The document discusses content marketing best practices. It shows that leading companies are most effective at aligning their content marketing with their sales process and buyer personas. Data also demonstrates that best-in-class companies have more success with digital advertising like search ads and behaviorally targeted display ads. These top companies have a more comprehensive understanding of search and paid keywords which allows them to better measure performance and value.

1. Competitors
Content + Community
Marketer (You)
Control of Message & Visibility
High
Marketing’s Imperative:
Get Vision-Shaping Content In the Path of the Buyer
Discovery
Consideration
Evaluation
Selection
Low
1

2. Percentage of Respondents, n = 75
Get Content Marketing Right:
Right Alignment, Right Persona, Right Stage
Leaders
75%
Followers
59%
52%
50%
45%
38%
27%
25%
20%
0%
Content marketing efforts
are well-aligned with sales
methodology
Process to align marketing Process to align marketing
content with marketing / content with buyer persona
sales funnel stage (i.e.
(i.e. content is developed
content is developed with with specific persona(s) in
funnel stage in mind)
mind)
2

3. Best-in-Class More Effective in Search /
Digital Advertising
59%
Google AdWords (not including display)
55%
43%
Google display network
27%
Behaviorally targeted display ads (ads
are shown based on browsing history,
recently viewed pages, etc.)
28%
16%
Contextually targeted display ads (ads
are shown based on content that is
being displayed on site)
Best in Class
All Others
27%
17%
0%
25%
50%
75%
Percentage of Respondents "Effective" or
"Very Effective" (4/5; 1-5 Scale), n = 130
3

4. Knowing what works leads to
more of what works
Best in Class
Percentage of Respondents, n = 130
75%
All Others
57%
48%
50%
48%
39%
36%
33%
24%
25%
17%
0%
Comprehensive view of Ability to attribute organic
organic and paid search and paid search to leads
keywords and associated
performance data
Ability to track the
conversion rate and
revenue performance of
paid search terms / PPC
keywords
We understand the value /
ROI of each individual
search term
4