the customer path: from lead gen to customer
DESCRIPTION
Presentation I gave at the 2nd Annual Content Marketing Retreat on using content to convert leads into customers.TRANSCRIPT
1/28/20121/28/2012 Technology, Inc. – Copyright 2011. All rights reserved.Manticore Technology - Copyright 2012. All rights reserved.
The Customer Path:From Lead Gen to Customer
January 26, 2012 – Content Marketing RetreatJeff Erramouspe, President@jefferramouspe
1/28/2012 Manticore Technology - Copyright 2012. All rights reserved.
Implementation
Referrals
Online Research
Social Media
Outbound
Sales
B2B Buyer’s Journey
1/28/2012 Manticore Technology - Copyright 2012. All rights reserved.
B2B Purchasing Behavior
Prefer to utilize Web and social media to create a shortlist Resistant to sales calls/messaging during this phase Without 1:1 interaction, seller has no control of the process
1/28/2012 Manticore Technology - Copyright 2012. All rights reserved.
Evolving Role of Marketing
Marketing now has responsibility for early stage selling
Must use content to engage prospects and drive them through buying process
Must use technology to track behaviors and automate interactions
Marketers have become Publishers – must tell compelling stories
1/28/2012 Manticore Technology - Copyright 2012. All rights reserved.
Understanding Your Process
Define personas &
phases
Map content to personas &
phases
Identify content holes
Fill holes w/ new content
Integrate w/ sales process
& tools
Track usage by persona &
phase
Understand your buyer’s process
Think analytically & systematically
Use existing sales data to prime the pump
Interview closed buyers about their process
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Persona & Stage Based Messaging Personas
Decision maker Economic buyer Influencers Approvers Users
Buying Stages Awareness Education Consideration Validation Decision
1/28/2012 Manticore Technology - Copyright 2012. All rights reserved.
Telling a Compelling Story
Address the unique needs of prospects at different buying stages
Early content should start a conversation and address business issues
Later content should be product specific and focus on purchasing concerns
Consider your cadence; you don’t want to be annoying, but you don’t want to be forgotten
Develop content that progresses and accelerates the prospect’s buying cycle
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Why Content Marketing Works
Leads the prospect through his buying cycle Creates a dialogue with prospects that
matches the way they want to buy Provides a clear indication of where prospect
is in buying cycle Reduces sales cycles and provides more
predictable sales pipeline
1/28/2012 Manticore Technology - Copyright 2012. All rights reserved.
The Role of Marketing Automation
Symbiotic Relationship
ContentMarketing Automatio
n
Tracks prospect behavior
Automates prospect interactions
Measures content efficacy
Integrates with sales process