do

• Company XYZ’s Tip and Roll Bleachers are Great!

• Standard Height Sports Bleachers• XYZ’s Preferred Bleachers are the Best!• Park & Playground Professionals Choose

Deluxe Bleachers from XYZ Bleacher Company• Maximize Your Seating Capacity With Low

Rise Bleachers from XYZ Bleachers

Let’s Talk About BleachersWhat TO do

• How You Can Tip Seating Space Limitations in Your Favor

• Safety and Security: Top of Mind for Seating Procurement Pros

• Preferred Bleachers: Are They Really Any Better?• Parks + Playground Officials: What You Need to

Know About Choosing Bleachers• 5 Seating Solutions That Maximize Seating Capacity

Let’s Talk Triggers + Messages

Trigger: Providing safe seating for fans with disabilities is a priority for me.

Message: Venues can leverage ADA compliant seating solutions to make event venues more popular, not to mention safe and fun for all.


Trigger: How can I pick the right kind of seating solutions to solve safety problems before they happen?

Message: ADA compliant seating solutions can help reduce safety issues and protect you and your fans.


Trigger: What is XYZ Company’s track record for this solution and why should I go with them?

Message: XYZ Company has been providing ADA compliant seating solutions to clients for the past twenty years. Learn more about specific applications and solutions to space challenges in our case studies.


Trigger: What type of value and ROI can I expect?

Message: Over 95% of customers who purchased ADA compliant seating solutions from XYZ Company experienced increased event revenues and experienced a reduction in safety incidents in the first year after installation.

Type of Content: AwarenessVideo (fun and informational)InfographicsContent for your blog, guest blog postsTop 10 lists (others)eBooks, Playbooks, GuidesSocial channel interaction (curation and original

content + real conversation + sharing)*Should be designed to inform, entertain, delight,

challenge

Awareness KPIs

Traffic/Page Views/Time On SiteContent DownloadsInbound Links/Page RankFans/FollowersMentions/Comments/Shares

Type of Content: Consideration

Quizzes + Widgets (do I need this solution?)Press ReleaseseNewslettersWebinars, Demo VideosWhitepapers, Analyst ReportsInteractive Demos (letting you get closer)Customer Testimonials, Data Sheets

Consideration KPIs

Open/Click-ThrusInquiries/Database GrowthForm Submission RateFunnel Conversion (Stage Change)

Type of Content: Close

Trend ReportsPress ReleasesIn-Person EventsFeature Guides, Case StudiesCustomer TestimonialsReference ChecklistsROI CalculatorsPricing Guides

Close KPIs

Qualified/Accepted LeadsMeeting With SalesOpportunitiesActive Pipeline/Pipeline ValueClosed Sales

Don’t Be a Commodity: Stay Connected to Them After the Sale

EmailNewsletterFeatured storiesSocial mediaBlog contentVideoCross-sell, Upsell

Step Up Your GameMake every part of your integrated marketing strategy

customer centric. Make Sure Your Website WorksAccept that SEO, Content + Social all have to work together, any

one alone will failKnow Your Audience. Care about them. Serve ThemLet Data Drive StrategyFocus on Creating + Curating Great ContentTie Social and Content to Business InitiativesLeverage Content + Social to Drive Leads + SalesTest, Measure, Test, Tweak, Test, Measure, Test

Your Website?Does the content read the way your prospects

talk or did your nerdy developers write it?Ease of information acquisition.What’s the mobile experience like for prospects?Is the path to information experience intuitive?What do other people say? Pricing information included?Clear CTAs?

Know That This is a Dynamic Process

• Learn where and how your customers are engaging in the customer journey

• Identify who they are by what content they interact with

• See where your content falls short• Test what offers/formats/channels are most

effective (A/B Testing)• Connect marketing team with sales team

Content Marketing Is Not …

A campaign. It’s a way of thinking, a fundamental business strategy and you can’t fake it. It’s a completely different way of doing things. And it works.

@shellykramer

How do I know I’m doing it right?

Is it good for people?

@shellykramer

All that really matters?

Shelly Kramer

[email protected]@ShellyKramer

Stalk Me, Anytime

[email protected]+Shelly Kramer

LinkedInShelly DeMotte Kramertwitter.com/shellykramer facebook.com/shellykramer

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