the 4th wave of content marketing: from passive to interactive by scott brinker
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From the SMX East 2014 Conference in New York City, NY. SESSION: The 4Th Wave Of Content Marketing. PRESENTATION: The 4th Wave of Content Marketing: From Passive to Interactive - Given by Scott Brinker, @ChiefMartec, co-founder & CTO - ion interactive. #SMX #13ATRANSCRIPT
The 4th Wave of Content Marke1ng: From Passive to Interac0ve
Sco$ Brinker @chiefmartec
h$p://ioninterac2ve.com
Content may be king…
…but content marke1ng is
Content Marke1ng: Everybody’s Doing It
Most Marketers Are Producing More Content
Most Marketers Are Spending More on Content
Only a small number of content assets gain significant popularity.
Most become a drop in the “Long Tail” ocean.
Asympto1cally Impossible to Break Through
Available Audience A$en2on Available Content
= Average A$en2on
Available Per Content Asset
This number con1nuously drops.
Dear Buyer,
Here is the content available for the due diligence of your purchase — have at it.
Love,
A World of Vendors
How will I make it through one more ebook?
67%
Source: SiriusDecisions, “Three Myths of the 67% Sta0s0c”, July 13, 2013
67% of the Buyer’s Journey is Done Digitally
What’s lost as marke2ng replaces sales interac2ons?
Sales talking with a prospect
Marke1ng talking “with” a prospect
“It’s a trap!”
0me
content sop
his0ca0o
n The 4 Waves of Content Marke1ng
0me
content sop
his0ca0o
n
1. Web pages founda2on of digital content marke2ng
The 4 Waves of Content Marke1ng
0me
content sop
his0ca0o
n
1. Web pages
2. Rich content video, infographics, responsive web, HTML5
founda2on of digital content marke2ng
The 4 Waves of Content Marke1ng
0me
content sop
his0ca0o
n
1. Web pages
2. Rich content video, infographics, responsive web, HTML5
founda2on of digital content marke2ng
The 4 Waves of Content Marke1ng
Going up this axis is all about breaking through the noise
Beau0fully designed eBooks, oOen provided as a PDF, are a quintessen0al example of rich content.
Beau0fully designed infographics are one of the more popular rich content types today.
But they rely on social more than search to gain distribu0on.
Source: ON24 Webinar Benchmarks Report, 2014 Edi0on
Webinars (and recorded videos) are another example of rich content too.
Rich content consump2on is “aspira2onal” — less than half of the people who register for a webinar actually a$end.
2,326,713
0me
content sop
his0ca0o
n
1. Web pages
2. Rich content
3. Personaliza2on
video, infographics, responsive web, HTML5
founda2on of digital content marke2ng
dynamically subs2tuted content based on visitor’s profile
The 4 Waves of Content Marke1ng
Going up this axis is all about breaking through the noise
1. Need data on new prospects.
2. Need data about new content.
3. Things change. 4. S>ll a probabilis>c guess — what happens if you guess wrong?
Personaliza1on Can Help, But Isn’t a Panacea
Content in the First 3 Waves Was Mostly Passive
0me
content sop
his0ca0o
n
1. Web pages
2. Rich content
3. Personaliza2on
video, infographics, responsive web, HTML5
founda2on of digital content marke2ng
dynamically subs2tuted content based on visitor’s profile
The 4 Waves of Content Marke1ng
Going up this axis is all about breaking through the noise
What’s a marke0ng
app?
Source: Kevy
Not just na>ve apps.
Responsive web apps that work on any device.
• Polls & Quizzes • Games & Contests • Calculators • Configurators • Assessment Tools • Guided Tours • Slideshows & Galleries • Refer-‐a-‐Friend • Interac2ve eBooks • Catalog Promo2ons • Mad-‐Lib Forms • Wizards
• Choose-‐Your-‐Own Stories • Mul2-‐Step Signups • “Look Inside” Offers • Community Intros • Webinar Hub Pages • Personalized Portals • Loca2on-‐Based Offers • Prezi-‐Style Presenta2ons • Dynamic Forms • Decision Paths • Interac2ve White Papers • App-‐Like Landing Pages
Marke1ng Apps Are Many a Splendid Thing
Compare and Contrast: Passive Content vs. Interac1ve Content
White Paper / eBook / Guide
Compare and Contrast: Passive Content vs. Interac1ve Content
“Which One Won?” Game
Immediate engagement.
No barrier of “fill out a form.”
No barrier of “install our app on your phone.”
Just an intriguing ques0on and a simple click (tap) to begin…
This game is a responsive web marke0ng app.
It works on any phone, tablet, or computer with a modern browser.
It’s lightweight and fast.
It shows off the poten0al of good A/B tes0ng.
But unlike just reading about it, it invests users in the outcomes.
It demonstrates that tes0ng is beber than guessing.
It doesn’t take long — maybe 30-‐45 seconds.
“Progress dots” at the bobom assure users that this is a quick exercise.
But because it engages them, it is memorable.
As a marketer, you appreciate that the examples in this game have other benefits:
They show the quality of work produced with our soOware — and provide social proof of who uses our soOware.
Wai0ng un0l the end to share the score keeps users engaged.
The lesson of the score: users can’t predictably guess the winner.
Scores also tap a bit of compe>>ve energy — making it memorable.
Only now, aOer proving the value of the content, do we make a low-‐hurdle offer — tell us who you are, and we’ll email the hypotheses.
Even those who pass had a useful brand experience.
When this email arrives, people are eager to read it — they want to know the experiments that they are now “invested” in the outcome.
This is demand genera>on.
If content marke1ng is about educa1ng prospects, let’s take inspira1on from great teachers.
Ac>ve, experien>al learning over purely passive, didac0c learning.
Great teachers don’t just drone on in a lecture — they incorporate construc>vist learning techniques to make the material come alive in the minds of their students.
Ask Students to Predict the Outcome of an Experiment Beforehand, and They Will Remember
Call to Ac1on
Engagement Axis
Busin
ess M
odel Axis
FREE/OPEN
PAID/GATED
PASSIVE INTERACTIVE
White Papers
Engagement Axis
Busin
ess M
odel Axis
FREE/OPEN
PAID/GATED
PASSIVE INTERACTIVE
Websites
Blogs Social Media
eBooks
Webinars White Papers
premium passive content is typically gated behind a form
most passive content is free and low-‐engagement
Engagement Axis
Busin
ess M
odel Axis
FREE/OPEN
FREEMIUM
PAID/GATED
PASSIVE INTERACTIVE
Websites
Blogs Social Media
eBooks
Webinars White Papers
premium passive content is typically gated behind a form
most passive content is free and low-‐engagement
Engagement Axis
Busin
ess M
odel Axis
FREE/OPEN
FREEMIUM
PAID/GATED
PASSIVE INTERACTIVE
Websites
Blogs Social Media
eBooks
Webinars White Papers
Na1ve Mobile Apps
MARKETING APPS
Interac1ve White Papers
Interac1ve eBooks
Configurators U1li1es
Assessment Tools
Contests
Lookbooks
Galleries
Workbooks
Guided Tours
Games
Calculators
Quizzes
Sweepstakes
na0ve mobile apps are inherently gated by an installa0on
premium passive content is typically gated behind a form
most passive content is free and low-‐engagement
Media Messages
Innova1on in Marke1ng Touchpoints
what it says where and how it appears
most digital marke2ng innova2on to date (“the medium is the message”)
Media Messages
Mechanisms MARKETING APPS the next big wave of marke2ng innova2on (“the mechanism is the
message”)
Innova1on in Marke1ng Touchpoints
what it says where and how it appears
how it behaves
form
func0on
0me
content sop
his0ca0o
n
1. Web pages
2. Rich content
3. Personaliza2on
4. Marke2ng apps
video, infographics, responsive web, HTML5
founda2on of digital content marke2ng
dynamically subs2tuted content based on visitor’s profile
interac2ve experiences with programma2c flow and logic
The 4 Waves of Content Marke1ng
Going up this axis is all about breaking through the noise
0me
content sop
his0ca0o
n
1. Web pages
2. Rich content
3. Personaliza2on
4. Marke2ng apps
video, infographics, responsive web, HTML5
founda2on of digital content marke2ng
dynamically subs2tuted content based on visitor’s profile
interac2ve experiences with programma2c flow and logic
The 4 Waves of Content Marke1ng
Apps collect more accurate “intent” data from visitors — feeding be$er personaliza2on profiles
Going up this axis is all about breaking through the noise
0me
content sop
his0ca0o
n
1. Web pages
2. Rich content
3. Personaliza2on
4. Marke2ng apps
video, infographics, responsive web, HTML5
founda2on of digital content marke2ng
dynamically subs2tuted content based on visitor’s profile
interac2ve experiences with programma2c flow and logic
The 4 Waves of Content Marke1ng
Apps collect more accurate “intent” data from visitors — feeding be$er personaliza2on profiles
Going up this axis is all about breaking through the noise
Apps make it easier for visitors to consume the most relevant content in bite-‐sized pieces
How effec1ve is content at educa1ng buyers?
2%!
13%! 15%!
64%!
6%!0%! 2%!
5%!
48%!45%!
0%!
10%!
20%!
30%!
40%!
50%!
60%!
70%!
Very ineffective!
Somewhat ineffect.!
Neither! Somewhat effect.!
Very effective!
Passive! Interactive!
Source: DemandMetric, Content & The Buyer’s Journey: Benchmark Study Report, June 2014
93% vs. 70%
2%!
20%!23%!
45%!
10%!
0%! 2%!
10%!
55%!
33%!
0%!
10%!
20%!
30%!
40%!
50%!
60%!
Very ineffective!
Somewhat ineffect.!
Neither! Somewhat effect.!
Very effective!
Passive! Interactive!
How effec1ve is content at differen1a1ng the firm?
Source: DemandMetric, Content & The Buyer’s Journey: Benchmark Study Report, June 2014
88% vs. 55%
3%!
22%!
39%!
32%!
4%!0%!
7%!
23%!
56%!
14%!
0%!
10%!
20%!
30%!
40%!
50%!
60%!
Very poorly! Moderately poorly!
Neutral! Moderately well!
Very well!
Passive! Interactive!
How well does content convert visitors?
Source: DemandMetric, Content & The Buyer’s Journey: Benchmark Study Report, June 2014
70% vs. 36%
6%!
38%! 39%!
15%!
2%!5%! 7%!
50%!
21%!17%!
0%!
10%!
20%!
30%!
40%!
50%!
60%!
Very infrequently!
Infrequently! Neutral! Frequently! Very frequently!
Passive! Interactive!
How frequently is content shared by visitors?
Source: DemandMetric, Content & The Buyer’s Journey: Benchmark Study Report, June 2014
38% vs. 17%
