After a very dry season for many, we seem to be hitting the falling leaves of Autumn with a revived tone from Microsoft and other vendors as support for co-funded campaigns is stepping up.
But… (isn’t there always a but)?
Our partner clients appear to be experiencing a step change as they apply for marketing funding this quarter. The message is clear. Drive demand. Drive demand. Drive demand. No content. No events. No sales incentives.
But all is not lost. There is a way to take advantage of the opportunity to get some much needing funding and be going to market to drive leads. Here’s some tips for generating new content, when it’s not being funded:
- Reduce, reuse and recycle! A phrase we’ve heard so often but how do we apply that when it comes to content? Well, with an abundance of places you can go with this, without doubt the first is DMC. Microsoft for example has created a TONNE of content for a multitude of solution areas that tech partners can reuse, rebrand, and get going with. Core messages are already clear, customer benefits called-out and business advantages highlighted. All you need to do is add your own value proposition, top and tail the existing core content, and ensure the call to action aligns to delivering value to your prospects. If you can bring a bit of relevant vertical market or industry expertise, please do – and don’t forget those testimonials you have tucked away can easily turn your content into a powerhouse.
- Content is not necessarily king… I can’t believe I’m saying this, but when needs must, I will. When generating demand, your asset doesn’t need to be perfect. We can use demand platforms, like LinkedIn to craft an ad that’s super relevant to your audience, and spark a download. Go through your eBook and find what the message is that’s going to resonate best with your audience, use that as the hook to get them to download. It’s not perfect, the better the content the more likely the conversion. This may seem a bit like a short-term strategy, but it’s worth remembering that what we are trying to do here is get your prospects to see your ad and download. That’s the goal. Obviously if the content is great, they’re more likely to develop into a lead. But actually, if you can position the content as something they MUST see and download, maybe you’re on the road to a lead that can soon be showing up in your ‘nurture’ feed.
- Don’t underestimate what you’ve already got… As marketeers producing content and campaigns all day long, it’s fair to say that we might get just a little bored of our content from time to time and no longer find ourselves on the edge of our seat. If we wrote it, designed it, promoted it and wrote emails about it – we know it inside out, and the surprise and excitement is not what it once was. So don’t be afraid to use what you’ve already created, reshare and repost. So many times, I see content that just gets left to get covered in cobwebs on a shelf. Something great has been written and designed, used in one campaign and then never again. My advice is to immerse yourself in your content library and reuse assets! You may be able to use your magic to turn an eBook into an Infographic, or just update some stats and get another campaign out the door. Maybe, the links need updating, there’s a few new customer logos you can add in, or a testimonial or two? Personally, I would never assume your audience has seen or remembers something you have already used. When you consider that average CTRs sit at around 1-2%, that means 1 or 2 out of the 100 people you were targeting looked at your asset, last year.
If Demand Generation funding or support is available to you – let’s create some magic together! ResourceiT has been delivering lead generation campaigns for technology businesses well over 20 years. It’s in our bones. We’re one of only two marketing agencies in the UK to be recommended by Microsoft for Demand Generation.
Our specialisation is to help our clients generate the right demand from the right type of prospects – with creativity, power and great impact.
Need help figuring out your ideal target audience? We can help.
- Want to brainstorm how you can up the ante and increase results? We’ve got the t-shirt.
- And if you’re under pressure to utilise vendor funding, complete your marketing plan template, execute, and provide POE – well we’ve done it a few times. Thousands in fact.
Our experience and imagination, plus your great propositions could mean that magic wand you need to wave may just be within your reach. Why not get in touch and find out.
For a limited time, we’re offering a free consultancy session on this exact topic! Find out more and book your place here.
