Content2Conversion Conversations: Test, Target, Learn And Measure Content Performance
- Written by Kim Ann Zimmermann, Managing Editor
- Published in Content Strategies
Matt Papertsian, Research Director at SiriusDecisions, believes there is a wealth of untapped data that can help marketers improve content performance. He said it is time to move beyond some of the current initiatives — aligning content, understanding the buyer’s journey, building personas and leveraging campaign framework — to hone in on metrics.
We caught up with Papertsian as he prepared for his presentation at the upcoming B2B Content2Conversion Conference, titled: Developing A Content Architecture.
Demand Gen Report (DGR): Can you give us a sneak peek at your session?
Matthew Papertsian:Aligning content, developing personas and leveraging a campaign framework are all critical components. However, we are going to get a little deeper into what kind of environment do you need so that you can test, target, learn and measure your content. That’s really where I’m going to focus. We’ve got very interesting things we’ve been doing around content and around buyer identification so that we can align the story to them earlier in their buying process, capture them more quickly, speak to them more effectively, and engage them more deeply.
DGR: Tell us a little about what you call deal forensics.
Papertsian: We are going to talk in the presentation a bit about being able to look at the wealth of data you already have to start to build buyer journey maps, to understand what consumption behavior looks like and what their preferences look like.
DGR: The theme of our event is the impact content can make in terms of engagement and campaign results. Are you seeing this as a greater focus area for your clients?
Papertsian: There is a huge focus among our client base in this area. On average, two-thirds of the time — whether that’s education, solution or vendor selection — buyers are online. That content journey is so critical because the content isn’t necessarily a conversation. It means we need to think about the conversation being fueled by content.
DGR: You also noted that 70% of content that has been created is never really used in the active buying cycle. Why is that?
Papertsian: Yes, 70% of the time content is missing the mark, and the reason for that is because even when we create campaigns, we’re not testing. We’ve created it and then we’re trying to figure out some way to use the stuff that we created. Well, people don’t want stuff. They want aligned content based on their specific needs. With all the digital fingerprints they’re leaving all over the web, your web site and social media sites, they’re telling you what they want. The question is A, are you listening? And B, if you’re listening, do you have the means to take action?
DGR: A good number of our sessions will cover content metrics. What are you seeing working with your clients on this area?
Papertsian: Most people will say the most important metric is conversion. However, there are pieces of content that are thought leadership and not necessarily designed to convert right away. You have to look at a piece of content to be sure that it is doing what it is designed to do, and in some cases that is attract. Yes, you need to be able to back track and say which pieces of content that attracted, subsequently engaged and then qualified and then quite frankly turned into a revenue opportunity. We want to track content all the way through. We want to look at activity, the consumption, the response.
DGR: What’s the best approach to convincing higher-ups that attending conferences such as B2B Content2Converion is a worthwhile investment?
Papertsian: Great conferences such at B2B Content2Conversion may start with a framework, but always provide practical examples of “How do I get this done?” It’s great if you draw a pretty picture but people have to be able to leave the conference and be able to do something with it. So what they should be saying to their bosses is “This is going to help me do my job better. This is my opportunity to remove the blinders that I have to put on to focus on those key areas that I’m focused on and see what others are doing that are successful so that I can bring that back into the organization.”
Click here to register for the B2B Content2Conversion Conference.
Click here to view the conference agenda.