the 4th wave of content marketing: from passive to interactive

The 4th Wave of Content Marke1ng From Passive to Interac0ve

Sco$ Brinker @chiefmartec

h$p://ioninterac5ve.com

Jerry Rackley @DemandMetric

Content may be king…

…but content marke5ng is

Content Marke1ng: Everybody’s Doing It

Most Marketers Are Producing More Content

Most Marketers Are Spending More on Content

1. Educate our prospects.

4. Inspire social sharing.

3. Convert prospects to leads.

2. Differen5ate our company.

4 Big Goals of Content Marke1ng

2%!

3%!

5%!

31%!

59%!

0%! 10%! 20%! 30%! 40%! 50%! 60%! 70%!

Very unimportant!

Somewhat unimportant!

Neither important nor unimportant!

Somewhat important!

Very important!

Source: DemandMetric, Content & The Buyer’s Journey: Benchmark Study Report, June 2014

Importance of Influencing Buyers Earlier

1. Cacophony of content.

4. Tired conversion tac5cs.

3. Talking at the prospect.

2. Burden on the audience.

4 Big Problems of Content Marke1ng

Only a small number of content assets gain significant popularity.

Most become a drop in the “Long Tail” ocean.

It’s Asympto1cally Impossible to Break Through

Available Audience A$en5on

Available Content =

Average A$en5on Available Per Content Asset

Most become a drop in the “Long Tail” ocean.

It’s Asympto1cally Impossible to Break Through

Available Audience A$en5on

Available Content =

This number con1nuously drops.

Average A$en5on Available Per Content Asset

Only a small number of content assets gain significant popularity.

Dear Buyer,

Here is the content available for the due diligence of your purchase — have at it.

Love,

A World of Vendors

How will I make it through one more ebook?

67%

Source: SiriusDecisions, “Three Myths of the 67% Sta0s0c”, July 13, 2013

67% of the Buyer’s Journey is Done Digitally

As marke5ng takes on more of the “face 5me” with prospects from sales, it should consider what made sales successful…

Good Salespeople Listen and Discuss

But Most Marke1ng is Talking at Prospects

“It’s a trap!”

Waaait… Just one more form field…

Is this ebook really worth it? Grrr…

0me

content sop

his0ca0o

n The 4 Waves of Content Marke1ng

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content sop

his0ca0o

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1. Web pages founda5on of digital content marke5ng

The 4 Waves of Content Marke1ng

Blog Post

Blog Post

Blog Post

Blog Post

Blog Post

Eventually, SEO Became “Formulaic”

Once It’s a Formula, Everybody Can Do It

0me

content sop

his0ca0o

n

1. Web pages

2. Rich content video, infographics, responsive web, HTML5

founda5on of digital content marke5ng


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content sop

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1. Web pages

2. Rich content video, infographics, responsive web, HTML5



Going up this axis is all about breaking through the noise

Beau0fully designed eBooks, oVen provided as a PDF, are a quintessen0al example of rich content.

Beau0fully designed infographics are one of the more popular rich content types today.

But they rely on social more than search to gain distribu0on.

Source: ON24 Webinar Benchmarks Report, 2014 Edi0on

Webinars (and recorded videos) are another example of rich content too.

Rich content consump5on is “aspira5onal” — less than half of the people who register for a webinar actually a$end.

eBook

eBook

eBook

eBook

eBook

Soon Enough, Rich Content Became “Formulaic”

Once It’s a Formula, Everybody Can Do It

2,326,713

0me

content sop

his0ca0o

n

1. Web pages

2. Rich content

3. Personaliza5on

video, infographics, responsive web, HTML5


dynamically subs5tuted content based on visitor’s profile



Source: Evergage (a personaliza0on soVware vendor) website

Personaliza4on technology enables marketers to dynamically recommend or subs0tute content.

1.   Need data on new prospects.

2.   Need data about new content.

3.   Things change. 4.   S4ll a probabilis4c

guess — what happens if you guess wrong?

Personaliza1on Can Help, But Isn’t a Panacea

Content in the First 3 Waves Was Mostly Passive

0me

content sop

his0ca0o

n

1. Web pages

2. Rich content

3. Personaliza5on






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1. Web pages

2. Rich content

3. Personaliza5on

4. Marke5ng apps




interac5ve experiences with programma5c flow and logic



What’s a marke0ng

app?

Source: Kevy

Marke0ng apps are not just na0ve apps

installed on your smartphone.

They’re more oVen responsive web apps

that work on any device.

But they’re the same idea: lightweight

func0onality.

•  Polls & Quizzes •  Games & Contests •  Calculators •  Configurators •  Assessment Tools •  Guided Tours •  Slideshows & Galleries •  Refer-‐a-‐Friend •  Interac5ve eBooks •  Catalog Promo5ons •  Mad-‐Lib Forms •  Wizards

•  Choose-‐Your-‐Own Stories •  Mul5-‐Step Signups •  “Look Inside” Offers •  Community Intros •  Webinar Hub Pages •  Personalized Portals •  Loca5on-‐Based Offers •  Prezi-‐Style Presenta5ons •  Dynamic Forms •  Decision Paths •  Interac5ve White Papers •  App-‐Like Landing Pages

Marke1ng Apps Are Many a Splendid Thing

Compare and Contrast: Passive Content vs. Interac1ve Content

White Paper / eBook / Guide

Compare and Contrast: Passive Content vs. Interac1ve Content

“Which One Won?” Game

Immediate engagement.

No barrier of “fill out a form.”

No barrier of “install our app on your phone.”

Just an intriguing ques0on and a simple click (tap) to begin…

This game is a responsive web marke0ng app.

It works on any phone, tablet, or computer with a modern browser.

It’s lightweight and fast.

It shows off the poten0al of good A/B tes0ng.

But unlike just reading about it, it invests users in the outcomes.

It demonstrates that tes0ng is beger than guessing.

It doesn’t take long — maybe 30-‐45 seconds.

“Progress dots” at the bogom assure users that this is a quick exercise.

But because it engages them, it is memorable.

As a marketer, you appreciate that the examples in this game have other benefits:

They show off the quality of work produced with our soVware — and provide social proof of who uses our soVware.

Wai0ng un0l the end to share the score keeps users engaged.

The lesson of the score: users can’t predictably guess the winner.

Scores also tap a bit of compe00ve energy — making it memorable.

Only now, aVer proving the value of the content, do we make a low-‐hurdle offer — tell us who you are, and we’ll email the hypotheses.

Even those who pass had a useful brand experience.

When this email arrives, people are eager to read it — they want to know the experiments that they are now “invested” in the outcome.

This is demand genera4on.

If content marke1ng is about educa1ng prospects, let’s take inspira1on from great teachers.

Ac0ve, experien0al learning over purely passive, didac0c learning.

Great teachers don’t just drone on in a lecture — they incorporate construc0vist learning techniques to make the material come alive in the minds of their students.

Ask Students to Predict the Outcome of an Experiment Beforehand, and They Will Remember

Call to Ac1on

Interac1ve Reveal

Embedded Quiz

Click on your “app personality” — what kind of app are you?

Does interac1ve content move the needle?

1. Educate our prospects.

4. Inspire social sharing.

3. Convert prospects to leads.

2. Differen5ate our company.

4 Big Goals of Content Marke1ng

How effec1ve is content at educa1ng buyers?

2%!

13%! 15%!

64%!

6%!0%! 2%!

5%!

48%!45%!

0%!

10%!

20%!

30%!

40%!

50%!

60%!

70%!

Very ineffective!

Somewhat ineffect.!

Neither! Somewhat effect.!

Very effective!

Passive! Interactive!


93% vs. 70%

2%!

20%!23%!

45%!

10%!

0%! 2%!

10%!

55%!

33%!

0%!

10%!

20%!

30%!

40%!

50%!

60%!

Very ineffective!

Somewhat ineffect.!

Neither! Somewhat effect.!

Very effective!


How effec1ve is content at differen1a1ng the firm?


88% vs. 55%

3%!

22%!

39%!

32%!

4%!0%!

7%!

23%!

56%!

14%!

0%!

10%!

20%!

30%!

40%!

50%!

60%!

Very poorly! Moderately poorly!

Neutral! Moderately well!

Very well!


How well does content convert visitors?


70% vs. 36%

6%!

38%! 39%!

15%!

2%!5%! 7%!

50%!

21%!17%!

0%!

10%!

20%!

30%!

40%!

50%!

60%!

Very infrequently!

Infrequently! Neutral! Frequently! Very frequently!


How frequently is content shared by visitors?


38% vs. 17%

1. Cacophony of content.

4. Tired conversion tac5cs.

3. Talking at the prospect.

2. Burden on the audience.

4 Big Problems of Content Marke1ng

Problem: Content is not genera5ng much interest

or gejng much a$en5on.

Passive Interac1ve 37% 8%


vs.

Problem: Content quality is poor.

Passive Interac1ve 25% 3%


vs.

Media Messages

Innova1on in Marke1ng Touchpoints

what it says where and how it appears

most digital marke5ng innova5on to date (“the medium is the message”)

Media Messages

Mechanisms MARKETING APPS the next big wave of marke5ng innova5on (“the mechanism is the

message”)

Innova1on in Marke1ng Touchpoints

what it says where and how it appears

how it behaves

form

func0on

Engagement Axis

Busin

ess M

odel Axis

FREE/OPEN

PAID/GATED

PASSIVE INTERACTIVE

White Papers

Engagement Axis

Busin

ess M

odel Axis

FREE/OPEN

PAID/GATED

PASSIVE INTERACTIVE

Websites

Blogs Social Media

eBooks

Webinars White Papers

premium passive content is typically gated behind a form

most passive content is free and low-‐engagement

Engagement Axis

Busin

ess M

odel Axis

FREE/OPEN

FREEMIUM

PAID/GATED

PASSIVE INTERACTIVE

Websites

Blogs Social Media

eBooks




Engagement Axis

Busin

ess M

odel Axis

FREE/OPEN

FREEMIUM

PAID/GATED

PASSIVE INTERACTIVE

Websites

Blogs Social Media

eBooks


Na1ve Mobile Apps

MARKETING APPS

Interac1ve White Papers

Interac1ve eBooks

Configurators U1li1es

Assessment Tools

Contests

Lookbooks

Galleries

Workbooks

Guided Tours

Games

Calculators

Quizzes

Sweepstakes

na0ve mobile apps are inherently gated by an installa0on



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1. Web pages

2. Rich content

3. Personaliza5on

4. Marke5ng apps







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1. Web pages

2. Rich content

3. Personaliza5on

4. Marke5ng apps






Apps collect more accurate “intent” data from visitors — feeding be$er personaliza5on profiles


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content sop

his0ca0o

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1. Web pages

2. Rich content

3. Personaliza5on

4. Marke5ng apps






Apps collect more accurate “intent” data from visitors — feeding be$er personaliza5on profiles


Apps make it easier for visitors to consume the most relevant content in bite-‐sized pieces

7%!

19%!

25%!

28%!

30%!

32%!

53%!

60%!

66%!

0%! 10%! 20%! 30%! 40%! 50%! 60%! 70%!

Other barriers!

Limited market/competitor understanding!

Production skills!

Limited buyer understanding!

Creative skills!

Technical skills!

Time/agility constraints!

Budget constraints!

Staffing/resource constraints!

Barriers to Greater Content Marke1ng Success


Solware is Changing Marke1ng App Economics

Content

We are opening up a crea5ve universe between the two.

Apps

Help our customers distance themselves from content noise

Marke5ng Apps to Drive Engagement

Marke5ng Apps to Drive Conversion

Marke1ng Apps Plamorm

Marke1ng Apps Across the Buyer’s Journey

Shared User Data

Reusable Components

Prospects Customers

Brand Standards

Single-‐Point Integra5on

Consistent Analy5cs

bridge the legacy gap between brand and performance touchpoints

Progressive Profiling of Prospect

Thank you. Download the free report.

Sco$ Brinker @chiefmartec

h$p://ioninterac5ve.com

Jerry Rackley @DemandMetric

the 4th wave of content marketing: from passive to interactive

Marketing