In this conversation, Pete Lorenco, the VP of Marketing at Pathfactory, shares his vision of creating a content engine that builds trust with potential buyers long before they're ready to purchase. He discusses the importance of crafting high-value, engaging content that people would pay for and leveraging platforms like LinkedIn for effective distribution. Pete highlights the shift towards authenticity in storytelling and the importance of learning from feedback to refine strategies. He also taps into emerging B2B content trends and the potential of video content.
Businesses should create content that is so engaging and valuable that it rivals paid resources, fostering trust with potential buyers.
Effective content strategies require ongoing evaluation of engagement metrics and feedback to adapt and refine approaches for audience relevance.
Deep dives
The Shift to Content Marketing 2.0
A significant shift in content marketing strategies is emphasized, moving from a focus primarily on search engines to embracing social and content platforms like LinkedIn and YouTube. The traditional approach, referred to as Content Marketing 1.0, has transformed into Content Marketing 2.0, which prioritizes creating engaging, valuable content tailored for social sharing and audience interaction. For instance, the podcast discusses how businesses can leverage platforms to build trust with the 95% of buyers who are not currently in the market but will be in the future. This modern strategy shifts the emphasis from just ranking in Google to creating meaningful connections through compelling content.
Creating High-Quality Content
A key insight highlights the importance of producing content that is not only valuable but also compelling enough that customers would be willing to pay for it. The discussion references a philosophy by Udi, advocating for the creation of content that is so engaging or useful that it competes with paid resources. This entails incorporating customer stories, unique perspectives, and expert interviews to enrich the content, making it a trusted resource for buyers seeking knowledge. By providing high-quality, actionable insights, companies can foster trust and position themselves as thought leaders in their field.
The Role of Distribution in Content Strategy
The conversation underscores that creation alone is insufficient; effective distribution is equally critical in achieving visibility for produced content. Strategies must evolve to ensure that content reaches its intended audience through the proper channels, particularly social platforms like LinkedIn. An increase in inbound leads sourced from LinkedIn demonstrates the effectiveness of this approach, as well as the necessity of adapting content formats to suit mobile and social consumption preferences. The emphasis is placed on creating content that not only engages users but also seamlessly integrates into their social media experience.
Feedback and Engagement Metrics
The podcast stresses the importance of monitoring feedback and engagement metrics to evaluate the success of content strategies. Analyzing engagement times, user comments, and direct customer feedback helps gauge which types of content resonate with the audience. This continuous feedback loop can refine content approaches over time, ensuring relevance and responsiveness to audience needs. The speakers advocate for a trial-and-error mindset, encouraging marketers to innovate based on direct user interactions and insights rather than solely relying on predetermined metrics.
In this episode of 95% Content, Erik talks with Pete Lorenco (VP of Marketing at Pathfactory).
Pete has built a content engine at Pathfactory that is intentionally designed to build trust and affinity with the 95% of buyers who are not in- market to buy (yet), so that when they are ready to buy, Pathfactory is one of the solutions that is already on their short-list to explore.
Here’s what you’ll learn in this episode:
Pete’s content strategy and philosophy
Create content so good people would pay for it
How to measure content
How to maintain content consistency and momentum
Pete’s LinkedIn playbook & learnings
The B2B content trends Pete is most excited about
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Hatch is a video-first content agency that helps B2B marketing teams create video podcasts, video series, and short-form video content so they can run an efficient content engine, and be seen as experts in their industry.