As we’ve often noted, as as we hear repeatedly from our clients, a large part of the value of the Smart Decision Guide program is the PDF licensed version with the underwriter’s logo only on the cover and company profile page only in the appendix. The benefits of this valuable content asset can’t be overstated. Yet not all participating solution providers take full advantage of it. Some solution providers showcase their licensed version on their homepages and in their blogs and resource libraries. They distribute copies at industry trade shows. They email it as an attachment to prospects. And they use it as the basis for any number of other content marketing activities, including email blasts and third-party syndication, resulting in dozens or hundreds of additional leads for their sales pipeline. We are always pleased to see solution providers maximizing their investments in the Smart Decision Guide program by putting their licensed versions of the content asset to good use.
As unbiased content assets from a recognized name in IT market research, Smart Decision Guides tend to perform extremely well in content marketing and lead generation activities. Following are seven tactics that top-performing solution providers commonly employ to help ensure that their licensed version of a Smart Decision Guide will “get found” by the company’s target prospects.
1. Showcase the Smart Decision Guide on the company’s homepage.
2. Syndicate the Smart Decision Guide through industry trade publications.
3. Feature the Smart Decision Guide in the company’s resource library.
4. Highlight the Smart Decision Guide (with a description or even a series of excerpts) on the company’s blog.
5. Make the Smart Decision Guide a lead story in the company’s weekly or monthly email newsletter.
6. Promote the Smart Decision Guide through targeted email blasts (using the company’s own prospect database and/or third-party opt-in lists from industry trade publications or associations).
7. Use social media, including LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, to drive traffic to a gated landing page where prospects can access the Smart Decision Guide. Some participating solution providers tweet relevant facts, recommendations and research findings.
8. Use retargeting to present the future opportunities to download the content asset.
In short, the licensed version of a Smart Decision Guide affords countless opportunities to demonstrate thought leadership, raise brand visibility and generate dozens or hundreds of additional leads (beyond the guaranteed number of qualified leads) for an even higher return on marketing investment. Some leading solution providers use it as the basis for all of their content marketing and lead generation campaigns. When it comes to leveraging this valuable content asset, the sky is the limit.