messaging that matters: the art of shifting to audience-based marketing

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MessagingThatMatters

TheArtofShiftingtoAudience-BasedMarketing

Rachel Young @rpyoung_ #siriusdecisions


SiriusDecisions B-to-B Content Study

On average, 60-70% of b-to-b content goes unused, representing hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars wasted

SiriusPerspective:


Best-in-class organizations are shifting from product- to persona-based architecture to create meaningful connections with their audiences.

Content Architecture: Product vs. PersonaPr

oduc

t Lau

nch

Inbound Marketing

Offering

Menu-Based Assets

Capabilities and Benefits

Solution Content

Buyer NeedBuying Center

Market SegmentPERSONA-BASED

Preference-Based Assets

Topic Content


Market SegmentPRODUCT-BASED

+Offering

Capabilities and Benefits



Education Solution Selection Engagement Education Solution Selection Engagement

Topics List

Initiative or Challenge

Topics List


Topics List


Topics List


Buyer Persona

Buyer Persona

Buyer Persona

Buyer Persona

SiriusPerspective:


Arc 1: Audience IsolationIsolate the target market segments, down to the buyer persona,for an offering.

Arc 2: Persona ContextDefine the buyer persona attributes the messaging will be conducted for and internalize those insights.

Arc 3: IntentState the messaging intent by demand type.

Arc 4: Value PropositionCraft the core value proposition for the buyer persona.

Arc 5: Inflection PointsCatalog the persona’s information requirements by stage.

Arc 6: Narrative ElementsBuild the narrative elements – the raw materials. Use the right words.

Arc 7: Activation MappingMap the content activation routes.

Arc 8: OperationalizeBuild out the components in each arc and form content via messaging templates.

The SiriusDecisions Messaging NautilusThe Messaging Nautilus is a sequential and logical process for

transforming messaging skills in order to create more relevant, audience-centric content.


The SiriusDecisions Messaging Nautilus

Arc 1: Audience IsolationIsolate the target market segments, down to the buyer persona,for an offering.



Arc 2: Persona ContextDefine the buyer persona attributes the messaging will be conducted for, and internalize those insights.



Arc 3: IntentState the messaging intent by demand type.



Arc 4: Value PropositionCraft the core value proposition for the buyer persona using the five building blocks of audience, need, assertion, outcome and distinction.



Arc 5: Inflection PointsCatalog the persona’s information requirements by stage.



Arc 6: Narrative ElementsBuild the narrative elements – the raw materials.

Use the right words.



Arc 7: Activation MappingMap the content activation routes.



Arc 8: OperationalizeBuild out the components in each arc and form content via messaging templates.


Use Case: Persona-Based Messaging and Content

ConsistencyPrecise targeting of

buyers across all content

Problem StatementClient needed to reduce the ad hoc nature of content development and increase the quality of messaging

ResultsThe new persona-based message maps increased the speed of content development while ensuring consistency of messaging strategy developed from person insight Efficiency

Increase speed of content development

AlignmentMessage maps are

source of sales talking points and content

Solution summary

Web site copy

Blogs VideosWhite papers

Email

Press releases

CFO ITUser


Abraham Lincoln

Give me eight hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first six sharpening the axe.


Lots of Meetings on the Same Topic

Solution summary

Web Site copy

Blogs VideosWhite papers

Email


It Was Exhausting

Conflicting ideas and wordage

Disagreements on messaging

Post-publishing feedback

Conflicting ideas and language

Disagreements on messaging

Post-publishing feedback


Tons of Content Message Maps

Buyer Preferences

Personas

Strategy

What We Had


Connected Relationship of Arcs


This Is What We Were Doing…

Topic

We were only focusing here


Sharpening the Axe: Audience Definition

Gathering Subject Matter Experts: • Who are we targeting?• What do we want them to do?• What will make them do that?


We’ve Matured Our Approach

Topic Topic

CFO IT User

Before After


Solution summary

Web site copy

BlogsVideos

White papers

Email

Press releases

CFO ITUser

Aligned Persona-Based Content


A Feller Buncher…


Content Someone Else Made?


Making Messaging Accessible


Results

AlignmentDirect and Channel

using the message mapsto create talking points

and content

EfficiencyIncrease speed of

content development

ConsistencyPrecise targeting of

buyers across all content


Abraham Lincoln

Give me eight hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first six sharpening the axe.


A Successful Content Creator

Give me eight hours to create content and I will spend the first six sharpening the messaging.


Use Case: Enterprise Adoption of Messaging Framework

Deep Buyer Understandingdriving product and marketing strategies

Problem StatementClient needed to align multiple business units to a messaging framework that is audience-centric and effective in sales enablement

ResultsThe new, standardized messaging process is proven, repeatable, and easy to deploy as client brings on additional business units through acquisition

Persona-Basedmessaging that emphasizes key differentiators

Sales Enablement“Best sales content I’ve ever

seen” – SVP, Marketing


Use Case: Product To Audience Messaging

+59%Web visitors

+53%Web revenue

+10%Orders from email

-78%Time to market

Problem StatementClient’s product-centric messaging did not maximize inbound marketing and contributed to limited product launch success

ResultsNew messaging, tools, and system designed around the persona buyer journey


Action Items

• Marketing• Review messaging process, tools and templates to isolate

and fix flaws • Train content originators on how to conduct audience

segmentation and persona definition for their offerings

• Sales• Determine the key buyer personas that sales needs

content for to drive growth • Help to construct and validate messaging before content

is assembled or delivered to sellers

• Product• Ensure that value propositions for offerings are centered

around the buyer need vs. capabilities• Work with marketing to build an audience framework for

tier one offerings (supported by campaigns)


Buyer Insights


Persona Research to Jump Start Your Initiatives

Executive IT and Technical Vertical Industry Company Size

CXO IT Professional Financial Services Emerging: $0-50M

CEO Infrastructure and Ops Healthcare Mid-Size: $50-500M

CIO Applications Development Information Services Large: $500M-1B

COO Enterprise Architect Manufacturing Extra Large: $1-3B

CFO Extra Extra Large: $3B+

Marketing Leader Horizontal Function Generation

Sales Leader Procurement Millennials Role

Business Unit Leader Product Management Gen X Influencer

Human Resources Baby Boomers Decision Maker

Finance

www.siriusdecisions.com1.203.665.4000


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