It’s that time of year again in marketing circles.
The time for Cleveland, rock and roll, the color orange, and the time to gather—all in one place—the people leading the charge toward buyer-centric, content-fueled marketing.
First, a plug: If you’re going to be there, say hello to the Kapost team at Booth 80!
Second, every stage of the content lifecycle looks different in B2B marketing (you can read all about it here), so we’ve pulled out the sessions that B2B marketers won’t want to miss.
September 9
Content vs. the Customer
Who: Kristina Halvorson
When: 8:30 AM
Why: Kristina Halvorson has been the leading voice in content strategy for years. In fact, hers was the first book I ever read on the subject. When we interviewed her in 2014, she was against the term “content marketing.” I’m looking forward to hearing if her thoughts have changed. Also, marketing content should always be about—and for— the customer. Plus, I want to find out what she means by the “vs.” in the title.
Content Marketing Measurement – Is ROI Really What We’re Looking For?
Who: Robert Rose
When: 10:45-11:30 AM
Why: We constantly hear ROI preached for marketers, and Robert Rose is asking us to question this core metric. I’m interested to hear what he has to say and, more importantly, what he thinks should replace ROI as the key metrics for content measurement.
The Content Wheel: Sustaining Momentum with Greater ROI While Punching Unicorns in the Face
Who: Jay Acunzo
When: 11:45 AM-12:30 PM
Why: Talk about a title. But the description of the session really sold me. It’s all about making this whole content thing actually work within your organization. Internal alignment is more important than many marketers think, and is one of the biggest challenges with actually creating content that supports your buyer, your product(s), and your company. This session will address some of these often missing pieces.
Do Personas Work in a Global Marketplace?*
Who: Val Swisher
When: 2:30-3:15 PM
Why: Persona mapping is one of those things that a lot of people say they do, but how many marketers actually do it well? My guess: not a ton. Unless you understand your personas, there’s no way you’ll be able to be strategic about reaching them with the right messaging, channels, and content. Hearing about these challenges—and how to overcome them—on a global scale isn’t something you’ll want to miss.
Applied Analytics: Using Data to Make Better Content Marketing Decisions
Who: Andy Crestodina
When: 3:30-4:15 PM
Why: Data. You know it’s important, but it’s also incredibly overwhelming. When marketers are empowered with technology to track almost everything, how do you choose where to look to gain solid insight into your content success? This session will help define what to look for and how to look for it.
September 10
The New Normal for Content Architecture – Grow Slow or Die Fast
Who: Cleve Gibbon
When: 10:00 AM-10:45 AM
Why: You have to start somewhere. If you’re having trouble getting your organization motivated around content, the “start small then scale” approach can work wonders. We’ve seen it with our own customers, and by being strategic and reporting on big wins, they’ve been able to increase buy-in across their teams and companies.
Less-than-obvious Content Metrics You Need to Pay Attention To
Who: Rebecca Leib
When: 11:00-11:45 AM
Why: As B2B marketers, Rebecca Lieb is one of those people you want on your radar. Her research around marketing technology and content-centered strategies is informing the industry, and I expect her session to be—as always—eye-opening and example-driven.
From Content to Conversion: Persona-Driven Lead Nurturing
Who: Ardath Albee
When: 11:00-11:45 AM
Why: I’m all about persona-driven marketing, and today’s B2B marketers have an incredible opportunity to do it right, especially with the technology we now have at our disposal. Also, Ardath recently wrote a post on the Kapost blog about this topic, “How Personas Keep B2B Marketers from Playing Guess Who with Content,” and it’s one of my favorite posts that we’ve published.
How to Enable Your Content With Marketing Technology
Who: Scott Brinker
When: 1:45-2:30 PM
Why: Scott Brinker has been covering marketing technology for years, and the evolution of this industry is something I’m (obviously) personally invested in. We’ve done our own research into the future of marketing tech, which actually included Scott’s observations, so I’m interested to see how his perspective has evolved since then.
Put Your Content on a Diet: Establishing and Selling Governance in the Enterprise
Who: Ahava Leibtag
When: 2:45-3:30 PM
Why: B2B enterprise organizations have very specific challenges when it comes to content—and poor governance is one of the roots of internal misalignment, unused content, and content that doesn’t support broader marketing initiatives. It may sound boring, but good governance goes a long way to effective marketing.
See you there, marketers!