In a world where content continues to saturate the inboxes of executives on a daily basis, how do you break through the noise and deliver something that resonates at the highest level? Well, when looking to address the C-suite audience, it pays to know what drives these individuals and to tailor your content offering accordingly.
The average CEO, CFO, CIO or CMO, for example, has many tasks to perform that are almost exclusively focused on steering a business in a profitable direction. With boards and shareholders to keep happy and a meeting schedule that would make even the most proficient excel spreadsheet producer perspire, any content they choose to read will have grabbed their attention in the very first line and will then have continued to make its point quickly.
Wasting the time of a C-suite reader is something you will only do once, so it pays to create a persona or personae to address with every piece created. These should be based on real people, preferably people your organisation has spoken with and dealt with in the past, the point being to enable your writers to visualise the reader from the outset. Do your research, determine what drives them, what motivates them and this will lead to the creation of content that resonates with them.
Make every word count
Content must add value, it must be relevant, it must educate and advise in a way that is easy to digest, and above all it must have a point. To the CEO and CFO, we can help to cut costs at the same time as improving performance. To the CIO, we can help to optimize your digital transformation process. CMO? Our approach can enable you to spread your message further and more effectively than ever before.
Whatever your messaging may be, it should always be framed in a manner that supports the decision making process using your experience and deep knowledge of a topic, and above all it should speak to the intended reader in a meaningful manner that is not hard sold. Remember, C- level readers are human – they do not always have the answers their organisation expects them to have – and sometimes they need a little help or guidance. Remembering this when creating content will help it to reach its audience in a way that adds person to person to business to business.
This is key, as a level of personalisation will continue to increase in importance, particularly as shared values is a more prevalent factor in the final decision making process than ever before.
Embracing digital transformation as our world changes around us
As Covid-19 continues to supress what we have come to know as normal business operations, the ability to adapt in a versatile manner is vital to remain front of mind in your industry. Come forward, be bold, or risk retreating into the shadows with those that chose to cut marketing budgets as a first step.
Although the major devastation this horrendous virus has caused is cause for concern on many levels, for businesses it can be a time to reflect on strategy and to begin to embrace mediums that had so far remained untapped. Virtual Reality (VR), for example, is coming into its own as conferences and events the world over are cancelled or postponed. If a customer cannot visit you in person, it is possible to transport them to a virtual world where interactions can provide exactly the level of information and guidance required – all from their very own desks.
In addition, social media, video content, webinars, blog posts and white papers can all be used to feed your messaging into the digital world across multiple channels. C-suite level audiences, as with any audiences you choose to target, will source their information via a preferred source, therefore it is imperative that the content used is suitable, relevant to its intended channel and above all consistent with your brand messaging and strategy. It will never be a case of cutting and pasting across all digital outlets – rather adapting a piece to suit in a way that brings your vision to life.
The beauty of this approach is that content creation as a marketing strategy can be highly cost effective when compared to driving leads through conferences and events, for example. A well- designed content programme can take prospective customers on a journey from whichever point in the sales funnel they join you from, educating, advising and overcoming challenges in a way that builds confidence and trust.
We hear talk of a new normal, but we prefer to refer to it as a progression - a progression that takes full advantage of the technology available to us to overcome adversity and move forward in a productive way. As with all progress, there needs to be a process of adaptation, and here even those at the very pinnacle of a business may need a little help.
To join us for a conversation on the above topic, contact Bern Guly, Managing Director at Dragonbridge Communications.
Contact details:
berng@dragonbridgecoms.com
+44 (0)7833 121 510