Content Marketing: How To Sell Executives

On The Idea & CostBy Greg Shuey

What is content marketing?

Content marketing is the process of publishing content that helps to engage or entertain a prospect and then move them into the sales funnel.

Content Ownership Benefits

Content marketing, when executed over a long period of time (36+ months) yields 3X as many leads, dollar for dollar, when compared to paid search.

Graph by Kapost and Eloqua

Let’s Hear From Industry Leaders• Ash Buckles – SEO.com• Toby Murdock – Kapost• Arnie Kuenn – Vertical Measures• Neil Patel – KISS Metrics• Andrew Melchior – Dream Systems Media• Robert Rose – Big Blue Moose• Garrett French Citation Labs• Jeremy Dearringer – Slingshot SEO• Lori Gilson – PRMarketing.com• Monique Pouget – Thunder SEO• Chris Tynski – BlueGlass• Kate Morris - Distilled

Ash Buckles – SEO.com Part 1

• Deciding where to publish your content is a key element of content strategy.

• Publish in areas where you have control, and promote through Facebook, Twitter, Google+, etc.

• A company blog is a great place to publish on a regular basis.

• Since the Google Panda update – they have focused more on credible, content-rich pages.

Ash Buckles – SEO.com Part 2

• Putting together a dashboard of metrics for executives is critical in getting approval for a new content creation campaign. This will provide:– Perspective on the purpose of your campaign.– Visibility to your progress– Ability to choose a new direction if necessary

• A focused effort on content converts more of your visitors into leads/sales.

Toby Murdock - Kapost

• Traditionally marketing campaigns are about renting someone else’s audience.

• Content marketing turns this on its head.• Now you get to own your own audience:

Owning vs Renting = 3X More Cost Effective.• Marketers who do not develop content

marketing campaigns will soon find they cannot compete in acquiring customers.

Arnie Kuenn – Vertical Measures

2 Very Important Factors When Pitching Management

1. Traditional media is renting–When your campaign is over, it’s over.– However, content you create will be there for many

years to come.

2. Content Marketing can be done at a much lower cost and risk.–On a campaign-by-campaign basis– Easier to test and focus on your target market.

Neil Patel – KISSmetrics

Most important thing when pitching an executive: ROI– If you want X dollars, show them how you are

going to make Y dollars, and how long it will take.– And break it down, not just numbers, but what

you are doing and how it will make them more money.

Andrew Melchior – Dream Systems Media

• Biggest value that needs to be conveyed: Long-Term benefit through increased traffic flow and SERP improvements.– If executed properly, clear ROI within weeks.– Content marketing pieces will become true assets

that can be used over the lifetime of their business, not simply as a one-time link bait tactic.

• Also pitch the added gain the other marketing channels (SEO, PPC) will receive through successful coupling with the content campaign.

Robert Rose – Big Blue Moose

• Make a business case, not promising some kind of magic ROI.

• Build a case for WHY this new process will help solve a business goal.– SEO improvement, more leads, better leads, more

efficient funnel, or simply a decrease in customer service costs.

• Identify a particularly ripe part of your funnel, and then test a content marketing process on top of it.

Garrett French – Citation Labs

• Content (all media, from written to video to tools) is the final frontier and the only way forward.

• Connect the content to existing business objectives.

• Look at audience growth (subscribers + followers) as THE primary contributor.

Jeremy Dearringer – Slingshot SEO• Content marketing achieves amazing returns when an

entire company has bought into its importance.• Single most important factor to discuss: content marketing

is the foundation of most forms of internet marketing, and without it other marketing channels will suffer.

• The highest ROI internet marketing channels directly benefit from great content that answers customers questions.

• Study of over 1,000 marketing professionals has shown that content marketing is the single most effective form of SEO.

Lori Gilson – PRMarketing.com

• Content marketing is key to building trust, credibility, and authority online.

• Every website requires its own content marketing strategy.

• The best results are obtained by researching where your customers are online.

• Find the delicate balance of providing value and a clear call-to-action.

Monique Pouget – Thunder SEO

• Consumers are constantly bombarded by branded ads that interrupt their web experience – brands need to invest in content marketing that earns the audience they are pursuing.

• Extraordinary content compels people to share, which leads to more traffic, mentions, links, and conversions.

• Content marketing isn’t easy, and isn’t short-term; it requires and investment in time and resources.

• Smart marketers understand the value of gaining a consumer’s trust and interest before asking them to buy.

Chris Tynski - BlueGlass

• Executives need to have a clear understanding of their goals, and their goals need to align with the content marketing strategy.

• Content marketing is great for: link building, thought leadership positioning, increasing brand loyalty, and increasing social engagement.–Get executives to understand that they can

grow these, and it will be an easy sell.

Kate Morris - Distilled

• Most important thing: the value of developing content for your site.

• Start small – get a test approved.• Run the test, track the results, and prove to

the top brass how effective content marketing can be for your company.

Thanks to the Contributors

Thank you to all that contributed.

Visit the www.SEO.com/blog for more info on content marketing.