Content is critical to any successful professional services marketing
function, but have you considered that limiting your content focus solely to
your inbound marketing efforts might be a wasted opportunity?
As you start planning for 2020, we thought it might be helpful to share how content
can be a driver to success in several other key departments and why you need to
include them in your content planning:
Sales
The function of the sales department in your content marketing strategy has
grown exponentially in modern times. Whereas traditionally the responsibility
of creating leads sat with us in the marketing team and the sales team’s job
was to convert them into sales, nowadays the customer journey rarely follows
that linear path.
Content is critical for your sales team. They need it to build brand trust, educate your prospective clients and ultimately nurture leads down the buying funnel. Have they got the right content for each stage of that buying funnel? Are you fully aware of their 2020 goals and who their target organisations are? Does your content strategy address these buyer’s challenges?
On average, when sales and marketing departments work closely together firms see a 32% growth year on year. Content really is a key to success in sales and marketing alignment.
Customer Support
Whilst sales are responsible for securing new clients, maintaining successful relationships with your existing clients is often the responsibility of your customer support function.
Content can play many roles with this team – but the most important is by taking the pressure off the front-line team. Tutorials, guides and FAQs allow your clients to solve problems themselves without needing to contact your customer support team. Do you have the right content in place, on brand? Are supporting materials part of your 2020 planning?
Account Management/Consultants
Account Directors and Consultants are crucial to getting your content in front of existing clients. As they try to upsell and retain work with clients, content needs to be fully embedded in their account plans for 2020. It’s critical for them to build and nurture relationships.
It’s easy for them to share blogs, reports, videos, infographics etc, but is it the right content for the unique challenges of their clients? Are client account strategies part of your planning?
Human Resources
HR represents your brand, everywhere. It frustrates me that not enough marketers work closely enough with their HR teams.
An effective HR and Recruitment content strategy will build brand presence and effectively help you recruit the best talent, and of course retain your highest performers. All of which has a positive impact on revenue.
Content here doesn’t have to be costly. Using employee-generated content promotes your firm in an authentic way, all the while helping your employees feel like valued members of your company. For example, Cisco’s #wearecisco campaign features photos and videos posted by Cisco employees who speak about why they love working at the company. It’s a smart way to encourage user-generated content to reach potential employees on a more personal level, especially considering people trust peer statements significantly more than brand ads.
There are so many ways HR departments can use content marketing, that you’ll be missing opportunities if it’s not part of your content strategy. It’s worth getting a meeting in with your HR director to see how you can support them in 2020.
In conclusion
As you finalise your content plans for 2020, make sure you’re thinking wider than just your inbound marketing efforts.
Make sure other departments embrace your content strategy. It’s not always easy, but don’t sit back and wait for them to come to you. Be proactive and invite key stakeholders from the different departments to a planning meeting, understand their goals and KPIs and build supporting content into your strategy.
You’ll soon start to see the results with increased engagement both internally and externally!
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