B2B Marketing Integration
B2B Marketing Integration
B2B Marketing Integration
CONTENTS
Introduction
5
Let’s Review
26
2
INTRODUCTION
Over the past 15 years, content has become critical to successful
marketing campaigns by driving website traffic, generating leads,
and delivering revenue. While buyers used to contact vendors
directly for information on their products or services, they now
research their options online. In fact, buyers complete up to 70% of
their journey before ever even contacting sales.1 This is an exciting
shift resulting in more responsibility, budget, and influence given
to marketers within their organizations. Today marketing owns the
top half of the funnel, and the best way to engage buyers and pull
them through that funnel is with educational, valuable content that
addresses their concerns and interests.
1
Oracle Eloqua, The Grande Guide to Sales Enablement, 2010. PDF.
bit.ly/EloquaSalesEnablement
2
SiriusDecisions. “B-to-B Content: The Revolution Is Now.” Presentation.
SiriusDecisions Summit, San Diego, CA. May 9, 2013. bit.ly/ContentModel
3
So how can you, the modern marketer, create an efficient business
process that facilitates content marketing and achieves your
specific goals?
This eBook will show you how to do just that. It will describe how
to execute a cohesive plan aligned with your company’s goals,
organize your campaigns, and coordinate content distribution
across departments and stages of the funnel.
LET’S GET
4
FORMING AN
EDITORIAL BOARD
In many organizations, one of the biggest obstacles to a
streamlined process is siloed departments developing their own
mini-operations for content production. Each team—specifically
social media, web, marketing operations or demand generation,
sales, and customer success—is busy producing unique, but sub-
optimal, content instead of collaborating on mutually beneficial
assets. Not only does this waste time and resources but brand
messaging is inconsistent as prospects move down the funnel,
resulting in a disjointed buyer experience.
For example, say a potential buyer (let’s call her Sara) follows
Company X on Twitter. Sara likes the clever tweets Company X
shares, specifically on a particular topic that she’s struggling to
understand. Curious to find out more, she visits the company
website and subscribes to email updates. However, the emails
Sara receives don’t mention the topics that originally captured her
attention, and the tone of the message is off-putting. After a few
weeks, she loses interest and unsubscribes.
How can you make sure this isn’t happening in your organization?
The first step to a unified process is to gather at least one
stakeholder from the departments managing content
distribution at all stages of the funnel: the top (social and web),
middle (marketing operations or demand generation), bottom
(sales), as well as post-sale (customer success). Each department
needs to have a seat at the table. And we mean that literally.
These representatives will make up your Editorial Board.
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This group should gather on a quarterly basis to decide upon key
themes and initiatives, map out the campaign calendar, plan the
production of major content assets, and coordinate distribution
efforts to be synchronized across departments. Not only will this
meeting keep all internal stakeholders aware of campaign timing,
but it ensures a cohesive strategy geared toward reaching company
goals, generating traffic and qualified leads, and delivering
revenue.
Once you’ve gathered your Editorial Board, it’s time to organize the
main campaigns for the year, quarter, and month.
PLANNING YOUR
MARKETING
CAMPAIGNS
Campaign planning occurs on an annual, quarterly, and monthly
basis. Annual planning maps out the overarching themes and
campaigns for the year, quarterly planning includes the Editorial
Board and covers the timing, topics, and main content assets of
your campaigns, and monthly planning organizes the subsidiary
assets that will make up those campaigns and the details of
distribution. During each of these time frames, the marketing
team is looking at goals (leads, MQLs, revenue) and allocating
budget to achieve those goals.
This is when you, the modern marketer, with the help of the
Editorial Board, start to sketch out the blueprint for your modern
marketing campaign. During the planning process, focus on
four main categories: themes, product updates, events, and
significant content assets.
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IT STARTS
WITH YOUR BUYERS
Content, like your product, must start with your buyers’ interests
and needs. Unless your content addresses what they care about
most, buyers will never see your organization as a valuable
resource for information and viable solutions.
sweet spot
CUSTOMER UNIQUE
INTEREST BRAND
AND NEEDS EXPERTISE
AND VALUE
7
“I think of it as two layers. There are usually thought
leadership-oriented campaigns and initiatives that
are centered around the brand and how they want to
be known. Then, there are tactical campaigns that are
centered around products and services.”
Map out the events you decide to attend and host based on these
criteria. This will help you plan timelines for appropriate content
to present and share during conferences, user groups, or virtual
tours.
8
PILLARS
A content pillar is a significant and comprehensive content asset
that supports marketing initiatives. Examples of content pillars
include eBooks, reports, and guides. (We’ll explore content pillars
more deeply in the next chapter.) As you’ve already learned, it’s
important to coordinate the timing and topics for your quarterly
themes, product updates, and events. The same principle applies
to content pillars. When considering the big content assets you’re
planning to produce in a quarter or year, think about how they will
complement other initiatives on your calendar. For example, if
someone in your organization is presenting on a specific topic at
an event, create an eBook around that same topic to distribute to
attendees.
CONTENT REUSE
The first step in planning your content pillar is figuring out how
you’re going to create that larger piece of content, and how to get
the most out every section.
3
Content Marketing Institute, B2B Content Marketing: 2013
Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends–North America, 2012. PDF.
bit.ly/ContentMarketingTrends
10
Let’s use an eBook as an example. Typically, your content team
would conduct interviews with thought leaders to get their
feedback on the topics you’re covering in the eBook. You’ll also
write text that expands upon specific ideas and includes best
practices and how-tos. Maybe you’ll collect data to back up those
claims and create an infographic to be featured in the eBook.
Whew! That’s already a lot of work, isn’t it? Well, before you dive
in, let’s think about how you could turn each task into a content
gold mine.
When you conduct interviews with thought leaders, why not hire
a videographer to capture their answers on tape? Then, use their
responses to inform the text, while also creating videos around
specific themes covered in the eBook. You also can write a blog
post on each video you produce, which can then be shared via
all your social channels. The relevant blog posts and videos can
be incorporated into your marketing automation campaigns
to further attract attention and build the authority of your
organization.
This is just one example of how a few interviews can lead to many
different derivative assets, and the principle applies to every
element of a content pillar.
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THE CONTENT PILLAR APPROACH
A content pillar is a significant and comprehensive
24
social
content asset, such as an eBook, guide, or report, that
supports marketing initiatives. A single pillar can be
44
broken into many derivative content assets to fill the
editorial calendar and fuel distribution channels.
6
social blog posts 24
blog posts
social
12 2
blog posts
11
SlideShare
SlideShare
6
social
4
social YouTube videos
3
emails
11
infographic
infographic
4
videos
4
landing pages
2
blog posts
36
social
6 1
eBook
1 24 12
3 email blast social social
blog posts
emails
3 11
PowerPoint
PowerPoint
1
landing page
emails
18
6 14 11
webinar
webinar
1
SlideShare
social
social
social
1
YouTube video
11video
video
2
blog posts
1 blog post
6
social
1
blog post
1
landing page
12
social
6
social
6
social
6
social 12
Here’s an overview of how many assets one eBook can produce:
1 eBook =
4 Videos (of thought leader interviews)
4 YouTube Videos (uploaded videos)
4 Blog Posts (1 on each video)
24 Social Media Updates (6 per blog post)
24 Social Media Updates (6 per video)
4 Website Landing Pages (1 for each video)
2 Blog Posts (driving traffic to video landing pages)
12 Social Media Updates (6 per blog post)
24 Social Media Updates (6 per landing page)
6 Blog Posts (on eBook text)
36 Social Media Updates (6 per blog post)
3 Emails for Nurture/Targeted Email Campaigns (incorporating select posts)
1 PowerPoint (on themes and topics from eBook)
1 Webinar (on themes and topics from eBook)
2 Blog Posts (promoting webinar and using text from eBook)
12 Social Media Updates (6 per blog post)
3 Emails (invitation, reminder, and follow up emails)
14 Social Media Updates (promoting webinar registration)
1 Video (from recorded webinar)
1 YouTube Video
6 Social Media Updates (promoting video)
1 Blog Post (with embedded video)
6 Social Media Updates
1 Video Landing Page
6 Social Media Updates (promoting video on website)
1 SlideShare Presentation (uploaded presentation)
1 Blog Post (with embedded SlideShare)
6 Social Media Updates (promoting blog post)
6 Social Media Updates (promoting SlideShare)
1 Infographic (on data collected for eBook)
6 Social Media Updates (promoting infographic)
2 Blog Posts (with embedded infographic)
12 Social Media Updates (6 per blog post)
1 SlideShare Presentation (uploaded infographic)
6 Social Media Updates (driving traffic to SlideShare channel)
1 Landing Page (gating eBook download)
18 Social Media Updates (driving traffic to eBook landing page)
1 Email Blast (promoting eBook download)
3 Emails for Nurture/Targeted Email Campaigns (promoting eBook download)
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And that’s only owned media! Any of the videos, blog posts,
infographics, presentations, webinars, and also the eBook can be
promoted through partner channels and paid media or pitched for
syndication.
DISTRIBUTION: LEVELS
OF THE FUNNEL AND
KEY DEPARTMENTS
You now know just how many assets a single content pillar can
produce, and when planned effectively, reusing content can
support content production across the organization. In fact, during
distribution all of that careful planning, scheduling, and organizing
finally pays off for the marketing department and each department
represented in the Editorial Board. The result: the execution of a
cohesive marketing message and strategy across all stages of the
funnel.
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Between the formation of an Editorial Board
and the content pillar approach, the broken
pieces of those previously siloed operations
fuse into a unified process.
WEB AND
SOCIAL TEAMS
At the top of the funnel, the main goals for content are to drive
traffic to your website and convert visitors into leads. Here, bite-
size pieces of content entertain and inform your target buyers.
These smaller content assets are non-intrusive and effective ways
to start building a relationship and earn permission to continue
communicating.
15
“We take the corporate marketing strategies...and we
match those up with what we know works on our social
networks.”
16
Middle-of-the-funnel content includes the text in the actual email
that is sent, the blog posts and articles linked to within it, as well
as full email campaigns around pillar content assets, such as an
eBook.
SALES
TEAM
The goal at the bottom of the funnel is pretty straightforward:
close deals. Once a lead has indicated they’re ready to speak with
sales about your organization’s solution (whether by saying they
want to talk to sales or through their Digital Body Language, or a
person’s behavioral patterns), they move from the middle to the
bottom of the funnel.
17
“The best companies don’t win through the quality of the
products they sell, but through the quality of the insight
they deliver as part of the sale itself.”
ACCOUNT
MANAGEMENT AND CUSTOMER
SUCCESS TEAM
Once the opportunity has closed, congrats! That’s a great win
for the organization and a step toward meeting your revenue
goals. But those content assets aren’t done working their magic
yet. Post-sale, content is as important as ever. You still need
to demonstrate value to your customers and ensure they’re
successfully using your product to its full potential within their
organization.
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help them thrive.
NOW WHAT?
By reusing and repurposing a single content pillar, each
department represented by the Editorial Board can meet the
content demands of important distribution channels more easily
and efficiently. And because each department will save time on
production, it can be used to analyze and test which formats
and topics work best at different stages of the funnel, ultimately
improving future campaigns.
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STRUCTURE:
ORGANIZING YOUR
TEAM AND EDITORIAL
CALENDAR
AN IMPORTANT ROLE
With so many teams and departments necessary for the
successful execution of your content marketing strategy, you need
someone to step in as the manager of these communications and
conversations.
20
mind” on your marketing team, the content perspective is less
about your product and more about the value, a balance than can
be hard to strike with a team of marketing-minded individuals.
THE EDITORIAL
CALENDAR
The calendar is the manifestation of all the components covered
in this eBook. It brings together individual themes, events,
product releases, content pillars, derivative assets, and content for
all stages of the funnel into one organized, cohesive marketing
strategy. The editorial calendar is, truly, the ultimate blueprint
for your marketing campaigns. It helps you to map the moving
pieces required for execution and keep all of those stakeholders we
discussed earlier updated on their responsibilities and timelines.
Are you an Eloqua 10 user? Download the Kapost Calendar App to see all of your
Eloqua campaigns and emails organized by month and quarter. bit.ly/KapostApp
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BUILDING A UNIFIED CONTENT PROCESS
Follow these four steps to establish an efficient process
02 ORGANIZE
Agreed upon ideas are organized into strategic campaigns
that supports the content needs of each department.
based on themes, product updates, and events. The Managing
Editor plans major content assets called content pillars to
support one or multiple campaigns across departments.
01 ALIGN
The Editorial Board gathers to discuss the big themes and Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
initiatives for upcoming quarters, and all representatives
share the content needs and ideas from their departments. THEME EVENT FEATURE
RELEASE
THEME
03 CALENDAR
Each department maps how
it will reuse content pillars by
breaking them into multiple
EDITORIAL CALENDAR derivative assets, filling the
04 DISTRIBUTE editorial calendar and
meeting their content needs.
Once published, each department
pushes these content assets
through distribution channels
reaching buyers at the top, middle,
bottom, and post-sale stage of the
funnel.
LET’S REVIEW
Way to go, you modern marketer! Before you leap into planning your
own modern marketing campaign, let’s review the key takeaways
from the eBook:
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READY TO START
Now that you know how to create and organize a
modern marketing campaign, design your own
blueprint using the following worksheets that
we’ve developed to make your efforts a success.
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YOUR BLUEPRINT STARTS HERE:
EXERCISES FOR THE MODERN
MARKETER
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EDITORIAL BOARD
Who will be on your Editorial Board?
•••
•••
•••
•••
•••
•••
•••
•••
•••
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MANAGING EDITOR
What are the key attributes you need in a Managing Editor or Content
Operations Manager?
We’ll get you started with some ideas: deadline-driven, creative, skilled in
communication, knowledgeable of your product or service, accomplished
writer and editor...
What will be the key responsibilities for this role within your
organization?
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CONTENT SWEET SPOT
List your brand’s main points of value
List the main concerns of your customers: and expertise:
Find the sweet spot. List the topics around which your customers’ interests
and your expertise intersect:
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PRODUCT UPDATES
List the product, feature, or service updates Now, list the problem that each of these
and releases planned for the year. Write solve for your target buyers. Ask yourself:
down one per line: How will this make our customers’ lives
better?
•••
•••
•••
•••
•••
•••
•••
•••
•••
•••
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EVENTS
List the events you’re thinking of attending, What themes or topics will be addressed
sponsoring, or participating in this year. at this event that also coincide with your
“sweet spot” topics?
•••
•••
•••
•••
•••
•••
•••
•••
•••
•••
Circle the events that address your target buyers as well as your sweet spot topics.
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CONTENT PILLARS FOR YOUR Want help organizing
these assets in Eloqua 10?
In the exercises around your content sweet spot, main product updates,
and events, what key themes and topics emerged? Write them below:
Now, take one of these content pillar ideas and imagine you’re creating
an eBook, guide, report, or another significant content asset about that
topic. Populate the chart below to see how many derivative assets you
can create from just a single arm of a content pillar. Use the complete
Content Pillar Approach graph on page 12 for inspiration.
Now that you know how easy it is to break a content pillar into
many pieces, map out all possible derivative assets for upcoming
content pillars. This will come in handy when you start populating
your editorial calendar.
ANNUAL CALENDAR
Take the main themes and content pillars that you’ve
assembled in previous exercises. Begin to organize them by
month and quarter in the editorial calendar below.
Q1
January February March
[topic 1]
[topic 2]
Q2
April May June
Q3
July August September
Q4
October November December
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MONTHLY CALENDAR
Go back to the content pillar exercise. Now, start to map out each pillar and derivative asset on the monthly
calendar. Set deadlines and publish dates on a day-to-day basis. Ideally, your calendar should also include
information such as theme, content type, campaign, content type, author, etc. This daily-level calendar
becomes the blueprint for your modern marketing campaign.
[content 2]
[content 1] [content 3]
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