findings from the field: a report from content marketing...

© 2016 The Mx Group

Findings from the field: A report from Content Marketing World 2016

http://www.themxgroup.com/


No content is better than bad content.



The best content doesn’t win. The best-promoted content wins.



Answer your prospects’ top questions.



Process is your friend.



Semantic is the new search.



Agile makes you more, well, agile.



R.I.P. homepage



Ranking zero can be better than ranking one.



Brand still matters.



Treat all your content pages like landing pages.


Modernizing Your Marketing Operations:

Why It Takes More than Tech



Marketing tech was just beginning to hit the scene.

There are 3,874* marketing tech solutions on the market. *An average of five new solutions hit the market every day in 2015!

Source: chiefmartec.com

Today …

10 years ago …


Are you in line with the times … or living in the past?


What’s Behind this Shift? •  The modern customer

has changed •  How your performance

is measured has changed •  Marketing’s contribution

to sales has changed •  The tools of the trade

have changed Source: Deloitte



Why Is Technology so Important? •  Buyers expect self-guided

touches in all industries •  Most self-guided interactions

are becoming digital •  You need tech to support

this change

# of

Inte

ract

ions

Purchase price in thousands

Source: SiriusDecisions 2015 Buying Study (1,005 verified B2B executive responders in North America and EMEA)



But Buying Tech Isn’t a Magic Bullet •  Finding tech with the right

capabilities isn’t easy •  Operations surrounding the

technology must change •  So … the real issue

is transformation, not technology

Source: Ascend2


Six Elements of Modern Marketing

Operations


A / B Test No. 789

A) Leave managing your sales funnel to chance

B) Buy an actual giant funnel and hope prospects just fall in

Test and determine a winner



•  The foundation of modern B2B marketing

•  Segmentation is essential

•  Personas and journeys are central to engagement

Strategy

Source: SiriusDecisions

The SiriusDecisions Demand Waterfall®



Because the buyer’s in control.

Why Set up Journeys?

Sources: CEB and SiriusDecisions



The Power of Account-based Marketing

Source: 2014 Sep 25, SiriusDecisions Benchmark Index



Respond to Change with Agile •  Change happens faster

in modern marketing •  Long planning cycles

put marketers at a disadvantage

•  Agile helps marketers prioritize and adjust in real time

Source: B2B Marketing



9 out of 10 marketers agree that modern marketing requires

an integrated marketing tech stack.

1 marketer is still drinking Crystal Pepsi while

flipping through his Rolodex.



Before you can fully leverage modern marketing practices, you need the right foundation.

Technology

Running campaigns and journeys across touchpoints

Assessing lead quality before sending to sales

Managing contact profiles and behaviors

Integrating metrics and insights to improve ROI and optimize operations

Managing lead conversion with sales team through the funnel

Ensuring consistent, accurate data throughout engagement



•  It’s not about what the system does — it’s about how it meets your needs

•  Think about what you need your ideal systems to do •  Ask yourself:

–  Does this tech do what I need? –  What gaps will it leave? –  Do I have the people and

infrastructure to run it in-house?

Think Capabilities, Not Features




Want better data?

Swear off showering until your team creates a data hygiene strategy.

We give it a week. #ProTip



•  Data fuels all modern marketing efforts •  Segmentation and relevant data filters are critical •  Accessibility across “specialist systems” is important •  Accuracy is more important than ever for qualification,

personalization and predictive engagements

Data Management



•  Perform a data audit to eliminate duplicates, erase errors and fill gaps

•  “Traffic cop” software can keep data moving accurately between systems

Data Hygiene




Marketing Proverb:

Don’t count your chickens before you’re sure they meet the criteria for marketing-qualified chickens.



•  Marketing and sales both want to turn leads into sales and revenue

•  Misalignment damages conversion, wastes time and loses money

Lead Management

Source: CMO Council



•  Create shared processes and definitions of qualified leads

•  Host alignment workshops to encourage communication between teams

•  Try telequalification for higher-quality MQLs

Aligning Sales and Marketing




Marketing Quiz:

Which of these will drive the most ROI?

Segmented, multi-channel marketing campaigns

A An ad in the classifieds

B Helping the nice Nigerian prince who emailed you

C



•  The days of one-size-fits-all marketing are long gone •  Programs should be targeted and highly personalized,

and should use multiple channels •  The best programs will support every stage

of the buyer’s journey •  Focus on relevance and value, not volume •  Content marketing is not campaign marketing

Marketing Programs



Sales?

Who Should Control the Buyer’s Journey?



Or buyers?

Who Should Control the Buyer’s Journey?



Let Buyers Take Control!



Leverage Interactive Content

ROI calculators

Gamification

Assessments

e-Commerce

Simulations

Product configuration


http://engage.themxgroup.com/from-obstacle-to-opportunity


118% of marketers make up metrics because it’s too

hard to find the results in their tech.



•  You can’t improve what you don’t measure! •  Real-time reporting will show you how your

operations are performing right now •  Companies that use data to make marketing

and sales decisions increase ROI by 15–20%

Measurement and Reporting

Source: McKinsey & Company



•  Open rates and click-through rates don’t tell the whole story

•  Which matters more: activity or results? •  Your metrics should map onto the

SiriusDecisions Demand Waterfall •  What metrics matter to you and your team?

Get Metrics That Matter!


So, What Have We Learned?


To be a successful modern marketer, you need more than tech. You need:



Must-do’s for 2017: 1.  Buyer personas 2.  Buyer journeys 3.  MarTech integration 1.0 4.  Database audit 5.  Sales & Marketing SLA 6.  Five Q’s & five A’s


http://www.themxgroup.com/marketing-maturity-calculator

Marketing Proverb:

Give a man a lead, and he profits for a day;

teach a man modern marketing, and he profits for a lifetime.

Suzanne Martin Chief Marketing Officer, The Mx Group [email protected] 630-230-2574 linkedin.com/in/suzannedmartin @suzannedmartin

Thank you!


https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzannedmartin

https://twitter.com/suzannedmartin

mailto:[email protected]



findings from the field: a report from content marketing...

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