5 Keys to Using Content for Effective Lead Generation

Polling Question

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Are you currently using content to generate leads?

Polling Question

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What is your biggest challenge in using content for lead

generation?

Biggest Content Marketing Challenge

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Source: “B2B Content Marketing:2010 Benchmarks, Budgets and Trends” by MarketingProfs and Junta42

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Buyers find relevant online content

only 42% of the time.

Source:“Technology vendors may be losing close to 50% of their potential sales due to inadequate online information,” IDG Communications, 2008

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Fewer than 1 in 3 people

trust marketing messages.

Source: Edelman Digital’s 2010 Trust Barometer, http://www.edelman.com/trust/2010/docs/2010_Trust_Barometer_Executive_Summary.pdf

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95% of B2B buyers chose a solution

provider for a recent purchase who:

“provided them with ample content to help navigate through each stage of the buying

process.”

Source: “Inside the Mind of the B2B Buyer,” DemandGen and Genius.com, March 2010

The New Sales Process

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Source: Ardath Albee, “eMarketing Strategies for the Complex Sale”

Benefits of Using Content

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• Lower cost of sales • Shorter sales cycles • Better qualified leads • Builds relationships

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1. Understand your buyers

2. Ask how you can help

3. Actively nurture leads

4. Create outstanding content frequently

5. Manage expectations

The 5 Keys

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Understand your buyers

(Really, really well)

Key #1

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Get out of the office and talk to them.

Questions to Ask

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1. What are their most important responsibilities?

2. What are their top obstacles/problems?

3. Why haven’t they considered a product like yours?

4. What alternatives do they believe will help?

5. How does their boss measure their success?

6. Where do they look for new information?

Key #1 How to do it

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1. Interview your buyers

• Phone or in-person

2. Ask questions to understand their buying criteria

3. Do it regularly (3-5x/quarter)

Ask

“How can we help you?” vs.

“What can we sell you?”

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Key #2

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Don’t be this guy

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Adopt a helpfulness mindset

How to do it

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1. Freely give away great content that addresses your buyer’s concerns.

2. Resist “selling.” Think “educate.”

Key #2

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Actively nurture leads

Key #3

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73% of leads aren’t sales ready

Source: “The Complex Sale: Lead Scoring Effort Increases Conversion 79%,” Marketing Sherpa, Jan. 25, 2012

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Build a Content Path

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Buyer/Context Matrix

Download your copy from www.kimgusta.com/webinar

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1. Determine what content your buyers want at each sales cycle stage

2. Use the Buyer/Content Matrix* to map content to buyers and sales stages

How to do it Key #3

* Download from www.kimgusta.com/webinar

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Create outstanding content frequently

Key #4

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Avoid content creation overwhelm

Content Audit Tracker

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Download your copy from www.kimgusta.com/webinar

Think Economies of Scale

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From one “how-to”webinar: • Blog posts • Article series • Video snippets • White paper • Best practices cheat sheet

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1. Do a content audit to document what you already have

2. Before creating anything new, ask what are 5 ways you can re-purpose it?

3. Ensure all content is part of your larger strategy.

Key #4 How to do it

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Manage expectations

(others and your own)

Key #5

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• Expect incremental buyer movement

• Set expectations with Sales and Senior Management

• Resist pressure for quantity over quality

How to do it Key #5

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How Do I Get Started?

Your 60 Day Plan to More Leads

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1. Interview 3 buyers.

2. Inventory your existing content.*

3. Develop preliminary content mapping plan.*

4. Determine gaps between what you have and what you need.

5. Pick two pressing pieces of content to create (re-create existing content if possible).

*Download templates from www.kimgusta.com/webinar

Continue the Conversation

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Kim Gusta kim@kimgusta.com

www.kimgusta.com

Blog: kimgusta.com/blog

Twitter: kimgusta

For templates & content marketing

resources, visit www.kimgusta.com/webinar