Content marketing is most powerful when the C-suite understands how it drives revenue and builds the brand. And, other teams within an organization also need to understand how content marketing helps meet business objectives so that these teams can contribute as well. Learn how to talk about content marketing in a language that executives and other stakeholders understand and embrace. This includes having the data to demonstrate impact, particularly when it comes to growing share of voice in the market relative to competitors.

1. Building the Business Case
for Content Marketing
Elizabeth Clor

2. DC Tech Rocks!

3. TODAY IS THE AGE OF THE CUSTOMER:
Capture the Customer Voice
“This wait is way too long.”
“That was the
best ever!”
“Wow! Actually got
decent customer
service.”
“I won’t be back.”
TODAY IS THE AGE OF THE CUSTOMER:
Turn Insightsinto Action

4. Why:
B2B buyers are 57% of the way
through the decision-making process
before talking to a sales rep.*
57%
Customer’s
first interaction
with sales team
Due
diligence
begins
Purchase
decision
* CEB

5. Why get buy in?
It tops the list of CMI’s content marketing
success factors.
• Budget/Resources
• Support for new initiatives and risk taking
• Thought leaders help develop content
• Company influencers to promote content

6. And to dispel myths. . .
Can’t we hire my 14-year-old
daughter to do our Twitter?
Content
marketing is just
a buzzword.
This email campaign
doesn’t even mention
our product!
That’s cool. We should make a fun
video that goes viral! I’ll be the star.
We already have a blog
and two white papers.
What else is there?

7. 35% have a documented content marketing strategy
Tell your content marketing story
Why
How
What
Metrics
Content Marketing Story

8. The “official” why, from CMI:
“With content’s high adoption rates,
great potential to provide measurable
business benefits, and enterprise—wide appeal,
a strategic content marketing program
is essential to staying competitive in
today’s marketplace.”
Always start with the Why

9. To help meet business objectives:
Get to the real Why
Sales Services
Support Finance
Product Management
Product Marketing

10. 1:1 Conversations with stakeholders and executives:
Make it relevant to key stakeholders
Understand their problems and objectives—don’t
try to solve a problem that doesn’t exist.
• Sales- Leads?
• Services- Loyalty?

11. With content marketing we:
• Educate buyers about . . .
• Provide guidance on. . .
• Establish industry leadership in . . .
• Differentiate ourselves from the competition
And ultimately
• Build trust and loyalty
• Grow and nurture the pipeline
Why Content Marketing

12. 1. Why: make it relevant, align it to business goals
2. How: how content marketing achieves the why
Tell your Content Marketing Story

13. Clarabridge’s Content Marketing Approach
TARGET
By company: Account
based marketing
By job role: LinkedIn
By search term:
SEO/SEM
By Twitter profile: Twitter
By pubs they read: PR
ENGAGE/B
UILD TRUST
eBooks, white papers,
cheat sheets
Blog and blog
subscription
Videos
Case studies
Webinars
CONVERT
Lead scoring to
determine
engagement
Send leads to ADR with
follow-up materials
Mature through
sales cycle

14. • 90% status in SFDC
• Opp. contacts engage with content and events
Show the “How”

15. • Ultimate Survey Guide:
62 MQLs $418K
• Forrester-Beyond Surveys
Report: 56 MQLs $378K
Revenue is King!

16. 1. Why: make it relevant, align it to business goals
2. How: how content marketing achieves the why
3. What: specific activities and deliverables aligned to
business goals
Tell your Content Marketing Story

17. EDUCATE OUR CUSTOMERS: Help current customers fully understand the breadth of our
offering, and what the key differentiators are
• Customer-targeted campaigns focused on Engagor, Survey, Speech
BUILD AND NURTURE SALES PIPELINE: Generate top of funnel leads, educate and nurture
middle/bottom funnel opportunities
• Industry-specific campaigns for strategic industries:
• Continued thought leadership campaigns w/best practices, tips, etc.
SHOWCASE CLIENT SUCCESS: Highlight client success with specific metrics/results, use cases,
and testimonials
• Benchmark report
• Customer testimonial videos
• Build out website library of case studies, particularly with CXC Award winners
• PR campaigns that feature our clients
DIFFERENTIATE THE SOLUTION: Tell the product story and highlight our differentiators
• Content marketing campaigns that highlight rich analytical capabilities, the need for
a true omni-channel platform, the ability to quickly and easily operationalize the VoC
by sharing insights across the org, and accurate sentiment analytics
Key Objectives: H2

18. 1. Why: make it relevant, align it to business goals
2. How: how content marketing achieves the why
3. What: specific activities and deliverables aligned
to business goals
4. Use data to set benchmarks and goals and to
demonstrate progress to executives
Tell your Content Marketing Story

19. Data validates that what you are doing is
actually impacting the business.
Use data to tell your story
Internal Marketing Data Executive Level Data
# of Twitter followers Social engagement vs. competitors
# of Press Hits Share of Voice vs. Competitors
Email open rates Opp value from email responses
# of Blog views #of Blog subscribers converted to opps.

20. Tell your Content Marketing Story
During the first 57% of the
decision-making timeline

21. 1. Why: make it relevant, align it to business goals
2. How: how content marketing achieves the why
3. What: specific activities and deliverables aligned
to business goals
4. Use data to set benchmarks and goals and to
demonstrate progress to executives
Tell your Content Marketing Story

22. Questions?
Elizabeth Clor
Sr. Director of Content Marketing
@ClarabridgeClor