Is your company currently using a more traditional marketing approach? Are your outreach efforts focused on providing prospects with reasons to buy your products and services? If you are also considering making the move to content marketing, you may have to “sell” the idea to upper management. At our marketing agency, we know that some executives have never heard of content marketing and they might be somewhat skeptical.
However, while they may be reluctant to authorize the new strategy, you can certainly make them believers. You just have to be well prepared to explain the benefits many companies are experiencing with inbound marketing and how you see this new approach being implemented at your company.
What to Say to the C-Suite
In order to make converts of the C-suite, approach the conversation this way:
Outline your goals and your plan. Executives are focused on concrete goals and how to achieve them. They don’t buy into gut feeling, wishful thinking or passing trends. So, the fact that you are very passionate about content marketing isn’t likely to sway them. So, present them with a plan that includes specific steps and detailed figures (estimates on new leads, new newsletter subscribers, etc.).
Anticipate objections. You will probably get some pushback from your executives. Take a little time to think about their reservations and how to address them. They may think of content marketing as unproven, time-consuming, expensive, etc. We encourage our marketing clients in Fort Collins, Denver, and throughout Colorado to be ready to counter all those arguments.
Explain the concept of content repurposing. One of the first aspects of content marketing that executives tend to question is the need to create a large content library. But, you can put their mind at ease by explaining that your company probably already has a great deal of material and that all you have to do is provide a quick polishing and it can be published.
Pitch a pilot project. Nobody says content marketing is an “all or nothing” proposition. Suggest that your team conduct a pilot program that tests how your target market will react to content marketing. All it takes is a small taste of success to wet an executive’s appetite for more!
Caution them about your competitors. The truth is, your competitors are probably either using a content marketing strategy already (and growing their market share) or soon to be implementing one. And, if those companies establish themselves as a “go to” source for great content before you do, grabbing the attention of your target audience will be exponentially harder.
Helping Upper Management See the Light
At A-Train Marketing, we’re a leading Colorado marketing firm with extensive expertise and experience in content marketing. We can help you craft a content marketing plan that impresses your executives and helps get you the green light to move forward. Give us a call.