Use this B2B thought leadership content strategy (with Manuela Bárcenas)
Jul 10, 2024
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Manuela Bárcenas, Head of Marketing at Fellow.app, reveals the secrets behind the company's impressive growth fueled by a robust content strategy. She discusses how they transitioned from basic SEO articles to a modern approach targeting buyers not actively searching for solutions. Manuela details their effective use of podcasts, newsletters, and webinars to build trust and drive engagement. She also shares insights on LinkedIn strategies, the ROI of content-first approaches, and the evolving landscape of B2B marketing with a focus on AI.
Emphasizing engagement with the 95% of potential buyers not currently in the market is crucial for long-term brand trust.
A content-first strategy, leveraging diverse formats like podcasts and newsletters, is essential for establishing thought leadership and industry authority.
Deep dives
Engaging the 95% Through Content Strategy
The discussion centers on the importance of engaging the 95% of potential buyers who are not actively in the market but will be in the future. It emphasizes a shift from traditional marketing, which mainly targets the 5% of consumers who are ready to buy. Instead, it advocates for building a content strategy that fosters long-term relationships through platforms like LinkedIn, TikTok, and newsletters. The goal is to remain top of mind with prospective buyers, ensuring that when they are ready to make a purchase, the brand is prominently featured on their shortlist.
Thought Leadership as a Long-Term Commitment
Establishing a strong thought leadership presence is highlighted as essential for companies aiming to solve common industry pain points, such as inefficient meetings. From its inception, Fellow aimed for its marketing to establish itself as an authority in the field of meeting management. This approach reflects an understanding that developing a reputable brand requires consistent content production and the willingness to invest in long-term marketing strategies that may not show immediate returns. The emphasis is on having key figures within the company, like the CEO, to champion this vision and support sustained marketing efforts.
Utilizing Multiple Content Channels
The podcast format serves as a cornerstone of Fellow's content strategy, acting as a hub from which various content initiatives are launched. Specific channels include newsletters and social media platforms, where insights from the podcast can be leveraged to engage audiences further. The podcast, which attracts high-profile guests, not only enhances credibility but also facilitates discussions that resonate with the target demographic, ultimately driving engagement on other platforms. The integration of diverse content formats ensures a holistic approach to fostering audience connection and trust.
Demand Creation vs. Demand Capture
The differentiation between demand creation and demand capture is explored, with a focus on how various marketing tactics should align with these strategies. Demand capture involves targeting the 5% of buyers actively searching for solutions using SEO and paid ads, while demand creation aims to build awareness and trust with the broader audience not yet in the buying cycle. Fellow utilizes tactics such as podcasts, articles, and engaging social media posts to foster this earned demand among prospective customers. This approach not only enhances brand visibility but also builds lasting relationships that drive future purchasing decisions.
Fellow.app has grown entirely entirely from inbound content marketing (and a PLG motion) over the last 6 years to thousands of users and $24 million in funding, and their Head of Marketing Manuela Bárcenas has owned the content strategy powering that from day one.
What started out as mostly an SEO-optimized article writing strategy to rank on Google, has now evolved into also including a heavy emphasis on modern content marketing for the 95% of buyers who are not actively looking for a solution yet (but are scrolling LinkedIn, listening to podcasts, reading newsletters, watching YouTube videos, and attending webinars that can help them level up their careers).
In this episode of 95% Content hosted by Erik Jacobson (CEO of Hatch.fm), Manuela shares their podcast, newsletter, webinar, and organic social playbook that has earned them trust with future buyers, a 30% increase in followers on LinkedIn, and pipeline and revenue growth that proves the ROI of this modern content-first strategy.
Here’s what we covered:
(0:00) Intro
(3:35) Fellow’s GTM strategy: marketing-led vs sales-led
(06:28) Fellow’s demand creation vs demand capture breakdown
(09:40) Manuela’s "95% Content" playbook
(13:48) Which content is having the biggest impact for them?
(18:45) Fellow’s LinkedIn strategy
(21:39) The ROI of a content-first strategy
(29:33) Ways to promote your podcast
(35:29) How to get leadership buy-in to a content-first strategy
(39:08) The companies doing content well that Manuela is studying
(41:35) The B2B content trends Manuela is most excited about
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Hatch is a video-first content production 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.