content marketing for sales
TRANSCRIPT
@markeelliott @itbeginswithif
Grow Sales with Content Marketing
Mark ElliottCo-Founder
Venture Accelerator Partners
@markeelliott @Communitech
Agenda
• Why Content Marketing• Customer buying process• Types of Content• Linkedin• Creating a plan• Content marketing• Great resources
@markeelliott @Communitech
Background• Mark Elliott, Co-Founder Venture Accelerator
Partners • Provides Part-time sales and marketing• 8.5 Years since the start of VA Partners• 10 Years at Fortune 500 Technology Company• Champion of Sales P2P at Communitech• At VA Partners
– Worked with over 70 Companies– Helped book hundreds of meetings– Drove millions of web page views– Customers have realized millions in revenue
@markeelliott @Communitech
Benefits of Content Marketing
• Great for cross selling• Reinforce subject matter expertise• Keep top of mind with customers and
prospects• Excellent way to engage a prospect• Gage interest of prospects already in the sales
funnel• Drives inbound leads
@markeelliott @Communitech
Why Content Marketing for Sales
• Inbound marketing delivers 54% more leads into the marketing funnel than traditional outbound marketing (Hubspot)
• Buyers go through about 57% of the purchasing process before ever talking to sales. (CEB)
• 82% of prospects say content targeted to their industry is more valuable. (Marketo)
@markeelliott @Communitech
We have experienced it
• Over half our business comes through inbound leads
• Most of website traffic related to content
• It is a big part of our sales strategy and tactics
• 2 examples in May
@markeelliott @Communitech
Sales has changed
@markeelliott @Communitech
How is the buyer making decisions
• What problems do they have?• What questions are they
asking?• Align content to your buyer• Use Google Keyword planner
to verify numbers, geography, and competitiveness of search
@markeelliott @Communitech
Types of Content
• Blogs• Downloadable assets
– Get their email– White papers– Guides– Tools– Webinars– Presentations
@markeelliott @Communitech
Distribution Tools
• Email Marketing• Social Media• Marketing
automation systems• Referral sites• Search Engines
@markeelliott @Communitech
Sharing Content
• Social Sharing– Linkedin – Twitter
• Direct contacts– Share specific
posts that may be of interest
– Linkedin– Email
@markeelliott @Communitech
Sales Triggers
• Social– RT/Shares– Viewed profile– Follow/connection
• Email– Links clicked– Opens– Bounces
@markeelliott @Communitech
Create a Plan• Set aside time regularly• Connect• Everyone loves a
RT/Share• Don’t just share your
info• Create lists• Help others• Use tools
@markeelliott @itbeginswithif
How marketing can help
• Create content and be consistent
• Support sales efforts• Post to corporate
handles• Use tools to help with
sharing, PostBeyond
@markeelliott @itbeginswithif
Next Steps• Startup
– Start creating content– Share content over
multiple channels• Larger organizations
– Find content– Ask Marketing for more
content– Get sales team to start
sharing
@markeelliott @itbeginswithif
Content Marketing and Sales
@jamietshanks
@vapartners
@hootsuite
@hubspothttp://www.marsdd.com/mars-library/
@communitech