Assess Your Content ROI with the CMO Council

The Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council, together with GlobalFluency, the organization’s international operations partner and architect of the Intelligent Market Engagement and Authority Leadership Marketing models, have developed a comprehensive system for reviewing and evaluating marketing content investments.

This is based on the assumptions that most companies in complex, multi-channel markets like information technology, business solutions, communications, connectivity, security, audio/video, professional services and industrial systems need to assume thought leadership positions and provide meaningful insights, perspectives and commentary on market needs, problems, issues, trends and requirements.

In most cases, this knowledge capital and authority leadership comes from effective market engagement, real-time customer feedback and listening, primary research, media analytics, as well as regular monitoring and mining of conversations and discussions in online communities, affinity groups, forums, blogs, newsgroups and bulletin boards.

The real challenge for marketers is to define strategic agendas and develop advocacy platforms that condition and predispose decision makers, enable conversations and introductions, gain prominence and visibility, as well as harvest opportunities and prospects for sales, business development and partnering.

Too few companies have formal content development strategies, relevant content creation themes and topic areas, efficient content origination capabilities, effective content delivery networks or channels, or measurable content performance and tracking systems.

Random acts of content development occur across the organization without unifying and consistent themes, messages, brand value or visual identity reinforcement. The CMO Council’s auditing process is aimed at raising the caliber of content produced in organizations and the impact and influence this content might have on brand awareness, perception, deal contention, and buyer/specifier consideration. It will also look at the role and value of marketing content in the process of sales lead acquisition, qualification, conversion and closure, as well as its contribution to ongoing customer retention and revenue generation.

With more and more digital content publishing, syndication, conversation and distribution channels proliferating – such as Web sites, customer communities, social media channels, online business networks, Internet forums and discussion groups, blogs, podcasts, on-demand webcasts, video portals, mobile devices, email, SMS text messaging, IPTV, web conferencing systems, and live virtual event environments – content has to be configured and produced in a multiplicity of formats and delivery modes to optimize consumption, recall, sharing, influence and action.

Bringing more discipline and rigor to content specification and creativity and strategic thinking to content origination and delivery, is now a strategic imperative for marketers. Today’s “digital content factories” have to run at full capacity to keep pace with rapid changes in market conditions, customer sentiments, competitive threats and technology advancements. Taking more engaging, thought-provoking and meaningful content to market is a critical core competency that has to be continuously improved, evaluated and calibrated.

Complete the form below to download a presentation by CMO Council Executive Director, Donovan Neale-May, on "Keeping a Closer Eye on Content ROI." You can also source an opinion article, podcast and blog interview on this and other topics relating to Authority Leadership Marketing™ and the Council’s Intelligent Market Engagement™ model.