On Words and Business

Check out iMedia Connection’s ten commandments of content marketing.

Important fact to know: all marketing is content.

1. Content shall be shareable
2. Content shall be malleable
3. Content shall be collaborative
4. Content shall be measurable
5. Content shall be fearless
6. Content shall invite comment
7. Content shall start everywhere
8. Content shall go everywhere
9. Content shall be sponsored
10. Content shall be forever

How does your content marketing campaign fit with the 3 stages of buying?

A few thoughts:

1. Identifying the problem

• Whitepaper discussing the nature of the issue and a resolution
• Case study showing what challenges previous customers faced
• Ebook sharing thought leadership about the industry and common challenges

2. Identifying the solution

• Enewsletter with brief case studies showing how customers have resolved the problem
• Webcast answering typical customer questions
• Whitepaper discussing the nature of the issue and a resolution

3. Identifying the right solution

• Podcast with one of your subject matter experts talking about the benefits of your solution
• Online video showing your product in action
• Case study of customer who tried many solutions before finding yours

The 3 basic stages before buying a product or service:

1. Do I have a problem?

The goal of content marketing at this point is to share materials that educate your customers about the issue or problem, including the consequences of ignoring it.

2. If I do have a problem, what solutions are out there to help me solve it?

This is when your content needs to provide details about the features and benefits of your product/service, so your customers can figure out what the differences are between offerings and why yours might be best.

3. Is this the right solution for me?

This is when your marketing materials should discuss things like the return on investment in your solution and any additional information (like service and support options) to help customers evaluate your product and compare against any competitors.

According to the Tech Target Media Consumption Benchmark Report, 64% of IT buyers always use the Internet to research IT solutions and 31% do so frequently.

The top 7 types of content these buyers find most useful for identifying a problem and gathering information when considering a purchase:

1. ebooks
2. email newsletters
3. whitepapers
4. podcasts
5. online videos
6. customer case studies
7. webcasts

For the IT companies out there…are you sharing your information with the 95% of buyers who are seeking answers online?

Seth Godin on the benefits of educating your customers.

The bottom line: “…sooner or later, the inevitability of information spreading works in favor of those that bet on it.”

Are you ready to make people smarter?

Marketing with content works best at the first two stages of the buying cycle:

1. Awareness of the product and company
2. Consideration and research

According to Tech Target’s Media Consumption Benchmarket Report 2: Closing the Gap between IT Buyers and IT Marketers, this is definitely true in the technology space.

Is that where you are focusing your energies when creating content?