These days, content is giving data a run for its money. Why? Because it’s the supply chain for digital marketing. Without compelling, insightful, inspiring content, audience engagement simply fails to happen. This presentation will explore the growing importance of content and what it takes to make content not just an asset, but a strategy that works in concert with data-driven techniques to enable brand storytelling and continuous engagement. You’ll learn how to think like a journalist, act like a publisher and to develop the daily disciplines for content creation, curation and cultivation.

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MOVE OVER BIG DATA— HERE COMES BIG CONTENT
Rising Above the Noise in the Age of Attention Deficit Marketing
Jake Sorofman
Research Director, Gartner, Inc.
@jakesorofman

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Why Stories?
2
The Structure of Stories that Stick
3
How to Tell Stories at Scale
4
‘Closing the Loop’ for Continuous Engagement
5
Content Marketing Comes of Age

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Why Stories?

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Audiences are drawn to narrative tension.
Storiesengage.

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Complex information is put into context.
Stories help us learn.

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Storylines stick, data fragments bounce.
Stories help us remember.

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Lesson # 1
In marketing, the best stories start with customer outcomes.

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We sell the world’s most advanced slide projectors.
We preserve memories.

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We are the leading provider of e-commerce solutions.
We help you double your online revenue.

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Lesson # 2
Good marketing, stories put people in the starring role.

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Because marketing is not about you (and it never has been).
(oh, and it never will be).

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Lesson # 3
When someone asks “What do you do?” they really mean:
What do you do for me?
… and our answer to this question

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… grants us permission to tell the rest of our story by …
… creating story context (using S.I.R.)

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2
The structure of stories that stick

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Time (seconds)
Attention span
But …in storytelling timeis the enemy …

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Time (in seconds)
Attention span
7 seconds or less*
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… and in fact, you have ….
(*) probably much less

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Time (in seconds)
Attention span
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Attention span is a diminishing commodity
7 seconds or less

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Time (seconds)
Attention span
Product Features
…if you cast productsin the starring role …
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Time (seconds)
Attention span
Buyer Situation
alternatively ... if you start here…
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Time (seconds)
Attention span
Buyer Situation
Impacton Buyer
… you make it about them…
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Time (seconds)
Attention span
Buyer Situation
Impacton Buyer
Seller's Resolution
... and buyers imagine themselves in your story.
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Lesson # 4
Impact … is the most critical part of the S.I.R. storytelling model.

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… because impactsets up the business case …

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Time (seconds)
Attention span
Situationof Buyer
Impacton Buyer
Seller's Resolution
Don’t rush the customer story …
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Time (seconds)
Attention span
Buyer Situation
Impact
Resolution
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This part is all about YOU

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Lesson # 5
Be patient; tell your story resolution when audience attention is at its highest

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Why tell stories? Because stories create memories … especially when
…They start with outcomes… Starring people … Caught in situations… Which are having impact… That beg resolution

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3
How to tell stories at scale

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The Iron Triangle of Content Marketing

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How Do You Become a Content Marketer?

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3 Cs of Content Marketing

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Getting the Work Done

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Calendar Driven

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Ambient

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Responsive

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4
‘Closing the loop’ for continuous engagement

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The 4thC: Context

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Start with an Experience Architecture
…
Who?
…
When?
Moment
Moment
…
…
What?
StoriesExperiences
…
How?
Data
Systems
Process

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Next, Automate with a Digital Marketing Hub

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41
Gartner’s Digital Marketing Transit Map

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The Hub Vision: Routing Data from Any Channel to Any Channel

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Hello Big Content
Storytelling
Engagement
Optimization
CONTINUOUS

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4
Content marketing comes of age

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A Content Marketing Correction?
From 11.6%
To 9.3%
From 2nd
To 6th

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1. Transparency
2. Control
What’s working, what’s not?
How do I achieve scale in a predictable way?
Why? Two Gaps

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How Do You Rise Above the Noise?
•
It’s not about you!
-
Think like a journalist.
•
Do it every single day.
-
Act like a publisher.
•
Seek to delight.
-
Create like an artist.
•
Think Big Content.
•
Measure and amplify.
-
Don’t set it and forget it.
-
Hope is not a strategy.

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
How to Tell Memorable Stories Fouts (G00249440)

Move Over Big Data, Here Comes Big ContentSorofman (G00252514)

How American Express and Intel Excel at Brand PublishingSorofman (G00250616)

Build a Content Supply Chain to Tell Your Brand’s Story Every Day Sorofman (G0025510)

Content Marketing Pushes Digital Marketers to Adopt Newsroom HabitsSorofman, Weiner (G00250220)

Digital Marketers: Are You Ready to Think Like a Publisher? Sorofman, Weiner (G00248342)

The Role of Curation in Content MarketingWeiner, Sorofman (G00252480)
Recommended Reading

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Thank You!
Jake.sorofman@gartner.com
@jakesorofman