Post on 22-Nov-2014
description
The new business landscape: How influence works, how to engage and how to measure results.
2
A Team Obsessed
• 20 years in publishing
• 20 years in marketing
• 20 years in research
3
Lunch and Learn
• Profile of today's business users• What fuels influence and decision making• How sites need to address today's influencers• How to market in-line with the user• How to measure impact across funnel
Sources:• Marketing Sherpa Technology Benchmark Survey 2006, CNET 2007 Audience Profile Study, Business Trax,
Technology Decision Makers: The Players and the Process, CNET Influencer Research 2007, @Plan 2007, Technoraiti, Pew Internet and American Life Project.
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Business technology purchasing isn’t quick or easy
High cost &implementation investment+Complex products Many vendor choices+
5
The stakes are high
Solving new problems with
technology
Keeping up with the
changing tech landscape
Being more effective and productive at
work
Making the right decision
for my company
6
65%Often giveadvice to
others
55%Like to lead
others
55%Like to stay connected
wherever they go
64%Work hardto advance
career
20hoursAverage 20
hours per week online
They're serious about their roles at work
Source: 2007 CNET Networks Business Audience Profile Study; top two answers “describes/describes completely”
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The sales cycle is long
• Search and lead generation does not address the short term
• Where is the budget against the long term?
8Source: Technology Decision-Making: The Players and the Process, CNET Networks, Inc., September 2005
They need the information
0% 20% 40%
(white papers, webcasts, product/services documentation)Vendor bids
Advice/recommendations from peers
References or recommendations from satisfied customers
References or recommendations from personal network
Consultant opinion/advice
Value-added reseller/systems integrator opinion/advice
Advice/recommendations from industry analysts
Industry analyst reports
Article from IT industry online publications
Financial analyst reports
Article from IT industry print publications
Advice/recommendations from financial analysts
Other
60% 80% 100%
Vendor content
Peercontent
3rd party content
Vendor content available online
9
And they're arming themselves in every way
Sources: Technoraiti, Pew Internet and American Life Project
Peers 67% get News Online Podcasts
WebcastsUser Opinions
Blogs up 100-fold
White Papers
10
Proven by their online behavior
2-7 times more likely to
7 x more likely to listen/watch tech news online6 x more likely to use RSS6 x more likely to read Internet & tech e-newsletter 4 x more likely to download new software
3 x more likely to download a Podcast
3 x more likely to seek/give advice online 3 x more likely to seek or post a product review online 3 x more likely to research products for work online2 x more likely visit a blog
(Source: @plan Spring 2007 (Compared to internet users in general; last 30 days)
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Online is the most influential channel
• But there's an imbalance of spending against what influences
• Huge opportunity for marketers
15%
Influence %Spending %
18%19%
13%
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Summary
• Business technology complicates us• We need to stay up to date• We use many resources• Online is most important• Marketing does not always span the buying cycle
13Copyright © 2006 CNET Networks, All Rights Reserved.
You can measure influence
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Influence Is a Hot Topic
It matters. It is not well understood.
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Successful purchases require many influencers
35%
26%
56%60%
62%
35%
39%
17%
25%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Need Recognition Info search + eval. Purchase decision
IS/IT
Non IS/IT
C-Level • Not just C-Level• All levels involved• At every stage
Success
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Successful decision making can be mapped
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Typical Personal Network
People you communicate with regularly
Neighbors
Adult family
Co-workers
Church/Civic groups
Close friends
Casual friends
9
7
13
4
19
9
18
The trickle down pyramid is a thing of the past
LessConnected
Highly Connected
ModeratelyConnected
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The moderately connected now change the game
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
Less Connected ModeratelyConnected
Highly Connected
100+ Connections11-99 Connections10 or Fewer Connections
Pyramid Reality
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The new model is more of a diamond than pyramid
LessConnected
Highly Connected
ModeratelyConnected
Old Model New Model
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So they're on portals and searching right?
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“By no means am I a self-professed expert on anything …but they always want to go to me anyway.”
Greg, Project Manager, HMO
Emergence of the Sleuth
• Not an expert, but savvy at finding credible info
• Enabled by the web• Often forwards links
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What powers spread of influence
“I often find things I can't wait to share with other people. ”
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
Strongly Agree Mostly Agree Neither AgreeNor Disagree
Mostly Disagree StronglyDisagree
CNB Sites Web Portals
“Builds my confidence in my knowledge of things I am interested in.”
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Strongly Agree Mostly Agree Neither AgreeNor Disagree
Mostly Disagree StronglyDisagree
CNB Sites Web Portals
“I trust the information I find there more than on a lot of web sites .”
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
StronglyAgree
Mostly Agree NeitherAgree NorDisagree
MostlyDisagree
StronglyDisagree
CNB Sites Web Portals
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Model of how to fuel influence
Unique Content
Trusted Content
User Confidence Influence
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Search and Portals don't fuel or activate influence
What powers influence? Search/ Portals
CNB
Find the site content unique 12% 79%
trust the info on the site 8% 83%
Site builds confidence in knowledge of things I'm interested in
4% 88%
Find things on the site they can’t wait to share with others
13% 60%
Avg. user’s network of influence 44 people
61 people
• Trusted, unique content is the fuel
• Activating influencer over 4x more likely off portals and search
• Influence networks almost 40% larger where content is
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Proven out at CNET
7
25
112
1 38
1 395
15
44
6
20
72
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
Less connected Moderately connected Highly connected
No. C
onne
ctio
ns
Email Instant message Text message Phone See in person
Monthly Communications
21
66
245
27
Proven out at CNET
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Less Connected ModeratelyConnected
HighlyConnected
Number of contributions
0
50
100
150
200
250
LessConnected
ModeratelyConnected
HighlyConnected
Number of Tags
Tagging Contributing
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Summary
• All parties have to be engaged• The network is measurable• The pyramid is out. The fat middle is in.• Influence is fueled and activated by
trusted and unique content
29Copyright © 2006 CNET Networks, All Rights Reserved.
Building the web for the sleuth
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Blogs are the straight talk people need to be productive
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Trusted individuals are sought out for information
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External experts are core to successful business planning
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People demand 300 degree coverage
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Vendors voices are required to make smart choices
35
Vendor content is demanded by business users
36
User voices need to be welcomed
37
Peers need the ability to connect and communicate
38
All voices need to be in the mix to address business technology
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Summary
• 360 degree coverage is imperative• Blogs are important to business users• Vendors and their content need to be in the mix• The user needs a voice and has control• Peers activate the community
40Copyright © 2006 CNET Networks, All Rights Reserved.
Marketing in the influencer's path
41
9 ways to span the funnel, arm the sleuth and activate influence
or deep consideration
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Sponsor areas where experts are found
Marketers should line up behind
content of interest to their target. Whether
it's theirs or not
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CONTEXTUAL INTEGRATIONPROMOTION IN:
• Article/News Pages• Blog Pages• Search Results• Discussion Pages• Editorial Newsletters• IT Directory
Syndicate your content Users search for deep information,
and vendors need to be there or be left out
Vendor’s Asset
IT Directory
44
Educate users on trusted sites not just vendor sites
Vendor and editorial webcasts need to be wherever the user is
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Quick Poll Unit
Marketers can engage in the simplest of ways
Ask questions on your topic to engage,
inform others and get the brand out
there
Poll Results
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SEARCH PAGES
NEWS
FRONT DOOR
BLOGS
NEWSLETTER
More power than PR, a marketer can span
the funnel with awareness, content and activation tools
Inform and activate across the funnel
Preview + traffic driver
Engagement + resource center
47
Custom page
with Resource
links and offers
Downloadable to Video iPod
Send the experts to the user Users appreciate information they
can easily consume and pass along to
others
Co-branded
promotional MPU
48
The brave should be blogging
Blog headlines drive users
Sponsored Blog
The brave executive or expert
should enter the conversation, be
open, educate and learn from users
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Promotional space to drive awareness to advertiser’s
solution
Web 2.0
Net Neutrality
Open Source
Storage Enterprise
Solutions
IT Managemen
t
Security
Become part of a special feature on a topic
Marketers can now define a topic, sponsor it, and
engage with users or simply generate
awareness
Vendor selected topic
50
CNET/ Vendor agree on topic/focus
CNET Editorial content around topic
Vendor related Ad or assets
Vendor Logo
Be there 24-7 Integration around editorial features is a cost effective way to raise awareness
for a low CPM
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Summary
• Users crave useful information• Create informative moments that span the
funnel• Build in features that activate the influencer• Plan your share of engagement at each stage
of the funnel
52Copyright © 2006 CNET Networks, All Rights Reserved.
How to measure impact across the funnel
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Tracking vendors, topics, users and engagement at every stage
• What is Business Trax? • Proprietary reporting tool allowing near-real time view into
topics and vendors that users care about across business sites
• Shows how vendor content is performing compared to their competitors at every stage of the marketing funnel
• A proxy for the business tech space
• How does Trax work? • Proprietary genetic algorithms actual “read” content • Content and behavior categorized and mapped to stages of
the marketing funnel based on algorithms
Source: CNET Networks, January 200753
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Categorization rules used to measure impact
Source: CNET Networks, May 2007
• Microcosm of tech space• Over half a billion actions• Over 20,000 vendors tracked
IMPRESSIONSAdsBannersSponsorshipsPower Center/PlaySpotlightsHotspots
CLICKS & VIEWSZDNet News/blogsTechRepublic news/blogsBNET newsBuilder newsTechRepublic articlesSponsorship driverPower Center "preview" mouse overRSS feedsCNET News.com
DEEPER CLICKS & VIEWSBNET & tech directory assetsSoftwareTR download resourcesPageviews of News >7 days Email alerts / Newsletter clicksDiscussion thread postingsBlog talkbacksPC resource center clicksWhite boards/ Video StreamsPodcastsQuick Polls clicksImage galleriesResource Center pageviews
GATED CONTENTBNET & tech directory: White papers, Webcasts & audiocasts, Case studiesSoftwareResource center assets listed in directory Software downloadsTR download resources
Downloads 2 or more on topic in 30 days:White papersCase studiesWebcasts & audiocastsTR download resourcesSoftware
or deep consideration
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Share of interest and engagement
56
Competitive share by category
57
A case study
Source: CNET Networks internal study within the Server category
• Engagement leapt from 9% in the three months before campaign to 32% after three months• Vendor integrated its resources where buyers were engaging with related content
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Summary
• A site can large enough to be a proxy for the business tech space
• Rules can track vendors, users, and technologies• Marketers can plan for and impact each stage of
the decision making funnel• Lift in share can be measured
59Copyright © 2006 CNET Networks, All Rights Reserved.
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