The document outlines strategies for creating content that aligns with different stages of the sales pipeline, emphasizing the importance of understanding target personas and the customer buying journey. It discusses the acquisition infrastructure, various acquisition strategies, and the significance of mapping content to the sales life cycle. Additionally, it highlights key performance indicators and techniques for developing effective content marketing strategies that address buyer motivations and preferences.

1. How to create content that is aligned
with your sales pipeline
Philip McGuin – Director of Demand Generation
www.stickyeyes.com

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Webinars Presentation Objectives

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About Todays Presentation
• Create the right content
• For the right audience
• At the right stage in the buying process

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What factors influence your content strategy?
• Shaping your acquisition infrastructure.
• Understanding the type of sales acquisition objectives.
• Defining your target persona group.
• Developing content that is relevant to your personas.
• Understanding & defining the customer buying
journey (CBJ)
• Understanding & defining the sales life cycle stage
(LCS).
• Aligning your content strategy onto these processes
• Aligning your content with your acquisition methods.

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Shaping your acquisition infrastructure

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What are the basic component of an acquisition process
Structure of the life
cycle process:
• MQLs
• SQLs
• Customers
Sales process
The blend of
acquisition type:
• Traffic
• Leads
• Sales
Acquisition Goals
Acquisition & sales
targets:
• Leads
• Meetings
• Sales
KPIs & Targets
Composition of the
buying journey:
• Awareness
• Consideration
• Decision
Buying Journey
Content topics, tactics, volume, format & types
Acquisition Infrastructure

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Defining your KPIs & acquisition objectives
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Definition of acquisition?
Customer acquisition refers to a
range of processes & techniques
for gaining new consumers.
Acquiring new customers involves
informing & persuading
consumers to purchase products
and/or services at various stages
within the buying cycle.

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Up & Cross
Sell
What are the main type of acquisition strategies?
There are 5 basic types of strategies
Direct
Sales
ConversionsTrafficAwareness
Acquisition Spectrum
Soft Hard

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Top, Bottom and Middle of Funnel
Top of Funnel =
Awareness Stage
Middle of Funnel =
Consideration Stage
Bottom of Funnel =
Decision Making Stage

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Acquisition KPI’s & Targets?
Lead C’st
% Conversion Process
MQL SQL
% C’vr
Op
% C’vr % C’vr % C’vr
How many sales do I need?
How many leads do I need to generate?
Over what time frame?
Key Questions
What methods I am going to use?
How much content do I need?
What content will maximise conversion

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Defining your persona groups
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Defining your persona groups and their content habits
Why is it important?What is a persona?

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How do you build your personas?
Type of
personas &
hierarchy
What are your
persona groups
& how many?
Breakdown of
specific persona
information
What is the
composition of each
persona?
Process for building your persona profiles
Prioritization of
personas
What are your
most important
personas?

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Creating your persona hierarchy & influence pool
Persona Influence Pool
Decision Makers
Directors Heads of
Decision Influencers
Managers Assistants
Persona Hierarchy

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Developing content that is relevant
to your persona groups?
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Location, Motivation & Participation
What motivates purchase?
Does your audience need to
resolve a problem or need to
be educated on a solution?
How do purchase?
How does you audience engage with brand information
and how do they consume content i.e. visual, Demos etc
Location
Participation
Motivation
Demographics
Where do they purchase?
What media do they
consume, what do they
read, which platforms they
use and at what time.

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Using a question matrix to build your content & persona profiles
Persona Questions to Ask
Job Role / Function • What is your job role & your title?
• What is your job function KPIs / measurement criteria?
• What is a typical day-to-day role?
• What skills are required to fulfil this role?
• What knowledge and tools do you use?
• Who do you report to? Who reports to you?
Company / Sector Information • What industry/industries does your co. work in?
• What is your co. size (revenue/employees)?
• What product, solutions and or services do you provide
Business / Function Objectives & Goals • What are you responsible for?
• What does it mean to be successful in your role?
• What are your main barriers to success?
Challenges / Barriers to Success • What are your biggest business challenges?
• What are you departmental and functional challenges?
Information Sources / Techniques • How do you learn about new information for your job?
• What platforms and devices do you use to find information
Personal Background • What is your demographic profile i.e Age, status, family, education etc
Engagement Preferences • How do you prefer to interact with vendors? (email, phone, in person)
• Do you use the internet to research vendors or products?
• How do you search for information?

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Individual persona deck
Name
Job Title
- Where he / she works
- Details of his / her job role
Demographics
- Age
- Gender
- Salary
- Location
- Education
- Family
Watering holes
Business
Challenges
Values
Fears
Marketing
Message
Shopping
preferences
Elevator pitch
Decision Maker
C-Level / Directors
Heads of
Managers
Executives
- Content Preferences
- Topics & Interest Areas
- Engagement Preference
- Sources of Information

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Individual Persona Content Profile
Content Format
Infographic / Video
Press Release /
Slideshow
Articles / White Paper
Event / Webinar
Content Type
Review / How to Guide
Update / News
Trends / Checklists
Thought Leadership
Content Mediums
Website / Blogs
White Papers
Sales Collateral
Email Campaign
Content Triggers / CTAs
Downloads
subscription
Meetings / Webinars
Request Demo
Persona Content Profile

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Mapping your content onto the
customer buying journey
&
life cycle stages
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Defining the buyers journey & Sales Life Cycle
What is the customers buying journey? What is the sales life cycle?

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Why mapping is important?
• An understanding of how your customers actually buy.
• An understanding of the type of research needs at the various buying stages.
• An understanding of the type of content consumed.
• Provides a structured process of mapping this on to your sales cycle.
• Provides insight into what content can be used at specific stages within the pipeline.

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Key stages of your customer buyer journey
Awareness Stage
Consideration Stage
Decision Stage
Post Purchase Stage
Customer Buying Journey

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Key Sales Life Cycle Stage
Visitors Stage
Leads Stage
Marketing Qualified Leads
Stage
Sales Qualified Stage
Opportunities
Customer
Ad
Time
Visitors
Lead
Marketing Qualified Leads
Sales Qualified Leads
Opportunities
Customer
Retention

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Putting it all together
Funnel Stage Top
Funnel
Middle
Funnel
Bottom
Funnel
Life Cycle Stage Visit Lead MQL SQL Op’r C’st Retention
Buying Journey Awareness Consideration Decision Post Purchase
User Behaviour Experiencing symptoms of
problem
Clearly defined name to
their problem
Decided on their solution
strategy or approach
Evaluating the adequacy
of original need
Content Type Articles
Blogs
Newsletters
Videos / Audio
Editorial Content
Analysts Reports
Research Report
White Papers
Tool Kits
Demos
Trials
Webinars
Bespoke Analysis
Product Literature
Case Studies
Product Comparison
Feature Checklist
Strategic Reviews
Bespoken enhancements
Buyer Motivations Identify unknown
Troubleshoot problems
Resolve specific issues
Preventive measure
Improve current solution
Drive efficiency
Understand solution or
service
Identify application /
software or tool
Understand suppler
capability
Checklist pros / cons
Compare vs competition
Benchmarking
Build trust and credibility
Future proofing
Return on Investment
Benchmarking
Feature refinement

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Aligning your content and acquisition methods.
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Developing your Acquisition strategy
Acquisition Objectives
KPIs & Targets
Target Persona
Customer Buying Journey
Sales Life Cycle Stage
KEY STRATEGIC ELEMENTS
Content Marketing Strategy
PaidAcquisition
EarnedAcquisition
OwnedAcquisition
ACQUISITION METHODS
Key Strategic considerations

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Paid
Solus Email
Multi Vendor Emails
3rd Party List Development
Content Syndication
Call Content Syndication
Search Marketing
Programmatic
Biddable Media
Types of Acquisition Methods
Acquisition Methods
Earned PR / Comms
Bloggers / Vloggers
Editorial Content
Media Relations
Journalist
Influencer / Outreach
Owned
Database Cleaning
Database Enhancement
Newsletters
Email
Webinars / Events
Blog / Website
Organic Social
Communities

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Acquisition Techniques & Key Content Considerations
Key Consideration
Top of Funnel
Leads
MQLs
Methods / Techniques
• Email Marketing
• Call Generation
• Content Syndication
• List Development
Content that balances the following:
• Segmentation / Relevancy
• Content breadth & depth
• Lead Volume vs Quality
Middle of Funnel
SQL
Op’r
1. Appointment Booking
2. Sector Specific Campaigns
3. Comparison Campaigns
4. Proof of Concept (Demos)
Content that address the following:
• Specific sector / company relevant solution
• Specificity / Tailored Meeting Material
• Builds trust and credibility – i.e. case studies
Bottom of Funnel
Customer
Retention
1. Tailored Lead Nurturing
2. 1-2-1 Insights Campaigns
3. ROI Campaigns
Content that address the following:
• Demonstrates ROI
• Provides for future proofing
• Maintains best-class-status

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https://www.stickyeyes.com/intelligence/ 16