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Find out how 1,000 IT decision makers consume content, and what they are looking for to do their job and make buying decisions, what they find most valuable, and how they use it .How efficiently and credibly you provide content—and how well you deliver it to busy decision makers over the noise—can make all of the difference as to whether your products and services make the cut or get purchased.
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Selling What You KnowThree Keys to Killer Content Marketing
For questions: Scott Vaughan, CMO of UBM [email protected]
:: Marketing Research
Page 2Copyright UBM TechWeb; All rights reserved.
What We’ll Cover
• Research on what B2B decision makers need and expect from you as a marketer/tech provider
• How to lead with what you know and infuse professional content in your sales and marketing efforts to drive revenue and relationships
• And Guide YOU on the 3 Keys to Killer Content Marketing that engages and nurtures your best prospects
Research Methodology
— Fielded late Summer 2010
— Email invitations sent to random sample of UBM TechWeb’s database of qualified technology decision makers
— Final dataset: 1,030 respondents
— At a 95% confidence level, the greatest possible margin of error for the study base (N=1,030) is +/- 3.0 percentage points
Page 3Copyright UBM TechWeb; All rights reserved.
Half of Decision Makers Think Vendor Content is Useless
A HUGE Opportunity for Smart Marketers like YOU!
I don’t typically look at vendor-provided content because it is often biased
Small vendors tend to provide tech info that is useful to me
Large vendors tend to provide tech info that is useful to me
Vendors have tech info, industry insights and customer case studies that can be very useful
to me—I use info from vendors all the time
Vendor-provided or sponsored content can be useful, but I always make sure I cross-check
the info against other sources
33%
47%
50%
52%
84%
Q. Please tell us to what extent you agree or disagree with each of the following statements.. N=1026
Agree somewhat or strongly with following statements:
½ do, ½ don’t!
1/3 not looking at your content!
Page 4Copyright UBM TechWeb; All rights reserved.
Getting Started Check List for Content-Driven Marketing
We need to improve the content we create.
– Would consume more if content provided complete picture of solution/solutions
– Expect vendors to provide different content types
We need to make content more relevant and professional, providing more complete info and insights (not just product specs)
– Take action and make buying decisions based on having engaged with useful content
– Want content that’s relevant and that offers new ideas or solutions
– Consume content in many formats and across many platforms
We need to make our content more available.
– Expect Vendors and B2B media companies to provide access to an optimal blend of content, ranging from un-biased perspective from both experts and peers through to vendor-created content
Professional, relevant content yields more engaged customers and prospects
Page 5Copyright UBM TechWeb; All rights reserved.
So How Do We Create Killer Content that Engages & Nurtures Professional Decision
Makers?
3 Keys
Page 6Copyright UBM TechWeb; All rights reserved.
Key #1:
Make Your Content Credible
Page 7Copyright UBM TechWeb; All rights reserved.
Types Of Content IT Buyers Rate Most ImportantProvide Actionable, Insightful Content That Moves Buyers To Action & Engagement
Business news and analysis
Insights from my peers
Industry research
Technology strategy and analysis
Case studies
Training information
Technology demos
How-to information
Technical information
50%
66%
50%
74%
35%
44%
42%
65%
80%
29%
32%
40%
44%
47%
50%
61%
69%
80%
Vendors Should Provide Rated Important
Q. What types of content should vendors provide to technology decision makers like you, and to the industry as a whole? Check all that apply. N=1022 Q. How important is each information type to you in your daily job? Please use a scale of 5 to 1, where 5 is very important, and 1 is not very important. N=1031
Vendors should provide the following types of content; rate each type of content as important:
Vend
orIn
dust
ry
Page 8Copyright UBM TechWeb; All rights reserved.
• Think like a publisher, journalist, reporter
• Lead with business case or specific applications
• Don’t make claims that can’t be verified
• Use third party sources
– Research from industry analysts or tech media
– Customer best practices
– Use industry experts to author your content
• Mind the buzzwords
• Give them what they need!
Key #1: Practical Tips To Create Credible Content
Page 9Copyright UBM TechWeb; All rights reserved.
• Think about the format that best suits the kind of content you want to share
– In-depth technical data is best presented in white paper format
– Videos with visuals are a great way of guiding prospects through your technology or providing training
– Webcasts are great for presenting research or case studies
• In general, shorter is better – but don’t skimp on details
– Summarize what the piece is about at the beginning
– Use plenty of headers and sub-headers in documents
– Use graphics to visualize your points
Provide Content In The Right Format And Length
Page 10Copyright UBM TechWeb; All rights reserved.
Key #2:
Make Your Content Relevant
Page 11Copyright UBM TechWeb; All rights reserved.
Making Your Content More ImportantBecome IT Decision Makers “Source” – Offer New Ideas
Provides specific metrics or ROI data
Provides third-party evaluations of technologies
Delivers deep analysis on specific technologies or solutions
Includes business and technology best practices
Offers new ideas, strategies and/or solutions
Relevant to my industry
Relevant to our specific technology environment
43%
53%
58%
70%
78%
79%
84%
Q. In general when gathering work-related information, how important is it that the information you use meet each of these criteria? Please use a scale of 5 to 1, where 5 is very important and 1 is not very important. N=1031
Rate content criteria as important or very important:
Page 12Copyright UBM TechWeb; All rights reserved.
Vendor Content + Industry Content = Professional Content
Make Your Content ProfessionalProvide The Full Picture For Maximum Results
Professional Content Attributes
Engaging title
Short, descriptive abstract/summary
Visual cues to amplify your points
Action plan
Referenced and sourced for credibility
Written in language of your target audience
Authentic to your company brand
Include bio(s) + about the author
List other recommend reading/sources
What Should Your Content NOW Look Like?
Copyright UBM TechWeb; All rights reserved.
Page 14Copyright UBM TechWeb; All rights reserved.
B2B IT Decision Makers Offer Their Advice:Ask Your Prospects What They Want & Expect
“
”
Make the Content Good
• “Keep it short and simple.”
• “Clear, brief explanations and lots of graphics.”
• “Stay on point, be honest, and give us good information in an entertaining manner.”
• “List contra-indications for the technology.”
• “Provide me the information in whatever format works best.”
Help Me Do My Job More Efficiently
• “Do not call me - I will call if I have questions. Email me shortly after to follow up if you want, do not call.”
• “Do not put to many impediments on getting the information. Most of what I am doing is research...”
• “Be aware that I am going to thoroughly research what others say about your products.”
Page 15Copyright UBM TechWeb; All rights reserved.
Key #3:
Make Your Content Easy To Discover
Page 16Copyright UBM TechWeb; All rights reserved.
Many Content Platforms Are Utilized, Take AdvantageSyndicate Your Content: Partner, Re-use, Re-mix, Re-Purpose For Each Platform
Social media/networks (eg Twitter, Digg, Facebook)
Slideshows/decks
Online video
Blogs
Case studies
Research reports
Webcasts, including webinars, online events, or virtual conferences
White papers
Vendor web sites
Email/electronic newsletters
Magazines
Web sites on specific topics
17%
32%
39%
40%
42%
51%
64%
65%
66%
74%
75%
78%
Q. Do you use any of the following types of information formats or sources to get information as part of your job? Check all that apply; leave blank those you do not use at all. N=1032
Use each of the following platforms or content delivery formats:
Page 17Copyright UBM TechWeb; All rights reserved.
Use Content Partners & NetworksIT Decision Makers Use Media Networks To Gain Access To Vendor Content, In Addition To Providing Original Content
Tech B2B media companies should aggregate and provide access to vendor-created content and resources
Tech B2B media companies should be an advocate for the B2B tech community
Tech B2B media companies should aggregate all relevant content, regardless of the source, in an easy-to-use format
Tech B2B media companies should provide unbiased, original content
60%
64%
74%
86%
Q . When it comes to technology B2B media and information companies, such as UBM TechWeb or InformationWeek, to what extent do you agree or disagree with each of the following statements? N=1022
Percent who agree with each of the following statements:
Page 18Copyright UBM TechWeb; All rights reserved.
If You Require Registration, Make Sure The Content Is Compelling
No, I would never register to view this type of content
I prefer not to
Yes, but only if the content is really relevant
Yes, I register to view this type of content frequently
7%
50%
34%
8%
6%
43%
41%
9%
7%
41%
41%
12%
5%
47%
35%
13%
2%
25%
47%
26%
Webcasts White Papers Research Reports Case Studies Online Video
Agree somewhat or strongly with following statements:
Q. . Would you register - providing contact information or logging in with an account - in order to view or download a job-related content?
Page 19Copyright UBM TechWeb; All rights reserved.
Professional Content Nurtures EngagementIT Decision Makers Will Take Action If The Content Is Right
Based a product or technology purchase decision on in-formation I learned from the content
Contacted a vendor directly for more information
Shared the content with my boss
Shared the content with a colleague
Went to a vendor web site for more information
28%
36%
41%
68%
72%
Q. Which of the following actions have you taken as a result of reading or downloading vendor-supported or vendor-sponsored content? Check all that apply. N=989
Taken following actions as a result of reading or downloading vendor-supported or vendor-sponsored content :
Almost 1/3 !
Page 20Copyright UBM TechWeb; All rights reserved.
Conclusions And Recommendations
• Develop a content strategy to engage customers, provide access to resources and build preference
– Provide content that delivers technical and how-to information, training and case studies
– Provide content that’s relevant to specific industries and tech environments, and offers new ideas or strategies
• Elevate your content to professional content: focus on credibility and relevancy
– Integrate short, descriptive abstracts, third-party sources, action plans, and bios + authors
• Deliver your content in different formats and platforms; re-use, re-purpose and re-package, driving great ROI
• Make It Easy To Discover!
– Extend your reach to develop new prospects: leverage knowledgeable, trusted third parties and partnerships to distribute your content
Lead With What You KNOW Using Professional Content To Connect With Decision Makers
Page 21Copyright UBM TechWeb; All rights reserved.
Content Research – Deeper Resources for You
• Content Connects Research
• Content Modules – Full Charts, Data & Analysis By Content Type
– Case Studies
– Online Video
– Research Reports
– Webcasts
– Whitepapers
• White Paper – Selling What You Know, Three Keys To Killer Content Marketing
• All available at: CreateYourNextCustomer.com
For A Copy Of The White Paper Or More Information
Please Contact:
Scott Vaughan,
CMO of UBM TechWeb
TWITTER: ScottAVaughan
