THOUGHT LEADERSHIP Getting the whole company aligned
Jan 27, 2015
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Getting the whole company aligned
Agenda
• Introduction to Basware
• Thought Leadership and its role in the
marketing mix
• Content strategy
• Aligning your content to drive revenue
• Ensuring participation
2
Basware Vision
4
The Largest Business Commerce Network
# of suppliers & buyers
# of transactions
€ value moving across the
network
P2P software
Basware Commerce Network
Value Added Services
Our journey in becoming a Service
Company
Becoming a service company:
Transitioning from a software company into
a service company.
Everything changes:
Our operating methods, how we design new
product/service, how we package, price and
position for new markets, the way we
present & deliver value, the customer
segments are changing, employee change
management, shareholder & customer
expectations only become higher.....
Marketing plays a critical role uniting all
these elements
Charting a difficult course....
6
Products Services
Accelerated growth Global leader Channel sales
Network growth Enterprises + SMEs
As we change, our story evolves too
7
”Unlocking value in a
connected business
world”
2004:
“Value for financial
processes”
•So how do we get
there?
8
You want to influence buyer behaviour with
your content (lead their thoughts)
• 70% of the content that supports a buying
decision is discovered by the buyers
themselves (they think!)
• And an equal 15% from sales & marketing
Source: Forrester Research [ 9
Marketers need to create content available
to be found:
• By each buyer, in their context
• When they are looking
Content that accelerates the buyers along their
journey and leaves behind you ‘brand scent’
Developing thought leadership along the
Customer Journey The Differentiating Moments of Truth
Aware Engaged Interacting Involved Transacting Delighted Advocate
…..a series of MoT’s
“If you’re available at the Zero Moment of
Truth, your prospects and customers will
find you at the very moment they’re
thinking about buying, and also when
they’re thinking about thinking about
buying.”
11
Brand Advertising & Messaging
Products, Services & Collateral
Solutions, Customer
References & Evaluation
Tools
Thought
Leadership Impact of
ideas on
potential
buyers
Major
Minor
Thought Leadership sits at the pinnacle of content
marketing strategy
Content
Marketing
Source: Forrester Research
Relevant
Provocative
Forward Leading
Distinct
Inspiring
Actionable
Results Driven
Conversational
• Deals with big issues your buyers face
• Challenges conventional thinking
• Anticipates what’s coming over the
horizon
• Different from what everyone is else
is saying
• Energises people about this way of
thinking
• Provides actionable advice on what
clients can do now
Credible
Independant
• Using the ideas can produce
breakthrough results
• The tone encourages a dialogue
and feedback
• Your company can help people
get there
• Makes no reference to your
products or services
Thought Leadership embodies bold attributes
What is content?
• Content is a representation of our brand promise
• Good content tells a story
• A good story should create curiosity (‘I want to know more’)
• Good content drives action
• Content should drive engagement
• Examples include:
• Video
• White Papers/e.Guides
• Blog posts
• PR editorial
• Social shares (Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+)
• Content and channels overlap and need to be ‘fit for purpose’
• Twitter is not good for sharing complex content or ideas
Content Marketing
• Content = Marketing
• Approach is the same – but need to act like a publisher not a broadcaster:
• What stories do we want to tell?
• To whom? (what personas, segments, targets)
• To get them to do what? (CTA)
• How do we reach them? (channels)
• How do we measure success (engagement metrics)?
• How do we turn curiosity and engagement into Sales Ready Leads?
• How do we measure the overall process so that it becomes predictable and drives funnel management?
• What tools and platforms do we need to automate/ manage all this?
13 February,
2014
Solution communications;
why us?
Brand communications:
problem definition
Content engages our audience
across the buying cycle
Untroubled
& Unaware
Acknowledge
Pain
Define
Needs
Receive
Proposals
Select
Vendors
Select
Single
Vendor
Engage Buy
CFO
AP
Other
Finance
Purchasi
ng
IT
SMB
13 February,
2014
Buyer’s Journey
T
a
r
g
e
t
P
e
r
s
o
n
a
Content
Content
Content
Content
Content Content
Content
Content
$
Nurturing/ Engagement
End to End Process - Demand Mgt & Direct Sales
Demand
Generation
Import
contact
details from
Eloqua
Identify
Sales
Opportunity
Retrieve
leads
Prepare for
contact
Contact
Prospect
Landscape
Prospect
needs/req
Propose
solution
Qualify
prospect
Quote
Generation
Generate
Proposal
Gain internal
approval
Client
Acceptance &
Contracting
Proposal
Discussion
Understand
client &
negotiate
Gain client
acceptance
Gain credit
acceptance
Gain
commercial
approval
Contract
Signing and
Acceptance
Contract
Signing &
Acceptance
Activation
Order
Handling
Marketing
Management
Understand
Market
Develop Market
Strategy & Plan
Customer
Contact Strategy
Build
Campaigns
Segmentation
Marketing
Proposition
Pricing &
Bundling
Strategy
Product Portfolio
Definition
Propensity
Targeting
Design
Campaigns &
Rules
Execute
Campaigns
Prospect
initial contact
Reach
BANT
Generate
contract
Plan Engage Discover Qualify Quote Negotiate Close Implement
Opportunity
Qualification
Nurture
Leads
Activation
Contract
Handling
Transition
to Service
Key:
Supports Differentiated MoT
Supports Competence MoT:
Demand
Centre Scope
Pain Point:
17
End to end customer experience framework & impact on content
Key:
Differentiated MoT
Competence MoT:
Demand
Centre Scope
Other Interaction
Pain Point:
Visit website
or have call
Recognised/
Personalised
Tailor
proposition &
obtain quote
Submit order
Use service Assisted help Manage
account
Receive
retention
marketing
Receive win-
back
marketing
Extend/
Configure
service
Learn about
propositions
Problem
identification
Receive
marketing Manage bill/
statement
Receive
Suggested
Service
Advice
Self help
Access
resources
Help chat/
community
Resolve
queries
Implement
Organisation
Changes
Define
requirements
Decide to
purchase
Make payment
Receive
supplier
activation
comms
Brand
awareness
View mass
media
content
Search for
solutions Installation
Complete
activation
Learn to use
Receive
welcome
comms
View new
media/ social
content
Receive
support
notification
Receive
version update
comms
View user
dashboard
reporting
Interact –
Welcome
Interact
- Nurture Transact Fulfil Use
Support:
Get Help Awareness Renew Service
18
Identify your target audience, their issues,
and the sources of information they trust.
Develop your thought leadership platform:
the ideas and content that express the
company’s positions
Engage your audience through a
considered mix of digital, social, and
traditional channels.
Assess the impact on your business and
revise or reinvest.
Ways to ensure your stakeholders
are always engaged
19
Immersion
&
Discovery
Research
& Insight
Brand
Strategy &
Positioning
Brand
Platform
Creation
Activation
Brand development platform
• Immersion and Discovery: Business, brand understanding and internal
viewpoints
• Research and Insight: Market,audience and competitor insights
• Brand Strategy and Positioning: Opportunity for the brand in the market
• Brand Platform Creation: Mission/vision, values/character, proposition and
creative platform
• Activation: Internal and external activation