A examine performed by the Content material Advertising Institute and LinkedIn reported that 80% of the content material created by advertising and marketing groups goes unused by gross sales. So how can organizations make it possible for the content material they create shouldn’t be solely related to gross sales, however being utilized in the precise methods?

Right here to debate this matter are Sara Hughes, senior supervisor of selling operations, and Lindsay Simons, senior director of acquisition advertising and marketing at Limeade. Thanks for becoming a member of, Sara and Lindsay! I’d love so that you can inform us about yourselves, your backgrounds, and your roles. Sara, let’s begin with you. 

Sara Hughes: Hello, I’m Sara. I’ve been at Limeade for simply over six years now, and I’ve performed many alternative roles on the advertising and marketing staff right here, from undertaking administration to advertising and marketing operations, and have fairly a little bit of expertise utilizing Highspot and the way to actually leverage it for our group.

SS: Welcome, and Lindsay, how about a little bit little bit of background on your self? 

Lindsay Simons: Hello, I’m Lindsay, and I’ve been at Limeade for 9 years. I began off smiling and dialing in an inside gross sales place, and in the present day I’m the senior director of acquisition advertising and marketing. The price range line merchandise for Highspot is below me, and so is Gross sales Enablement, in addition to a pair different enjoyable packages too that we’ve made Highspot a key a part of the operate. I’m excited to be right here in the present day.

SS: Great. I’m excited to have you ever each right here. Now, previous to Highspot, inform me what have been among the challenges that your group was going through and the way is that impacting your roles within the advertising and marketing world? Sara, if I may ship this one to you, I’d love to listen to your perspective. 

SH: Yeah, completely. One of many greatest points that we had in our group was that since we’re a SharePoint org now we have all of our recordsdata and all of our paperwork there. One factor that was very tough for us to manage and handle was model management. The introduction of Highspot actually helped us leverage the instrument with the intention to not solely defend the content material that now we have but in addition defend our staff in order that they’re leveraging the most recent and best and so that every one of gross sales and advertising and marketing is actually singing from the identical songbook. 

That’s one thing that was an enormous problem for us particularly, as you recognize, in advertising and marketing you’re continuously revving and iterating on all your totally different property and continuously making an attempt to remain as present and updated as doable. That was one of many greatest causes we actually obtained Highspot and signed on along with simply the necessity for gross sales enablement and actually enabling our gross sales groups to do one of the best work that they will with the supplies that we might create for them simply on gross sales enablement.

LH: On that be aware, for some time there, advertising and marketing turned nearly a service counter for simply content material, after which the content material could be within the wild, and we’re like, how’s it going on the market, content material? This actually helped us begin to be a frontrunner and to proactively say, right here’s the content material, the way to use it, when to make use of it in a playbook type, after which have nice insights into utilization. For some time there, we have been flying blind with content material and simply saying sure. I feel that was an enormous shift. Now the staff simply is aware of it as gross sales enablement, however for some time there, there was a number of ache.

SS: I wager. How have you ever overcome a few of these challenges? You guys have touched on it a little bit bit, however how have you ever overcome a few of these challenges since implementing Highspot? 

SH: We’ve truly built-in our Highspot occasion with our SharePoint in order that we’re updating it in a single location on SharePoint. As soon as we’ve gotten new content material, new inventive, new angles, and even embracing new industries that we may be promoting to, issues like that, and creating customized content material. By importing it to SharePoint and having that integration with Highspot, we’re in a position to keep routinely updated with the most recent and best.

I hold going again to the model management piece, however that’s such an enormous piece, particularly as messaging is consistently altering. It’s additionally helped us actually create and kind that hyperlink between advertising and marketing and gross sales in order that they know precisely what we’re engaged on or what’s the newest and best primarily based on what’s displaying up in Highspot for them in order that they know they’re not lacking one thing. They’re all the time getting the most recent and best from us. 

LS: I might simply say along with that, since you’re spot on Sara, and I feel as we onboarded new staff and confirmed them our content material and the way we use it, we began to essentially leverage Highspot as an incredible onboarding instrument and create these homepages for various groups. They’ll get conversant in the content material after which have some self discovery after which the search performance is unimaginable. Then we saved it easy on the enablement facet, and since the hyperlinks made it really easy to both hyperlink to a spot or a homepage or a particular piece of content material, we love a hyperlink farm, an e-mail simply actually heavy with hyperlinks that factors to Highspot, however then we simply recreate that inside Highspot. 

It was a extremely useful gizmo to fulfill the gross sales staff the place they’re, however then use that as a broader instrument for the remainder of the corporate even when we didn’t have all the firm essentially on a seat, you possibly can all the time pitch a Spot, like with a bunch of content material. We termed it microsite. That’s the time period that made sense internally. We use a number of microsites to pitch content material and to make it possible for the broader firm is simply even conversant in the most recent advertising and marketing campaigns and that they will share it with their community and that we are able to nonetheless see how broad it goes. Content material administration was why we purchased it, however I simply need to spotlight all of the the reason why it’s been such a sticky instrument as a result of we’ve seen the impression and overcomes challenges that we’re experiencing, which is a broader technique.

SS: I like that and I positively need to drill into that. 

SH: To tack on to that as properly, now we have been in a position to leverage Highspot for varied different departments. Issues like onboarding our personal staff has been a extremely distinctive use case for the instrument and giving all staff, as a substitute of a stagnant or stale SharePoint website, they’re a custom-made curated microsite, as Lindsay stated, of supplies, speaking about who we’re, the place we’ve been, the place we’re going, and it actually helps I feel with onboarding new staff, particularly whenever you’re in a distant world. I feel that’s turn out to be so essential to have them have as a lot data and an ease in the way in which that they will navigate by way of that data and discover what they’re in search of.

SS:  I like that. Now, I do know we’ve talked about all of the totally different ways in which you guys have been leveraging Highspot, and I do know that you simply guys began when it comes to leveraging it from a content material administration perspective. I might love to grasp out of your perspective, what does good content material administration appear like? In different phrases, what are a few of your greatest practices for successfully managing that content material? Sara, I’d like to ship this one to you. 

SH: Clear group is simply the secret in relation to content material administration, it’s group and model management. One of many issues that I truly discover tremendous essential in relation to that is searchability. When you have a listing of content material or a listing of property you possibly can have hundreds of thousands of issues in there. The factor that I feel is actually essential with content material administration is to verify, one, that everybody can simply search and discover what they’re in search of. In the event that they’re in search of one thing to promote to a selected trade, they will use the search discipline and lookup that trade, and now we have curated a bunch of issues already. 

We even have the microsites that assist folks navigate in the event that they’re unsure what they’re in search of but they usually need to browse. It’s organized in a approach that’s by matter, it’s intentional, and it’s not only a by no means ending checklist of issues. It’s continuously being curated in that approach. That’s actually one of the vital essential issues. 

It additionally actually allows our gross sales groups and different groups to be as autonomous as doable with out having to undergo and navigate and discover out the place did this go, I believed this was right here? Oh, I moved it. There’s none of that with Highspot as a result of even when a location has moved, you possibly can all the time seek for it and you’ll favourite spots and issues like that and even create your personal spot in order that your most used instruments and property are actually related at simply the press of a button.

SS: Superb. You may have clearly been doing an incredible job as a result of Limeade has improved content material effectivity by 78% with Highspot, which is a ratio of the time spent utilizing content material to the time spent now in search of content material. What are a few of your greatest practices for optimizing the findability and the usability of your content material, Lindsay?

LS: I feel one from a broader strategic lens, serving to the gross sales staff and  broader firm perceive the rhyme and motive to why we create content material at first. After we begin to launch content material, they perceive the place it sits in our broader technique, they usually can begin to anticipate what’s coming down the pike for them.

Additionally, having a number of channels to make new content material to place of their consciousness. For us, now we have fairly a big tech stack. We even have our personal platform, Limeade, which we promote. It’s our properly being answer that additionally supplies engagement and we might plug a few of our nice content material that we’re placing on the market on that instrument. It begins on the prime of simply ensuring that there’s a method to plug content material in and let folks perceive the place it’s coming from and what it’s making an attempt to resolve for. 

Simply on that be aware on what it’s making an attempt to resolve for, we mapped content material to a purchaser’s journey and their complete firm is beginning to type of purchase into what this purchaser’s journey and what are our level of views on the market. Relating to the kind of content material advertising and marketing is creating, it will get extra scientific there. That’s the place Sara simply thrives with tagging it and ensuring that there’s a common method to add it in order that internally and externally there once more, some rhyme and motive to why we’re doing it that approach and simply ensuring that we maintain folks accountable. If it’s all inputted in a strategic approach, then the instrument stays strategic. I feel that’s what we’ve efficiently performed. 

The operational rigor is actually the place it’s at, so Sara simply went over of this like content material administration and what that’s helped us with and what greatest practices are, however from what made that 78% doable was getting the gross sales staff purchased into our technique after which seeing that come to life inside Highspot and all of the goodies. When you lastly get to see the e book or the video or the infographic and get to make use of it and pitch it after which get to pair it collectively, they begin to see the magic.

SS: I like that. Now, as you talked about, Lindsay, it’s actually essential to just be sure you are monitoring what works and what doesn’t so that you could optimize issues. Sara, I do know one in all your areas of experience is driving program and initiative efficiency by way of reporting. How have you ever been leveraging Highspot Analytics to measure what works and what doesn’t so you possibly can optimize content material effectiveness? 

SH: The analytics space of Highspot has been tremendous useful for us as a result of as entrepreneurs we’re continuously producing content material and iterating on present content material. Clearly through the years that checklist grows and grows and turns into a little bit of a bear and it has this intensive library primarily. The best way that we’ve actually leveraged the analytics particularly with exercise logs and content material lists and scorecards is to mainly see who’s utilizing what and the way and the way typically. It primarily tells us precisely what the most well-liked property are in order that we additionally know the place to focus future updates.

Say they’re utilizing a gross sales deck that we’ve created. Possibly we haven’t touched it in a month or one thing like that, however we’re noticing that everybody on gross sales loves this deck. Figuring out tha, having the ability to see that in analytics and having that data is tremendous useful as a result of then we all know we have to pay a number of consideration to the gross sales deck. That’s a very powerful factor to gross sales. They use it continuously. We see them utilizing it. It additionally helped us work together with folks there. Individuals can ship by way of suggestions after which we are able to get these requests, which is nice. It actually retains it simply this reside dialogue occurring the place we’re continuously in a position to actually enhance on the property that we do have.

Then again, an asset, say we spent hours and many manpower and issues on a selected asset that’s not getting any type of use, it forces us to be a bit reflective to say is that this the precise asset? Do folks not know the place it’s? How do we have to allow them? Is that content material simply not what they’re in search of or not useful to them? In a distant world, it’s so key to grasp that since you’re not having the hallway discussions, you’re not having the water cooler impromptu conversations. It’s tremendous useful to have that data at our fingertips on a regular basis as a result of it actually provides us a little bit bit extra of a finger on the heart beat of what’s happening with the opposite organizations, however particularly gross sales. 

SS: Completely. Now, a number of the time I feel some people don’t essentially understand how to consider the connection between content material and gross sales productiveness, however by optimizing the impression of your content material, how have you ever guys been in a position to affect gross sales productiveness? Lindsay, I’d love to listen to from you on this entrance. 

LS: We had an superior CMO who got here and joined us, who actually helped us refine our focus. Our focus going into 2023 was to speak to the precise particular person on the proper time with the precise content material. We spent a number of 2022 simply actually honing in on the precise particular person and learning that purchaser persona and understanding what kind of content material they need to devour, like what sort of content material is for extra self training on the prime of the funnel versus they’re displaying some shopping for indicators they usually may be prepared to purchase and marketplace for an answer like us. I feel a big a part of our time for a very long time was simply spraying and praying that the content material was sticking and that folks simply cherished how a lot we cherished it.

What our CMO helped us actually perceive is it has to hit them on the proper time, and seasonality is every part. Relating to productiveness, we love a slogan; ‘work smarter, not more durable’, and that’s what we made playbooks of identical to what works and the way can we determine what works? Sara confirmed a big a part of identical to what they’re truly utilizing, however then we even have leveraged Seen, as a part of a relationship with Marketo. The attribution additionally reveals when key contacts are partaking with set Highspot content material at key moments within the funnel and mapping these actions to sure milestones.

It’s tremendous complicated as a result of our purchasing cycle is about 18 months, so it’s exhausting to level to 1 piece of content material after which poke into that content material to say, like, why did it work, however you possibly can see quite a bit with the correlation of identical to, okay, brochure, you get a number of clicks late within the funnel. What does that inform us? I simply assume the precise content material on the proper time combined with works smarter, not more durable, helps with productiveness. The hyperlink farms and pointing folks in the precise place to discovering these channels and the way to proactively inform, after which allow them to have a voice to assist inform again. If they’re like, I need this piece, we’re like, we’ll say sure, as a result of once more, it suits into this bigger content material technique and what we’re making an attempt to resolve for. It’s not only a one-off dialog. 

Additionally, to Sara’s level, Gong tells us now we have a bit on participation as a result of the phrase participation is used a lot. That wasn’t the phrase that we like to make use of, however we choose engagement. In the event you assume it’s participation, we’re going to make a number of content material with the phrase participation. To reply your query merely, we let the gross sales staff into the advertising and marketing’s mind, allow them to perceive why we’re doing content material, after which present that it’s impactful in the event that they comply with the playbook and use the occasion tips that their teammates are displaying them. 

SS: I think about it has to assist although, Lindsay. As you talked about in your introduction, you might have a background in gross sales at Limeade earlier than you transitioned over to advertising and marketing. Inform us a little bit bit about how your gross sales background impacts the way you method your position and the way you collaborate with gross sales?

LS: My background is in gross sales improvement, inside gross sales, no matter you need to name it, and actually discovered that whenever you personalize the outreach it isa lot more practical. That’s account primarily based advertising and marketing mainly, is it creating these experiences that really feel very focused, very personalised, and the entire why me, why now coming to life inside it. My background in gross sales was identical to, how do you do this at scale? We’ll do some account analysis and be like, okay, right here’s your ache factors in an ideal world we’ll spend two hours crafting this up, however like, you possibly can’t do this at scale. How do you package deal up your content material in little ways in which make it fairly simple to customise, section, goal, nonetheless you need to say it. That’s what you’re doing is packaging up your content material and positioning it in a approach that claims, wow, I have to learn this precisely proper now or devour it. 

My background in gross sales helped me perceive the way to make that simple for the gross sales staff and the way to make it really feel like that’s the path of least resistance versus simply knocking on a number of doorways and uncovering rocks with chilly outreach. How will you type of determine what are they keen on by utilizing among the MarTech that we’re investing in to drive that habits after which serve up this content material that we’ve both curated by trade, ache level, viewpoint, product or answer? We’ve tried to place and package deal it to allow them to simply go, okay, right here’s a menu, use it versus be left to your personal units and simply add logos to random issues.

SS: You talked about how you’re bringing gross sales into the fold and getting their suggestions. I think about that that has helped considerably when it comes to collaboration and alignment. Are you able to discuss to us about what that appears like now at Limeade along with your gross sales staff because you’ve carried out it in an enablement platform?

SH: I feel one of the best factor you possibly can hear from a salesman is I obtained what I wished and like yeah we’ll ship and like right here you go, and the remainder of you guys can all use it too. Additionally, getting that belief from the gross sales chief of the boldness of like I do know what my gross sales staff is doing on the market. That requires collaboration and so having a instrument you could nonetheless have your potential to make it your personal, however you’re staying inside the sandbox provides folks autonomy to do what they need, however the accountability to stay to the songbook. We all the time sing from the identical tune sheet, as a result of it does sound higher. The entire aim of ABM is that it looks like an orchestration, that, sure, it’s the identical message, possibly stated a little bit bit otherwise. 

What Highspot does an incredible job is telling the groups right here is the science is there, right here’s all of the content material, and sure, you possibly can piece it collectively, you possibly can add your personal, as a result of it’s customizable. I simply assume that there’s a lot content material going to waste, after which sure content material bubbles up once more. 

For collaboration it actually is dependent upon the group we’ve been lucky to work with some badass gross sales leaders who identical to need to discuss store and be like, oh, in an ideal world, I’d like to speak about this and like, okay, however like, let’s go together with like Gong’s telling us, or let’s have a look at why we’re shedding offers and these frequent themes. How can we be proactive and consider one thing that can break by way of the noise and we are able to have a novel perspective on it. They’re like, oh yeah, that’s enjoyable to speak about too after which they’ll discuss that with us and we’ll get their distinctive insights, however finally we’re making an attempt to simply empathize with the customer to show like you might have a ache level and we’re simply right here that can assist you make some progress. And when you rent us, purchase us, lease us, no matter, that’s good too. However I feel content material administration actually helps. Gross sales really feel concerned, but in addition advertising and marketing to have a fowl’s eye view and never need to fly blind. 

SS: Completely. On that be aware, I’d love to grasp what are among the key enterprise outcomes that you’ve achieved since implementing Highspot? I’d love to grasp any key knowledge factors you may have the ability to share. 

SH: I can positively share a extremely enjoyable one which we’re hanging our hats on. For a very long time, we had too many KPIs, let’s be actual. We have been measuring every part below the solar, and a number of them have been simply vainness metrics. Our CMO got here in and actually helped us deal with the factor that issues most. Whenever you actually give it some thought for what we promote into the enterprise area, the SaaS answer, the win price actually issues. Sadly we have been stagnant for 5 years, similar win price, so when you’re going to go that approach, the one method to develop is by quantity and it’s exhausting simply including quite a bit on the prime of the funnel from a advertising and marketing perspective.

After an enormous overhaul of our gross sales enablement, we redid a number of the homepages inside Highspot. We made an organization KPI that was ensuring at 85% utilization every week throughout the corporate. What we have been efficiently in a position to do is enhance our win price by 75%, which is large in a market like ours. We are able to’t take credit score for it and be like, yeah, it’s content material that did it. It’s an enormous staff effort, however we are able to level again to the truth that we have been singing from the identical tune ebook, however we all know why we’re profitable. We all know why we’re shedding and we elevated our velocity and win price, which is one of the best case situation. So no, it’s not a causation of Highspot, however is it correlated? Completely. We really feel actually pleased with that. It was good that we have been all marching in the direction of the identical metric and actually connecting the gross sales and advertising and marketing organizations. 

SS: I like that. Nicely, thanks, Sara and Lindsay, a lot for becoming a member of me in the present day on the podcast. I appreciated the insights you shared and your lens on each gross sales and advertising and marketing alignment with enablement. Thanks each. 

LS: Thanks, this was a lot enjoyable. 

SH: Thanks.

SS: To our viewers, thanks for listening to this episode of the Win Win podcast. You’ll want to tune in subsequent time for extra insights on how one can maximize enablement success with Highspot.