B2B Content Marketing

Most traditional marketers use broadcast messages to get people to listen, often these messages are designed to make the company look smart, they think their “cause” can create an affect that stimulates the buyer to react to their messages.  Sales takes those generic messages to the street, they are the talkers, they meet customers on their terms and they engage in conversations that tie “corporate speak” to their client’s needs.  Good sales people ask questions that draw out their wants and needs.  In other words they engage in conversations to create relationships.

There is nothing new here; people have been entering relationships for ions yet we have lost our way.  Lets look at marriage, the legal union between two people, the ultimate relationship.  Human relationships are built on courting, certainty and commitment and trust.

Courting: the fist date.

A good relationship is a two way street.  When I met Jane, my wife, we spent getting time to know each other.  Our discussions revolved around our wants, our needs, our dreams and our fears.   We talked about our successes and failures.  We had a two- way discussion about our beliefs.

Certainty: The engagement.

It was part of a process to understand that Jane was the one for me; we talked and talked and talked, we interacted with friends and family. It took time for us to discover the others dreams, wants and needs.   When I knew Jane was the one for me- I popped the question, she said yes.

Commitment: The marriage ceremony.

Growing up Irish-Catholic, marriage was considered sacred.  That said, Jane was just plain fun! She was smart and she was pretty.  She knew my idiosyncrasies, my strengths and weaknesses.  She accepted them.  On May 30, 1986 we got married.

Bliss: Trust.

In early 2007, as my 3rd child was entering college, Jane and I had a discussion,  I told her that I wanted to start a company.  The risks were huge, 3 kids in college, my youngest still in high school. The economy had early indications of issues.  I add this  to talk about trust.  Jane trusted me, she trusted my work ethic, and Jane trusted my abilities.  There was no hesitation.  She kissed me and said go!

Everybody knows this process, it’s natural,  it’s simple.  Don’t make it more difficult then it really is.

What did getting married teach you about sales, marketing and PR.  Leave a comment below.  The best answer will win a autographed copy of  David Meerman Scott’s “New Rules of Marketing and PR”.

Today is Saturday, I was surprised to get a call from a client,  she was fed up with Youtube™ throwing up competitive advertising on her videos.  Shortly before, a well know social media expert sent out a Tweet with a link to a Slideshare™ presentation that  included a virus, in response another content marketing thought leader chimed in, “the same thing  happened to my Slideshare™ presentation yesterday.”

I respect and often rely on experts for their thought leadership. When dealing with people whom I trust, I tend to be forgiving, on the web things happen, and my point, they do not have control over the technology or what is served up (competitive ads and viruses?!).  As marketers when does the risk outweigh the value of these free platforms?

It comes to a point when standard social networking tools like YouTube™ and Slideshare™ get in the way of your reputation, when does enough become enough?

The number of tech firms reporting profits in the down economy is surprising as IBM and Intel reported better then expected earnings.  A recent headline read,  “With sales down for the fourth quarter in a row, IBM makes the bottom line grow through tighter operations.”  It seems making better use of technology and a balancing of the global workforce has attributed to positive earnings.  During hard times, it seems that “aligning people, process and technology” is in vogue.

I have had the fortune of working for two companies that are subject matter experts on effectiveness (cost) and efficiently (people) across SG&A.  At both companies there were inefficient processes, I spoke up, “there has to be a better way.”  One company chased a technology solution, searching for a silver bullet to deliver a tighter ship, what they got was a reporting mechanism to identify the rouges.  They automated an outdated business process without fixing the root cause; the other threw more people at it causing more silos and more inefficient process.

Today’s woes are causing us to look inward, yes, you may have a people issue, yes, you may lack technology that automates the mundane. But people or technology is not the proverbial silver bullet.  Look at the process and the problem and solution will become clear.   My mother often told me, “sweep the corners and the floor will sweep itself.”

With sales and marketing undergoing a sea change; understand that the most efficient and effective sales and marketing organizations is a balance between people process and technology.   You must evaluate the interactions between the three to determine the optimal balance within your organization.

All good content marketing programs must include a way to articulate value to a buyer’s persona.  I turned to Dave Winsow, CEO of Epik One and asked him to weigh in on the topic: