Buying groups or committees—usually comprising 16 to 21 people—are making buying decisions for companies large and small. The individuals in the groups represent a variety of roles, teams, and locations to ensure the final decision takes into account the unique needs and requirements of Information Technology (IT), Finance, Business Development, Accounting, Operations, Administrative, Marketing, and Engineering teams around the world.
When the committees convene to decide what MarTech, Cloud Computing, Computer and Network Security, IT Services and/or Consulting, or Telecommunications to buy for the company, each person will have their own research stash. There will be at least four or five pieces of information per person—more than 65% of it found online–compiled from various sources and channels. Few if any of them will show up to the meeting with the same information because each gravitates to information presented in their preferred way of learning via outlets or channels they know and trust.
That’s why your organization needs to develop content that meets each of these decision-makers both where and how they learn. When you do that you position your content to be what unites a diverse buyer group while making your products and services a frontrunner for the sale.
Content Mapping
Repurpose, Recycle, Reuse
Do you have to create unique content for each member of a buying committee? Absolutely not. The key is to get each committee member the information that’s most pertinent to them in the format they need. Start with one solid piece that you can repurpose into a variety of formats, and make sure it has the specifics each decision-maker will want.
Start at the Top of the Funnel
You want prospects to know that you have what they need. The majority of pre-purchase research happens online, so SEO landing pages and downloadable fact sheets are a great place to start. The logical, linear thinking of Logical Learner tech buyers—especially those in IT, Finance, and Engineering—is ideally suited to SEO content.
And here’s the thing: if you write your initial web or fact sheet copy in a storytelling format you can easily repurpose it into infographic, podcast, and video formats, covering Logical, Aural, and Visual Learner content needs from the beginning. Starting with the long-form piece reduces the writing requirement with each format iteration.
Don’t restrict landing pages to speeds and feeds. Incorporate Kinesthetic Learning material—product demos, how-to videos, interactive web elements—based on that original script to reinforce the facts and figures.
Adapting content for different learning types is more manageable if you start with this one-to-many model, focus on a single topic per month, then generate supporting content. With this approach, you can produce up to 10 pieces of content in six different formats on a single topic. Building multiple pieces around a single topic also increases the likelihood of knowledge transfer and retention with consistency across delivery methods.
Simplicity Sells
Whoever you need your content to reach, remember that the devil is in the details, and you need to pinpoint the right details.
Landing Pages Adhere to SEO best practices for the content, URL, and metadata. Tell them what they need to know but make sure you hit the 600-word minimum.
Spec Sheets A single letter-size sheet, front and back, is sufficient. Keep in mind that downloadable PDFs can be used to boost SEO.
Video Keep it under the two-minute mark. You’re not making a feature-length documentary, and prospects want specifics, not witty branding.
Podcasts This isn’t a primary content source for the primary influencers on tech buying committees, but even Logical learners will listen to a podcast—at the gym or while commuting—if it’s specific to their needs, but make sure it leads them to details and data they crave. Keep it to no more than 30 minutes and try to turn the transcript into a blog post (at least 600 words) that’s optimized for search.
Infographics Don’t try to stuff too much information into a single piece. Concise, factual information and verifiable facts, combined with clean, engaging visuals are the way to go.
Blog Posts Be concise and stay true to your brand. Keep it to 500 to 700 words, don’t go over 1,000 words, and always use SEO best practices. Talk to and about customers and how your products and services can address problems they’re facing.
