This is an opportunity you should take advantage of. Your content marketing program can reach the exact people you want to get. They are eager to take part in the process. Let’s be clear; your clients want to co-create.
The Grist Value of Business2B survey asked C-suite executives from FTSE 350 companies what kind of content they thought would be most beneficial in the future. A staggering 80 percent of respondents said they would like to read, listen and watch material they developed with their peers. It would be rude to decline an invitation like this.
Interviewee
Interviewing clients is an excellent way to contact a client or prospect as part of the content production process. Face-to-face time with clients and the end product, whether it be articles, case studies, or profiles of clients.
The interview should be treated with care. Respect the client by explaining the purpose of the discussion, the expected outputs and questions in advance, and how the approvals process will be carried out. You should approach the task with journalistic rigor. Before you begin, do your research. As we have said, open-ended questions are a good idea – ask about the Who. What? When? Where? Why? How? Variety is better than eliciting a simple ‘yes or ‘no’ response.
Conduct the interview face to face. This will give the article ‘color’ and allow you to express what you see and hear. You can make a lasting impression better if you spend more time in the client’s company.
Respondents to a survey
Three things are perfect about client surveys. They help businesses develop, increase awareness, and provide new insights. To get precious insights, you need to talk to prospects and clients to determine what is important to them.
Another advantage of ‘finding out about the survey is that you can engage with prospects and clients more directly after the survey. In other words, you get “two bites at the cherry,” as Mark Wellings, my colleague, noted in a blog post. They can be involved in the research process at both the input and output stages. One at the output stage, by reaching out with the results.”
Some of our clients have expressed concern about survey fatigue in the past. They claim that their senior clients no longer fill out surveys. This argument would be countered by our survey results which gathered the views from 210 FTSE 350 respondents. If you need further proof, check out PwC’s CEO survey, which surveyed nearly 1,400 CEOs of the largest companies in the world. The audience will respond if you correct the subject matter, the question set, and the methodology. They will only reply if you get it right.
As an editor panel member
This is the most potent and underutilized option. To oversee your content marketing output, create an editorial board. The board should be led by a senior marketing/content marketing executive and include at least half a dozen outside experts.
This includes prospects and clients. Get together quarterly to share your content program plans. Get their honest feedback. Use their expertise to refine your ideas and create new ones. Remember that value exchanges must be fair. For example, clients should be able to access any underlying data or an advanced view of the content in exchange for their participation.
This last point could become a land grab. Clients can only be on some of the advisory boards. The rewards for those willing to make a move quickly could be significant. They are just waiting for the right question.