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For nearly two decades, we’ve helped organizations across the world drive high-quality, predictable demand at scale. As the marketing landscape evolves, so do we, creating fresh strategies that break through the noise to keep your brand ahead of the curve.
Pipeline360 Survey Finds Sales-Marketing Alignment and Branded Demand Increase B2B Marketing Goal Achievement by 60%
Introducing account-based content syndication
Generating high-quality leads at the right price, volume, and pacing is a constant challenge for B2B marketers. To meet their lead goals, many marketers rely on content syndication as part of their marketing mix. But there are two familiar challenges with traditional content syndication programs. The first is that content syndication leads are not always a match to your company’s ideal customer profile (ICP). The second is that leads from traditional content syndication efforts commonly have low conversion rates, leaving marketers and sales teams frustrated. The problem is not with content syndication as a tactic. The problem is in the targeting.
Traditional content syndication doesn’t offer precise enough targeting for marketing teams that use an account-based approach. Account-Based Content Syndication (ABM CS) adds needed precision to this tactic. Instead of broad criteria such as company size or industry, ABM CS uses a target account list (TAL) to target content syndication programs, which has multiple benefits, including:
Traditional Content Syndication
ABM Content Syndication
Unlike traditional content syndication, which is limited to early stage buying activity, ABM CS tactics can strategically support the entire revenue funnel. But to do more than provide suitable leads – to generate pipeline and revenue – they need to be used alongside:
This guide will walk you through four ABM CS tactics providing diagrams and using an example company named Acme Co. which we will use to show their (hypothetical) ABM CS programs.
Acme Co. is an imaginary B2B enterprise SaaS company that we’ll use to illustrate each ABM Content Syndication Tactic in this guide. Their revenue marketing team uses a unified ABM and demand marketing approach.
This approach results in marketing that focuses on ICP accounts, acquires and engages buying groups, and delivers cross-channel journeys that are personalized and relevant to buyer groups.
We’ll follow along with examples of Acme Co. using each ABM Content Syndication tactic to create predictable pipeline for their SaaS Product, a Cyber Security Platform. About Acme Co:
Always-on ABM content syndication is as simple as using a target account list to target your top funnel content syndication efforts. By doing so, you can change what was previously a broad-based demand effort into a tactic that aligns demand with ABM. With this tactic, all the top funnel responses you generate with content syndication will only include the right buyers from the right accounts.
Always-on ABM content syndication checklist:
Follow along with Acme Co:
The diagram shows Acme Co.’s always-on ABM CS strategy for FY2023. Acme Co.’s always-on campaign message for the year is “Reduce the Risk of Ransomware.” Their content team is producing a set of six new eBooks, guides, and reports to support that campaign. Their always-on ABM CS program targets various job levels within the IT and Security functions of all their North America ICP target accounts. They enroll leads from their always-on ABM CS into their always-on cross-channel marketing and nurture to engage leads and buying groups. This program uses display ads, emails, webinars, and other tactics to drive engagement.
By applying intent data to your target account list, you can identify active accounts early in their research process. Then you can target buyers from those accounts with the right message at the right time by using top of funnel intent ABM CS.
Top funnel intent checklist:
Follow along with Acme Co:
Acme Co. checks their target account list against their top funnel intent topics list and determines that 130 accounts show research intent for malware-related intent topics. They enroll those accounts in a top funnel intent ABM CS program that targets IT/Security job functions/titles and uses relevant content about malware. They also dedupe this list against their always-on ABM CS TAL.
Today, B2B buyers make purchase decisions in buying groups. Marketing teams must identify, acquire, and engage buying groups to create a predictable pipeline. Middle funnel intent ABM CS helps you engage key buying personas with decisionmaking authority at your target accounts.
Middle funnel intent ABM CS checklist:
Follow along with Acme Co:
Acme Co. checks their target account list against their middle funnel intent topics list and determines that 425 accounts show research intent for managed detection and response related (MDR) intent topics. They enroll those accounts in a middle funnel intent ABM CS program that targets director + job levels within the security job function and uses relevant third-party analyst content. Because director+ cybersecurity buyers are a critical buying group member, Acme Co. Dedupes this TAL against their always-on ABM CS programs to ensure they reach them with relevant messaging.
Today’s B2B buyers conduct most of their research independently of sales, contacting them often only after they’ve made a decision. Bottom funnel intent ABM CS helps you reach buyers researching specific products with information about your offerings.
Bottom funnel intent ABM CS checklist:
Follow along with Acme Co:
Acme Co. checks their target account list against their bottom funnel intent topics and identifies that 250 accounts show research intent for bottom funnel topics related to cloud security products. They enroll those accounts in a bottom funnel intent ABM CS program that targets manager+ job titles from IT and security functions, and use cloud security solutions features and benefits content. They route buying groups to sales based on their account and lead scoring model.
Content syndication has become a priority investment for B2B marketers. In fact, the 2022 State of Demand Generation Report showed an increased investment in content syndication more than any other tactic out of a list of 14. While a strong content syndication strategy can effectively generate pipeline for your business, every worthy investment carries associated risks. In the case of content syndication, the biggest risk is underperformance resulting from common pitfalls such as: Lead Nurture Velocity: How quickly are leads moving from nurture programs to:
In this guide, we will examine each of these potential pitfalls and share strategies for avoiding them to ensure a high-performing content syndication program.
One of the most common reasons your content syndication may be underperforming is imprecise account targeting. A good segmentation strategy should follow these four rules:
Beyond that, you should consider the market, company, and buyer to arrive at precise targeting for your content syndication program.
Put these together to focus on the decision makers at ideal customer profile (ICP) accounts and offer relevant content for each segment.
To be effective, all marketing programs and tactics should be aligned to measurable goals. When it comes to setting content syndication goals, establishing start and end dates, target costs per lead (CPLs), and lead volume goals are simple enough. But where many programs fall short is through a lack of alignment with broader marketing or business goals.
Ask yourself:
Instead of treating content syndication as a generic tactic, think about how to utilize content syndication with greater precision to support strategic business outcomes. Instead of running a massive “always-on” program, you can set up and run specific content syndication programs with precise targeting and lead goals to support a diverse range of marketing targets and business goals.
Clear goal setting elevates content syndication to a strategic component of your marketing programs. As you consider your tactic mix, evaluate the cost per lead, lead volume, and pacing you need for each content syndication program to meet your quarterly goals.
So now you are approaching your content syndication programs strategically and the leads are rolling in. But if those leads are low quality and your conversion rate drops, all your hard work is moot. Bad data reduces the effectiveness of your nurture efforts and can damage your relationship with sales.
The most common data quality issues with content syndication leads are:
Always check your lead data from content syndication programs carefully to ensure that it matches your ICP criteria and is compliant, valid, complete, and standardized before uploading leads into your systems. Reject any bad leads and ask your lead provider to replace them.
While having quality data is good for your marketing programs, having redundant data is too much of a good thing. Duplicate leads happen when you receive the same buyer’s information from multiple lead providers — meaning you are essentially paying twice for the same lead and draining your syndication budget.
Don’t waste your budget:
The most common complaint about content syndication leads is that marketers say they don’t convert. In other words, as soon as a B2B marketing team gets some content syndication leads, they hand them off to their sales or tele-qualification teams to book an immediate demo or meeting. This typically doesn’t happen as content syndication leads represent an early buying signal – not a late-stage opportunity.
If you want your content syndication program to influence opportunities, you must nurture leads before sending them to sales. Due to two significant changes in buyer behavior, failing to nurture content syndication leads will destroy the performance of your programs.
It’s important to note that a content syndication lead is simply a single buying signal – not a marketing qualified lead (MQL.) Buyers who’ve expressed an interest in your content need to be engaged further to increase their lead score before calling them an MQL. Consider using email nurtures, digital display advertising, and personalized content to further engage buyers.
Filling the need for leads
At any given moment, only 5% of B2B buyers are in-market and ready to buy your product, according to research by LinkedIn and the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science. That means marketers need to be making connections with potential customers long before they’re ready to buy — when they’re looking for information and doing general research about a problem they need to solve.
Content syndication can help you reach that all-important 95% by surfacing your content while customers are conducting their research. It’s also a versatile tactic that can support efforts throughout the marketing lifecycle. This guide explores why you should still use content syndication in your marketing efforts and provides guidance on selecting vendors.
What is content syndication?
Content syndication is republishing a piece of content in relevant industry media beyond your company’s own website or blog. Syndicating your content allows it to reach audiences you would not otherwise have access to. Most businesses dedicate 25% or more of their marketing budgets to developing content; content syndication helps you get the most out of that investment.
How content syndication can help your business:
Benefits: Syndicating your content provides a reliable stream of leads matching your ICP.
of business buyers say online content has played a major or moderate role in their vendor selections
CMO Council
Understanding the B2B buyer’s journey
B2B buyers go through a long decision-making process before making purchases. The early stages of the buyer’s journey offer the best opportunities for the marketer to develop a connection that can lead to acquiring them as a customer. The stages of the buyer’s journey are:
Buyers are receptive to informative content
B2B buyers are especially receptive to receiving relevant information from vendors during the Discover and Evaluate stages. According to Gartner research, B2B buyers who perceive the information they get from suppliers as helpful are 2.8 times more likely to experience a high degree of purchase ease, and three times more likely to buy a bigger deal with less regret.
Many buyers start their research on third-party websites. Syndication places your content in front of buyers who are early in their research process. Optimize your syndicated content by making sure it is informative and educational, rather than sales oriented. Provide clear information about the problem, including the hazards of leaving it unresolved. If the subject is an opportunity, explain the potential benefits of pursuing the opportunity.
Benefit: Syndicating your content provides a reliable stream of leads matching your ICP.
When to use content syndication
Content syndication can target a specific set of named accounts or apply broader audience criteria. In either case, content syndication delivers a reliable stream of ICP leads, which complements the (sometimes inconsistent) performance of inbound and paid advertising tactics, adding predictability to your pipeline.
How content syndication supports the revenue funnel
A typical revenue funnel can be defined in five stages. (Note that every company has its own version of a revenue funnel.)
Content syndication is highly effective at generating ICP top-of-funnel inquiries. It boosts the performance of your entire revenue funnel when used as part of a comprehensive strategy that nurtures inquiries into MQLs through integrated marketing programs.
“Content syndication leads may not be as bottom-of-funnel as a phone call or website outreach, [but] they are an effective and cost-efficient way to fill the pipeline.” — Shelly B., Demand Gen Leader
Benefit: Content syndication has the versatility to reach broad audiences and target specific groups of buyers.
Iron Mountain increased content syndication sourced inquiry to MQL conversion rates from
and influenced nearly $22 million in pipeline through optimization of their content syndication programs.
Integrate
How content syndication fits into your marketing mix
Content syndication is most effective when used as part of an integrated marketing plan that includes inbound and outbound, digital, brand, product, and event activities. Syndicated content should fit seamlessly into the buyer’s research process by providing useful information that helps them understand a problem or opportunity that’s relevant to their business. Think of your content as a resource — the more helpful it is, the better your chances of developing that contact into a customer.
“Content syndication begins the customer journey as a library that’s fully available for ‘self-education’ . . . [A] skilled marketer can help shape that journey by leveraging early interest into strategic demand gen.” — Bret Smith, CEO, HIPB2B
Using content marketing to support other strategies
Content syndication can support a variety of marketing efforts, including:
Benefit: Content syndication can support efforts throughout the marketing lifecycle.
What types of content are best for syndication?
Content for use in syndication should be informational in tone, educating readers about a topic or problem and supporting the key points with data or quotes from analysts or experts. Effective types of content for syndication include guide, whitepapers, reports by third-party analysts, infographics, and on-demand webinars.
How much content do you need for syndication?
In general, the more leads you want to generate, the more content you’ll need. To avoid audience fatigue — which can lower engagement and hurt your conversion rates.
Suggested content assets by lead goals
Buyers consider third-party research, analyst reports, and editorial coverage to be the most trustworthy content sources.
CMO Council
Types of syndication providers
Content syndication providers use a variety of terms to describe their services: publisher, media partner, database provider, etc. The most meaningful distinction is whether they’re a single-stream source or a marketplace source.
Single-stream source: offers access to an audience from one media brand
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
Marketplace source: offers access to a network of single-stream sources
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
Benefit: Choosing the right syndication provider will give you the reach and precision you need.
Evaluate your content syndication performance
Once you’ve chosen a content syndication provider (or providers), it’s important to monitor their performance on key metrics to make sure they’re delivering the leads you need to meet your goals. If you’re working with multiple vendors, this also allows you to adjust your spending to make sure you’re getting the best possible ROI. Below are
key factors to consider:
Lead Quality: Poor-quality leads can affect your entire marketing and sales program and expose your business to regulatory risk. Make sure your leads:
Lead volume and pacing: Are your providers delivering the quantity of leads you need at the cost you agreed on? Is the provider delivering leads to you at the pace that you requested?
Service: Is the provider easy to work with? Do they offer expertise and insights that help you optimize your content syndication program?
Benefit: Evaluate your content syndication partner’s performance to make sure you get the most of your investment.
As a key tactic in the B2B revenue marketing toolkit, content syndication can benefit nearly any business if done right. But the way buyers make decisions has changed, so the way you deploy content syndication programs should change.
It was once considered best practice to send all leads from content syndication programs directly to tele-sales teams for qualification and follow-up. Due to significant changes in B2B buyer behavior, doing so today will damage the effectiveness of your content syndication program, hurt your relationship with sales, and create a suboptimal buying experience.
Today, B2B buyers do their own research, expect easy digital access to information, and often prefer a rep-free experience. Developing a thoughtful and precise lead nurture strategy is necessary to ensure the success of your content syndication program.
An effective, productive, and profitable content syndication nurture strategy includes five data-driven components:
In this guide, we’ll explain the benefits of each component and how to use them to generate predictable pipeline through content syndication.
More effective email follow-up
The most important job for any marketer is to increase the odds that your brand will be top of mind when a customer is ready to buy. Nurturing your content syndication leads with timely and relevant emails is an effective way to do this. But your nurture can’t be one size fits all. Because so much more of the buyer journey today happens independently, personalization and segmentation are essential for effective email nurturing.
A persona or topic-based segmentation approach based on your content inventory and go-to-market strategy is an excellent way to influence a buyer’s purchase decision. Develop an email nurture track for each of your segments consisting of the appropriate content and messaging to support the early-stage research needs of your specific buyer personas.
What are the right types of content? Studies from CMO Council show:
Reach buyers where they are
Email is a great way to nurture leads and support the buyer’s journey, but it shouldn’t be the only option for lead nurturing. Think about your own experience. Do you read every email that hits your inbox? Unlikely. In fact, the average open rate for B2B emails is only 15%.
Instead of relying solely on email, there are a variety of other channels — industry publications, news websites, journals, and social media platforms to name a few — where you can fnd today’s buyers doing their research, primed for engagement. Pairing your email nurtures with targeted, account-based digital display ads can help you reach buyers on the third-party channels where they’re already conducting research.
Furthermore, email nurture may only reach one or two buyers at an account. B2B buyers make purchase decisions in groups, and 94% of buyers who download content share it with buying group members. Targeting through additional channels can help you engage buying groups and increase leads at an organization, capitalizing on this sharing behavior.
Combine your tactics to win big
The benefits of using digital display advertising with a well-structured email program include increased email nurture engagement, more search engine traffic to your website, and faster sales velocity. The key to combining your programs is in audience selection and messaging progression.
The more relevant and personalized your messaging, the more effective your digital ads will be. To increase your sales velocity further, segment personas within your target accounts into personalized ad nurture flights. Similar to your email nurture tracks, each ad flight should tell a progressive story, aimed at engaging specific roles within larger buying groups.
The right way to score your leads
Lead scoring is the process of assigning values to buyer engagement to identify leads that are ready for sales. A lead should only become a marketing qualified lead (MQL) once it reaches a specific score based on engagement. There are two types of engagement to consider when lead scoring: identifiable and anonymous.
Identifiable activities should be scored based on the value of the buyer’s behavior. For example, filling out a form to download an guide should be scored higher than simply opening an email. Totaling up these scores gives you a “behavioral score.”
Anonymous activity is account based and can be scored based on four categories:
Totaling up account level activity and criteria gives you a “demographic score.”
Calculating your MQL score should combine behavioral and demographic scores in a matrix. Ultimately, your lead scoring model should look something like this:
Improve engagement through better lead routing
Lead routing defines how, when, and to whom on the sales team marketing-qualified leads are sent. It’s crucial to account for buying groups in your lead routing, but many marketers don’t. Many lead routing processes — using marketing automation to send qualified leads to sales — fall victim to “second-lead syndrome.” According to Forrester, second-lead syndrome happens when a lead routing process only values the first new qualified lead from an account, disqualifying any subsequent leads as redundant.
So, how can you avoid this potential lead routing nightmare?
We recommend starting with basic rules of engagement:
The real ROI of content syndication
One of the most important parts of a successful lead nurture program is measuring your efforts, without which you can’t accurately optimize and increase program effectiveness, not to mention prove its business value.
There are five areas to measure:
To get an idea of the impact of your content syndication and follow-up program on the bottom line, use a total touch attribution model, which reflects today’s complex buying processes. It rests on the assumption that every touchpoint is valuable because it contributes to the completion of a buyer’s journey. Within this model, you should measure: Number of opportunities influenced; value of open opportunities influenced; close rate of opportunities influenced; and value of deals closed-won influenced.