In this session, Carol Everson of LexisNexis (data/information support for lawyers) and Wendy Newman of AMN HealthCare (places physicians in acute care facilities) discussed how content marketing is no longer a nice to have component but rather a must have element for just about every category. CMOs shared ideas on innovation in content marketing for B2B. Check out the recap.
Everson provided a broad overview of all the types of content and the potential channels of distribution. One of the areas that she focuses on is providing “how to” information for lawyers on social media marketing. Everson emphasized that the content should focus on “what the buyer needs to hear versus what you want to say about your product/service.”
Newman explained how one division of AMN Healthcare had become so proficient at content marketing that they became as famous for their thought leadership reports as their basic service (recruitment). At the same time, Newman noted that creating quality content was an essential part of AMN’s ability to evolve from a generic recruiting firm to differentiated “workforce solutions provider.”
The ensuing discussion took on a life of its own as fellow CMO’s shared their experiences with content marketing:
· Peter Eliopoulos of M&T Bank offered the expression “untold is unsold” to explain the importance of providing content that is both relevant to the customer and the marketer.
· There was general consensus that some percentage of content should be “ungated” or readily accessible without requiring registration. Some suggested that gating should be limited to content that you “would charge someone for” while others felt it was important to capture names early in the buying cycle regardless of the nature of the content.
· Marketing automation tools like Marketo and Eloqua were recommended by several CMOs as a means of managing customer acquisition through content marketing and revealing the ROI of such programs.
At the end of discussion, there was a clear consensus that a well-managed content marketing program can not just drive customer acquisition and improve customer retention but also radically broaden perceptions of a brand from a generic service provider to a unique thought leader.