Account Based Marketing Tactics: How to Gain Audience Insights

Account Based Marketing Tactics: How to Gain Audience Insights

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Account Based Marketing Tactics: How to Gain Audience Insights
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Account based marketing (ABM) tactics are strategies and techniques used by businesses to target and engage specific high-value leads known as accounts.

ABM allows companies with a complex target audience to connect with their most valued prospects through personalized campaigns – as a one-size-fits-all approach often fails to deliver results. Account based marketing tactics are the building blocks of this approach, and they play an important role in successful ABM campaigns.

In this post, we explore:

  • The challenges ABM practitioners face
  • What typical ABM content looks like and how it’s measured
  • A better way of understanding ABM content performance

Let’s dig in!

What is ABM?

Account Based Marketing (ABM) is a strategic approach where businesses focus their marketing efforts on a select group of high-value accounts or clients by tailoring messages and tactics to meet the specific needs and preferences of each account.

The origins of ABM can be traced back to the 1990s with the publication of “The One to One Future” by Don Peppers and Martha Rogers. This marked the initial shift towards a more personalized marketing approach. A decade later, ITSMA coined the term “Account-Based Marketing” and commenced research and training, propelling this strategy to the forefront of B2B marketing.

Presently, a notable 66% of marketers have incorporated ABM into their practices, and more than 25% are actively planning to integrate ABM programs into their marketing strategies for the upcoming year.

What makes a great ABM campaign?

The goal with most ABM campaigns is to increase sales revenue quickly and efficiently; In Demand Spring’s State of ABM report, 74% of marketers surveyed mentioned generating new business as their main goal for account based marketing, while 54% identified increasing revenue as their primary objective.

According to research by Gartner, personalized web or email content – perceived as helpful – increases the likelihood that the customer will make a high-quality purchase by 9%, and 56% of marketers agree that personalized content is key to ABM’s success.

These numbers tell two things. A great ABM campaign:

  1. Requires extensive research/audience insights – to be personalized
  2. Generates real business results and ROI

What does an ABM campaign with audience insights look like?

GumGum – a contextual intelligence platform –  closed the enterprise B2B company, T-Mobile, by demonstrating a deep understanding of their target customer. For GumGum, account based marketing meant identifying and resonating with one key stakeholder at a highly targeted account.

That was John Legere – the former CEO of T-Mobile:

(Source)

John is a well-known Batman enthusiast, which GumGum used to their advantage by commissioning a custom comic book with him as T-Man – the protagonist dressed in Batman-inspired attire.

Screenshot of a twitter post by John Legere on Gum-Gum's prtrayal of him as T-man in a comic - for our post on account based marketing tactics

(Source)

This unique account-based marketing tactic got GumGum a contract with T-Mobile, and a significant amount of social media exposure.

What does a digital ABM experience typically look like?

Consistently, businesses have extensively depended on Account-Based Marketing (ABM) to customize campaigns according to their customers’ preferences.

However, the outcomes have been varied (According to the 2021 State of ABM report); Pierre Custeau from MRP highlights that 75% of B2B buyers characterize their buying journey as highly intricate or demanding, while two-thirds express their dissatisfaction with the process.

Despite the visible success and results from implementing ABM strategies, research from MRP’s State of ABM report shows that many companies are still finding it difficult to develop target account personas (31%) and also to identify the accounts that are most likely to purchase (31%).

The digital ABM experience typically consists of highly personalized landing pages and content – which only a few users might see. 1-1 or 1-few ABM strategies may only have a total audience size of 20-30 people. This means your content needs to be spot-on to work!

56% of marketers who responded to a recent Forrester study strongly agreed that personalized content is key to a successful ABM strategy.

What are the challenges with measuring ABM content?

In DemandSpring’s report, 33% of marketers surveyed tracked engagement metrics to determine the success of their ABM efforts – but numbers alone can’t tell you everything.

39% of respondents mentioned facing difficulties when delivering a personalized experience, while an additional 34% encountered problems when selecting the right content assets.

Having access to real-time insights increases your chances of reaching out to an account that’s ready to buy – even when the customer isn’t a lead – according to a recent study by InsideSales.

Using on-site analytics and metrics will never give you statistical insight as there is never enough volume. These metrics are interesting indicators, but don’t enable much in terms of informed decisions – you need qualitative insight to make better decisions.

How to collect user insights for ABM

It’s hard to create content for buyers when you don’t know what their preferences are – and even harder to identify accounts that are most likely to purchase soon. Metrics also, cannot tell you everything – you need to understand the context behind the numbers.

Now that we’ve explored some challenges with digital ABM, it’s time to introduce a solution to address these challenges: Rockee.

Rockee is designed to help you know who your readers are, and how to create better ABM content they’ll love.

With Rockee, you can use custom questions to find out:

Content relevance: Is the content relevant to customer pain points?

Customer journey: What stage of the journey are they on? E.g. are they just researching, or deep into vendor comparison?

Content Perception: What did prospects think of content and feedback?

Feedback from a high-value prospect can change your ABM approach overnight!

After collecting audience feedback, you may find the challenges in that account are different from what you researched – but now you have the insight from ABM prospects to adjust accordingly and take the guesswork out of low-volume analytics data.

Using Rockee feedback for informed decision-making will save both time and money for your marketing and sales teams, as well as increase their productivity.

How to get setup

Use feedback landing pages when sharing content via email i.e. sales outreach emails – where you can ask ‘Was our content helpful’ and link to a feedback landing page. You can also use the chat style widget if directing users to ungated content on a landing page.

Screenshot of a Rockee email feedback widget for a post on account based marketing tactics

Here’s how to set it:

Step 1:

If new to Rockee, start with the free forever plan by signing up.

Go to the left sidebar and select “Setup.”

From the Setup page, click “Add Widget.”

Screenshot of setting up a rockee email feedback widget for a post on account based marketing tactics

Name your widget (e.g., “ABM Prospect Category 1”) and click “Add Widget.”

Screenshot of a post on setting up an email feedback widget for a post on account based marketing tactics

Step 2:

On the customization page:

Screenshot of the process of customizing a rockee email feedback widget for a post on account based marketing tactics

Customize the questions by clicking the edit icon.

Click “Continue” to proceed.

Step 3: Create a feedback landing page

At this stage, you’ve already set up your custom collection widget. All you need to do is copy and paste the code.

You can then embed a CTA – asking users for feedback – in your email outreach and gated content assets. You can direct users to this page for feedback.

Screenshot of a Rockee feedback landing page for a post on account based marketing tactics

Equally, you can go through the same process as above and spin up an on-site collection widget if you’re directing your ABM prospects to specific web-pages or content to consume.

Step 4: Measure and analyze ABM content performance

From your dashboard, you can analyze your content’s impact through ratings and feedback – and gain insights on ways to improve content.

Screenshot of Rockee's content feedback dashboard for a post on account based marketing tactics

ABM marketing tactics (FAQs)

What are account-based marketing tactics?

Account based marketing (ABM) tactics are strategies and techniques used by a business to target and engage specific high-value leads known as accounts. ABM tactics are aimed at building personalized and focused marketing campaigns with individual target accounts.

How do you measure ABM content performance?

To measure ABM content performance, collect feedback and ratings from target accounts, analyze content engagement, and also the number of leads generated.

Wisdom Dabit

Wisdom Dabit

Wisdom Dabit is a freelance B2B SaaS writer who’s passionate about creating actionable and data-driven content. He enjoys writing about marketing, eCommerce, and of course, SaaS.

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    How to Setup A Content Feedback Survey to Improve Your Content

    How to Setup A Content Feedback Survey to Improve Your Content

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    How to Setup A Content Feedback Survey to Improve Your Content
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    What is content feedback?

    Content feedback refers to the ratings and comments given to creators to help them assess their content, know their readers, and identify areas for improvement.

    Why should you collect content feedback?

    There are numerous reasons why you should gather content feedback. Here are a few:

    1. Many marketers rely solely on quantitative data, often leading to guesswork. Collecting feedback provides context behind the numbers – which analytics tools lack.
    2. Creating content that appeals to various roles within the same target audience is difficult, as understanding reader demographics, roles, and content preferences goes beyond mere numerical analysis. Collecting content feedback easily solves this problem.
    3. It’s hard to understand what resonates best with your readers without asking them.

    Collecting content feedback will help you:

    • Improve the user experience on your website
    • Leave readers with a good impression of your brand and expertise
    • Make your audience feel listened to
    • Show you’re real in an age of AI content (people like people, who knew?) and that you care about the experience of your readers

    What can you learn from content feedback?

    You’ll learn a lot.

    Questions you’ll have answers to after collecting content feedback via Rockee include:

    1. Is content resonating effectively?

    Use your overall Rockee score as a content benchmark (Net Promoter Score), and feedback boxes to collect reader insights.

    2. Am I attracting the right audience for my intent keyword?

    Use custom questions to learn more about the positions and industries of readers, or you could try and find out how far they are into their research or buying journey.

    3. What do visitors want from my content?

    Study reader feedback to uncover unique insights only they can provide.

    4. How can I optimize and improve my content for the web traffic I’ve already got?

    Analyse the suggestions from readers to improve your content’s quality, sometimes it can be really simple fixes which improve experience. This in turn is a great signal to send to Google, that you regularly optimize your content.

    More engaged on-site metrics like dwell time are also great signals for SERP.

    5. What are the numbers telling me?

    Compare the collected feedback with data from quantitative tools to understand numerical trends. High bounce rate? Reader feedback might reveal reasons behind it.

    Low dwell time? Use feedback to find out why users don’t stay on page – could be the content doesn’t align with keyword intent.

      How Rockee Comes In

      Rockee is a content feedback platform that facilitates the collection of ratings and feedback from readers of your content, to provide insights that are beyond the capabilities of analytics tools. Essentially, we help you uncover insights about who your audience are, where they might be on their customer journey, and how you can optimize your content quality.

      An example of a Rockee testimonial

      Using Rockee for a content feedback survey allows you to:

      1. Create custom questions to learn more about your audience and the stage of the customer journey they are in. You can easily set up and install in minutes.
      2. Collect feedback at scale, and use it to improve your content quality and SEO efforts.
      3. Find out why content has low engagement rates in GA4, and conversely which content has the highest engagement or lead-gen rates to inform content planning.

      How do I set up a content feedback survey?

      To set up a content feedback survey using Rockee, follow the following steps. Note: Matt has recorded multiple videos to guide you through each stage.

      If new to Rockee, start with the free forever plan by signing up. If you’re a user already, simply log in here.

      Screenshot of the process of signing up for Rockee

      Stage 1: Setup

      I’ve created a survey before, so I’ll navigate to the left sidebar to set up a new one.

      Rockee's left side bar

      Step 1: Select “Setup” from the left sidebar

      Screenshot of setting up Rockee for a content feedback survey

      Step 2: From the Setup page, click “Add Widget

      Screenshot of the process of setting up a Rockee widget for a content feedback survey

      Step 3: Name your widget (e.g., “Blog content survey“) and click “Add Widget.”

      Naming a content feedback survey widget

      Stage 2: Customize Your Survey Questions

      Customizing your Rockee feedback widget

      Step 1: Name the widget. We’ve done that already, so this step is covered.

      Naming your content feedback survey widget

      Step 2: Edit the first question. By default, you’ll have these departments shown. Choose the edit icon at the right corner if you wish to customize it for your survey.

      Customizing your first content feedback survey question

      content feedback survey question

      Step 3: The final question. Here, you can ask the reader’s seniority level – whether they’re an intern, a manager, a director e.t.c.,

      Customizing your second content feedback survey question

      Again, if you wish to customize the question for your survey, click on the edit icon, and save when you’re done.

      Customizing a content feedback survey question

      Step 4: Click “Continue” to proceed.

      Rounding up the cuistomization process of your content feedback survey

      Stage 3: Install the Rockee header and collection widget scripts in your CMS template to start collecting survey answers and ratings

      For a survey, it’ll be best to go with the embedded website widget which is more visible. You can also opt for a chat-style widget, or a feedback landing page if you’d want to collect email and non-website feedback.

      Again, there are videos to guide you at each step.

      Step 1: Install the header code in the header template of your website. 

      Installing the header code for your content feedback survey

      Copy the code from the right side – or this (<script src=”https://app.rockee.io/rockeescript”></script>) – to the header template of your website.

      Step 2: Install the Collection Widget code on the content hosting template or specific pages

      Install the collection widget on any template used for hosting your content or manually if you’d like to have the widget on only select pages. You can copy the code from the right side.

      Installing the collection widget code for your content feedback survey

      (Note: Codes are different for each setup)

      Installing the code on any template used to host your content – preferably at the footer – would get the Rockee widget to automatically load across all of those pages. Rockee will report back on ratings/feedback, and automatically detect the page Title and URL for easy review in your dashboard. 

      However, if you wish to collect feedback individually for each page, manually, copy and embed the code at the end of the content like I did for this post below.

      Manually installing the collection widget code for a content feedback survey

      Stage 4: Save Changes and Start Collecting Feedback for your Survey

      Check to confirm if you’ve correctly added the codes, and update the pages.

      And your survey’s live!

      It’ll typically appear like this at the end of your content:

      Or like this if you opted for a chat-style widget:

      Stage 5 (Optional): Place Trust Badges

      Incorporating trust badges is an effective method to enhance content engagement.

      Example of a Rockee trust badge

      (Source)

      There are two ways of setting up for your survey:

      1. Show badges at scale (highly recommended): Add the Trust badge code to the template designed for hosting content, such as a blog template layout. Adding this as a one-time install would automatically load it across all those pages, and Rockee will display survey ratings and feedback to visitors.
      2. Manually add the code to pages you wish to show content feedback on: This is particularly helpful if you wish to focus solely on high-value content pages like industry reports for your survey. Choosing this setup would allow you to test your content feedback survey on a few pages first.

      Why Rockee over Hotjar or other generic survey tools?

      1. It’s focused entirely on content performance, not your website’s user experience – making it perfect for SEO and content teams to quickly understand which content works best – and also gives insight on how to optimize content accordingly.
      2. You can embed content analytics from sources you already use like GA4 (This feature is coming soon)
      3. Easy to use your feedback as social proof with Trust badges

      Below’s an example of a Trust Badge on the Thomas blog:

      An example of a Rockee Trust Badge

      (Source)

           4. You can share the content your audience loves most on social media. 

      This post by FundingHero – with an average 5-star review – won Content of the Week, and we shared it on LinkedIn.

      Rockee's content of the week

           5. Our widgets load faster – enhancing website load times and overall performance due to their lightweight design.

       

      Feature Rockee Hotjar
      1. Audience Feedback Collect real-time feedback on content to understand audience preferences. Primarily emphasizes heatmaps with a limited emphasis on user feedback
      2. Content Optimization Optimize content based on audience insights, enhancing its effectiveness. Lacks emphasis on content optimization.
      3. Customizable Questions Customize questions to gain insights into audience demographics and preferences. Limited customization for gathering user data.
      4. Content Diversity Covers various content types, from landing pages to PDFs, emails, and eBooks. Focus primarily on website interactions.
      5. Trust Building Utilize social proof badges and reviews to enhance content credibility and trust. Less emphasis on building content trust.
      8. Performance Dashboards Access content measurement and performance dashboards with insights and scores. Lacks detailed content performance analytics.
      9. Loading Speed Rockee widgets are lightweight and load faster Widgets are heavy and affect page speed

      Content Feedback Survey (FAQs)

      Why is content feedback important?

      Content feedback is important because it helps you to improve content quality, engage users better, reduce bounce rates, and align content with audience preferences.

      How do you use feedback to improve content performance?

      You can use feedback to enhance content performance by identifying strong and weak content, addressing user concerns, tailoring content to audience preferences, and refining your approach to content optimization.

      Wisdom Dabit

      Wisdom Dabit

      Wisdom Dabit is a freelance B2B SaaS writer who’s passionate about creating actionable and data-driven content. He enjoys writing about marketing, eCommerce, and of course, SaaS.

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        How to Reduce Bounce Rate: 7 Tips to Implement For Results

        How to Reduce Bounce Rate: 7 Tips to Implement For Results

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        How to Reduce Bounce Rate: 7 Tips to Implement For Results
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        What is Bounce Rate?

        In Universal Analytics, bounce rate was defined as: “The percentage of single sessions in which there was no interaction on the page”.

        In GA4 however, bounce rate is defined as: “The percentage of website sessions that were not engaged sessions.”

        An engaged session lasts for 10 seconds or more, has either 1 or more conversion events, or 2 or more page views. If a user doesn’t meet any of the criteria, GA4 will count their session as a bounce.

        For example, if a user visits your website, reviews a page for less than 10 seconds, and then leaves without triggering any events, or visiting another page – that session will count as a bounce/non-engaged session.

        What is a Bounce Rate Benchmark?

        According to a recent study conducted by Siege Media, a good bounce rate is around 50%, with blogs having a higher “good” bounce rate of up to 80%.

        How to Calculate Bounce Rate in GA4

        To calculate your website’s bounce rate in GA4, use non-engaged sessions.  For instance, if you had 20 sessions with 15 of those counting as ‘Engaged Sessions’, the calculation goes:

        5 non-engaged sessions/20 sessions = 40% bounce rate

        So your website’s bounce rate is 40%, and the engagement rate is 60%.

        If you still want to see your site’s bounce rate – instead of calculating using the engagement rate, you can adjust columns in GA4 to display it. To check your bounce rate in GA4:

        1.  Go to the “Reports” tab.Screenshot of GA4 report for a blog post on how to reduce bounce rate
        2. Then click “Engagement > Pages and screens.Screenshot of GA4 report for a blog post on how to reduce bounce rate
        3. Use the pencil icon at the top to customize the report.Screenshot of customizing a GA4 report for a blog post on how to reduce bounce rate
        4. Then select “Metrics” on the sidebar.A Screenshot of selecting metrics in GA4 report for a blog post on how to reduce bounce rate
        5. Click on “Add metric” Screenshot of adding metrics in GA4 report for a blog post on how to reduce bounce rate
        6. And scroll a bit to choose “Bounce rate”.Screenshot of adding bounce rate in a GA4 report for a blog post on how to reduce bounce rate
        7. Click and drag the 6 dots beside “Bounce rate” to display it amongst the first columns. Then select “Apply.Screenshot of editing  bounce rate in a GA4 report for a blog post on how to reduce bounce rate
        8. Select “Save” > “Save changes to current report” > “SaveScreenshot of saving  bounce rate changes  in a GA4 report for a blog post on how to reduce bounce rate
        9. Navigate back to check if you’ve successfully customized the report to include bounce rate.Screenshot of including bounce rate in a GA4 report for a blog post on how to reduce bounce rate

         

        Note: If you are fine with using only the engagement rate, simply subtract it from 100%, and you will get the bounce rate.

        Is Bounce Rate Important?

        Relying solely on the calculation of a website’s bounce rate to determine the percentage of disengaged users might not be entirely accurate. User bounces can occur because:

        • Readers found the answers they needed, so they didn’t bother to stick around. They could also return later, as it can take a customer up to 500 touchpoints – depending on your solution’s complexity – before making a purchase. Be patient and value the user’s experience above anything else. 

        If you’re interested in learning more about your readers and collecting feedback from them – I’ve added methods you can use later in the article.

        What Then Are You Optimizing Bounce Rate For?

        Essentially, you’re optimizing the bounce rate for users on your website to:

        1. Explore more content
        2. Learn further about your solution/product

        True, right? 

        So here are some tips you can use to lower your site’s bounce rate.

        Implement these 7 Tips to Increase Engagement and Reduce Bounce Rate

        1. Have a great content UX
        2. Optimize your website’s technical experience
        3. Kill the popups
        4. Add CTAs for ‘next content’
        5. Include purchase CTAs
        6. Does your content resonate?
        7. Build trust with users by adding social proof

        1. Have a great content UX

        Take SEMrush for instance:

        Their blog excels in this aspect.

        Screenshot of the Semrush blog layout for a blog on how to reduce content bounce rate, and also how to reduce bounce rate for a website

        It uses ample amounts of white space, a legible font size, and a table of contents for easy navigation.

        Distinct calls-to-action guide users interested in related content and the product, while the homepage showcases testimonials from current product users. Talk about a great user experience for readers!

        Screenshot of a twitter post on bad UX for a post on how to reduce bounce rate

        (Source)

        2. Optimize your website’s technical experience

        Optimizing page load times on your website creates a friendly environment that encourages users to explore content further, rather than leave due to frustrations caused by slow loading.

        You can use a tool like PageSpeed Insights to audit your site’s mobile performance, accessibility, image best practices, and SEO. 

        Common methods for enhancing loading speed include:

        – Implementing a content delivery network (CDN)

        – Minimizing HTML, CSS, and JavaScript

        – Eliminating unused codes

        Also, find and fix broken links on your website to help readers access pages better. The last thing readers want to see is a 404 page while exploring your content.

        3. Kill the popups

        Screenshot of a Twitter post discussing how bad popups are for a blog on how to reduce bounce rate

        (Source)

        Eliminate popups so readers and visitors can find what they need – without getting irritated. 

        In a recent G2 survey, 82.2% of participants expressed a dislike for website email pop-ups. Of those, 45.6% disliked their widespread nature, while 28.6% were bothered by their immediate appearance upon landing on a site.

        I mean, how would you like someone interrupting while you read a newspaper or a book for example?

        Let the content do the talking, and readers will inquire about your product when they are ready.

        4. Add CTAs for ‘next content’

        One of the criteria needed to have an engaged session on your site is for a user to visit more than one page, so try including calls-to-action that direct them to more content they’ll be interested in.

        WordPress users can install the free Ultimate Post Kit Addons plugin to display more relevant content for readers. Some themes also have this feature enabled by default.

        5. Include purchase CTAs

        Once more, avoid pop-ups. 

        Instead, naturally add links to direct readers to relevant pages and content about your solutions. For an effective purchase CTA, consider placing a clear primary call-to-action, such as a ‘Try now’ or ‘Sign up’ button, in the upper right section of your website’s navigation — similar to what you’ll find on our website.

        Slack does this well.

        Screenshot hihlighting Slack's purchase CTA for a blog post on how to reduce content bounce rate

        (Source)

        6. Does your content resonate?

        Sometimes, users leave because they don’t get answers to their questions.

        But how would you know? Checking bounce rates? Traffic?

        The answer is straightforward: inquire. 

        Use a Rockee feedback widget to understand why, by gathering ratings and collecting feedback from readers on areas for improvement.

        Implementing their suggestions would improve your content’s quality, and help you capture the reader’s interests effectively.

        7. Build trust with users by adding social proof

        You can also place Rockee Trust Badges on your website to show users proof that readers love your content.

        Below’s an example of a Rockee Trust Badge on the Thomas blog. The content was rated an average of 3.73/5 from 91 reviews:

        Screenshot of a blog from Thomas.co showing a Rockee Trust Badge for a post on how to reduce bounce rate

        (Source)

        How Content Feedback Reduces Bounce Rate

        If readers’ feedback and ratings are consistently good, you can assume you’re helping readers out. Focus on SEO optimization to enhance its visibility – and use feedback through a tool like Rockee to create better content.

        However, if feedback and content ratings show that the content is not so good, and bounce rates reinforce the point – use the feedback collected to optimize the content and reduce its bounce rate.

        And yes, we’ve got a free plan if you want to give it a trial.😉

        How to Reduce Bounce Rate (FAQs)

        What is bounce rate and how do you improve it?

        Bounce rate is the percentage of visitors who leave your website after viewing one page for less than 10 seconds – without visiting another, or triggering 2 or more conversion events. 

        To improve bounce rate, focus on optimizing page load speed, enhancing content relevance using audience feedback, and ensuring clear navigation to encourage visitors to explore more of the site.

        What is a good bounce rate for content?

        A good bounce rate for content typically falls between 40% and 60%. However, the ideal rate varies based on the type of content and the website’s goals. Lower bounce rates indicate that visitors are engaging with more pages, but context matters when assessing what qualifies as a “good” bounce rate.

        What causes high bounce rate?

        High bounce rates result from various factors like slow page loading times, irrelevant or unengaging content, confusing website navigation, poor mobile responsiveness, and intrusive pop-ups.

        Wisdom Dabit

        Wisdom Dabit

        Wisdom Dabit is a freelance B2B SaaS writer who’s passionate about creating actionable and data-driven content. He enjoys writing about marketing, eCommerce, and of course, SaaS.

        Get content insights in your email

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          How to build a Global Content Team – we talk Strategy, process and content KPIs

          How to build a Global Content Team – we talk Strategy, process and content KPIs

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          How to build a Global Content Team – we talk Strategy, process and content KPIs
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          We’ve had a right old chat with James Ainsworth. James is the Global Head of Content at iManage. If you ever wanted to build a global content marketing engine, James is the go-to expert! So of course, we had to get him on the pod. We talk about everything from strategy, process, t-shirt sizing to content kpis.

          Throughout our discussion, James shares invaluable insights on content framing for different audiences, the significance of feedback and the art of incorporating AI in a manner that truly enhances the experience. We’ve compiled his biggest takeaways from the episode, let’s get into it.

          Takeaway #1: Humans will always have a role

          Of course we had to talk about AI with James. He mentioned that there are different audiences and areas of concern when using AI-generated content. James will never publish something that is entirely created with generative AI, but he does believe in incorporating AI responsibly whilst still recognising that us humans still have a role, who else is going to add that human touch?

          What was fascinating to learn was the willingness of content leaders like James to learn incorporate AI into their organisations, but not at the expense of content quality. If it can improve a process, save time or provide other benefits – that’s great! Ultimately though, an experienced writer or editor in his team, will always have the final say.

           

          Takeaway #2: Content strategy and process is vital

          With the benefit of experience, James talks us through transitioning from agency work to an in-house role brings the challenge of managing input from various stakeholders. It’s important to manage expectations and engage the appropriate individuals at the right times for each content deliverable.

          James prioritises content strategy and organises his team around strategy, production and distribution. He emphasises the importance of strategy in guiding production and considering the bigger picture of content beyond tactical approaches. He uses Asana as a customised project management tool to collect detailed requirements, helping his team with faster delivery. It’s great as well because you can use the tool as a reference for past work and analysis. 

          To estimate effort, he uses t-shirt sizing (more commonly used by developers). A simple approach that everyone understands, as well as helping manage expectations and meet requirements from marketing, customer success and people ops teams. This comprehensive approach ensures a well-coordinated content strategy, efficient production and effective expectation management for stakeholders.

          Takeaway #3: The value of content KPIs

          James goes on to talk about what effective content looks like for him and his team. As well as having internal team processes and feedback loops, he talks us through the importance of working with internal operations teams to understand how their content is landing. 

          At iManage they use content relevancy (CRX data) scoring as well, which is a database of all the keywords, phrases and language their audience uses – an incredible tool to make sure they stay on-brand.

          What’s next? Establishing feedback loops. Is the content relevant or useful? iManage are now working with Rockee to understand what users really think of their content. James talks us through the excitement in being able to optimise quicker and ensure their content lands well with their audience

          (editor note: one month in – their case studies are killing it with readers!!)

          Matt’s bangers

          So it’s now time for James’ favourite piece of content (it’s also one of our favourite pieces too!) Of course it’s the Michelin guide to restaurants. The objective was straightforward and ingenious: to encourage increased driving and tire wear among the people of France.

          How did they do this? They created the famous Michelin Guide to Restaurants. It offered invaluable resources such as maps, tire repair and replacement information, and a comprehensive directory of restaurants, hotels, mechanics and gas stations along popular French routes. They had created a winner. 

          While the Michelin guide has evolved over time, its brand and objectives have found resonance in the modern context of raising restaurant profiles. The story of the Michelin Guide exemplifies the triumph of strategic creativity, the power of comprehensive execution and the art of extending a successful concept. Everyone’s aware of the Michelin Guide, it’s a true icon in the content marketing world, that people are forever referencing.

          The sausage of death

          James shared his ‘Sausage of Death with us’ and it’s a real stinker. Live blogs. They’re often used for events that don’t actually require real-time updates. He’s not a hater of them, James even has a history of live blogging. He once live blogged for 24-hours during a general election. However, since the election resulted in a hung parliament and the live blog had to be extended, he quickly realised that maybe live blogging isn’t the one. 

          A more recent example of live blogging going south, was for a Lewis Capaldi gig. A live blog was created by James’ local newspaper – where they covered an online ticket queue, but it’s Lewis, so of course the tickets sold out in a matter of minutes. A bit of an anti-climax for the bloggers right? So as expected (or not expected), the live blog ended shortly after. Cool blog bro?

          James suggests that it would have been more suitable to cover a physical queue with interactions and interviews. It’s crucial to match the format with the content and objective.

          What’s next

          Thank you to James for joining us on the podcast. We’re going to keep talking to guest experts about what truly great content looks like, so keep your eyes and ears peeled.  

          Let us know your ‘Matt’s Banger’ and ‘Sausage of death’, there’s no wrong answers!

          Watch the episode with James here, or give it a listen here.

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          Lydia Melvin

          Lydia is a freelance creator, executive assistant and digital content guru. Working with a range of awesome start-ups on their podcasts, blogs and social content. You should definitely follow her travels on social and her digital nomad podcast!

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            Is AI killing great content experience?

            Is AI killing great content experience?

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            Is AI killing great content experience?
            Updated:

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            We recently sat down and had a great chat with Jess Crandon for The Sausage Factory podcast. Jess is a Senior Analyst at Salesforce, we’re long term fans as she’s the absolute boss when it comes to copywriting, marketing and content experience.

            During our conversation, she shared her exciting journey in the world of content, dropped some insights on the potential perils of not-so-great content, and spilled the beans on how she leverages feedback to create top-notch content.

            Don’t worry if you don’t have time to listen to the whole episode. We’ve pulled out all the juicy bits from the recording with Jess, so you won’t miss a thing.

            Takeaway #1: It’s a thin line between great & terrible

            Witnessing the content marketing landscape in flux, Jess couldn’t resist sharing her thoughts, here’s her take. The world of content marketing is at a crossroads, teetering between greatness and disaster. Enter Chat GPT, the AI powerhouse that has really shaken content marketing up. From creating ‘content’ in a matter of seconds to potential job losses, it’s got a few people feeling hot under the collar and not in a good way. Its arrival swiftly transformed the content experience we once knew. 

            The gap between AI dependent companies and those turning a blind eye is widening. Some companies will be promising dirt-cheap content at scale, but Jess points out you’ll be able to sniff out the robotic touch in no time. These companies risk losing their human touch. Authenticity, vulnerability, and personality are what connect people. Can AI truly replicate these qualities? 

            Don’t get us wrong, AI has incredible potential for positive applications too. Jess recently discovered a post on LinkedIn where someone shared a content brief with ChatGPT. However, they dismissed the ideas it generated, not wanting to move forward with an idea that AI came up with so easily. If a robot can create it, they wouldn’t be sharing it with their client. 

            So, let’s try thinking outside the box a little when it comes to using AI for our content marketing. The next few years are going to be intriguing. Content experience is changing, what side will you be on?

            Takeaway #2: Align with marketing and sales teams

            Let’s delve into the realm of feedback loops and explore how Jess effectively prioritises input from her colleagues to shape and enhance her content strategy. When it comes to reviewing content retrospectively, it’s important to be close to your performance marketing team, making sure there is an open feedback loop. This will allow you to start building a bank of what works and what doesn’t work in your approach to your content marketing.

            Even better if you’re working with a demand gen team, be so tightly aligned, so they can inform you straight away of metrics and trends on what worked. It’s all about not being afraid to ask for feedback on the results, it’s only going to benefit you and your business. 

            The feedback from sales is invaluable when it comes to validating the impact of content during the crucial stage of prospects converting into customers. Hearing sales representatives say things like, “That customer story you created helped us close a deal” or “This format with quotes is incredibly useful” provides concrete evidence of the content’s effectiveness. Understanding how sales utilises the content further reinforces its value and confirms future content strategies.

            Takeaway #3: The reader is number one

            When creating content, many people may approach you, eager to add their two cents. From stakeholders to brand managers and designers, you name it, everyone wants to have their say. However, it’s crucial to consider the reader’s perspective. 

            Would the content you’re creating resonate with whoever is reading? If not, don’t bother. Your biggest responsibility as a content marketer is to understand the reader. If you need to have those tricky conversations with other stakeholders to highlight why certain points shouldn’t be reflected in the final piece, then so be it. The reader comes before anything.

            Matt’s bangers

            Jess shared her all-time favourite piece of content, or in a section we like to call ‘Matt’s Bangers’. She stumbled upon it 3 or 4 years ago, and it left a lasting impression. It’s called ‘The Ultimate Guide to Building a Business Case” by Juro (Law tech startup). “They created this amazing piece of content. It’s massive, it’s super long, but it’s the most in-depth piece of content I’ve ever seen”.

            This comprehensive and in-depth masterpiece walks you through every step of creating a compelling business case for purchasing technology. It provides all the necessary components, complete with examples and guidance on involving the right stakeholder at each stage. 

            It really inspired Jess, “I think after having read this ebook, I was like, I’m actually looking forward to writing a business case”. It’s a pretty great content experience.

            The sausage of death

            Every week, we invite guests to reveal their ‘Sausage of Death’—a remarkably dull content piece that left a lasting negative impression. Jess’s Sausage of Death? Google search results. In her eyes, content marketers have now ruined the content experience for everyone. Marketers solely tailor content for SEO purposes. 

            Finding valuable content now requires dedicated search efforts. There’s immense potential for improvement and sharing valuable content, but currently, it’s missing the mark. The truly valuable stuff isn’t even making it to page one. It’s a real shame.

            What’s next

            A massive thanks to Jess for joining us on the podcast! Moving forward, we’ll keep exploring what truly great content looks like with a number of guest experts, just like Jess.  

            We’re eager to hear your take on the AI takeover, along with your nominations for ‘Matt’s Bangers’ (content you love) and something you’d rather not have seen (the dreaded Sausage of Death).

            Catch the full episode with Jess – watch here, or give it a listen here

            Rockee - Starter Plan Pricing (Pay monthly)

            Lydia Melvin

            Lydia is a freelance creator, executive assistant and digital content guru. Working with a range of awesome start-ups on their podcasts, blogs and social content. You should definitely follow her travels on social and her digital nomad podcast!

            Get content insights in your email

              Share this article
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              Get some feedback

              Stop guessing from analytics data, start knowing from your audience

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