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MOVE OVER BIG DATA—HERE COMES BIG CONTENT

Rising Above the Noise in the Age of Attention Deficit Marketing

Jake SorofmanResearch Director, Gartner, Inc.@jakesorofman

1 Why Stories?

2 The Structure of Stories that Stick

3 How to Tell Stories at Scale

4 ‘Closing the Loop’ for Continuous Engagement

5 Content Marketing Comes of Age

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Why Stories?

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Audiences are drawn to narrative tension.

Stories engage.

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Complex information is put into context.

Stories help us learn.

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Storylines stick, data fragments bounce.

Stories help us remember.

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Lesson # 1

In marketing, the best stories start with customer outcomes.

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We sell the world’s most advanced slide projectors.

We preserve memories.

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We are the leading provider of e-commerce solutions.

We help you double your online revenue.

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Lesson # 2

Good marketing, stories put people in the starring role.

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Because marketing is not about you (and it never has been).

(oh, and it never will be).

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Lesson # 3

When someone asks “What do you do?” they really mean:

What do you do for me? … and our answer to this question

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… grants us permission to tell the rest of our story by …

… creating story context (using S.I.R.)

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2 The structure of stories that stick

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1 5 10 15 20 25 30

Time (seconds)

Attention span

But …in storytelling time is the enemy …

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Time (in seconds)

Attention span 7 seconds or less*

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… and in fact, you have ….

(*) probably much less

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Time (in seconds)

Attention span

1 5 10 15 20 25 30

Attention span is a diminishing commodity

7 seconds or less

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Time (seconds)

Attention spanProduct Features

…if you cast products in the starring role …

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Time (seconds)

Attention span

Buyer Situation

alternatively ... if you start here…

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Time (seconds)

Attention span

Buyer Situation

Impact on Buyer

… you make it about them…

1 5 10 15 20 25 30

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Time (seconds)

Attention span

Buyer SituationImpact on Buyer

Seller's Resolution

... and buyers imagine themselves in your story.

1 5 10 15 20 25 30

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Lesson # 4

Impact … is the most critical part of the S.I.R. storytelling model.

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… because impact sets up the business case …

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Time (seconds)

Attention span

Situation of Buyer

Impact on Buyer

Seller's Resolution

Don’t rush the customer story …

1 5 10 15 20 25 30

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Time (seconds)

Attention span

Buyer Situation

Impact

Resolution

1 5 10 15 20 25 30

This part is all about YOU

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Lesson # 5

Be patient; tell your story resolution when audience attention is at its highest

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Why tell stories?

Because stories create memories … especially when … They start with outcomes… Starring people … Caught in situations… Which are having impact… That beg resolution

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3 How to tell stories at scale

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The Iron Triangle of Content Marketing

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How Do You Become a Content Marketer?

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3 Cs of Content Marketing

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Getting the Work Done

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Calendar Driven

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Ambient

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Responsive

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4 ‘Closing the loop’ for continuous engagement

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The 4th C: Context

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Start with an Experience Architecture

…Who?

…When?

Moment Moment …

…What? StoriesExperiences

…How?

DataSystemsProcess

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Next, Automate with a Digital Marketing Hub

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Gartner’s Digital Marketing Transit Map

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The Hub Vision: Routing Data from Any Channel to Any Channel

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Hello Big Content

StorytellingEngagementOptimization

CONTINUOUS

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4 Content marketing comes of age

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A Content Marketing Correction?

From 11.6%To 9.3%

From 2ndTo 6th

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1. Transparency 2. ControlWhat’s working, what’s not? How do I achieve scale in a

predictable way?

Why? Two Gaps

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How Do You Rise Above the Noise?• It’s not about you!

- Think like a journalist.

• Do it every single day.- Act like a publisher.

• Seek to delight.- Create like an artist.

• Think Big Content.• Measure and amplify.

- Don’t set it and forget it.- Hope is not a strategy.

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How to Tell Memorable Stories Fouts (G00249440) Move Over Big Data, Here Comes Big Content

Sorofman (G00252514) How American Express and Intel Excel at Brand Publishing Sorofman

(G00250616) Build a Content Supply Chain to Tell Your Brand’s Story Every Day Sorofman

(G0025510) Content Marketing Pushes Digital Marketers to Adopt Newsroom Habits

Sorofman, Weiner (G00250220) Digital Marketers: Are You Ready to Think Like a Publisher? Sorofman, Weiner

(G00248342) The Role of Curation in Content Marketing Weiner, Sorofman (G00252480)

Recommended Reading

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Thank You!Jake.sorofman@gartner.com@jakesorofman