Go-To-Market

with Microsoft
resources guide
Champion your marketing efforts and
innovate with content
Objectives
This step-by-step guide is intended for new and existing This is why we offer a variety of enablement platforms and
Microsoft partners who wish to optimize their marketing customizable assets to help you engage your customers,
initiatives and programs. Our goal is to empower you with promote your business, and solve your biggest marketing and
tools to accelerate your time to market, generate leads, and sales challenges.
grow your cloud businesses.

We understand that expanding your business takes more than

How to use this guide
sending emails. So, we’ve created resources that help you Use this guide to build a marketing approach that works for
extend into other geographies and connect with Microsoft field your business. It not only walks you through our go-to-market
and partner seller ecosystems to increase your marketing reach. resources, but also includes a wealth of information about
Get your message out to customers through co-branded lead marketing best practices to jumpstart your efforts. You’ll see how
generation campaigns and other robust resources to build your our digital resources work collectively to provide an easy, clear,
pipeline. and logical path for going to market with Microsoft.

Our modern, flexible approach

We know that a one-size-fits-all marketing approach doesn’t Tip: Use the Make it real section to get
meet everyone’s digital and content marketing needs and your
customers’ journey isn’t always the same as your competitors’.
started on the fast track to success
through our comprehensive templates.

1
Table of contents
01 Objectives
03 Using this guide
04 Modern marketing best practices
08 Digital marketing
20 Go-To-Market resources
23 Get started: Smart Partner Marketing
26 Use pre-packaged campaigns:
Digital Marketing Content OnDemand
30 Optimize campaigns:
Partner Marketing Center
35 Personalize content and close sales:
Qorus Content Hub
40 Links and resources
43 Make it real
51 References

2
Using this guide

Learn Evaluate Build Optimize Personalize Resources

• Modern marketing • Get started: • Use pre-packaged • Access more • Customize content: • Links and resources
best practices campaigns: content:
Smart Partner Qorus Content Hub • Make it real
• Digital marketing Marketing Digital Marketing Partner Marketing
Content OnDemand Center
• Go-To-Market with
Microsoft resources

3
 LEARN

Section 1:
Modern
marketing best
practices

Marketing is evolving.
To be successful in
today’s quickly shifting
landscape, it’s essential to
stay ahead of the curve.

4
Introduction
The way buyers engage with
sales and marketing has
significantly changed over
the last decade.
Often glued to our consumer experiences
digital and mobile are what you’re
devices—with access measured up against
to information 24 today, so consistent
hours a day, 7 days content marketing and
a week—we have engagement online is
come to expect that now imperative.
whatever we search
for will exist online. As a result, we must
shift our mindset,
What’s more, B2B innovate, and adapt!
buyers now demand And, we're here to
the same experiences show you how.
as consumers. Those

5
Today’s 67%
reality of the buyer’s journey
is done online.[1]
The way we make
purchasing decisions
has forever changed
and content is the 7.8x
driving force behind Content marketing leaders
the shift. experience 7.8x more site
traffic than non-leaders.[2] 84%

3x
84% of C-level executives
use social media to make
Content marketing generates purchasing decisions.[3]
more than 3x as many leads as
outbound marketing with 62%
less cost.[4]

6
The customer
journey
Today, most, if not all, of the customer
journey happens online. Decision
makers familiarize themselves with
services and solutions, gather reviews
and feedback, and perform their own
competitive comparisons. As a result,
we must seek new ways to reach and
respond to prospects.

67%

of B2B decision makers never respond

to any form of cold outreach, while
75% of them use social media in their
decision-making process.
- Kevin Scott, head of Sales Solutions
at LinkedIn EMEA

7
 LEARN

Section 2:
Digital
marketing

Digital and content

marketing are vital
components of an
effective marketing
strategy.

8
Introduction
There is no question that digital marketing
is essential to generate visibility and drive
demand. But how do you get started?

Whether you’re new to marketing or a

seasoned marketer, this guide is meant
to provide you with actionable tools and
tactics that you can use to achieve your
revenue goals.

This section includes the elements you

need to build a framework and get started
with online marketing.

Click Make it real in this section to get on

the fast track to success.

> 9
Why content
marketing?
In today’s crowded digital landscape,
content marketing plays an important
role in building brand and growing
revenue.
1 in 4 of US internet users will block
Modern marketers are turning to content to get the word out.
An effective content marketing strategy is focused on
ads this year on at least one of their
providing relevant and educational information, instead of internet-connected devices.[5]
pitching or selling products and services. Traditional marketing,
such as direct mail, brochures, letters and broadcast is
becoming less effective.

What’s more, with the popularity of ad blocking services, “Your awesome site isn’t awesome. Getting
we must turn to organic content marketing strategies to build your stories into the hands of the people
an authentic brand and to get our messages across
to customers and potential buyers.
who need them is awesome.” [6]
-Anne Handley, Head of Content, MarketingProfs

10
The modern
marketing mix Product

The four Ps of marketing—

product, placement, price,
and promotion—have
been a mainstay since
People Placement
the 1940s.
Surviving the test of time, this framework The 5 Ps of
has been key in the strategic positioning of
your products and services. And today, the Marketing
5th “P” representing “People” is the new
kid on the block as consumer experiences
take a front seat in our customer-centric
marketing landscape.

Promotion Price

11
Telling your story
How do you communicate
who you are, what you do,
and why you’re unique?
By telling your story.
Your brand is one of the most valuable
assets your company can leverage. It gives
you a competitive advantage by building
trust and credibility, customer loyalty, and
recognition—which in turn, helps your
business grow. Your brand lays an
important foundation and serves as a
beacon for your employees.

Messaging framework
A messaging It’s a vital component
framework acts as for content marketing
a roadmap for your by ensuring
brand. It creates consistency across
alignment among communication
employees—and channels. And when
not just those in your organization acts
marketing and in harmony, brand
sales—but across recognition is sure to
your organization. be the result.

Make it real: Build a messaging framework >

12
The buyer’s
journey
Buyers today follow a
process before making
purchasing decisions,
which is coined as “the
buyer’s journey.”
Today, the majority of this journey
happens online and consists of multiple
steps. It may vary for different types
of businesses, but the journey typically
includes awareness, interest, decision, and
action phases. And modern marketers
take retention into consideration, as
customer experience has taken a front
seat in today’s data-driven marketing
strategies.

Make it real: Define your buyer’s journey >

13 >
 1
Gather data
on your
audience

Personas
2
Who is your typical audience and why Talk to
customers and
are they important? employees

You might have a general idea, but understanding the unique wants, needs, and actions of
your customers and prospects is key to building your digital and content strategy.

Why personas? 3
Identify
common
User personas are extremely helpful in revealing how your audience searches for, purchases, traits
and uses your services and products. What’s more, with customer experience becoming a top
priority in 2020 and beyond, it’s one of the best ways to help you discover new methods for
improving satisfaction and increasing retention among your customer base.

4
Make it real: Build your buyer personas > Build personas
based on our
templates

14
 Did You Know?
Buyers use social media to educate themselves and do
their due diligence, making up to 12 social queries before
ever engaging with a salesperson.

Social media basics

Many of our partners ask us how to effectively market their business through social
media. We all know it’s a smart way to establish credibility, build relationships
and grow sales. But how do you get started?

Effective social profiles

Have you ever visited an online profile of someone who lacked information? What was
your first impression? In most cases, it wasn’t positive.

Building trust begins with a complete and professional online profile. When prospects
search for information and consider a company to do business with, the first thing they
might check is their “about us” page. When they compare a complete and professional
profile against one that lacks information, most likely, they will lean toward those with
more information.

Make it real: Get started with Linkedin >

15
Social media
content
Effective social media
content starts with a
strategy. Consider your
audience personas, how
often you publish, and
the content itself.
Tell your story Effective content
Good content starts Going back to “people
with storytelling, and buy from people, not
social media is the businesses,” consider
perfect avenue for that content should be
communicating your personable, human,
organization’s unique and conversational.
brand story. It should Establish your voice
connect to your and tone and ensure
messaging framework its consistency across
and appeal to your posts and social media
audiences’ emotions. channels. Ask yourself,
The goal is to evoke a ”if your brand was a
positive reaction that person, how would it
encourages the reader sound?”
to engage with your
content.

Make it real: Build social media content >

16
Blogging basics
Blogs build credibility. Showcasing expertise attracts visitors and generates trust
among your audience.

Why blogging?
Blog content showcases the visionaries in your organization––establishing them as industry thought leaders while educating your
audience. Because of brand awareness, lead generation, SEO and thought leadership, blogging is not only worth it, but modern
marketers say that it's one of their top content strategies.

Developing a strategy
To begin, develop a blog plan by collaborating with your team and deciding on the focus of your blog. For example, you might develop
a blog strategy based on an industry relevant theme or series. An easy way to plan your topics is by listening to what your customers and
prospects are saying. Investigate what industry influencers are blogging about. Then, develop blogs that answer the questions that keep
your prospects up at night. By solving their biggest challenges through your blog content, they will come back time and again.

Make it real: Build a B2B blogging program >

17
Through partner marketing
Did you know that 95 percent of Microsoft’s commercial revenue flows directly
through our partner ecosystem?
As a customer-first, partner-led company, we start with the needs of our customers and work with our partners to deliver the best
outcomes for each organization. These are just a few of the reasons we equip you with the tools and technologies you need to take
your product to market, grow sales, and drive demand.

Co-branded content and co-marketing The quickest, most efficient way

to achieve success is through the
We make it easy for you to successfully go to market with Microsoft.
Through our co-branded customer-facing presentations, social media Microsoft Partner Network.
and other marketing resources—and a professional editorial review of
each asset––you can fully benefit from the strength of the Microsoft –Laurent Dehasse, Head of Sales and
brand. Partnership, Vigiglobe

18
Modern
marketing
tools
When technology and
people work together,
everyone is more
productive and efficient.
Marketing automation software, such as
Dynamics 365 for Marketing, streamlines
tasks by allowing marketers to create and
track campaigns and lead generation
activities—especially through email, events
(such as webinars), and landing pages.

CRM software helps you manage customer

relationships, track sales leads and pipeline,
and also deliver actionable data. It’s
integrated, data-driven software that
improves how you interact and conduct
business with customers.

Marketing and sales professionals rely

on marketing automation and CRM to
track and sell to prospects and customers
through all stages of the buyer’s journey.

19
 LEARN

Section 3:
Go-To-Market
resources

We believe that partners

make more possible. For
almost 30 years, we have
strategically invested in
partner success by helping
you accelerate time to
market, generate leads,
and grow your businesses
with innovative marketing
resources.
20
Introduction
This section walks you
through our Go-To-Market
with Microsoft resources
and advises you on the
best methods for using
these tools.
These resources are Our goal is to
intended to be used ensure your team
in concert to address is equipped to
the various steps position our shared
of your customers’ solutions and that
journey. This guide you have a thorough
provides you with a understanding of
complete picture to how to consume
make certain your our content and
marketing efforts messaging.
around Microsoft
products are as
seamless as possible.

21
Partner marketing platforms

   
Smart Partner Digital Marketing Partner Marketing Qorus
Marketing Content Center Content Hub
OnDemand

Smart Partner Marketing is a Digital Marketing Content OnDemand Partner Marketing Center provides Qorus Content Hub empowers your
marketing how-to hub, filled with delivers always-on digital marketing access to thousands of sales and sales force to deliver proposals and
marketing essentials including content in fresh weekly campaigns. marketing assets in a comprehensive create targeted content faster. Qorus
the latest industry research, market Through an intelligent tool, you’re content library, including sales helps you answer the questions of
trends, partner best practices, free empowered to start generating presentations, infographics, web your prospects and customers, locate
tools, templates, and more. Here, demand and connecting with images, and more! your best content quickly, all with a
you can transform your growth with customers online through social unified brand message.
digital marketing. media, company blogs, and email. Access this full library of assets to
quickly and easily go to market Stocked with Microsoft sales and
Smart Partner Marketing was built With Digital Marketing Content With Microsoft. Should you choose marketing content, you can easily
for partners, by partners. It includes OnDemand, you can choose to substitute one piece of content work in Outlook, Word, PowerPoint,
best practices and recommendations channels that apply to you and your delivered to you by Digital Marketing and Teams to collaborate with your
from companies who have paved audience. Each Monday morning, Content OnDemand, you can simply teams to create accurate content. Built
the way to successfully go to market a weekly digest reminds you of new do so with Partner Marketing Center. in measurement tools track activity,
with Microsoft. No matter where you content to share. You’ll receive so you gain valuable insights to create
are in your marketing journey, Smart fully customizable, prewritten emails, smarter follow up materials to close
Partner Marketing can provide you tweets, status updates, and blog sales.
with the marketing guidance you copy—alongside marketing assets.
need. When you’re ready, you can deliver
content directly to your social media
channels, email, and blog—all within
the same tool.

EVALUATE BUILD OPTIMIZE PERSONALIZE

22
 EVALUATE

Get started: Smart Partner Marketing

Developing a go-to-market strategy can be challenging, especially if you don’t know
how to get started or lack time and resources.
This is precisely why we developed Smart Partner Marketing. Built by partners, for partners, it eliminates the unknowns when it comes
to how to market and sell our products. It enables you to create your unique story while providing the following benefits:

01 04
Market insights and research conducted Best practices from other partners
by Microsoft to guide your strategies and what they did to grow their
and growth. business through marketing.

02 05
Guided digital marketing learning paths to Free digital marketing training
assess where you are and how to get to the to educate your marketing
next level. person or team.

Professionally developed

03 Free tools and templates, easy to use and

quick results. 06 marketing assets to utilize in
your campaigns. 

"Coupling our plan to build awareness and grow customers with Microsoft’s
Go-To-Market program meant our results were amplified. PageProof reached
users in over 200 cities globally within just a few weeks of launch!"
-PageProof
23
 EVALUATE

Get actionable advice based on marketing level

Have you considered how the sophistication and size of your marketing team
affects your marketing strategy?
Whether you want to get established, boost impact, or build loyalty, we provide the principles, strategies, and tactics to foster
engagement with the right customers at the right time. Simply select your marketing level, and Smart Partner Marketing
guides you through a digital marketing growth path—placing you firmly on the road to success no matter where you are in
your go-to-market journey.

24
 EVALUATE

Learn from partner success stories

Gaining knowledge from the accomplishments of your peers empowers you to innovate and learn the best methods for applying these
principles and best practices to your organization. Through a variety of video-based partner success stories, Smart Partner
Marketing illustrates the techniques and investments that partners leverage to deepen their existing customer relationships and to grow
demand for their products and services.

“People don’t buy things based on how well you sell, people buy things based on the
stories that you tell them and the problems that you can solve for them.”
-Reed Wilson, CEO Palmetto Technology Group

25
 BUILD

Use pre-packaged campaigns:

Digital Marketing Content OnDemand
As a marketer, do you always search for new and better ways to launch programs?
Are you taking your current strategy to the next level while also maximizing your time?
Digital Marketing Content OnDemand is the perfect solution for those who are short on resources but still want to achieve the best
possible outcomes. Powered by the Microsoft Partner Network, this platform offers automated marketing with fully integrated intelligent
scheduling—leveraging predictive understanding which drives your digital marketing approach. This simple, easy-to-use tool provides
you with comprehensive digital campaigns and you'll find curated, customizable, to-customer marketing materials and sales resources in
a highly prescriptive format.

Suggested tweets, LinkedIn posts, Facebook statuses, mini-blog posts, and emails are provided—and are fully customizable. What's
more, your logo and company name are automatically and intelligently inserted. Plus, you can post to your social media accounts and
launch email campaigns directly from Digital Marketing Content OnDemand.

225% 40%
Increase in Annual revenue attributed
sales leads to these programs

“Microsoft provides partners with massive amounts of free content. Sourcing and/or
creating all of this content on our own would be a full-time position on my team.”
-Tate Lillies, Chief Marketing Officer, BlueSilverShift
26
 BUILD

How to use Digital Marketing Content OnDemand

Just like technology, digital marketing best practices and industry trends constantly
evolve, and we are committed to providing you with applicable content that converts.
Digital Marketing Content OnDemand is a next-generation automated content marketing engine that enables you to launch impactful
Microsoft digital campaigns at scale through your social media channels.

Additionally, Digital Marketing Content OnDemand provides you with sales enablement materials such as pitch decks and telesales
guides, packaged in 10-12 week campaign cycles.

The included reports track the results of your efforts. Whether you want to know which posts or assets performed the best with your
audience or how many leads you received over time, you can do it all right within the tool.

Empower and transform with Microsoft AI

Did you know?
There are 3.8 billion people using social
media today—more people than there
were on the entire planet in 1971.[7]

This captive audience is already online,

wanting to educate themselves on your
product and to consume thought
leadership material.

27
 BUILD

Telling your best story with episodic content

Gone are the days of endlessly searching for content.
Every Monday morning, we deliver an email with data-driven, highly qualified, customized campaigns organized in an episodic manner. The
weekly content builds upon the week prior to tell a full solution story, delivered with a publication schedule, so you know which assets to share
each day. Customization is optional and easy—publish content ‘as is’ or use our tools to include your own branding, make edits, and quickly
post or send.

Check out these actual partner results, within one month’s time!

41% 16,600
Increase in visitors Impressions on social posts
28
 BUILD

Automation made easy

Regularly posting content is the best way to keep
your customers engaged.
Digital Marketing Content OnDemand is populated with new content weekly, but if
you do not have the time to select and post, simply choose the Automated Content
Posting option. As long as you have at least one social or blog connection defined in
your account, Digital Marketing Content OnDemand will post your selected content
each week to all your active social and blog connections.

Track progress through reporting

Tracking your marketing efforts opens your eyes
to your performance and the tactics to improve.
You need to know what content performs with your customers, what content does not
hit the mark, and how to prove ROI to business executives. Digital Marketing Content
OnDemand tracks all activity, such as popular links on posts, network growth, and
engagement on your published content. It also provides lead scoring to help you
identify the most beneficial leads and to refine your outreach efforts.

29
 OPTIMIZE

Optimize campaigns: Partner Marketing Center

Marketing teams are taxed with so many responsibilities that searching for quality
content either falls by the wayside or is too time consuming to do properly.
This is precisely why we built Partner Marketing Center. It provides access to thousands of sales and marketing assets, including sales
presentations, infographics, web images, and more! Partner Marketing Center helps you lay a solid marketing foundation, educate
potential buyers and customers, and keep them engaged throughout their customer journey.

Differentiate your business through Save time and money through Increase customer leads, close more
customizable marketing material our ready-to-use content and deals, and accelerate business to the
and templates. services. next level with access to the right
marketing tools.

“Honestly, I think the most valuable information (based on my role) is that

seeing what Microsoft is focused on gives some insight into what they want
us as a partner to focus on and where Microsoft is headed.”
-Microsoft partner
30
 OPTIMIZE

Partner Marketing Center benefits and outcomes

Readily available at your fingertips is customizable, in-depth marketing, sales and
content with compelling and carefully curated positioning and messaging.
With Partner Marketing Center, it’s easy to save money by not having to search, find, and piece together content from multiple
sources. It's also meant to work together with your Digital Marketing Content OnDemand episodic content; for example, should you
choose to substitute one piece of content delivered to you by Digital Marketing Content OnDemand, you can easily do so. Partner
Marketing Center is designed to amplify the One Microsoft message and create a consistent brand experience across our ecosystem.

Check out these actual

partner metrics:
75% 60K
Say Microsoft marketing support Approximate number of unique
helps to increase revenue, save partners reached through
time and budget. self-serve marketing annually.

70% 74% 1 Million

Say it saves time to market. Say it helps save in their Content downloads in Fiscal Year
marketing budget. 2019!
31
 OPTIMIZE

How to use Partner Marketing Center

Are you committed to giving your content a fighting chance?
Publishing information just to get something out the door is not a content strategy. Lackluster assets stemming from a poor
strategy hurts your brand more than it helps. This is where Partner Marketing Center comes in. Think of it as your central repository
and self-serve content library. It offers a variety of qualified and vetted thought leadership and enablement material in many
different formats—including customer pitch decks, copy blocks, pre-written emails, and more.

It’s easy to customize too! With custom fields and placeholders

for your company branding, once you find a campaign that’s
moving the needle, you can easily bookmark it for future use.

1 > Choose a
language

Choose a
2 > solution
area

Select
3 > assets by
campaign

32
 OPTIMIZE

How to use Partner Marketing Center

Sort assets by most recent,

featured, and relevance using
the “Sort by” drop-down in
the upper right.

Asset search filters, including

language, solution area, asset
type, product type, topic,
industry, and subject area are
located on the left.

The asset library is displayed

on the middle to right hand
side of your screen.

33
 OPTIMIZE

How to use Partner Marketing Center

Be sure to take advantage of the language filters (English – United States, English – worldwide campaigns and German) as Microsoft
content is available around the globe and some countries localize and create their own campaigns. Use a combination of the search
box at the top of your screen and the filters on the left to narrow down your selection.

Language selection in the filters only allows

you to narrow your search from the available
content in your current site.

To change to the
localized sites, make
the selection at the
bottom left of the
page:

34
 PERSONALIZE

Personalize content and close sales:

Qorus Content Hub
Create personalized content and deliver sales proposals 5x faster

Through a simple internet search, it’s relatively easy for

prospects to find what they need, when they need it, at
the best price available. If you’re not providing what they
need, when they need it—rest assured, your competitors
will.

Qorus enables your sales force to build customized,

professional, engaging sales materials and proposals in
minutes versus hours. Locate the best content for sales
presentations and proposals, and create proposals using
pre-approved, fresh Microsoft branded content.

You can collaborate with your team to ensure accuracy

and build a single source of truth for your content.
Track the effectiveness of your communications with
built in measurement tools, and gain valuable insights
for smart follow up.

Qorus is available to all Microsoft Partner Network members, at no cost, with

an Office 365 login and any of the Office 365 plans with Office 2016 included.

35
 PERSONALIZE

How to use Qorus

Qorus Content Hub has revolutionized how to locate and create content. The ability
to search, filter, download, edit, and share Microsoft content directly from Office 365
applications improves your productivity and enhances interactions with customers and
partners. 

01 Locate
Quickly find content through the comprehensive
repository.

02 Create
Create personalized documents tailored to your sales
process and customers’ needs through Smart Templates.

03 Collaborate Invite stakeholders to collaborate on pitches and proposals

in real-time, using Microsoft Word and PowerPoint.

04 Learn Securely share and track documents for smarter follow-up

conversations.

05 Measure Identify valuable content, commonly searched keywords,

and most productive people.

36
 PERSONALIZE

Qorus
advantage · Browse OneDrive for Business content as well as SharePoint Online.
· Save searches to your “favorites” for quick and easy access to your most
frequently used content.
One of the advantages · Search for content one place at a time, or multiple places at once.
of Qorus is its powerful · Enter search terms, phrases, and even search operators in the search box.
search capabilities to · Use the search filters to narrow a long list of search results, or to simply
help you locate content. search without typing anything in the search box.

37
 PERSONALIZE

You can also work directly within ‘Hub Central’ to locate, customize, collaborate on, and measure the results of
your marketing and sales efforts. Plus, you can easily personalize your content with smart design and assemble
new presentations from existing slides.

Preview enables you to interact with the content you’re previewing, insert only the text you want, and access
insights into how the file is being used. Clip allows you to save the content you select in documents, emails
and presentations as new documents that you can search and re-use later.

38
 PERSONALIZE

Share and track

When you share and
track content, the data
you collect helps you
gain a complete picture
of your target audience,
as well as improve your
lists for segmentation
and journey mapping.
Plus, once your target completes a form
and opts-in to read your content, you
can place them into nurture programs
with the goal of turning prospects into
qualified leads, and ultimately closed
deals.

In Qorus, gate your content with the

“share and track” feature to capture
recipient data, such as email addresses,
opens, views, and time spent on each
page.

39
 RESOURCES

Section 4:
Links and
resources

This section includes

links and resources
to help you get started
with our four partner
platforms. Find demos,
quick guides, FAQs, and
other helpful resources
related to each tool.

40
Smart Partner Digital Marketing
Marketing Content On
Demand
Sizzle Video
Smart Partner Marketing Resources Digital Marketing Content OnDemand
Marketing Quick Guides Blog Getting Started Webinar
Smart Partner Marketing Webinar Digital Marketing Content OnDemand
Tutorial

Partner Marketing Qorus Content

Center Hub

Top Partner Questions Library Requirements for Use

Steps to Get Started Demo
Submit a Claim Qorus Content Hub Video
Feedback and Questions Ask Me Anything: Qorus Content Hub

42
Summary
Are you ready to get
familiar with these
platforms? This guide only
touches on the multitude
of options available at your
fingertips and we invite
you to get started!
We hope you've gained new insight for
successfully growing your business through
strategic content marketing. By taking
advantage of our Go-To-Market with
Microsoft Resources, you're on the right
path to better engaging your prospects
and customers.

42
 RESOURCES

Section 5:
Make it real

The best practices

templates in this
section are meant to
help you get on the
fast track to success.

43
Make it real: Defining your buyer’s journey
Awareness Answer these questions: Create an inventory of this content:
Prospects realize they have a • What are your company’s values? • Social media
need or problem and are open • What is your company’s mission? • Videos/Podcasts
to solutions. They research to • What keywords describe your business? • Checklists
understand their issue and how • Why do customers need you? • Blogs
to solve it. • How do you solve problems? • Infographics
• What are the business outcomes? • Quizzes

Interest Answer these questions: Create an inventory of this content:

Now that your prospects have • Who are your competitors? • Webinars
identified their needs and • How do you meet the need for information • Product demos
researched available options, better than your competitors? • Data sheets
they’re developing an interest in • What are the benefits of your products? • eBooks
what you have to offer. • How does your product work? • How-to guides
• Technical white papers

Consideration Answer these questions: Create an inventory of this content:

Prospects compare solutions • How does your product compare to the • Live demos
that can resolve their problems competition? • Case studies and testimonials
or need. This is the time to • What are commonly asked questions? • Research reports
deliver answers relevant to their • What awards has your company won? • Buyer’s guides
decision-making process. • Are there any limitations on usage? • FAQs
• What is the perception of your product/company? • Awards

Action Answer these questions: Create an inventory of this content:

At this point, your sales team is • What are the costs? • Pricing sheets
fully engaged with the potential • Does the installation and implementation support • Free trials
customer. It's important to provide seem adequate? • Beta programs
information that addresses the • Is there a service package available? • Pitch decks
questions of all decision makers. • Are there hidden costs, like training and support? • ROI tools
• Are there references available? • Onboarding programs

Retention Answer these questions: Create an inventory of this content:

Happy customers are your best • What is your Net Promoter Score (NPS)? • Loyalty programs
salespeople. Not to mention, • What is your renewal rate? • Referral programs
it costs 5 times more to gain a • What is your customer lifetime value (CLV)? • Newsletters
new customer versus keeping an • What is the ROI of your products/services? • Discounts
existing one! • How do you reward loyalty? • Account management
• Do you have referral programs in place? • Mobile apps

44
Make it real: Use this guide to build a messaging framework
A messaging framework acts as a roadmap for your brand. It creates alignment among employees—and not just those in
marketing and sales—but across your organization. It’s a vital component for content marketing by ensuring consistency
across communication channels. And when your organization acts in harmony, brand recognition is sure to be the result.

BRAND STORY You tell your brand story through your content, and your story should be described consistently across all
assets and pieces of content.

TAGLINE Your tagline conveys your value proposition and brand position. It should be short, concise, and
memorable.

BRAND PILLARS Your brand pillars define your brand’s foundation. These are the aspects that make up your purpose,
values, and what matters most to your customers. Define 3-5 brand pillars.

TARGET AUDIENCE Your target audience defines your potential customers. This is the foundation of your marketing
and is an integral part of your marketing strategy, as it informs all your efforts.

PERSONAS A persona is a fictional representation of your ideal customers. Personas help you create
engaging content for your audience. Define 3-8 personas.

POSITIONING STATEMENTS A positioning statement simply conveys how you want your personas and target audience
to perceive your brand and how you can deliver upon your brand promise. Build positioning
statements for each of your personas.

PROOF POINTS Proof points are factual claims that tie to each of your positioning statements. They
describe the features that make your products and services unique in the marketplace.
Build 3 for each positioning statement.

45
 Make it real: Use this guide to build your buyer personas

• What are our customer pain points?

• How do our customers consume information?
• Why do they buy from our company?
• How do they learn about our company?
• What is their decision-making process?
WHO AM I?

Firmographics Demographics Goals and Challenges Career Psychographics Quotes

What are their What are their.... What are their.... What are their.... What are their.... What would they say
company's... about....

• industry? • ages? • primary and secondary • salary objectives? • buying habits? • their goals and
• annual revenue? • salary/household goals? • career path? • hobbies and objectives?
• size? income? • primary and secondary • reporting structure? activities? • their industry?
• geography? • locations? challenges? • spending habits?
• education? • how do we solve for • values and beliefs?
• families like? these goals and
challenges?

46
Make it real: Use this guide to get started with LinkedIn

James A. Smith
Microsoft Dynamics 365 ERP and CRM Reseller
Singapore 500+ connections Contact Info

GETTING STARTED WITH SOCIAL SELLING EXPANDING YOUR REACH

 Add a headshot. It should be clear, professional, recognizable, and consistent across  Add your personal and professional contacts and regularly connect with those
all social media profiles. Ensure it is in a business setting, with an uncluttered you wish to network with. Always include a personal message.
background, and with shoulders up.  Nurture and engage with contacts by asking them questions or congratulate
 Use a background image that represents your business, hobbies, or location. them on new jobs, promotions, anniversaries, birthdays.
 Include an up-to-date title, career information, contact information, and education  Join group(s) to find and connect with potential customers and participate as a
details. Your experience should summarize your accomplishments. thought leader and industry expert.
 Add keywords to your headline, professional summary, and work history.  Write Long Form Posts to engage your network, show case knowledge and
 Upload documents, articles, video, images, podcasts, and presentations to highlight create a personal and professional brand all at once!
expertise.
Link other personal assets/websites (blog, a company page that mentions you, etc.)

 Connect to your company LinkedIn page.
CONTENT 101
 Ask for recommendations; former colleagues or clients can help strengthen your
profile! Create conversations/post frequently (3+ times/week).

 Ensure your profile URL is easily searchable and that your profile is set to Participate in conversations, ask questions, pique interest.

public to ensure you can be easily found. Use a mix of pain-point-related thought leadership, news, events, etc.

 Include your profile URL in your email signature. Keep company-related content at 30 percent or less.

 Expand your network by ensuring connections are viewable by others by clicking the Share media such as video, images, and podcasts.

Privacy tab (who can see your connections). Be human and conversational!


47
Make it real: Use this guide to get started with Twitter

GETTING
EstablishSTARTED
Goals TWEETING 101
Establish Goals FOLLOWING
Establish Goals101 CONTENT 101
Establish Goals

 Choose a descriptive and memorable  Use hashtags (#) to indicate a topic of  Follow, retweet (RT) and mention (@)  Start conversations, ask questions, pique
Twitter handle. conversation (hashtags are searchable relevant people (colleagues, clients, interest.
 Upload a headshot (recommended so a much larger audience may see companies, business partners, etc.)  Use a mix of pain-point-related thought
dimensions are 400x400 pixels) and your tweets).  Nurture your account by “favoriting” leadership, news, events, etc. content.
header image (recommended  Mention (@) relevant people (colleagues, content.  Keep company-related content at 30
dimensions are 1500x500 pixels) clients, companies, partners, etc.)  Create Twitter lists (followers, thought percent or less.
aligned with your brand.  Create conversations/tweet frequently leaders, influencers) to help you “listen.”  When “tweeting,” add video, images
 Craft your bio summary (160 characters (5+ times/week). You can access lists under your profile and/or a link.
max) including your interests and  Keep your tweets unprotected, open to image dropdown menu.  Be human and conversational!
personality using hashtags, and the public and avoid sensitive topics.  If someone follows you, consider
generally why someone should follow  Consider using a scheduler so you can following them back; like a handshake
you (what’s in it for them). Don’t forget plan your posts. at an event.
to mention your title and @company.
 Include your location and website URL.

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Make it real: Use this guide to build social media content
DAILY EDITOR’S CHECKLIST
Post content on each social media platform
 Follows correct grammar and punctuation rules

Monitor hashtags, trends, mentions, competitors
 Uses active voice

Nurture connections (likes, shares, comments, etc.)
 Avoids repeated words

Follow and connect with relevant accounts
 Captures the audience’s attention

Follows voice and tone guidelines for the audience

Appropriate for the persona

WEEKLY Professional, powerful, and elevated

Schedule content for each social media platform
 Passes a technical accuracy test

Locate and schedule syndicated content
 Friendly and conversational

Analyze your performance
 Aligns with company messaging

Avoids jargon, slang, and clichés

Invites engagement

MONTHLY Clear and concise

Does not exceed character limitations

Prune accounts by removing inactive connections
 Contains keywords

Build a content calendar
 Includes correct hyperlinks and @mentions

Analyze and present performance to stakeholders
 Passes a spell check

Refine your efforts
 Contains a CTA

Source is cited along with statistics and quotes

Includes proper hashtags and keywords


CONTENT CURATION
Unique and reputable sources
 Well written
 70/30 Ratio
Not political, profane, or biased
 Includes media
 Post 70% thought
Fresh and new content
 Not gated
 leadership and 30%
Not competitive with your company
 Not sponsored
 company content!
Make it real: Use this checklist to build a B2B blogging program

❶
Drive demand for

products
According to InsideView, companies that post
Establish goals
Share company news
 1-2 times per month have 67% more sales
opportunities than companies that do not
Build thought leadership

Establish company trust


blog. That’s huge!

Develop key and authority
performance indicators. Grow website traffic

Build your email list


What are others blogging Decide where you will host Create engaging titles
❷ ❸ ❹
  

about? your blog Use compelling imagery

What challenges are you
 Identify authors, SMEs,
 and other media
Build a theme Develop a plan Connect with audience
solving? and ghost writers Ask questions

Who is your target
 Establish format and
 Start with a hook

Listen to your customers audience? Maintain an editorial branding Always include a Show empathy

and competitors. How will you serve your calendar with authors, Identify voice and tone call-to-action (CTA). Tell a story
  
cadence, and blog
buyer personas? Create a list of keywords Be relatable and human
post ideas.  
Include core points or an

explanation of the solution

Include 1 to 2 keywords in Showcase new blogs on Are you reaching your

❺ ❻ ❼
  
the title/headline your home page goals?
Leverage headings and
 Share blogs in newsletters
 Who is reading your

Optimize for search meta descriptions Promote and share and emails Track and analyze content?
Include longtail keywords
 Promote content across
 What is the average

Use an SEO plugin to in the body Don’t forget to add a social profiles Track visits, comments, session length?
optimize for search. Add links to authoritative social sharing plugin to Include a link in your email top-viewed posts, and Which blogs have the
  
your blog. how viewers are finding
external websites and to signature most views?
your blog.
your own content What questions do they ask?


50
References
Megan Heuer, Three Myths of the “67 Percent” Statistic, Sirius Decisions [Online]
[1]

https://www.siriusdecisions.com/blog/three-myths-of-the-67-percent-statistic, 2013

Julia McCoy, 9 Stats That Will Make You Want to Invest in Content Marketing, Content Marketing Institute [Online]
[2]

https://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2017/10/stats-invest-content-marketing/, 2017

[3]
Kathleen Schaub, New IDC Study Reveals That the Most Senior and Influential B2B Buyers Use Online Social Networks in Their Purchase
Process, IDC [Online] https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20140915006303/en/New-IDC-Study-Reveals-Senior-Influential-B2/, 2014
 
[4]
Julia McCoy, 9 Stats That Will Make You Want to Invest in Content Marketing, Content Marketing Institute [Online]
https://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2017/10/stats-invest-content-marketing/, 2017

Amy Hio, Blocking Growth is Slowing Down, but Not Going Away, eMarketer [Online]
[5]

https://www.emarketer.com/content/ad-blocking-growth-is-slowing-down-but-not-going-away, 2019

Handley, Ann, and C. C Chapman. Content Rules: How to Create Killer Blogs, Podcasts, Videos, Ebooks, Webinars (and More) That Engage
[6]

Customers and Ignite Your Business. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley, 2011. Print. 2013

Simon Kemp, There Are More Social Media Users Today Than There Were People in 1971, Hootsuite [Online]
[7]

https://blog.hootsuite.com/simon-kemp-social-media/, 2020

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