Content Marketing Evolution Aligning to the Buying Process

Mike MerrillDirector of Marketing, ReachLocalChairman, Social Media Club of Dallas

@MikeDMerrill

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B2B Rushes to Publish Content Everywhere

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How Do I Use Each Platform?

Intro 3

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B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks

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A Few Key Data Points

“33%

5

Marketing budgets allocated to content marketing

44%

Social media distribution channels

Outsource B2B content creation

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Content Marketing Usage by Tactic

Too much focus on every platform and tactic

Determine how each tactic facilitates the buying process

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Content Marketing Crisis of Confidence

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Time to Align Content to Buying Journey

DISCOVERSurfing, Searching

and Socializing

CONSIDERResearching and

Evaluating

BOOK/BUYGetting Estimates

and Purchasing

REPEATSharing Experiences

And Buying Again

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Buyer Needs at Each Stage

• Recognize problem or issue

• Want to change status quo

• Gain confidence in right product/service selection

• Understand ROI of each to build business case

DISCOVERSurfing, Searching

and Socializing

CONSIDERResearching and

Evaluating

BOOK/BUYGetting Estimates

and Purchasing

REPEATSharing Experiences

And Buying Again

• Explore possible solutions• Define short list of

providers• Commit to change

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Discovery Phase: Recommended Content

• Blog articleso Curated Listso Tips & Tricks

• Infographics• Ebooks & guides• Assessments &

quizzes • Meme marketing• Videos• WebinarsREPEAT

Sharing ExperiencesAnd Buying Again

DISCOVERSurfing, Searching

and Socializing

Key leading indicators:• Traffic, page views, time onsite• Downloads• Inbound links, page rank• Fans, followers• Mentions, comments, shares

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Consider Phase: Recommended Content

• Ebooks & guides• Quizzes & widgets • Newsletters• Demo videos• Webinars• Industry analyst

reports• Testimonials• Case studies

REPEATSharing Experiences

And Buying Again

CONSIDERResearching and

Evaluating

Key leading indicators:• Click-throughs, open rates• Downloads• Inquiries, form submits• Database growth

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Book/Buy Phase: Recommended Content

• Live or in-person events

• ROI Calculators• Pricing guides• Total cost of

ownership tools

REPEATSharing Experiences

And Buying Again

BOOK/BUYGetting Estimates

and Purchasing

Key leading indicators:• Qualified Leads• Booked Appointments• Opportunities• Pipeline size• Closed Deals

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Recommended Content by Buying Stage

REPEATSharing Experiences

And Buying Again

BOOK/BUYGetting Estimates

and Purchasing

Buying Stage

Buyer Needs Recommended Content

KPIs

Discover • Recognize problem or issue• Want to change status quo

• Blog Articles• Infographics• Ebooks & Guides• Assessments & Quizzes • Meme Marketing• Videos• Webinars

• Traffic, page views, time onsite

• Downloads• Inbound links, page rank• Fans, followers• Mentions, comments,

shares

Consider • Explore possible solutions• Define short list of providers• Commit to change

• Ebooks & Guides• Quizzes & Widgets • Newsletters• Demo Videos• Webinars• Industry analyst reports• Testimonials• Case studies

• Click-throughs, open rates• Downloads• Inquiries, form submits• Database growth

Book/Buy • Gain confidence in right product/service selection

• Understand ROI of each to build business case

• Live or in-person events• ROI Calculators• Pricing guides• Total cost of ownership tools

• Qualified Leads• Booked Appointments• Opportunities• Pipeline size• Closed Deals

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Build Buyer Personas to Define Content Needs1.Title: Dentist2.Role: Owner3.Age: 384.Sex: Female5.Education: Doctorate6.Experience: 10 Years7.Ad experience: YP, Valpak, Local pubs, Direct Mail8.Goals: Lower cost to acquire more patients, spend

less time worrying about marketing9.Challenges: Determining the ideal marketing

strategy, understanding the latest in online marketing10.Needs: Transparent ROI, fewer vendors to manage

(single source), face to face sales rep to educate/inform

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Every Persona Has Different Needs

Persona

Stage Questions (Needs)

Answers Format

Influencer

Discovery 1.2. 3.

1. 2. 3.

1. 2. 3.

Consideration 1.2. 3.

1. 2. 3.

1. 2. 3.

Book/Buy 1.2. 3.

1. 2. 3.

1. 2. 3.

Decision Maker

Discovery 1.2. 3.

1. 2. 3.

1. 2. 3.

Consideration 1.2. 3.

1. 2. 3.

1. 2. 3.

Book/Buy 1.2. 3.

1. 2. 3.

1. 2. 3.

Etc

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… And

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Recommended Reading

1. B2B Content Marketing: 2013 Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends–North Americahttp://bakn.me/Ug6CWH

2. 4 Questions Answered about Buyer Personashttp://bakn.me/Wzg0Ew

3. 7 Ways to Research Your Buyer for Content Marketinghttp://bakn.me/11rQ4PA

4. The Content Grid v2 http://bakn.me/VjYo4k

5. The Content Match Game: Tips for Better Content Alignment Throughout the Buying Cyclehttp://bakn.me/YfSFhP

6. Optimize Content Marketing by Facilitating the Buyer’s Journeyhttp://bakn.me/Ug6s1k

7. Step-by-Step Templates for Mapping your B2B Contenthttp://bakn.me/11c220A

8. The Content To Consumer: Aligning & Automating the Delivery of Content according to the Buyer Stagehttp://bakn.me/TwTsDS

9. Content Mapping for a Buyer-Centric Content Strategyhttp://bakn.me/TvSozG

10. Optimize B2B Content Across the Sales Cyclehttp://bakn.me/11CpKSQ

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Questions?• TWITTER: @MikeDMerrill• EMAIL: Mike.Merrill@ReachLocal.com• BLOG: http://blog.reachlocal.com• WEBSITE: http://www.reachlocal.com• TWITTER: @ReachLocal