The Best Content For
Short Attention Span
Theater
Tom Pisello, The ROI Guy, Chairman &
Founder, Alinean
December 01, 2011
© 2011 Alinean, Inc. 2
Our Speaker
Tom Pisello: The ROI Guy
– A 25-year career helping companies to get more business value from their IT and business investments
– Serial Entrepreneur
– Chairman and Founder
• Alinean – Content Optimization w/ Interactive Smart Content and Value-Based Sales Enablement Tools
• Akonna – Social Media Marketing Competitive Benchmarking
– Evangelist & Blogger
© 2011 Alinean, Inc. 3
Agenda
1. The Significance of Content Marketing
2. Content Marketing Challenges
3. Why the Content Marketing Crisis in Confidence?
4. New Content Optimization Strategies & Tactics
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The Significance of Content for Marketing & Sales Enablement
© 2011 Alinean, Inc. 5
51% increasing budget
over next 12 months
Content Marketing Spending and Tactics
Junta42 and MarketingProfs, 2010 Content Marketing Benchmark Survey
© 2011 Alinean, Inc. 6
Content Marketing Challenges
Junta42 and MarketingProfs, 2010 Content Marketing Benchmark Survey
© 2011 Alinean, Inc. 7
Crisis in Confidence
Only 41% indicate
that their content
marketing efforts
are effective.
Junta42 and MarketingProfs, 2010 Content Marketing Benchmark Survey
© 2011 Alinean, Inc. 8
Why The Content Marketing Crisis in Confidence?
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Buyers Have Fundamentally and Permanently Changed
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Longer Sales Cycles
Reduced Deal Size More Leads to Close Same
Amount of Business
Stalled Deals
Increased Competition More Stakeholders
Executive Scrutiny
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How would you describe the budgeting/approval
process for your most recent solution purchase?
Determined potential impact through other adopters and built a business case
Budget was taken from another line item after need was established/clear
Budget was determined post multiple bids
Budget was allocated as part of a larger line item once need was established
Budget for project was approved and allocated during beginning of the year
26.7%
26.1%
20.6%
15.8%
10.9%
DCS - 2011
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How would you say the buying/decision-making process
changed for most recent purchases vs. prior decisions?
Fewer internal team members provided their input into decision process
Relied more on live customer feedback/recommendations
More internal team members provided their input into decision process
Did more detailed analysis of costs/ROI of solution before finalizing the process
Utilized a wider variety of sources to research options
Took more time to research and consider solutions 48%
36%
34%
30%
21%
16%
Multiple Responses Allowed
DCS - 2011
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Which resources did you find most useful in the
early stages of buying process?
10.3% 16.4%
21.2%
34.5% 40.6%
44.2%
70.9%
DCS - 2011
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As you progressed through the research process on the
company, which types of communication/content did you
feel were most helpful in supporting your decision?
Other
White papers supporting the business case/impact of the solution
Documents/Tools that supported the ROI justification for the project
Case studies of successful implementations
Vendor Comparison Analysis
26.1%
7.3%
57.6%
48.5%
43%
DCS - 2011
© 2011 Alinean, Inc. 14
In the later stages of selecting a vendor and rolling out the
product or solution, which tools did you feel were most helpful
in supporting your decision?
12.1% 12.1%
23.6% 27.3%
56.4% 56.4%
“Freemium”
Approach
DCS - 2011
© 2011 Alinean, Inc. 15
Who do Buyers Trust for Decision Support
Content?
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
Early Middle Late
Internal events/triggers
Peers
Industry analysts
Trade publications
Search engine results
VARs/Partners
Consultants
Vendors
Most often selected as trusted source for purchase decisions content
Source: SiriusDecisions 2010
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Short Attention Span Theater
Making the Case for Shorter Content, IDG Connect, Bob Johnson, Analyst, n=389, October 30, 2008
http://www.idgconnect.com/view_abstract/6005/making-case-shorter-content?source=connect
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Lack of Content Relevance Has a Significant Cost
• Drives up content creation costs
• Increases the buyer’s decision making process by two weeks or more
• Reduces the chances of making the buyer’s selection shortlist by 1/3rd
• Shrinks the chance of getting the sale by almost 50%
Making the Case for Shorter Content, IDG Connect, Bob Johnson, Analyst, n=389, October 30, 2008
http://www.idgconnect.com/view_abstract/6005/making-case-shorter-content?source=connect
86% of respondents indicated that
relevant content drove the buyer’s decision
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Content Optimization Strategies & Tactics
© 2011 Alinean, Inc. 19
Making Content Relevant to Facilitate the Buyer’s Journey
Buyer’s Journey
Discovery Consideration Decision Purchasing a Solution can be a Complex Change Management Process for the Buyer
Buyers Need Help in Facilitating the Steps in the Process:
• Easier to Do Nothing than to Change
• Several Stakeholders
• Economic Scrutiny
• Competitive Agendas
Buyers are Seeking from Solution Providers:
• Decision Support Content that is Personalized and Concise: One-to-One
• Consultative Advice Not a Sales Pitch
• Relevancy
• Answers to Reasons Why
Why Change? Why Now? Why You?
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Relevant Content to Facilitate the Buyer’s Journey
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Interactive Smart Content™ & Diagnostic Sales Tools
• Interactive
• Increased Relevance
• Intelligent Quantitative & Qualitative Personalization
• Interactive White Papers
• Diagnostic Assessments
• ROI Calculators
• TCO Comparisons
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Other Content Optimization Techniques
• Social Sharing of Content & Collaboration
• E-Books
• Video
– Presentations
– Case Studies
– FAQ Guides
– Landing Pages
• Free Trials / Demos
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Conclusions
• Buyers Have Changed
– Purchase process is more complex
– More empowered, but overloaded
– More skeptical and frugal / economic-focused
• Content Marketing Must be More Relevant to Be Effective
– Concise
– Personalized
– Consultative
– Facilitate the Buyer’s Journey
• New Content Marketing Needed to Drive Relevancy
– Interactive Smart Content
– Diagnostic Sales Tools
– E-Books, Video / Video White Papers / Video Landing Pages
– Demos & Trials
– Social Sharing and Collaboration
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Questions?
© 2011 Alinean, Inc. 25
Next Steps
Content Optimization Assessment
http://www.alinean.com/COA
Best Practice Resource Center
http://fightfrugalnomics.com
Ask the ROI Guy Resource Center
http://www.alinean.com/faq
DCS Research & Content Connection Blog
http://www.demandcreationspecialists.com/blog/
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