The 2024 Marketing Mastery Workbook

THE 2024
MARKETING
MASTERY
WORKBOOK
To Marketing Mastery
and Beyond
A Comprehensive Guide to Targeting, Content,

and Campaigns across the B2B Buyer’s Journey
INTRODUCTION
Your Journey Towards Marketing Mastery Starts Here
Greetings, explorer! This is where your

journey to marketing mastery begins.
Think of this workbook as your compass—your comprehensive guide
to navigating the enormous universe of B2B marketing and sales.
Whether you’re a marketing veteran or a new cadet, this resource will be

your trusted co-pilot as you journey across the stars, helping you elevate
your skillset, enhance your strategies, and take your marketing game to
new, interstellar heights.
LUNA
THE 2024 MARKETING MASTERY WORKBOOK • To Marketing Mastery and Beyond 2

Blaze a Trail Through the Stars: 5 Areas of Success • Reveal and Target Your Buyers: Explore your
universe of buyers. Discover new audiences
Houston, we (might) have a problem. and gain insight into their goals, motivations,
and reasons to buy.
B2B buyer behaviors can change at the
speed of light. • Understand Buyer Behaviors, Signals,
and Needs: Gain complete clarity into your
The introduction of AI has leveled the playing
target accounts, their buying committees,
field and made the market more competitive
and the individual buyers within them.
(and noisier) than ever.
• Create Stellar Content Your Buyers Crave:
And as a result, buyers have grown overwhelmed
Create compelling, personalized content
and oversaturated with options, becoming experts
that shines brightly and resonates with your
at filtering out anything that doesn’t immediately
buyers at every stage of the buyer’s journey.
spark their interest.
• Engage Buyers Throughout the Journey:
But hope isn’t lost.
Master the art of engagement using integrated
This workbook will provide you with the templates, campaigns. Captivate your audiences across
resources, frameworks, and methods you need multiple channels whether they’re browsing
to understand your buyers, develop content that your website or attending a virtual event.
converts, and accelerate engagement throughout
• Accelerate Your Marketing Impact: Chart your
the buyer’s journey—and beyond.
path to success. Using this workbook and the
By the end of this eBook, you will have exercises and worksheets within, you’ll craft
mastered how to: customized action plans to navigate the black
holes of B2B marketing and explore new
galaxies of opportunity.
Are you ready for liftoff?
ASTRAL ADVICE
Here are some tips to get the most value out of this workbook.
DO IT Y OURSELF
• Save this workbook to your desktop for convenient access and to track your progress.
• If you prefer working with hard copies, print the provided PDF.
• Utilize the included worksheets, templates, and frameworks for hands-on practice.
• Gather your team and collaborate on the workbook to leverage everyone’s strengths
and insights.
• Strive to complete all the exercises within two weeks to ensure maximum efficiency
and effective action planning.
Join NetLine Academy to access additional resources and courses for learning content marketing.
ASK AN EXPERT
Have a question? Need guidance?
Email us at [email protected]
Connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter
LUNA

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION: Blaze a Trail Through the Stars: 5 Areas of Success....................................................................... 2

YOUR JOURNEY TOWARDS
MARKETING MASTERY STARTS HERE
CHAPTER 1: 1.1 Exploring Your Universe of B2B Buyers.................................................................................... 6

DISCOVER YOUR BUYERS 1.2 Navigating Your Marketable Universe: Strategies to Segment Your Ideal Buyers.............. 8
1.3 Mapping Spheres of Influence: Understanding Buying Committees and Personas.........16
1.4 Illuminating Insights: Tips to Identify and Target Your Buyers............................................24
1.5 Key Takeaways: Revealing Your Buyers.................................................................................. 25
CHAPTER 2: 2.1 The Gravity of Buyer Needs, Behaviors, and Signals............................................................28

EXPLORE YOUR
2.2 The Stages of the Buyer’s Journey: A Constellation of Buyer Behaviors.............................29
BUYER’S JOURNEY
2.3 Your Buyers Are Out There: Identifying Buying Signals........................................................41
2.4 Achieving Alignment: Coordinating the Buyer’s Journey......................................................46
2.5 Enhancing Engagement: Tips to Understand and Engage Your Buyers.............................55
2.6 Key Takeaways: Understanding Your Buyer’s Journey, Behaviors, Signals, and Needs...57
CHAPTER 3: 3.1 Creating Content to Captivate the Cosmos............................................................................ 60

CREATE THE CONTENT YOUR
3.2 Entering Your Buyer’s Orbit: Tailoring Content by Buying Stage and Persona..................62
AUDIENCES CRAVE
3.3 Incoming Message: Developing a Messaging Framework....................................................79
3.4 Your Cosmic Blueprint: 20 Questions to Create High-Impact Content...............................83
3.5 The Building Blocks of Brilliance: Crafting Your Content Outline........................................93
3.6 Expanding Your Orbit: 4 Steps to Promote Content and Drive Engagement....................98
3.7 Cutting Through the Noise: Tips to Create Irresistible Content.........................................108
3.8 Key Takeaways: Creating Content That Converts................................................................113
CHAPTER 4: 4.1 Navigating the Cosmos of Buyer Engagement....................................................................115

IGNITE ENGAGEMENT WITH
4.2 Unlocking the Mysteries of Buyer Engagement: Who, What, When, Where, and Why...118
FULL-FUNNEL INTEGRATED
CAMPAIGNS 4.3 Sparking Engagement: Frameworks to Shape Your Integrated Campaign......................120
4.4 Go for Launch! Building Your Integrated Campaign: Strategy, Tactics, and Timeline.....124
4.5 Breaking Through: Tips for Integrated Campaign Success................................................136
4.6 Key Takeaways: Driving Engagement With Integrated Campaigns...................................139
CONCLUSION: Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................140
THE END OF ONE JOURNEY,
THE BEGINNING OF THE NEXT

01
DISCOVER
YOUR
BUYERS

CH A P TE R 1
DISCOVER YOUR BUYERS

MY GOALS
Before reading this chapter, describe what you hope to learn about buyer targeting and
segmentation strategies.
1.1 Exploring Your Universe of B2B Buyers

In the wide expanse of the B2B universe, targeting strategies are your guiding star.
It’s not just about reaching people; it’s about reaching the right people who are ready
to make a purchase now or in the future.
In this chapter, you will learn how to:
• Define Your Best Audiences: Pinpoint the buyers and accounts who need to hear from you.
• Identify Decision Makers: Peer through the telescope to find the centers of influence within
your target accounts and the decision makers who hold the power to say “Yes.”
• Harness Buyer-Level Insights: Leverage buyer-level intent and engagement data to guide
your marketing and sales efforts with expert precision and efficiency.
What Does Effective Targeting Look Like?
Effective targeting requires you to channel your resources towards the accounts and individuals
who not only match your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP), but are also likely to buy from you.
By understanding your buyers’ unique behaviors and needs, you can craft hyper-personalized
campaigns to reach them through the cosmic noise.
Not effective Very

ASSESSMENT: at all effective
On a scale of 1-5, how effective is your current
targeting strategy? (Where 5 is very effective
and 1 is not effective at all.) 1 2 3 4 5 We don’t have
a targeting
strategy

Striking a Balance
How do you identify your best-fit buyers? Casting a wide net can dilute the quality of your results.
But being too targeted may not yield enough either.
Instead, effective targeting requires you to strike a balance between your audience and your goals.
But there are pros and cons to different levels of targeting.
While broader targeting methods help you capture as many buyers as possible, these strategies
typically yield a lower quality pool of leads—those who don’t match your ICP, lack intent to purchase,
or simply aren’t a good fit for your business.
On the flipside, being more targeted and focused in your efforts limits the number of total buyers
you’re able to capture. However, this restriction can help ensure that the leads you do generate
are qualified and a good fit to continue working and nurturing.
Ultimately, how you decide to target and segment depends on your goals and objectives.
Consider these examples:
EXAMPLES OF BROAD TARGETING EXAMPLES OF FOCUSED TARGETING
Email newsletter Tailored email nurture program
Social media posts Account-based advertising
Search and display ads Direct mail program to top accounts
A blog post that addresses common A whitepaper that addresses

challenges, interests, or questions specific pain points for a specific
audience segment
Thought leadership webinar

Invite-only virtual roundtable

1.2 Navigating Your Marketable Universe:
Strategies to Segment Your Ideal Buyers
Targeting and segmentation strategies can take various shapes depending on the qualities
of the buyers you aim to reach.
8 Ways to Target Your Best Buyers
Calibrate your telescope—here are 8 targeting

and segmentation strategies to consider. EXAMPLE
1. Account Fit / Account-Based Marketing (ABM):

A software company identifies 100 target accounts
This approach has you focus on specific high- as potential clients. They create custom content, host
value accounts, tailoring content, campaigns, exclusive webinars, and engage decision makers within
and outreach at the company-level. those organizations to build strong relationships.
EXERCISE:
My company, , targets
[your company name] [account list size #]
companies in . We create custom

[industries] [content types]
to engage .
[job titles / roles]
2. Industry:
EXAMPLE
This approach has you tailor your marketing efforts
to specific industries or verticals, each with unique
A cloud computing services provider might
regulations and challenges that your content and create case studies and whitepapers specifically
solutions will need to address. for healthcare organizations, highlighting how
their services comply with HIPAA regulations and
improve patient data management.
EXERCISE:
My company, , targets buyers in the
[your company name] [industry]
industry. We create content about .

[industry-specific needs]

3. Company Size:
EXAMPLE
This approach involves segmenting based on
the size of the companies you want to reach.
Small businesses, mid-sized enterprises, and A payroll software provider might offer different
large corporations have different requirements pricing tiers based on company size. Their content
would emphasize scalability for growing businesses
and budgets.
and robust features for larger enterprises.
EXERCISE:
My company, , targets
[your company name] [company size]
organizations. The content we create emphasizes for

[buyer benefits]
[target company description]
4. Geography:
EXAMPLE
This involves customizing content for specific
regions, countries, or even local markets. Cultural
nuances, language preferences, and regulatory An e-commerce platform might create localized
differences play a role here. landing pages for different countries, showcasing
relevant products, pricing in local currencies, and
shipping options.
EXERCISE:
My company, , targets organizations located in
[your company name]
. We translate our content into

[name of region(s)] [regional language(s)]
and highlight products based on .

[geographical/regional differences]
5. Company Sophistication and Maturity:

EXAMPLE
This involves analyzing an organization’s overall level
of sophistication and maturity. Key factors to assess
include their current technologies, existing content, A webinar platform might avoid targeting companies that
and public-facing campaigns. lack a CRM or marketing automation platform, as these
organizations may face challenges in implementation and
scaling and would likely be a poor customer fit.

EXERCISE:
My company, , targets organizations who use the following
[your company name]
tools and technologies: and demonstrate

[types of tools and technologies similar to your solution]
a strong understanding of ,
[relevant topic] [relevant topic]
and .
[relevant topic]
6. Job Title / Role:

EXAMPLE
This considers the responsibilities and pain points
of specific roles within organizations.
A project management software company would create
content that speaks directly to project managers. They might
cover topics like resource allocation, task tracking, and
collaboration tools relevant to their daily work.
EXERCISE:
My company, , targets buyers who are
[your company name] [job titles and roles]
and are responsible for . We cover topics about

[areas of responsibility] [topics]
to help them achieve their goals of .

[their goals]
7. Buyer Interests, Needs, and Motivations:

EXAMPLE
This approach focuses on understanding the
specific needs, pain points, and challenges of your
target audience. By identifying the problems they A cybersecurity company creates content that
addresses common security vulnerabilities faced
are trying to solve, you can tailor your content by small businesses. They provide practical tips
and solutions accordingly. and solutions to protect sensitive data and prevent
cyber threats.

EXERCISE:
My company, , creates content about
[your company name] [topics]
to address faced by . We provide practical

[pain points] [your target audience]
tips and solutions to help them .

[solution]
ASTRAL ADVICE
Finding the best target accounts shouldn’t be like searching for a lost opportunity in the dark.
Leverage buyer-level intent data to reveal who within an account is actively expressing intent,
what actions they take, when those actions happen, and where those actions occur—online,
offline, on your content and website, and beyond.
Explore your audiences with NetLine’s Audience Explorer.
This free-to-use, real-time interactive tool helps B2B marketers understand

the content, trends, and topics that their buyers are engaging with most.
Try it now
8. Buyer Behaviors:
EXAMPLE
This has you evaluate a buyer’s activities and
interactions from both online and offline sources.
It considers the content they register for, the topics A financial services company creates personalized content
they show interest in, and the events they attend. and campaign materials for directors of finance and above
who recently attended an industry trade show about the
future of finance.
EXERCISE:
My company, , targets who
[your company name] [job titles and roles]
attended . We create a(n) about

[relevant event] [content format]
, relating it to the themes and subjects covered at the event.

[topic]

ASSESSMENT:
On a scale of 1-5, how effectively do you leverage the following segmentation methods?
(Where 5 is very effective and 1 is not effective at all.)
Not effective Very

at all effective
We don’t leverage
this type of
1 2 3 4 5 segmentation
Account Fit / Account-Based

Marketing (ABM)
Industry
Company Size
Geography
Company Sophistication
and Maturity
Job Title / Role
Buyer Interests, Needs,

and Motivations
Buyer Behaviors

WORKSHEET | TARGETING MATRIX FRAMEWORK
Define your target audience. Use the targeting matrix
below when creating your unique audience segments.
Download the full
template here
TARGETING AND
SEGMENTATION MATRIX
Audience Account Fit / Industry Company Size

Segments Account-Based
Marketing (ABM)
Total Audience
Universe
What does your
ideal target audience
look like?
Tier A
Who is your most
valuable segment
of buyers?
Tier B
Tier C
Remaining
Audience(s)

Download the full
template here
TARGETING AND
SEGMENTATION MATRIX (CONTINUED)
Audience Geography Company Job Title / Role

Segments Sophistication
and Maturity
Total Audience
Universe
What does your
look like?
Tier A
Who is your most
valuable segment
of buyers?
Tier B
Tier C
Remaining
Audience(s)

Download the full
template here
TARGETING AND
SEGMENTATION MATRIX (CONTINUED)
Audience Buyer Interests, Buyer

Segments Needs, and Behaviors
Motivations
Total Audience
Universe
What does your
look like?
Tier A
Who is your most
valuable segment
of buyers?
Tier B
Tier C
Remaining
Audience(s)

1.3 Mapping Spheres of Influence: Understanding Buying
Committees and Personas
Every organization, regardless of size or sector, operates with some kind of buying
committee—a group of multiple and different individuals who have the power to influence,
validate, and say “Yes” or “No” to a purchase decision.
And the bigger the organization, the larger the buying committee.
ASTRAL ADVICE
The titles assigned to personas can vary between organizations.
For instance, while you might classify a Director-level position as a ‘Champion,’ another
company may regard it as an ‘Influencer,’ and yet another may see it as a ‘Decision Maker.’
Understanding the roles and dynamics of the buying committee within a target company
is paramount, and failing to do so can result in missing the mark entirely.
The 4 Roles of a B2B Buying Committee
There are 4 roles that make up a typical B2B buying committee:
1. Decision Makershave the final say in a purchase. They fall into one of three categories:
Individuals concerned with h

ow the purchase
1 Business Decision Makers impacts business results, ROI, and revenue.
Individuals concerned with h

ow the purchase
2 Technical Decision Makers impacts business technologies, processes
and operations.
Individuals concerned with whether or not the

3 Financial Decision Makers purchase can be justified in terms of budgets
and resources.
EXERCISE:
Thinking about your average customer, who are the Business Decision Makers responsible
for evaluating your solution? List their titles below.

EXERCISE:
Thinking about your average customer, who are the Technical Decision Makers responsible
EXERCISE:
Thinking about your average customer, who are the Financial Decision Makers responsible
2. Executive Sponsors or Champions of your solution are those who drive the purchase
decision forward internally. They are the individuals who are best positioned to recognize
the impact and benefits that your solution can bring to the business.
EXERCISE:
Thinking about your average customer, who are the Champions responsible for evaluating
your solution? List their titles below.
3. Purchase Influencersare those who may not have a direct role in the purchase decision,
but have influence over the outcome. They fall into one of two categories:
Individuals focused primarily on h

ow the purchase
1 Business Influencers
impacts business ROI and revenue.
Individuals focused primarily on h

ow the purchase
2 Technical Influencers impacts business processes and operations.

EXERCISE:
Thinking about your average customer, who are the Business Influencers responsible
EXERCISE:
Thinking about your average customer, who are the Technical Influencers responsible
4. Users are those who will use the product in their day-to-day jobs. They are directly
impacted by the purchase and are concerned with how the solution will help them be
more efficient, effective, and productive.
EXERCISE:
Thinking about your average customer, who are the Users responsible for evaluating
your solution? List their titles below.
Business Business
Decision Maker Influencer
Influence
Executive
Influence Users
Sponsor/Champion
Influence
Technical Technical
Decision Maker Influencer
Influence

From Committees to Personas
While a buying committee is a group of individuals involved in a decision, buyer personas get
to the heart of who those individuals are.
Think about a typical Business Decision Maker for your solution: You likely know their title,
but what are their motivations? Their goals? Their challenges? Their needs? What are they
driven by? What do they engage with? Where can you find them?
Buyer personas help you answer those questions and more.
ASTRAL ADVICE
Personas power personalization.
71% 76%
of consumers expect companies to deliver get frustrated when this doesn’t happen.
personalized interactions.
Source: McKinsey & Company, “The value of getting personalization right—or wrong—is multiplying”
The Buyer Persona: Your North Star
Buyer personas don’t only help you sell; they help you build enduring relationships with
those who matter most to your business—your customers.
By diving into the minds of your customers—what they like, what they need, and how they
make decisions—you can tailor your marketing efforts to craft content and messaging that
resonate and drive results.
Consider the following example for a Decision Maker from a Manufacturing organization.
As you review this framework, think about how these insights could be translated across
your own marketing and sales endeavors.

MANUFACTURING: DECISION MAKER
Role in Buying Job Titles Company Industry Company Size

Committee
• Chief Operating Officer Manufacturing 500-1,000 employees
Decision Maker • VP of Manufacturing
• Director of Operation
Responsibilities Goals
• Oversees daily operations of the manufacturing plants • Improve production efficiency
• Ensures production efficiency and quality standards • Reduce operational costs by optimizing supply chain logistics
• Manages supply chain and logistics • Position the company as a leader in sustainable
manufacturing practices
• Implements and optimizing processes and technologies
• Expand production capacity to support new product lines
Motivations Core Challenges

• Maximize operational efficiency, productivity, • Rising production costs and the need to maintain
and excellence competitive pricing
• Stay at the forefront of technological advancements • Supply chain disruptions and delays
• Ensure the company’s long-term sustainability • Adapting to rapid technological advancements
and growth
Day-To-Day Pain Points Key Needs

• Inefficiencies in the current production processes • Operational efficiency and cost reduction
• High labor costs and workforce management issues • Technology integration and innovation
• Complexities in supply chain management • Workforce management and development

DECISION MAKING PROCESS
Awareness Consideration Decision

• Analyzes industry trends • Conducts cost-benefit analysis • Presents findings and
and benchmarks and ROI projections recommendations to
the executive team
• Reviews case studies and • Seeks input from cross-
success stories from similar functional teams (engineering, • Prioritizes solutions that
companies to understand finance, HR) align with strategic goals
the current landscape and budget constraints
• Assesses the scalability and
• Engages with suppliers and integration of new solutions • Negotiates contracts and
vendors for initial research with existing systems terms with selected vendors
Preferred Preferred Content Topics Preferred Channels

Content Formats and Interests of Engagement
• Industry reports • Operational excellence • Email
and efficiency
• White papers • In-depth,
• Technology and innovation in downloadable resources
• Trade publications
manufacturing
• Professional social
• Analyst reports
• Sustainability and media networks
environmental practices
• Leadership and workforce
development
Worksheet | Persona Template
Now, use the template below to create a buyer persona for your ideal customer.
Don’t worry if you can’t complete certain sections yet! As we get further in this workbook,
we’ll review the Buyer’s Journey, Content Marketing Strategies, and Buyer Engagement
Strategies in much greater detail.
Feel free to come back

to this practice later.

BUYER PERSONA

Committee
Download the full

template here


LUNA

1.4 Illuminating Insights: Tips to Identify and Target Your Buyers
Feeling confident in how you target your buyers is the first step towards marketing mastery.
But it can sometimes feel like aiming at a distant star.
Doing it well ensures that your campaigns, budgets, and resources are focused on the right in-market
buyers. But without a detailed understanding of who you’re marketing to, your efforts might as well be
lost in the vacuum of space.
Staying On Course: Common Challenges and Solutions
Here are some tips to help you overcome common targeting challenges.
THE CHALLENGE THE SOLUTION
Unfocused Targeting Create Unique Audience Segments
The universe is vast, and so is your audience. Segment your market into smaller, more
manageable clusters so you can better tailor your messages and ensure your messaging feels
personalized and relevant.
EXERCISE:
Do you segment your audiences today? If so, how?
Understand the Who, What, When, Where,

Poor Buyer Insight and Why Behind Your Audiences
Leverage buyer-level intent and engagement data to learn more about your buyers and their
buying journeys.
While account-level insights can help you prioritize actions, marketing and sales teams must
be able to dig deeper to quickly and accurately identify who within an account is expressing
intent to purchase, what they are searching for, where and how they are most active, and
when they plan to purchase.

ASSESSMENT:
How well do you know your buyers?
Please rate the following statements on a scale from 1-5, with 5 being strongly agree
and 1 being strongly disagree.
Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree
1 2 3 4 5 I don’t know
I know who my most engaged
individual buyers are.
I know what my ideal buyers

are searching for.
I know when my buyers are

expecting to make a purchase.
I know where (online and offline)

my buyers are active most.
I know why my buyers are

in market.
1.5 Key Takeaways: Revealing Your Buyers

• Leverage a Mix of Targeting Methods and Data Sources: Get a full picture of your buyers by using
different targeting methods and data sources. Understand who they are, what matters to them,
and when they’re ready to buy.
• Conduct Thorough Audience Research: Dive deep into both qualitative and quantitative data to
really get to know your audience. Look at demographics, behaviors, and preferences to paint a
clear picture of your ideal customer.
• Personalize Your Messaging and Content: Tailor your messages and content based on what you
know about your buyers—like their preferences and past interactions. Make each interaction feel
personalized, original, and impactful to build stronger connections.
• A/B Test for Optimal Results: Experiment with different message variations, content types, and
designs. See what resonates best with your audience and use those insights to fine-tune your
strategies for better results.

• Provide Value at Every Interaction: Make sure your messages always speak to your audience’s
needs and interests. Answer the question they’re likely asking themselves, “Why should I care?”
Position your brand as a trusted source of useful information to build credibility and loyalty.
• Regularly Monitor and Measure Performance: Keep an eye on key performance indicators
(KPIs) to see how well your efforts are performing across different channels. Analyze the data to
spot trends, adjust your targeting strategies, allocate resources wisely, and make your marketing
content more effective.
Explore Additional Resources
Fly further by exploring these resources!
• How to Keep Up with B2B’s Latest 2024 Trends Explore Additional

Resources
• How Intent Data Reveals Buyer Needs
• How Buyer-Level Intent Data Reveals “Who” is Ready to Buy
Discover your audiences with NetLine’s Audience Explorer,

a free-to-use, real-time interactive tool that helps B2B Try NetLine’s
marketers understand the content, trends, and topics that Audience Explorer
their buyers are engaging with most.
Try it now

02
EXPLORE
YOUR
BUYER’S
JOURNEY

CH A P TE R 2
EXPLORE YOUR
BUYER’S JOURNEY
MY GOALS
Before reading this chapter, describe what you hope to learn about the buyer’s journey
and buyer engagement strategies.
2.1 The Gravity of Buyer Needs, Becoming Your Buyer’s Trusted Advisor—
Their Co-Pilot Through the Cosmos
Behaviors, and Signals
In the last chapter, you mastered the In mere seconds, your buyers can learn
art of targeting your ideal audiences. everything there is to know about your
products, solutions, and services—all
Now, we’ll dive deeper to discover without ever interacting directly with
how your buyers buy. your brand.

But this comes as a double-edged
• Map the Stages of the Buyer’s Journey: sword: the answers they seek are out
Understand audience needs, preferences, there, but so is a deluge of information
and activities and align them to each stage (some of it good, most of it bad) that
of the decision making process. even the most experienced explorers
have difficulty navigating.
• Decipher Buying Signals: Decode the signals
and unravel buyer intent to understand their
readiness to purchase. This has not only raised the bar of buyer
expectations; it has fundamentally
• Align Buyer Needs, Signals, and Activities reshaped the role of marketers and
to the Buyer’s Journey: Ignite engagement sellers within the buyer’s journey.
across the entire buying journey, ensuring
that every touchpoint resonates with Your buyers are ready for liftoff.
every buyer.

But they won’t take just any vendor along for the ride. To ensure they choose you, your role must
evolve to become a trusted advisor—a co-pilot who guides them through the vast expanse of choices
and information.
Achieving this status relies on a deep understanding of your buyers—recognizing and anticipating
their needs (often before they realize those needs themselves), bridging their knowledge gaps, and,
ultimately, ensuring that their journey to find a solution is a success.
ASTRAL ADVICE
We often hear the advice to talk to our customers, but how frequently do we actually do it?
Probably not enough.
Your customers are crucial to understanding your buyers and their journey.
To answer the question, “What does our buyer’s journey look like?”, start by engaging with
your current customers—such as your most recent customer, your longest-tenured customer,
and your favorite customer. Ask them questions like:
• What business challenge(s) prompted your search for a solution like ours?
• How did you begin your search for a solution?
• How did you discover our solution? How long did it take from when you first began your search?
• Why did you choose our solution?
2.2 The Stages of the Buyer’s Journey: A Constellation

of Buyer Behaviors
The journey from prospect to customer to advocate is rarely a straight path.
In fact, it’s often anything but.
B2B buyers are savvy, well-informed, and adept at researching solutions long before needing to
engage directly with your sales team. They decide the pace and the terms of their buying journey.
Bottom line: Your buyers are in control.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t guide the way.
What is the Buyer’s Journey?
The B2B buyer’s journey illustrates an individual’s decision making process—from the initial
spark of awareness of a need to the purchase of a solution to their new journey as a customer.
Understanding your buyer’s journey enables marketing and sales teams to consistently deliver
value in every interaction.

Not effective Very
ASSESSMENT: at all effective
On a scale of 1-5, how confident are you in your
knowledge about your buyer’s journey? (Where 5 is very
effective and 1 is not effective at all.) 1 2 3 4 5
The 8 Stages of the Buyer’s Journey
Below are definitions and examples for each stage of the buyer’s journey—from awareness to advocacy.
The Acquisition Funnel
These are the stages of the buyer’s journey that occur before the buyer becomes a customer.
They consist of Awareness, Education, Consideration, and Decision.
Top of Funnel: Awareness and Education
At the top of the funnel, you encounter your broadest stream of potential buyers. These are leads who
have identified a need within their organization and are interested in learning best practices to address it.
They may not know much about your solution, but they’re keen to learn more about the topics you cover.
1 Awareness
BEHAVIORS
DEFINITION READINESS SCENARIO
AND ACTIVITIES
The buyer recognizes The buyer is ready Josh needs more • Reviews current
a problem but isn’t aware to understand. and better leads for marketing strategies
of solutions yet. They’re his marketing and • Checks out
seeking information to sales teams. competitors and
understand the issue and other brands
explore potential fixes.
EXERCISE:
What channels or content would you use to engage Josh at this stage of his buyer’s journey?

2 Education
BEHAVIORS
AND ACTIVITIES
The buyer actively seeks The buyer is ready Josh is learning about • Reads blog posts
information to understand to learn. ways to boost his • Researches
their problem and sales funnel. industry trends
explore solutions.
• Downloads an eBook
• May subscribe to
learn more about
best practices
EXERCISE:
ASTRAL ADVICE
Consider these tactics to increase brand awareness and educate your buyers:
Marketing
• Publish blog posts that address common pain points related to your solution.
• Launch digital display and ABM campaigns to increase brand visibility.
• Host educational webinars with thought leaders in your industry to showcase expertise
and provide insights.
Middle of Funnel: Consideration
The funnel narrows and you’re able to qualify or disqualify leads based on their engagement and fit.
Those that stick around have expressed an interest in learning more about your specific solution and
are beginning the evaluation process to find the right vendor.
Congrats, you’ve made the shortlist!

3 Consideration
BEHAVIORS
AND ACTIVITIES
The buyer compares different The buyer is ready Josh understands that • Researches different lead
options to address their to evaluate. he needs a lead generation generation platforms
needs, comparing features, solution. • Reads reviews
benefits, and pricing. and comparisons
• Attends a webinar on
advanced lead generation
techniques
• Downloads a comparison
guide for top solutions
• May become a member of
online communities and
courses to learn
from others
EXERCISE:
ASTRAL ADVICE
Consider these tactics to drive consideration and accelerate your buyer’s decision making process:
Marketing Sales
• Launch email newsletters or nurture programs based • Provide relevant case studies or testimonials
on a buyer’s interests and interactions from similar customers to showcase
successful implementations.
• Offer gated content such as valuable research reports,
guides, and eBooks to further qualify and nurture • Leverage CRM data and buyer-level intent to
your audience. track behavior and preferences.
• Create tailored landing pages, product demo videos, • Personalize sales outreach based on buyer interests,
or product specification charts to showcase key features goals, and past interactions.
and benefits.
• Engage in 1:1 consultations or discovery calls
• Implement lead scoring systems to prioritize follow-up to understand buyer challenges and offer hyper-
efforts and tailor messaging based on engagement and personalized product demos that align with their
intent signals. needed use cases.
Bottom of Funnel: Decision
At the bottom of the funnel, you’re left with a subset of qualified leads ready for sales conversations.
These leads have shown a deep interest in your specific solution and are in the final stages of the
decision making process.
Ideally, they convert, and you gain a new customer. Win!

4 Decision
BEHAVIORS
AND ACTIVITIES
The buyer chooses a The buyer is ready Josh is deciding between • Talks to sales reps
specific product or service to decide. a shortlist of lead • Visits vendor
based on their research generation solutions. websites to compare
and is ready to buy. prices and features
• Has personalized demos
• Reads customer reviews
and testimonials
EXERCISE:
ASTRAL ADVICE
Consider these tactics to validate your buyer’s perceptions, address their concerns, and win:
Marketing Sales
• Create interactive, self-service tools like to help buyers • Provide detailed product comparisons or ROI analyses
assess their needs and make informed decisions. to help buyers evaluate their options and make
informed decisions.
• Offer limited-time trial periods, promotions, or
discounts to accelerate purchase decisions and • Offer trial periods or pilot programs to allow buyers
prompt action. to experience the product or service firsthand before
committing to a purchase.
The Loyalty Funnel
These are the stages of the buyer’s journey that occur after the buyer becomes a customer.
The goal is no longer to acquire their business—it’s to drive their loyalty as a customer.
The Customer Loyalty Journey: Purchase, Adoption, Expansion, and Advocacy
Now, the journey begins again as you work to demonstrate value, foster growth,
and cultivate loyal brand advocates among your customer base.

5 Purchase
BEHAVIORS
AND ACTIVITIES
After the purchase, The customer is Josh has purchased • Sets up user account
the customer starts ready to implement the solution and is • Attends orientation
onboarding, including your solution. starting onboarding. and onboarding
setup, training, and webinars
initial use.
• Uses tutorials
and guides
EXERCISE:
6 Adoption
BEHAVIORS
AND ACTIVITIES
The customer starts The customer is ready Josh and his team • Uses the
using the product regularly to use your solution. are using the solution product regularly
and sees its benefits. and seeing results. • Engages with
customer success reps
• Provides feedback
and suggestions
EXERCISE:

7 Expansion
BEHAVIORS
AND ACTIVITIES
The customer looks The customer is ready to Josh wants to further • Inquires about
to expand their expand how they use increase his results. additional features
use of the product, your solution. • Increases spend
upgrade, or purchase or contract value
additional offerings.
• Watches webinars
on new strategies
EXERCISE:
8 Advocacy
BEHAVIORS
AND ACTIVITIES
Satisfied customers The customer is ready Josh’s team sees great • Shares success stories
become advocates, sharing to become an advocate results and shares with the customer
their positive experiences of your solution. positive feedback. success team
with others and potentially • Inquires about
influencing future being featured in
purchasing decisions. marketing materials
• Participates in case
studies and testimonials
• Ready to become
a champion of
your solution
EXERCISE:

ASTRAL ADVICE
Consider these tactics once your buyer becomes a customer to further prove value and increase
satisfaction and ROI:
Customer Success and Marketing Customer Success and Sales

• Create onboarding materials like implementation • Ensure all customers are satisfied and see the
checklists, best practice guides, and strategic playbooks. full value of your solution.
• Highlight customers using your solution best in • Conduct customer training and onboarding.
webinars, case studies, and other assets.
• Create and send surveys after key milestones to
• Host customer-only virtual roundtables where users ensure satisfaction, address needs, and mitigate churn.
can ask questions and gain feedback from their peers.
• Highlight additional use cases and results that
• Encourage advocacy, product reviews, testimonials, could be achieved with your solution to drive
and referrals. upsell and cross-sell.
The buyer recognizes a problem or need but The buyer is ready

isn’t yet aware of potential solutions. They to understand.
AW AR E N E S S actively seek information to understand
their issue better and explore possible
remedies.
The buyer actively seeks information The buyer is ready

ACQUISITION
E D U CATI O N
(PRE-SALE)
to better understand their problem to learn.

and explore possible solutions.
The buyer evaluates various options to The buyer is ready

address their needs, comparing features, to evaluate.
CO N S I D E R ATI O N
benefits, and pricing to make an informed
decision.
At this stage, the buyer selects a The buyer is ready

DECISION
specific product or service based to decide.
on their research and evaluation.
After making the purchase, the The customer is

customer begins the process of onboarding, ready to implement
PURCHASE including setup, training, and initial your solution.
implementation.
The customer starts experiencing The customer

the benefits and value of the is ready to use your
(POST-SALE)
AD O P TI O N
purchased product or service in their daily solution.
LOYALT Y
operations.
Continuing to use the product or service, The customer is

the customer may seek to expand its usage, ready to expand
E XP AN S I O N
upgrade, or purchase additional offerings how they use
from the same provider. your solution.
Satisfied customers become advocates, The customer is

sharing their positive experiences with ready to become an
AD V O CACY
others and potentially influencing their advocate of your
purchasing decisions. solution.

WORKSHEET | BUYER’S JOURNEY FRAMEWORK
Use the framework below to place yourself in the shoes
of your buyer. From the perspective of a persona of your
Download the full
choice, define their thought processes, needs, behaviors, template here
and interactions throughout their buying journey.
THE BUY ER’S JOURNEY | ACQUISITION (PRE-SALE)
Persona
Whose buying journey is this?
Triggers
What prompted your buyer to
start their buying journey?
Buyer’s Awareness Education

Journey Stage
The buyer is ready to understand The buyer is ready to learn
Goals
What are your buyer’s primary goals
at this stage of their buying journey?
Challenges
What are your buyer’s challenges, hurdles,
or hesitations that are preventing them
from progressing to the stage of their
buying journey?
Needs
What does your buyer need to progress
to the next stage of their buying journey?
Content
What content is your buyer looking for
or engaging with at this stage of their
buying journey?
Actions and Activities

Describe your buyer’s actions and activities
at this stage of their buying journey.
This could include the websites they’re

visiting, search terms they’re using, events
they’re attending, and other online and
offline activities.

Download the full
THE BUY ER’S JOURNEY | ACQUISITION (PRE-SALE) (CONTINUED)
Persona
Triggers
What prompted your buyer to
start their buying journey?
Buyer’s Consideration Decision

Journey Stage
The buyer is ready to evaluate The buyer is ready to decide
Goals
Challenges
buying journey?
Needs
Content
buying journey?


offline activities.

Download the full
THE BUY ER’S JOURNEY | LOYALTY (POST-SALE)
Buyer’s Purchase Adoption

Journey Stage
The customer is ready to implement The customer is ready
your solution to use your solution
Goals
Challenges
buying journey?
Needs
Content
buying journey?


offline activities.

Download the full
THE BUY ER’S JOURNEY | LOYALTY (POST-SALE) (CONTINUED)
Buyer’s Expansion Advocacy

Journey Stage
The customer is ready to grow The customer is ready to become
how they use your solution an advocate of your solution
Goals
Challenges
buying journey?
Needs
Content
buying journey?


offline activities.

2.3 Your Buyers Are Out There: Identifying Buying Signals
Your ultimate advantage lies in how well you understand your buyers.
Intent data and other key buying signals offer a window into their world, illuminating insights into
who they are, what they want, and when they want it.
However, not all intent data is equal, nor does every datapoint shine with the same brilliance.
Deciphering those signals is crucial to winning the race for a buyer’s attention, time, and trust.
What Are Buying Signals?
Buying signals are essential indicators that provide rich insights into a buyer’s needs and intentions.
By accurately interpreting these signals, you can refine your strategies and improve your interactions
with prospects and customers at every stage of their journey.
Evidence Signals
Evidence signals are situational and suggest that circumstantial changes within a target company or
to an individual—such as organizational or role changes, new product launches, or active recruiting
initiatives—could signify a current or imminent need.
BUYING STAGE UNAWARENESS

Examples include: • Organizational, leadership, or role changes
• Budget changes—new funding or budget cuts
• The launch of new products or services
• Actively recruiting
ASTRAL ADVICE
Evidence Signals indicate that the need is unknown. The buyer is unaware that
a need exists and is not yet in-market. They are in a stage of “unawareness.”
These types of signals are typically expressed before the start of the buyer’s journey.
ASSESSMENT:
Does your organization currently
track Evidence Signals?
EXERCISE:
What tools might you use, or do you currently use today, to monitor Evidence Signals being
expressed by your buyers?

Need Signals
Need signals indicate a buyer’s awareness that a certain level of need exists, though they may require
further education to fully grasp the scale and implications of addressing—or not addressing—the need
before exploring potential solutions.
BUYING STAGE AWARENESS OR EARLY-STAGE CONSIDERATION

Examples include: • Email engagement
• Website engagement on your own website
• Website engagement on your competitors’ website
• Engagement on your own content
• Engagement on your competitors’ content
• Attending webinars or events hosted by your organization
• Attending webinars or events hosted by 3rd party organizations
• Participating in online forums or communities seeking advice
or recommendations
• Conducting online searches related to their business challenges
• Researching competitors
ASTRAL ADVICE
Need Signals indicate that the need is known, but buying intent is unassured. The buyer knows
that a problem exists but needs more education to understand the scale and impact before
exploring solutions.
These types of signals are typically expressed at the beginning of the buyer’s journey.
ASSESSMENT:
track Need Signals?
EXERCISE:
What tools might you use, or do you currently use today, to monitor Need Signals being expressed
by your buyers?

Intent Signals
Intent signals denote the seriousness or readiness of a buyer to advance towards a purchase decision,
allowing you to gauge their level of commitment.
BUYING STAGE LATE-STAGE CONSIDERATION OR DECISION

Examples include: • Repeatedly visiting pricing or product comparison pages on your website
• Requesting quotes or proposals for specific services or solutions
• Repeated website engagement on your own website or your
competitors’ website
• Repeated engagement on your own content or your competitors’ content
• An individual’s session attendance at an in-person event
• Requesting product demos or trials
• Initiating discussions with your sales team regarding contract terms
or implementation details
ASTRAL ADVICE
Intent Signals indicate that the need is named and the intent is declared. Your buyer is on
the move and they are actively exploring solutions to address the need.
These types of signals are typically expressed in the consideration and decision stages of the
buyer’s journey.
ASSESSMENT:
track Intent Signals?
EXERCISE:
What tools might you use, or do you currently use today, to monitor Intent Signals being expressed
by your buyers?

NOT A L L BU YI NG S I G NA L S
ARE CREAT E D EQ UA L
LUNA
EVIDENCE SIGNALS
The problem is unknown. The buyer is • Organizational or leadership changes

unaware that a problem exists (or will
exist) due to specific events or changes • Budget changes, new funding or cuts
in circumstances.
• Launch of new products or services
• Actively recruiting or existing org structure
NEED SIGNALS
The problem is known, but intent is assumed. • Watching videos or joining webinars
The buyer knows that a problem exist but
needs more education to understand the scale • Registering or engaging with content
and impact before exploring solutions.
• Browsing web pages or reading blogs
• Tradeshow booth visit
INTENT SIGNALS
The problem is named, and the intent is • Raising hand to start the evaluation process
declared. The buyer is actively exploring
solutions to solve the problem. • Pricing inquiries, demo requests,
free trial sign-ups
• Visiting review sites, analyst sites,

or asking peers

WORKSHEET | DECODE THE BUYING SIGNALS
Match the scenarios below to a buying signal, then, determine the level of intent
(low, medium, or high) being expressed.
SCENARIO TYPE OF LEVEL OF

BUYING SIGNAL BUYING INTENT
(Evidence, Need, Intent) (Low, Medium, High)
A Director at a target account gets

promoted to a VP.
A group of individuals from the same

company engages with your content
over the last 30 days.
A group of individuals from the same

company joins an online community
you host.
A target company launches a

new product.
An individual asks multiple questions

during a webinar you’re hosting about
your product.
An individual attends your speaking

session at a trade show.
An individual clicks on an email.
An individual reads a blog post.
An individual registers for a

product demo.
An individual registers for an eBook.
An individual visits your booth at a trade

show and asks to see a demo.
Multiple job openings are posted

by a target account.
Are there other scenarios you’ve experienced first-hand? Add them below.

2.4 Achieving Alignment: Coordinating the Buyer’s Journey
It’s time for the stars to align.
We will map everything we’ve covered so far—personas, buying signals, behaviors, activities, and
content—to the distinct stages of the buyer’s journey, helping us reach the right person with the right
message and content at the right time.
Driving Engagement, Guiding Decisions
Below are some examples of how certain buying signals, actions, content, and metrics align to the
different stages of the buyer’s journey, and how marketing and sales teams can respond, guiding
buyers down the path to conversion.
ACQUISITION (PRE-SALE)
BUYING BUYING BUYER ACTIONS CONTENT KEY

JOURNEY STAGE SIGNAL AND ACTIVITIES CONSUMED METRICS
Company press • Researching • Blog posts • Conversion rate

release announces general from website
• Checklists
new market information visitors to email
expansion initiative • Guides subscribers
• Exploring
industry trends • Research reports • Content
engagement rate
• Seeking
educational • Number of
content qualified leads
generated from
awareness
campaigns
AWARENESS MARKETING ACTIONS SALES ACTIONS

The buyer is ready
to understand
• Content Marketing: search engines to • Networking: • Account
Create blog posts, increase organic Participate in Research:
social media content, traffic and visibility. industry events Conduct research
and infographics that and online forums to determine
• Paid Advertising:
highlight industry to build initial account fit
Run targeted ads
trends, challenges, connections. and intent.
on social media
and solutions.
platforms and search
• SEO Optimization: engines to reach a
Optimize website broader audience.
content for


Registers for content • Seeking • eBooks • Webinar

problem-solution conversion rate
• Tools
information
• Newsletter
• Webinars
• Comparing subscribers
different
perspectives
and approaches
• Attending
webinars,
workshops,
and events
MARKETING ACTIONS SALES ACTIONS

EDUCATION
The buyer is
ready to learn • Webinars and provide in-depth • Personalized case studies that
Workshops: Host information on Demos: Offer demonstrate the
educational webinars relevant topics. personalized effectiveness
or workshops that product demos to of your product
• Email Marketing:
address common educate potential or service.
Send out educational
problems and customers about
email series to nurture • Follow-Up Calls:
present solutions. the features and
leads and provide Conduct follow-up
benefits.
• eBooks and Guides: valuable insights. calls to answer
Offer detailed guides • Case Studies: Share any questions and
and reports that success stories and provide additional
information.
Registers for demo • Comparing vendors • White papers • Demo, contact us,
free trial sign-ups
• Requesting • Comparison
demos or trials sheets • Trial sign-up-to-
conversion rate
• Evaluating pricing • Case studies
and features
• Analyst reports
• Reading
• Demos
customer reviews
CONSIDERATION
• Comparison build credibility • Customized calculate the
The buyer is ready Guides: Create and trust. Proposals: potential return
to evaluate comparison charts Prepare tailored on investment.
• Nurture
and guides that proposals that
Programs and • Solution
show how your address the
Retargeting Consultations:
product stacks up specific needs
Ads: Use nurture Offer one-on-one
against competitors. and challenges
emails and consultations to
of the prospect.
• Testimonials retargeting ads discuss how your
and Reviews: to stay top- • ROI Calculators: solution can meet
Showcase customer of-mind for Provide tools to their specific needs.
testimonials leads who have help prospects
and reviews to shown interest.


Initiates discussions • Requesting • ROI calculators • Time to close deal

with your sales proposals
• Demos • Conversion rate of
team regarding
• Negotiating terms proposal requests
contract terms or • Product
to closed deals
implementation details • Seeking spec sheets
references or • Customer
• Customer reviews
testimonials acquisition
cost (CAC)
compared to
customer lifetime
value (CLV)
DECISION
• Detailed Case allow prospects • Negotiation: Engage • Final Demos:
The buyer is
Studies: Present to experience the in negotiation to Provide final,
ready to decide
comprehensive product firsthand. address any final in-depth demos
case studies that concerns and agree to address
• Product
highlight successful on terms. any remaining
Comparisons:
implementations questions and
Publish detailed • Contract Reviews:
and outcomes. demonstrate value.
product comparison Assist in reviewing
• Free Trials: Offer pages to help contracts and
free trials or pilot prospects make answering any legal or
programs to informed decisions. compliance questions.

LOYALTY (POST-SALE)

Downloads “Getting • Completing user • Onboarding • Onboarding

Started” guide account setup and checklists completion rate
profile creation within the first
• Getting
week of sign-up
• Participating in started guides
orientation sessions • Time to first value
or onboarding realization after
webinars onboarding
• Engaging • Percentage of
with tutorials, users actively
walkthroughs, or using advanced
interactive guides features within
the first month
PURCHASE
The customer
is ready to
implement • Onboarding welcome emails • Order Confirmation: • Transition
your solution Materials: Create to new customers, Ensure that order to Customer
comprehensive providing them with confirmations are Success:
onboarding useful resources. sent promptly and Introduce the
materials, such as contain all necessary new customer to
• Feedback Requests:
guides and videos, to information. their dedicated
Request feedback
ease the transition. customer
on the purchasing • Payment
success manager
• Welcome process to Processing: Facilitate
or support team.
Campaigns: Send identify areas for smooth and secure
personalized improvement. payment processing.
Increases use of • Actively using the • Advanced tips • Customer

your solution product or service and tricks retention rate
on a regular basis post-onboarding
• Customized
• Achieving desired playbooks • Net Promoter
outcomes or Score (NPS)
• Customer
milestones improvement
webinars
identified during after achieving
onboarding key milestones
• Providing • Percentage
feedback or increase in
suggestions for product usage
improvement or engagement
over time
ADOPTION
The customer
is ready to use
• User Training various product • Check-In Calls: where they
your solution Programs: Develop features. Conduct regular may need
and offer training check-in calls to additional help.
• Community
programs to help ensure customers
Building: Foster • Success Planning:
users get the most are satisfied and fully
a community Work with
out of the product. utilizing the product.
around your customers to
• How-To Guides: product where • Usage Reviews: develop a success
Create detailed how- users can share Review product plan outlining their
to guides and video tips and support usage with customers goals and how the
tutorials covering each other. to identify any areas product can help
achieve them.

LOYALTY (POST-SALE)

Demonstrates • Researching or asking • Customer • Upsell/cross-

advanced knowledge about additional webinars sell revenue
of your solution products or services growth rate
• Advanced
• Expanding usage of strategy guides • Renewal rate
the product or service
across different teams
or departments
• Actively seeking out
and providing referrals
or testimonials
EXPANSION MARKETING ACTIONS SALES ACTIONS
The customer
is ready to • Upgrade showcase the benefits • Account Reviews: features that
expand how Promotions: Run of upgrading or Conduct periodic complement the
targeted promotions expanding usage. account reviews customer’s current
they use your for product upgrades to identify usage.
solution • Feature
or additional expansion
Announcements: • Expansion
features. opportunities.
Regularly communicate Proposals: Prepare
• Customer Success new features and • Cross-Selling tailored proposals
Stories: Highlight enhancements to and Upselling: for expanding
customer success encourage expanded Suggest additional the current
stories that usage. products or engagement
or adding new
services.
Writes a positive • Sharing positive • Customer videos • Referral

public review experiences or success conversion rate
• Customer
stories with peers or
spotlights • Social media
industry contacts
engagement rate
• Advocating for the among advocates
product or service on
• Number of
social media platforms
customer-
or review sites
generated content
• Participating in case pieces (e.g.,
studies, testimonials, case studies,
or customer spotlight testimonials)
interviews
ADVOCACY
The customer
is ready to
become an • Referral Programs: social media, and • Testimonial advocacy.
advocate of Create and promote newsletters. Requests: Request
• Feedback Loops:
referral programs that testimonials from
your solution reward customers
• Engagement
satisfied customers
Establish regular
Initiatives: feedback loops to
for bringing in new to use in sales and
Launch initiatives capture customer
business. marketing materials.
that encourage insights and
• Customer Spotlights: customers to • Loyalty Programs: continuously
Feature loyal share their positive Develop loyalty improve the
customers in your experiences on programs that product and
marketing materials, social media and offer incentives for customer
such as blog posts, review sites. repeat business and experience.

WORKSHEET | BUYER ENGAGEMENT FRAMEWORK
Use the framework below to define how you would
leverage a buyer’s buying signals and behaviors to
Download the full
effectively reach, connect with, and engage them template here
throughout their buying journey.
Persona
Triggers
What prompted your buyer
to start their buying journey?
Buyer’s Awareness Education

Journey Stage The buyer is ready to understand The buyer is ready to learn
Buying Signals
What behaviors are your buyers expressing
or demonstrating at this stage of their
buying journey?


offline activities.
Key Message
In 2-3 sentences, write the key message you
are using to connect with and engage your
buyer at this stage of their buying journey.
Content
buying journey?
Channels
What channels are you using to reach
and engage your buyers at this stage
of their buying journey?
Ket Metrics
What metrics are you tracking to gauge the
success of your marketing and sales programs
at this stage of the buying journey?

Download the full
ACQUISITION (PRE-SALE) (CONTINUED)
Persona
Triggers
What prompted your buyer
to start their buying journey?
Buyer’s Consideration Decision

Journey Stage The buyer is ready to evaluate The buyer is ready to decide
Buying Signals
buying journey?


offline activities.
Key Message
Content
buying journey?
Channels
Ket Metrics

Download the full
LOYALTY (POST-SALE)
Buyer’s Purchase Adoption

Journey Stage
The customer is ready to implement The customer is ready
your solution to use your solution
Buying Signals
buying journey?


offline activities.
Key Message
Content
buying journey?
Channels
Ket Metrics

Download the full
LOYALTY (POST-SALE) (CONTINUED)
Buyer’s Expansion Advocacy

Journey Stage
The customer is ready to grow The customer is ready to become
how they use your solution an advocate of your solution
Buying Signals
buying journey?


offline activities.
Key Message
Content
buying journey?
Channels
Ket Metrics

2.5 Enhancing Engagement: Tips to Understand
and Engage Your Buyers
Woven from an individual’s experiences, the buyer’s journey is as intricate as a galaxy.
And mastery of this journey can feel just as complex.
From detecting shifts in buyer behaviors to deciphering signals sent from far, far away—
effectively navigating the buyer’s journey demands a deep understanding of your target audience.
Here are some tips to help you navigate the buyer’s journey.
Leverage Multiple Data Sources to

Lack of Visibility Into Your Understand Your Buyer’s Behaviors—
Buyer’s Journey Online, Offline, On Your Own Content
and Website, and Beyond
You only see 2% of a buyer’s entire buying journey, with most of their time spent outside
the channels you can directly track.
You can’t effectively engage your audiences when you can’t see the full extent of their
behaviors and activities.
To fully understand your buyers—even when they aren’t on your website, interacting with
your content, or in your MAP or CRM—you need to leverage multiple data sources to gain
a holistic view of their journey.
ASSESSMENT:
Which of the following types of data do you currently capture?
Contact Data (Name, Job Details, etc.)
Firmographics (Company, Company Size, etc.)
Technographics (Technology Used)
1st Party Qualitative Data
Content Consumed (From Your Organization’s Website)
Content Consumed (Outside of Your Organization’s Website)
Online Search Queries
Product Reviews (From Aggregator Sites)
In-Person Events and Sessions Registered For
In-Person Events and Sessions Attended

Poor Personalization Go From the Persona to the Person
Move beyond generic personas to understand the unique needs and motivations of individual buyers.
While personas are helpful in creating a clearer picture of your ideal customers, true marketing
mastery requires you go beneath the surface.
Every person has their own buying journey.
Start by segmenting your audience based on demographics, interests, and buying intent to provide
relevant content and recommendations at each stage of the journey. Then, dive deeper to deliver
personalized experiences tailored to a buyer’s distinct preferences, behaviors, and needs.
ASSESSMENT:
How well do you understand your buyers?
Please rate the following statements on a scale from 1-5, with 5 being strongly agree
and 1 being strongly disagree.
Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree
1 2 3 4 5 I don’t know
I know who my ideal
customers are.
My company’s buyer personas provide

a detailed and accurate picture of our
ideal customers.
I know who the individuals are that

make up a typical buyer persona.
I am able to accurately monitor and

act on an individual’s buying behavior.

Low Engagement, Align Your Content to

Slow Conversion the Buyer’s Journey
Create an array of content to support each unique stage of your buyer’s journey, ensuring a healthy
mix of topics and formats to address not only your buyer’s needs, but also the needs of others in
their buying committee.
Whether a buyer is self-educating, gathering information, evaluating options, or making a final

decision, your content must be able to facilitate their decision making process.
ASSESSMENT:
Use the following checklist to evaluate your content marketing mix:
Awareness Consideration Decision Loyalty
Blog Posts Whitepapers Product Demos Onboarding

Materials
Infographics Webinars Free Trials
User Guides
Social Media Posts Case Studies Customer
Testimonials Customer Support
eBooks Comparison Resources
Guides ROI Calculators
Guides Feedback Forms
Free Tools and
Assessments
2.6 Key Takeaways: Understanding Your Buyer’s Journey,

Behaviors, Signals, and Needs
• Become Customer Obsessed: Make your customers the heart of everything you do.
Understand their needs, challenges, and what drives them, and tailor your strategies
to meet them where they are.
• Tune In to Your Buyer’s Buying Signals: Keep a keen eye on your buyers’ buying signals.
Pay attention to what they interact with, both on your website and beyond it. Anticipate their
next moves and personalize your messages and content to guide them through their journey.

• Break Down Cross-Functional Silos: Foster teamwork and collaboration across your
marketing, sales, and customer success teams to ensure everyone is working together to
provide a unified and valuable experience for every buyer and every customer interaction.
• Measure Your Marketing Impact: Use data to measure how well you know your buyers.
Track engagement metrics and intent signals to gauge their interests and activities across
their journey.
• Expand Customer Lifetime Value: Think beyond the initial sale. Focus on building long-
term relationships with your customers. Prioritize customer satisfaction, retention, and
advocacy to turn happy customers into loyal advocates for your brand.
• Stay Flexible and Adaptable: Stay nimble in response to evolving audience behaviors.
Foster a culture of curiosity and be willing to adapt your strategies to keep pace with
trends and market fluctuations.
• 2024 State of B2B Content Consumption and Demand Report
• Understanding the B2B Buyer Journey and How to Explore Additional

Resources
Capitalize on It
• How to Use Buyer Intent Data to Boost Results
(Without Being a Creep)

a free-to-use, real-time interactive tool that helps B2B marketers
understand the content, trends, and topics that their buyers are Try NetLine’s
engaging with most. Audience Explorer
Try it now

03
CREATE
THE
CONTENT
YOUR
AUDIENCES
CRAVE
CH A P TE R 3
CREATE THE CONTENT

YOUR AUDIENCES CRAVE
MY GOALS
Before reading this chapter, describe what you hope to learn about content planning,
creation, and promotion strategies.
3.1 Creating Content to Captivate the Cosmos

Have you ever found a piece of content that sticks with you long after you’ve read it?
That’s the beauty of an effective content marketing strategy. It not only provides answers,
but also makes an impression that lasts.
So far, we’ve explored how to identify and target your ideal audiences and the importance
of understanding what those audiences need at each stage of the buyer’s journey.
Now, let’s bring those lessons together to create the kinds of captivating, memorable content
that your audience needs—no, craves.
• Craft Content by Persona and Buying Stage: Tailor your content and messaging to resonate with
the needs, interests, and motivations of your diverse buyers at every stage of their buying journey.
• Create High-Impact Content and Experiences: Captivate your cosmos of buyers with compelling,
unforgettable content that sparks engagement and fosters strong connections with your brand.
• Promote Your Content and Drive Engagement Across the Buyer’s Journey: Amplify your content
across channels, driving continuous engagement with your buyers from awareness to decision
and beyond.

Content Marketing: Your Launchpad to Buyer Engagement
Your content marketing strategy is your launchpad to your buyers.
It’s how you externalize your company’s value proposition and how audiences come to
understand your differentiators, perspectives, and expertise.
But in order to reach the stars, you’ll first need to break through the atmosphere that
separates the good content from the extraordinary.
ASTRAL ADVICE
BUYERS ARE BUT THEY’RE THEY’RE TAKING …AND CREATING

HUNGRY… DISSATISFIED. LONGER TO THE RIGHT
CONSUME THE CONTENT IS A
B2B buyer demand 71% of senior CONTENT THEY CORE CHALLENGE
for gated B2B content business technology REGISTER FOR… FOR B2B
increased by 14% decision makers MARKETERS.
since 2023. are disappointed The average buyer
with current B2B takes 31 hours to 57% of marketers
marketing content. open the content say that creating
they register for— the right content
an increase from for their audience
29 hours in 2023. is a challenge.
Source: NetLine, “2024 Source: Informa Source: NetLine, “2024 Source: Content Marketing
State of B2B Content Tech, “2023 Trust in State of B2B Content Institute, “B2B Content
Consumption and Demand Marketing Index” Consumption and Demand Marketing Benchmarks,
Report for Marketers” Report for Marketers” Budgets, and Trends:
Outlook for 2024”
Ready to break through?

3.2 Entering Your Buyer’s Orbit: Tailoring Content
by Buying Stage and Persona
A well-crafted content marketing strategy supports every stage of the buyer’s journey, guiding
decisions about the content you create (such as blog posts, eBooks, webinars, and case studies)
and how that content gets delivered to your audiences.
But creating content that resonates with your buyers relies on a rich understanding
of their journey.
What are their goals? Their needs? Their motivations? Their obstacles?
It also comes down to their preferences as individuals. What do they like and dislike?
What formats engage them? What formats push them away?
Don’t worry: We’re not here to tell you to create entirely unique pieces of content for
every individual buyer. That just isn’t feasible (or necessary).
Instead, leverage your personas and what you know about your buyer’s journey, focusing on
groups of similar buyers with similar behaviors and interests in similar stages of their decision
making process.
ASTRAL ADVICE
Your content strategy should contain the following components:
• Audience: Who is your content for? Who is the ideal audience?
• Goals: What are the goals of your content? What do you want your content to achieve
or generate?
• Message: What is the key message of your content? How does your content
communicate your company’s value proposition? Your solutions and services?
• Purpose: What is your content about? What problems or needs will it address?
• Format: What format will your content take? How long will it be?
• Delivery: How will you promote and share your content?
• Measurement: How will you measure the success of your content?
Content by Buying Stage
Let’s explore the gravitational relationship between your content, your buyers, and the stages
of their buying journey.
First, we’ll broadly identify the most effective types of content for each stage.
Then, we’ll dive deeper to understand what content resonates best with what personas.

1 Awareness
DEFINITION READINESS
The buyer recognizes a problem but isn’t

aware of solutions yet. They’re seeking The buyer is ready
information to understand the issue and to understand.
explore potential fixes.
Content Goals Content Challenges Types of Content Measures of Success
• Drive interest and • Overcoming • Newsletters • Website analytics

capture attention— oversaturation of
without mentioning available content • Blog posts • Qualified leads
your product generated
• Delivering • Checklists
or service
promised value • Lead
• Guides engagement rate
• Educate readers to meet audience
about a problem expectations • Research reports • Social analytics
or need
• Providing a Email analytics
• eBooks
• Establish fresh, insightful
• Organic traffic
thought leadership perspective on • Courses
and authority key topics
• Free tools and
assessments
• Webinars
EXERCISE:
Think about the content that could be used to support your buyers in this stage of their buying
journey. Propose the content’s purpose, title, and format. Leverage your existing content or think
of something new.
Content Purpose Content Title Content Format

2 Consideration
The buyer has pinpointed their problem

or need and is actively weighing various
The buyer is ready
vendor offerings. They’re comparing
to evaluate.
features, benefits, and pricing to arrive
at an informed decision.
• Educate and inform • Effectively conveying • Webinars • Qualified lead

about specific features and conversion rate
challenges and benefits • White papers
solutions • Opportunities
• Avoiding overly • Comparison sheets created
• Highlight features sales-focused
• Case studies • Opportunity value
and benefits content that may
deter potential • Analyst reports
• Showcase expertise • Sales accepted leads
buyers
and unique • Demos • Content downloads
differentiators • Catering to a
diverse range of • Return visitors
buyer needs in the
consideration stage • Sales analytics
EXERCISE:
of something new.

3 Decision
The buyer is poised to make a decision.

Having pinpointed their problem,
explored potential solutions, and The buyer is ready to decide.
trimmed their choices to a shortlist,
they’re ready to take the plunge.
• Foster trust and • Lack of 1:1 • ROI calculators • Deals closed/won

transparency personalization
and sales materials • Demos • Deal value
• Present compelling
reasons to choose • Effectively • Case studies • Time to close
your solution conveying
• Product spec sheets • Closed/won
advantages against
• Tackle any conversion rate
competitors • Comparison sheets
remaining objections
• Customer
or questions • Addressing • Customer reviews acquisition cost
lingering objections
(CAC) compared to
or doubts • Testimonials
customer lifetime
• Trials value (CLV)
EXERCISE:
of something new.

4 Loyalty
The buyer becomes a customer and aims

to showcase the ROI of their purchase, The customer is ready to use
validate their investment, and plan for your solution, generate results,
future enhancements. and prove ROI.
• Foster • Balancing the • Onboarding • Referrals

customer loyalty informational checklists
needs of both new • Product usage
• Elevate the customer and experienced • Getting started
experience guides • Reviews and
customers
testimonials
• Excite, delight, and • Showcasing tangible, • Advanced strategy
focus on continued guides • Account renewals
measurable results
value and expansion
• Customized • Upsell/cross-sell
opportunities • Re-engaging an
playbooks revenue
unresponsive
customer base • Customer ROI
• Customer spotlights
• Contests
• Direct mail
EXERCISE:
of something new.

Content by Persona
Now, let’s explore how different types of content resonate with different personas.
ASTRAL ADVICE
Here are a few best practices for planning suitable content formats for your audience:
• Conduct Thorough Persona Research: Leverage surveys, interviews, and online and offline
data capture to gather insights into your personas’ content consumption habits and interests.
• Consider Content Consumption Preferences: Tailor your content based on how your
personas prefer to consume information.
− Executives may opt for concise formats like executive summaries, bullet-point lists,
and quick-read articles.
− Managers may prefer visually engaging formats such as infographics, videos,

and slideshows.
− Analytical thinkers may want detailed reports, case studies, and comprehensive guides.
Let’s revisit the persona framework outlined in Chapter 1 and expand our scope to include
three additional personas:
1. A Decision Maker from a Manufacturing company
2. A Champion from a Corporate Service company
3. An Influencer from a Financial Service company
4. A User from a Marketing company
Your goal should be to assess the nuances in buyer behaviors, needs, and interests, discerning
the most suitable content for each persona throughout their distinct buying journeys.

MANUFACTURING: DECISION MAKER
Decision makers prioritize marketing content that aligns with their business goals, offers
clear value propositions, and demonstrates success through case studies and testimonials.
They prefer concise, relevant information that showcases thought leadership, expertise, and
educational resources to aid efficient decision making.

Committee
• Chief Operating Officer Manufacturing 500-1,000 employees
Decision Maker • VP of Manufacturing
• Director of Operation
• Oversees daily operations of the manufacturing plants • Improve production efficiency
• Ensures production efficiency and quality standards • Reduce operational costs by optimizing supply chain logistics
• Manages supply chain and logistics • Position the company as a leader in sustainable
manufacturing practices
• Implements and optimizing processes and technologies
• Expand production capacity to support new product lines

• Maximize operational efficiency, productivity, • Rising production costs and the need to maintain
and excellence competitive pricing
• Stay at the forefront of technological advancements • Supply chain disruptions and delays
• Ensure the company’s long-term sustainability • Adapting to rapid technological advancements
and growth

• Inefficiencies in the current production processes • Operational efficiency and cost reduction
• High labor costs and workforce management issues • Technology integration and innovation
• Complexities in supply chain management • Workforce management and development


• Analyzes industry trends and • Conducts cost-benefit analysis • Presents findings and
benchmarks and ROI projections recommendations to the
executive team
• Reviews case studies and • Seeks input from cross-
success stories from similar functional teams (engineering, • Prioritizes solutions that
companies to understand the finance, HR) align with strategic goals
current landscape and budget constraints
• Assesses the scalability and
• Engages with suppliers and integration of new solutions • Negotiates contracts and terms
vendors for initial research with existing systems with selected vendors

• Industry reports • Operational excellence • Email
and efficiency
• White papers • In-depth,
• Technology and innovation downloadable resources
• Trade publications
in manufacturing
• Professional social media
• Analyst reports
• Sustainability and networks
environmental practices
• Leadership and workforce
development
EXERCISE:
Think about the content that could be used to engage this persona throughout their buying
journey. Using the information above, propose a purpose, title, and format for three pieces
of content. Leverage your existing content or think of something new.
Awareness
Consideration
Decision
Loyalty

CORPORATE SERVICES — CHAMPION
Champions prioritize marketing content aligned with their strategic vision and
organizational goals. They seek content emphasizing the solution’s potential value,
supported by evidence, while highlighting long-term benefits and ROI.

Committee
• Director of Corporate Services 250-500 employees
Champion Human Resources
• Head of Human Resources
• Senior HR Manager
• Develops and implements HR strategies and initiatives • Improve employee retention and satisfaction
• Bridges management and employee relations • Foster a diverse and inclusive work environment
• Manages the recruitment and selection process • Enhance company culture and employee engagement
• Oversees a performance appraisal system • Streamline HR processes and systems for efficiency

• Foster a supportive, inclusive, and engaging work • Keeping up with changing labor laws and regulations
environment
• Managing remote and hybrid workforces
• Nurture talent within the organization and develop
• Addressing skills gaps within the organization
future leaders

• High turnover rates leading to constant • Advanced tools and platforms to streamline the
recruitment efforts recruitment process
• Keeping up with changing labor laws and regulations • Strategies for attracting and retaining top talent
• Maintaining high levels of employee engagement • Programs and initiatives to boost employee engagement
and morale and satisfaction


• Discovers HR trends and best • Researches HR solutions • Reviews demo presentations
practices through industry blogs and software to address and product trials
and LinkedIn current challenges
• Considers cost, implementation
• Attends webinars and • Consults with peers and time, and user-friendliness
conferences to stay updated industry experts for
• Engages in discussions
on HR innovations recommendations
with senior management
• Evaluates vendor proposals for final approval
and case studies
• Negotiates contracts and
terms with selected vendors

• Blog posts • Employee engagement • Email newsletters
• Podcasts • Turnover reduction • Industry conferences
and events
• Online workshops • Recruitment strategies
and tools • HR publications and blogs
• Infographics
• Continuous employee
• Newsletters
development
EXERCISE:
Awareness
Consideration
Decision
Loyalty

FINANCIAL SERVICES — INFLUENCER
Influencers seek content providing valuable insights to support their recommendations
to decision makers. They also prioritize content that addresses potential objections and
concerns raised by stakeholders.

Committee
• Financial Advisor Financial Services 250-500 employees
Influencer • Accounting Manager
• Financial Analyst
• Oversees month-end and year-end close processes • Maintain accurate financial records
• Ensures accurate and timely financial reporting • Ensure compliance with regulations and standards
• Develops and implements accounting policies • Provide insights to support strategic decision making
and procedures within the organization
• Manages internal and external audits

• Accuracy and integrity in financial reporting • Balancing day-to-day operational tasks with strategic
financial planning
• Continuous learning and professional development
• Keeping up with changing regulations and
• Efficiency and effectiveness in processes and systems
accounting standards
• Leveraging technology to streamline processes
and improve efficiency

• Manual and time-consuming processes • Streamline financial processes and improve efficiency
within her accounting department
• Compliance and regulatory concerns
• Ensure compliance with relevant accounting standards,
• Limited resources or budget constraints for
regulations, and reporting requirements
investing in technology or staff development
• Access to accurate and timely financial data
and analytics


• Evaluates accounting • Conducts cost-benefit analysis • Presents findings and
software solutions and services and ROI calculations for recommendations to
through online research and potential accounting system senior management
vendor comparisons upgrades or implementations or the finance team
• Seeks recommendations • Considers scalability, • Coordinates
from colleagues, peers, integration capabilities, implementation efforts
and industry forums and user-friendliness of with internal stakeholders
accounting solutions and IT departments
Preferred Content Preferred Content Topics Preferred Channels

Formats and Interests of Engagement
• White papers • Interpreting and • Professional networking
implementing accounting events, conferences,
• Research reports
standards and regulations and industry associations
• Webinars
• Financial reporting, analysis, • LinkedIn
• eBooks and disclosure
• Webinars and online courses
• Accounting process automation
• Industry publications
• Internal controls and risk
management
EXERCISE:
Awareness
Consideration
Decision
Loyalty

USER
Users value marketing content focused on usability, efficiency, and effectiveness. They seek
practical insights like product demonstrations and tutorials, user testimonials, and content that
addresses specific concerns around integrations, workflows, and support.

Committee
• Campaign Marketing 500-1,000 employees
User Marketing Manager
• Marketing Manager
• Digital Marketing Manager
• Plans, executes, and analyzes marketing campaigns • Increase brand awareness and market share
• Collaborates with cross-functional teams (e.g., creative, • Drive customer acquisition and retention
sales, product) to develop strategies
• Generate qualified leads for the sales team
• Manages campaign budgets and timelines
• Enhance customer engagement and loyalty
through targeted campaigns
• Maximize ROI on marketing initiatives

• Make a measurable impact on the company’s • Staying ahead of competition in a fast-paced market
bottom line
• Balancing creativity with data-driven decision making
• Creativity and innovation in their campaigns
• Managing tight deadlines and competing priorities
• Opportunities for learning, growth, and recognition
• Demonstrating the impact of marketing efforts on
business outcomes

• Limited resources and budget constraints • Effective campaign management tools
• Difficulty in accurately measuring the effectiveness • Data-driven insights and analytics
of marketing campaigns
• Effective communication and collaboration tools
• Keeping up with rapidly evolving technology and
• Support from senior leadership, peers, and colleagues
digital marketing platforms


• Stays updated on • Researches marketing • Seeks recommendations
marketing trends and best tools and technologies from peers and industry
practices through industry to streamline campaign experts before making
blogs and publications management and analysis purchasing decisions
• Follows marketing • Attends webinars and virtual • Presents findings to manager
influencers and thought leaders events on topics like campaign for approval
on social media for insights optimization and customer
and inspiration segmentation
• Evaluates marketing software
platforms based on features,
pricing, and user reviews

• Customer examples • Strategies for developing • Email
effective marketing campaigns
• Webinars • Webinars
• Creating compelling content
• Reports • Industry conferences
• Analyzing campaign data
• eBooks and guides • Social media
• Driving audience engagement
• Infographics
EXERCISE:
Awareness
Consideration
Decision
Loyalty

ASTRAL ADVICE
Go back to the Persona Template (1.4), Buyer’s Journey Template (2.2), and Buyer Engagement
Template (2.4), adding what you know now about creating the right content for the right buyers
at each stage of their buying journey.
Worksheet | Content by Persona and Buying Stage Framework
Utilize the following framework to develop your content marketing mix, ensuring
it is aligned with your personas and the various stages of their buying journey.
Here’s an example:
CONTENT BY PERSONA AND BUYING STAGE
PERSONA: Champions – Marketing Managers
BUYER’S JOURNEY STAGE AWARENESS

The buyer is ready to understand
Content Purpose Educate and inform buyers in the awareness stage of the buyer’s journey about
buyer-level intent data.
This content aims to introduce the concept, benefits, and practical applications of
intent data so the reader can start incorporating it into their marketing strategies.
Key Message Discover how buyer-level intent data can revolutionize your marketing strategies
by providing deep insights into your potential customers’ behaviors, preferences,
and purchase intent.
Topics and Themes • Buyer-level intent data is a crucial tool in modern marketing, offering
detailed insights into individual consumers’ behaviors and interests.
• By understanding this data, businesses can more effectively target their
marketing efforts, personalize their messaging, and ultimately increase
conversion rates.
Title Understanding Buyer-Level Intent Data: A Comprehensive Guide for Beginners
Format eBook

WORKSHEET | CONTENT BY PERSONA AND BUYING STAGE FRAMEWORK
Utilize the following framework to develop your content
marketing mix, ensuring it is aligned with your personas
Download the full
and the various stages of their buying journey. template here
CONTENT BY PERSONA AND BUYING STAGE
Persona
Buyer’s Awareness Consideration

Journey Stage
The buyer is ready to understand The buyer is ready to evaluate
Content Purpose
Key Message
Topics and Themes
Title
Format

WORKSHEET | CONTENT BY PERSONA AND BUYING STAGE FRAMEWORK
marketing mix, ensuring it is aligned with your personas
Download the full
and the various stages of their buying journey. template here
CONTENT BY PERSONA AND BUYING STAGE (CONTINUED)
Persona
Buyer’s Decision Loyalty

Journey Stage
The buyer is ready to decide The customer is ready to use your
solution, generate results, and
prove ROI.
Content Purpose
Key Message
Topics and Themes
Title
Format

3.3 Incoming Message: Developing a Messaging Framework
You only make a first impression once. And when you only have mere seconds to capture
your buyer’s attention, your message must be strong enough to stick the landing.
The Importance of a Messaging Framework
The way you craft your messages—from headlines to taglines—shapes how your target audience
perceives and interacts with your brand.
Clear, consistent messaging builds trust, credibility, and reinforces your brand’s expertise. It also
ensures that your value proposition—a statement of your unique benefits and key differentiators—
is understood, making it easier for potential customers to see how your solutions address their
specific challenges and, more importantly, say “Yes” when it’s time to sign on the dotted line.
If content is the launchpad to engaging your buyers, then messaging is the gravity that captures
them in your orbit.
ASTRAL ADVICE
Speak with your product team and internal subject matter experts to increase your
knowledge of your offerings and learn how to communicate them to your audiences.
How to Create a Messaging Framework: 6 Key Components
A messaging framework is a structured guide that outlines how a company communicates its value
to its target audience. It serves as a blueprint to ensure all messaging and content is consistent, clear,
and aligned with the brand’s goals and values.
There are 6 key components of an effective B2B messaging framework.
TARGET AUDIENCE The intended recipient of your messaging framework, tailored to a specific
buyer persona or audience segment.
VALUE A brief statement outlining the unique benefits and distinguishing features
PROPOSITION of your offering.
ASSESSMENT:
What is your company’s Value Proposition?

CHALLENGE The common pain points or obstacles experienced by your target audience that
STATEMENTS your solution can address. Consider writing these from the perspective of your
target audience as “I statements.”
ASSESSMENT:
What are your company’s Challenge Statements?
SOLUTION Concise statements detailing the unique value of your solution and
POSITIONING how it addresses the challenges faced by your target audience.
STATEMENTS
ASSESSMENT:
What are your company’s Solution Positioning Statements?
PROOF POINTS AND Concrete features or functionalities of your solution that validate your
PRODUCT FEATURES positioning statements.
ASSESSMENT:
What are your company’s core Product Features?

BENEFIT Statements emphasizing the primary advantages, experiences,
STATEMENTS and positive outcomes that come from using your solution.
ASSESSMENT:
What are your company’s Benefit Statements?
Here’s what a typical messaging framework looks like:
MESSAGING FRAMEWORK
Target • Persona: • Title: • Company size:

Audience Champion IT Directors 500-1,000 employees
Value LunaCorp provides an all-in-one, cloud-based project management solution that simplifies
collaboration, enhances productivity, and ensures project success.
Proposition
Challenge 1 Efficiency 2 Collaboration 3 Visibility

Statements
“I have limited resources “I have to deal with complex “I lack visibility over ongoing
and bandwidth” processes that hinder projects to be able to make
collaboration” informed, meaningful decisions.”
Solution Save time and Achieve seamless collaboration Gain full visibility and rich
streamline workflows across the enterprise insights into every project
Positioning
Statements
Proof Points • Task Management: Easily • Real-Time Collaboration: • Customizable

and Product create, assign, and track Facilitate instant team Dashboards: Personalize
tasks for efficient team communication and project dashboards for
Features coordination. feedback. instant insights.
• Automation: Streamline • Shared Calendars: • Reporting Tools:
tasks and workflows, Coordinate schedules and Generate customizable
saving time and effort. deadlines with accessible project reports for informed
shared calendars. decision making.
• Time Tracking: Monitor task
time to boost productivity • Document Sharing: • Data Visualization:
and refine processes. Centralize document Visualize project data to spot
storage for seamless trends and insights swiftly.
collaboration.
Benefit Maximize productivity with Enhance team collaboration with Gain project progress visibility
LunaCorp’s intuitive interface LunaCorp’s real-time updates and with LunaCorp’s customizable
Statements
and automation, streamlining shared workspaces for seamless dashboards and detailed
tasks and scaling efficiency. communication. reporting, empowering informed
decision making.

WORKSHEET | MESSAGING FRAMEWORK
Now, try creating your own messaging framework using
what you know about your audience, company, and
Download the full
solution. Or, use this to create a messaging framework for template here
a persona, audience segment, or upcoming campaign.
MESSAGING FRAMEOWRK
Target
Audience
Value
Proposition
Challenge 1 Efficiency 2 Collaboration 3 Visibility

Statements
Solution
Positioning
Statements
Proof Points
and Product
Features
Benefit
Statements

3.4 Your Cosmic Blueprint: 20 Questions to Create
High-Impact Content
Creating content that resonates with your buyers and drives results requires a well-crafted
strategy and a spark of creativity.
But don’t worry, a content strategy doesn’t have to be complex to be effective.
To make it easy, we’ve broken down the process into 20 questions (and included some
sample responses of our own).
What Are Your Goals for This Content?
The first set of questions you’ll need to answer revolve around your hopes for this content.
At the onset, you should be able to clearly identify your goals, objectives, and approach.
Essentially: How will you ensure this content is worth the investment of time and resources?
WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THIS CONTENT?

Define your goals, objectives, and approach for this content. Sample responses
GOALS • Establish the brand authority in marketing best practices

1
What are the broader, long-term • Foster trust and relationships with marketing professionals
outcomes you want to achieve
and decision makers
with this content?
• Drive sustained engagement and loyalty
OBJECTIVES • Increase web traffic by 20% within three months

2
What are the measurable, short- • Generate 500 new leads from downloads in the first quarter
term results you want to achieve
with this content? Be as specific
• Obtain at 25 backlinks from reputable marketing websites
as you can.
and blogs within six months
APPROACH • Provide in-depth, actionable insights and strategies that

3
are immediately applicable by key marketing personas
How will you ensure this content
achieves your goals and objectives?
• Promote the guide through targeted digital marketing
campaigns, including social media, email marketing,
and partnerships with industry influencers

Who Is Your Target Audience for This Content?
Next, you’ll identify who you want this content to gravitate around.
WHO IS YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE FOR THIS CONTENT?

Define your ideal audience who you want to engage with this content. Sample responses
4 JOB FUNCTIONS • Marketing strategy • Digital marketing
• Content marketing
5 JOB TITLES / • Marketing Director • Content Strategist

SENIORITY
• Marketing Manager • Digital Marketing Specialist
6 INDUSTRIES • Technology • Finance
• Retail
7 BUY ING JOURNEY • Awareness

STAGE
• Early-stage consideration
8 ADDITIONAL DETAILS • Focus on mid-to-large enterprises.
• Target professionals who are surging on intent topics

related to innovative and effective marketing strategies.
What Are Your Audience’s Needs?
This third set of questions will help ensure your content resonates with your audiences.
You can also start to determine how to personalize and tailor your efforts.
Here, you’ll outline your audience’s needs, goals, and challenges.
ASTRAL ADVICE
Refer back to your Persona Template (1.4), Buyer’s Journey Template (2.2) , and
Buyer Engagement Template (2.4) to help answer these questions.

WHAT ARE YOUR AUDIENCE’S NEEDS?
Define the needs of your target audience. Sample responses
9 AUDIENCE • Developing and implementing marketing strategies

RESPONSIBILITIES
• Driving brand growth and engagement
What is your audience
responsible for?
• Managing marketing teams and budgets
10 AUDIENCE GOALS • Achieving significant ROI on marketing efforts

AND MOTIVATIONS
• Staying ahead of marketing trends and innovations
What are your audience’s goals?
What are they motivated by?
• Enhancing brand reputation and customer loyalty
11 AUDIENCE • Keeping up with rapidly changing digital marketing trends

CHALLENGES
AND PAIN POINTS • Demonstrating the value and impact of marketing initiatives
to stakeholders
What stands in the way of your
audience’s success?
• Integrating new technologies and platforms into
existing strategies
• Managing limited budgets and resources effectively
12 AUDIENCE NEEDS • Innovative marketing strategies and insights

AND INTERESTS
• Practical tips and actionable advice that can be
What does your audience need
to be able to remove roadblocks
quickly implemented
and achieve their goals? What are
they interested in? What have they • Tools and frameworks to measure and optimize
engaged with previously? their marketing performance
ASTRAL ADVICE
Personalization is key to enhancing the effectiveness of your content. But go too far and you risk
being… creepy.
Leverage the similarities in your personas’ interests, goals, and motivations to create content that
still remains highly relevant and highly resonant for your target readers.
Read more: How to Use Buyer Intent Data to Boost Results (Without Being a Creep)

Why Will Your Audiences Care About This Content?
Now, you’ll define the “why”—why should your audiences care about this content?
What makes this content different from others like it? What is its purpose? Why would
someone engage? What are they going to learn?
Your answers to these questions should be as detailed as possible as they will heavily guide
your content outline.
WHY WILL YOUR AUDIENCES CARE ABOUT THIS CONTENT?

Define why your audience will care about this content and describe why they will engage. Sample responses
13 CONTENT PURPOSE • Serve as a comprehensive resource during the awareness

What purpose will your content and consideration stages, positioning the brand as a
serve in your buyer’s journey? thought leader
• Provide valuable insights and practical advice that help

move potential customers towards the decision stage
14 KEY DIFFERENTIATORS • Combines the latest industry research with real-world

What makes this content case studies
different from others?
• Features contributions from top marketing experts
and influencers
• Offers practical, step-by-step guidance that can be

immediately applied
15 REASONS TO ENGAGE • To gain a competitive edge with cutting-edge

Why would someone be interested marketing strategies
in this content?
• To learn from the successes and challenges of industry leaders
• To find actionable insights that can drive immediate results

in their marketing efforts
16 KEY TAKEAWAYS • Proven marketing best practices across different industries

AND LEARNINGS
• Innovative strategies to enhance brand visibility
What will someone learn after
engaging with this content?
and engagement
• How to measure and optimize marketing ROI effectively
17 MOMENTS OF CLARITY • Readers should feel inspired to implement new strategies

What are the actions and and tactics
behaviors we want this content
to inspire in a reader? • Desired next steps include downloading additional resources
and signing up for upcoming product demos
A-ha moments, reflections and
assessments, or desired next steps
we want our audience to take.

What Is Your Content About?
Finally, knowing everything you do about your audience’s interests, challenges, and needs,
you’ll come up with a title, format, and summary of your content.
What titles will resonate best? What formats will your audience prefer? What will your content
ultimately help them achieve?
WHAT IS YOUR CONTENT ABOUT?

Based on the previous information you’ve provided, think of the title, format,
and summary of this content. Sample responses
18 CONTENT TITLE Marketing Mastery: 3 Strategies for Success

Write a 5-8 word title that effectively
describes your content.
19 CONTENT FORMAT Long-form: Guide

What shape will your content take?
• Long-form: Report, eBook, guide

• Short-form: Tip sheet, checklist
• Visual: Lookbook, infographic
• Webinar or video
• Other
20 CONTENT SUMMARY A comprehensive guide for marketing professionals offering

Write a short summary (~30-50 new research, real-world case studies, and expert insights on
words) about what your content effective marketing practices. Discover actionable tips and
will be about. innovative tactics to boost brand visibility, drive customer
engagement, and optimize marketing ROI.

WORKSHEET | CONTENT STRATEGY BRIEF TEMPLATE
Try it yourself! Use the template below to develop your
own high-impact content strategy.
Download the full
template here
CONTENT STRATEGY BRIEF

20 Questions to Guide the Creation of High-Impact Content
WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THIS CONTENT?

Define your goals, objectives, and approach for this content.
1 GOALS
What are the broader, long-term
outcomes you want to achieve with
this content?
2 OBJECTIVES
What are the measurable, short-
term results you want to achieve
with this content? Be as specific
as you can.
3 APPROACH
How will you ensure this content
achieves your goals and objectives?

Download the full
template here
CONTENT STRATEGY BRIEF (CONTINUED)

WHO IS YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE FOR THIS CONTENT?

Define your ideal audience who you want to engage with this content.
4 JOB FUNCTIONS
5 JOB TITLES /
SENIORITY
6 INDUSTRIES
7 BUYING JOURNEY
STAGE
8 ADDITIONAL DETAILS

Download the full
template here

WHAT ARE YOUR AUDIENCE’S NEEDS?

Define the needs of your target audience.
9 AUDIENCE
RESPONSIBILITIES
What is your audience
responsible for?
10 AUDIENCE GOALS
AND MOTIVATIONS
What are your audience’s goals?
What are they motivated by?
11 AUDIENCE
CHALLENGES
AND PAIN POINTS
What stands in the way of
your audience’s success?
12 AUDIENCE NEEDS
AND INTERESTS
What does your audience need
to be able to remove roadblocks
and achieve their goals? What are
they interested in? What have they
engaged with previously?

Download the full
template here

WHY WILL YOUR AUDIENCES CARE ABOUT THIS CONTENT?

Define why your audience will care about this content and describe why they will engage.
13 CONTENT PURPOSE
What purpose will your content
serve in your buyer’s journey?
14 KEY DIFFERENTIATORS
What makes this content
different from others?
15 REASONS TO ENGAGE
Why would someone be interested
in this content?
16 KEY TAKEAWAYS
AND LEARNINGS
What will someone learn after
engaging with this content?
17 MOMENTS OF CLARITY
What are the actions and
behaviors we want this content
to inspire in a reader?
A-ha moments, reflections and

assessments, or desired next steps
we want our audience to take.

Download the full
template here

WHAT IS YOUR CONTENT ABOUT?

Based on the previous information you’ve provided, think of the title, format, and summary
of this content.
18 CONTENT TITLE
Write a 5-8 word title that effectively
describes your content.
19 CONTENT FORMAT
What shape will your content take?
• Long-form: Report, eBook, guide

• Short-form: Tip sheet, checklist
• Visual: Lookbook, infographic
• Webinar or video
• Other
20 CONTENT SUMMARY
Write a short summary (~100-150
words) about what your content
will be about.

3.5 The Building Blocks of Brilliance: Crafting Your Content Outline
Now all that’s left is to put pen to paper!
With your content strategy in-hand, your next step is to draft a content
outline—a detailed overview of the structure, themes, ideas, and takeaways
you plan to include in the finished piece.
An outline will help you organize your thoughts and make collaboration easier,
ensuring everyone is moving towards the same destination.
Using the content strategy inputs we provided earlier, here’s a sample content
outline you can refer to:
Title: Marketing Guide: Embracing the Future - 3 Key Trends Shaping Modern Marketing
The Introduction
1 Introduction
• Context Setting
− Describe the state of the industry, the “need,” and the challenges that inspired the creation
of this content
• The Purpose of the Guide
− Understanding the importance of staying ahead in marketing
− Overview of the three key trends
• Overview of Content
− Briefly describe what the guide will cover and what the reader will learn
ASTRAL ADVICE
The Introduction should provide context, clarity, and purpose, reinforcing to the reader why
they’re here and helping set expectations for what they can expect to learn.
(Optional) Key Takeaways
• Key Takeaway 1
• Key Takeaway 2
• Key Takeaway 3
ASTRAL ADVICE
You may also consider placing your Key Takeaways at the start of your content. This technique
ensures readers immediately see the value of your content whether they reach the end or not.

2 Understanding Marketing Best Practices
• Defining Best Practices
− What constitutes a best practice in marketing?
• Importance of Staying Current
− Why keeping up with trends and innovations is crucial for marketing success.
ASTRAL ADVICE
Before diving into the main topics of your content, it can be helpful to include a brief section
on Level Setting, helping ensure all readers have a common understanding of what you’re
about to discuss.
The Body
3 Key Marketing Strategies: Brand Visibility

• Section Introduction
− Definition
− Why this is important
− Examples
• KPIs and Metrics
− Key performance indicators to track marketing success
− Best practices for analyzing and reporting marketing data
• Overcoming Common Challenges
− Identifying and addressing common obstacles
− Practical solutions to overcome these challenges
• Key Strategies
− Techniques to enhance brand presence
− Step-by-step guidance on implementing marketing strategies
− New and creative approaches
• Tools and Frameworks
− Overview of essential tools
− Proven frameworks to guide marketing efforts and ensure success

• Real-World Insights
− Case studies showcasing successful campaigns
− Insights from top marketing professionals
− Q&A with influential figures in marketing
• Key Takeaways
4 Key Marketing Strategies: Customer Engagement

− Definition
− Examples
• Key Strategies
• Key Takeaways

5 Key Marketing Strategies: Optimizing Marketing ROI
− Definition
− Examples
• Key Strategies
• Key Takeaways
ASTRAL ADVICE
The body of your outline contains your Main Topics and Sub-Topics. It’s important to consider
the order of your main discussion points as well as your supporting points. Following a pattern
can make it easier for readers to follow along and comprehend complex ideas.

6 Future Trends in Marketing
• Emerging Trends • Preparing for the Future
− Insights into future trends and innovations − How to stay ahead in the ever-evolving
in marketing. marketing landscape.
ASTRAL ADVICE
You may consider including a section between your Main Topics and Conclusion.
This section can contain information relevant to the overall discussion, but it may not fit within
your Main Topics. Just be careful not to introduce too many new ideas, as this could confuse
your readers.
The Conclusion
7 Conclusion
• Key Takeaways • Calls-to-Action (CTAs)
− Key Takeaway 1 − Related resources
− Key Takeaway 2 − Practical templates and worksheets to aid

in strategy implementation
− Key Takeaway 3
ASTRAL ADVICE
The Conclusion serves as a recap of your main points, reinforcing ideas and learnings to
ensure that the reader leaves with a clear understanding of the topic and their next steps.
Incorporate Calls-to-Action (CTAs) in the Conclusion as well, encouraging the reader to

continue their journey with you by offering related resources and opportunities for conversion,
such as demos.
ASTRAL ADVICE
Let’s face facts. The introduction of Generative AI has made much of the initial elements of content
construction and outlining easier than ever. So how can you stand out from the “Sea of Sameness”?
Be unique. Leverage your own perspectives and experiences—these belong to you and you alone.
Don’t be afraid to let your personality—and your brand’s identity—shine through!

3.6 Expanding Your Orbit: 4 Steps to Promote Content
and Drive Engagement
How you promote your content is as crucial as your work to create it. An effective promotion strategy
can mean the difference between a landmark release and your content fading into obscurity.
However, it’s not just about reaching any audience—it’s about reaching the right audience.
With a robust mix of channels, messages, and content, you can strike the perfect balance between
wide reach and deep engagement, ensuring that your content not only shines but also resonates
with the buyers who matter most to you.
Choose the Right Audience
Who was your content made for? Who will engage? Who will take action?
Leverage a combination of segments, filters, and data points to identify the best audience to
promote your content to.
AUDIENCE AUDIENCE FILTERS

SEGMENTS
Target Account List • Account Fit • Geography

• Company Size • Technology
• Industry
Personas • Decision Makers • Influencers

• Champions • Users
Job Level • C-Suite • Managers

• VPs • Individual Contributors
• Directors
21% 8%
increase in total demand from increase in Managers, Directors
individual Contributors and C-level consumption
Source: NetLine, “2024 State of B2B Content Consumption and Demand Report for Marketers”
ASTRAL ADVICE
Who within a buying committee is most likely to make an immediate buying decision after
engaging with your content?

ASTRAL ADVICE (CONTINUED)
JOB LEVELS
More Likely Associated with Less Likely Associated with

Immediate Buying Decision Immediate Buying Decision
C-Level Individual Supervisor Director

Contributor
Executive VP Senior Employee Manager
Senior VP
Owner Senior Manager
Buying Stage • Awareness • Purchase

• Education • Adoption
• Consideration • Expansion
• Decision • Advocacy
Buying Intent • Past Engagement • Confirmed Projects

• Search Queries • Timeline to Invest
• Websites Visited • In-Person Event
• Content Consumed Registration / Attendance
EXERCISE:
Fill in the blanks: Who is your target audience?
This campaign will target companies with employees,

[industry] [employee size]
who are located in , and use technologies.
[geography] [kinds of technologies]
Within those organizations, we want to engage who are

[job titles]
in their decision making process and are in the

[buying committee role(s)]
stage of their buying journey.

[buyer’s journey stage]

Over the last 60 days, these individuals have engaged with content about
[topic(s)]
visited our competitors’ websites, and attended the following events:

[competitor names]
. They have demonstrated a level of
[industry events] [high, medium, low]
purchase intent.
Choose the Right Content
What are your goals and objectives? Who is your target audience?
Based on these factors, select the content that will resonate most with your audience, aligning
your goals with their challenges, behaviors, needs, and interests.
BUYER’S CONTENT FORMATS

JOURNEY STAGE
Awareness • Blog Posts • Newsletters

• Checklists • Industry Research Reports
• eBooks • Tools
• Guides • Webinars
Consideration • Analyst Reports • Demos

• Case Studies • Webinars
• Comparison Sheets • White Papers
Guides White Papers Playbooks However, Playbooks
47% 13% 62% 6X

More likely to purchase in More likely to purchase Less likely to purchase in More likely to purchase in
0-3 months compared to in 0-3 months compared 0-3 months despite being the next 3-6 months
other formats to eBooks the top format
Decision • Case Studies • Product Spec Sheets
• Comparison Sheets • ROI Calculators
• Customer Reviews • Testimonials
• Demos • Trials
Users requesting case studies were Users requesting playbooks were
79% 115%
more likely to purchase more likely to purchase
within 12 months within 12 months
Loyalty • Contests • Direct Mail

• Customer Spotlights • Getting Started Guides
• Customer Videos • Onboarding Checklists
• Customer Webinars • Strategy Guides
• Customized Playbooks
ASTRAL ADVICE
What’s the connection between an individual’s preferred format and their

readiness to buy?
CONTENT FORMATS
More Likely Associated Less Likely Associated

with a Buying Decision with a Buying Decision
Playbook Analyst Report Tips & Tricks Guide Report
Case Study White Paper Course Article
Trend Report Live Webinar eKit Cheat Sheets
Playbooks, Case Studies, and Trend Reports Tips and Tricks Guides, Courses, and eKits
were the three formats most likely to be were the three formats least likely to be
associated with a buying decision over the associated with a buying decision over the
course of the next years. course of the next year.
EXERCISE:
Fill in the blanks: What content will you use to engage your target audience?
1 I am promoting a(n) about

[content format] [content topic]
to in in the
[job title - buying committee role] [industry]
stage of the buyer’s journey.


to in in the


to in in the

Choose the Right Message
What’s the hook? What’s in it for the reader? Why should they engage?
It’s not just about your content—it’s also about how you message it.
BUYER’S MESSAGING MESSAGING WHAT’S IN IT

JOURNEY STAGE GOALS EXAMPLE FOR THE BUYER?
Awareness • Drive interest and Launch your marketing results Learn best practices, tips,
capture attention into the stratosphere. and success strategies.
The buyer is ready to • Educate readers about
understand and learn Explore these 5 strategies for
a problem or need
success and discover new ways
• Establish thought to reach, engage, and convert
leadership and expertise your buyers.
Consideration • Offer insights on challenges Discover the difference. Evaluate the solution in a real-
and solutions world scenario.
The buyer is ready to evaluate See how LunaCorp leveraged
• Emphasize features and
advanced strategies and
benefits for decision making
cutting edge tools to increase
• Showcase unique strengths efficiency by 30%.
to outshine competitors
Decision • Foster trust and Are you ready to boost results? Decide on suitability by
transparency weighing pros, cons, and
The buyer is ready to decide Seeing is believing: Schedule options in real-time.
• Compel to choose you
a personalized demo and see
• Address remaining what our solution can do.
objections
Loyalty • Nurture loyalty for Level-up your marketing Discover advanced techniques
renewals and growth strategies and boost ROI. for enhanced results and ROI.
The customer is ready to use your • Elevate the
solution, generate results, and See how our latest features
customer experience
prove ROI helped LunaCorp achieve
• Excite and delight their best quarter yet.
EXERCISE:
Fill in the table: How will you communicate with your buyers?
BUYER’S YOUR YOUR MESSAGE WHAT’S IN IT

JOURNEY STAGE MESSAGING GOAL FOR YOUR BUYER?
Awareness
Consideration
Decision
Loyalty
Choose the Right Channels
Lastly, how will you reach your audiences? How will you promote your content?
Maximize engagement by selecting the right channels to connect with the audiences actively
seeking content like yours.
BUYER’S CHANNELS
JOURNEY STAGE
Awareness • Content Marketing • Partner Co-Marketing

• Content Syndication • SEO and Organic Search
• Digital Advertising • Social Media
• Events and Trade Shows • Trade Publications and Features
• Influencer Marketing
• Online Communities
Consideration • Email • Social Proof

• Live Chat and Chatbots • Webinars
• Product Reviews • Website
• Retargeting
Decision • 1:1 Sales Outreach • Retargeting

• Dedicated Landing Pages • Social Proof
• Product Reviews
Loyalty • Customer Community • Email

• Customer Success Programs • In-App Messaging
• Direct Mail • Social Media
ASTRAL ADVICE
Leverage a robust mix of channels and content to capture buyers wherever they are in their
buying journey, providing them with opportunities to explore at their own pace and on their
own terms.
Remember: Your buyer is in the driver’s seat, and you are their trusted co-pilot.
EXERCISE:
Fill in the table: What are your top performing channels? What channels do you want to utilize more
moving forward?
BUYER’S TOP CHANNELS CHANNELS

JOURNEY STAGE USED TODAY TO EXPLORE
Awareness
Consideration
Decision
Loyalty
WORKSHEET | CONTENT PROMOTION STRATEGY FRAMEWORK
promotion strategy, ensuring it is aligned with your
Download the full
personas and the various stages of their buying journey.
template here
CONTENT PROMOTION STRATE GY FRAMEWORK
Target Audience Awareness Consideration

The buyer is ready to understand The buyer is ready to evaluate
Personal Details: Buying

Activities,
Behaviors,
and Intent
Firmographics: Promotion
and
Distribution
Channels
Demographics: Offer (Title

and Format)
Additional Details: Key Message

(What’s in it
for Them?)
Goals and
Measures
of Success
WORKSHEET | CONTENT PROMOTION STRATEGY FRAMEWORK
promotion strategy, ensuring it is aligned with your
Download the full
personas and the various stages of their buying journey.
template here
CONTENT PROMOTION STRATE GY FRAMEWORK (CONTINUED)
Target Audience Decision Loyalty

The buyer is ready to decide The customer is ready to use your
solution, generate results, and
prove ROI.
Personal Details: Buying

Activities,
Behaviors,
and Intent
Firmographics: Promotion
and
Distribution
Channels
Demographics: Offer (Title

and Format)
Additional Details: Key Message

(What’s in it
for Them?)
Goals and
Measures
of Success
3.7 Cutting Through the Noise: Tips to Create Irresistible Content
In a cosmos brimming with competitors and flooded with choices, you need content that can cut
through the noise and help you connect with your buyers.
It’s not enough to merely capture a buyer’s attention—that’s just the beginning. To sustain it, and
eventually turn that attention into action, your understanding of your buyers and their buying journeys
will be put to the test.
Here are some tips to help you create the content and experiences your audiences crave.
Lack of Insight About Analyze Buyer Intent and

What Audiences Want Engagement Data
Enhance your content by analyzing the behaviors and activities of your audience, using these insights to
help you determine which topics and formats are worth covering, abandoning, or doubling down on.
ASSESSMENT:
Answer the following questions.
• How do you currently capture data around buyer intent and engagement?
• What topics are your customers and prospects most interested in learning about?
• What events are your customers and prospects most likely to attend?
• What are some things your competitors do well that you would like to emulate?
• What are some things your own organization does currently that you think could be improved to drive
more engagement with customers and prospects?
Atomize and Repurpose

Lack of Content Your Big Rock Content
Don’t reinvent the wheel.
Repurpose your content by transforming your long-form, big rock pieces—your eBooks, reports,
whitepapers, and webinars—into new, varied formats, breaking them down into smaller, easily
digestible pieces.
By doing so, you can extend your content’s lifespan, reach new audiences, and maximize your content
marketing efforts.
To effectively repurpose your content, consider these tips:
• Start with high-performing pieces: These have already resonated deeply with your audience,
demonstrating their interest. Double down on that engagement.
• Customize for specific platforms and audiences: Ensure your content fits the unique format
and style of each platform and audience.
• Transform key takeaways into standalone assets: Extract chapters, key points, and noteworthy
insights to create shorter content pieces like blog posts, social media posts, infographics,
checklists, and guides.
• Update for relevance: Ensure the content reflects current information and trends.
EXERCISE:
Assess your current content library and identify pieces of content that you could repurpose and atomize.
Collaborate with your content marketing team to think of some ideas.
EXISTING CONTENT REPURPOSED CONTENT
1.
2.
3.
1.
2.
3.
1.
2.
3.
Conduct a Content Audit

Non-Diverse Content Mix and Identify Gaps
If your content mix feels one-note, conducting a content audit can help you identify gaps and
areas for improvement.
Create an inventory of your content—from blogs to whitepapers to webinars—and use key

performance metrics to evaluate what performed well and what fell short. This will help you
to decide whether to revisit older content and to strategize on how to revamp and repurpose
your existing library to better meet audience needs.
Here’s a template to help you get started:
CONTENT AUDIT
Content Format URL Publish Buyer’s Target Key Topics Performance Additional
Title Date Journey Audience Metrics Notes
Stage
Create an
Inconsistent Content Production Editorial Calendar
A content editorial calendar is essential for any content marketing strategy, providing a structured
framework that ensures consistency, organization, and alignment between the audiences you want
to reach and the content you create to reach them.
Start by planning your cornerstone content pieces—those requiring the most effort and resources,
such as an annual research report, quarterly eBook, or bi-monthly webinar series.
Next, plan additional content to support these main pieces, like blog posts summarizing key takeaways
or detailed guides. (Repurposing content is also a smart tactic here!)
An editorial calendar helps you effectively map out your content plan—filling gaps, addressing needs,
and ensuring all teams are aware of what’s coming up.
Here’s a template to help you get started:
EDITORIAL CALENDAR
Date Persona Buying Stage Content Content Title Key Themes Promotion Responsi-
Format and Topics Channels bilities and
Deadlines
3.8 Key Takeaways: Creating Content That Converts
• Understand Your Audience: Get to know your audience inside and out. Use surveys, interviews,
and analytics to build detailed buyer personas. Tailor your content to address their specific needs
and challenges, offering valuable solutions and insights they can’t resist.
• Align Your Content to the Buyer’s Journey: Map out the stages of your buyer’s journey and ensure
you have content to support every step of the way.
• Utilize Different Content Formats: Diversify your content to cater to different preferences. Offer
a variety of formats like articles, videos, infographics, and more. This way, everyone in the decision
making process finds something that clicks with them.
• Atomize Your Content: Don’t let great content go to waste—repurpose it! Turn that big eBook into
bite-sized blog posts or transform a webinar into a downloadable guide. It’s a smart way to extend
your content’s reach and make the most of what you’ve created.
• Leverage Social Proof: Show potential customers that others trust you too. Share testimonials,
case studies, and user-generated content to build credibility. Real success stories prove your
solutions work and can make a big impact.
• Include Clear Calls-to-Action (CTAs): Guide your audience smoothly through their journey with
clear instructions. Whether it’s signing up for a demo or downloading a guide, make it easy for
them to take the next step. Don’t leave them guessing about what to do next.
• Promote Across Channels: Meet your audience where they spend their time. Share your content
across platforms they use. Maximize your visibility and keep potential customers engaged
wherever they are online.
• Stay Consistent: Keep your audience coming back for more by staying on top of your content
schedule. Plan ahead with a content calendar to keep your production and distribution organized.
Consistency builds trust and keeps your brand top of mind.

• Revealing the True Intentions of B2B Buyers:
Key Takeaways from NetLine’s 2024 Content Report
Explore Additional
• 2024 Content Trends & Planning Guide: Discover Resources
Your Buyer’s Interests
• What is Content Personalization Marketing and

Its Importance?

a free-to-use, real-time interactive tool that helps B2B marketers Try NetLine’s
understand the content, trends, and topics that their buyers are Audience Explorer
engaging with most.
Try it now
04
IGNITE
ENGAGEMENT
WITH FULL-
FUNNEL
INTEGRATED
CAMPAIGNS
CH A P TE R 4
IGNITE ENGAGEMENT WITH

FULL-FUNNEL INTEGRATED
CAMPAIGNS
MY GOALS
Before reading this chapter, describe what you hope to learn about engagement
strategies and integrated campaigns.
4.1 Navigating the Cosmos of Buyer Engagement

Throughout this workbook, we’ve explored the core components of a successful marketing strategy.
Now that you understand how to identify your buyers, map their buying journeys, and create the
content they crave most, you can unlock the final piece of the puzzle: generating rich, meaningful
engagement that drives business growth.
To achieve this, you need an integrated campaign strategy—a set of coordinated programs and tactics
that engage customers and prospects with messages, content, and resources tailored to their needs
In this final chapter, we’ll launch into orbit with everything you’ve learned, thus creating a full-funnel,
integrated campaign strategy; one with the power to excite and delight, interest and intrigue, and
ultimately convince, convert, and deliver remarkable results.
• Plan and Launch an Integrated Campaign: Engage your audiences with interstellar excellence
using integrated campaigns. Align your channels and messages, create seamless brand
experiences, and ensure every touchpoint adds value to the buyer’s journey.
• Adopt a Full-Funnel Approach: Chart your course through the cosmos and learn how to navigate
your buyers and tailor your strategies across the different stages of their journey—from awareness
to decision and beyond.
• Orchestrate Channels, Programs, and Tactics: Push engagement and conversion to new heights
by masterfully orchestrating a diverse array of marketing strategies, tactics, and channels.
ASTRAL ADVICE
Want to go beyond this workbook?
Hear from today’s leading B2B marketing experts and learn how to craft
compelling content and stories, build revenue-generating campaigns,
and accelerate your buyer’s journey to ignite growth and conquer
new frontiers.
Watch our 6-part on-demand webinar series
Understanding Integrated Campaigns: A Convergence of Connections
In the boundless expanse of B2B marketing, where competition is fierce and audience attention
spans are fleeting, navigating the cosmos of engagement has become increasingly complex.
In response, marketers have turned to integrated campaigns.
Like a gravitational force that draws audiences in, integrated campaigns help marketing and sales
teams create cohesive brand experiences across the buyer’s journey.
Key Components of an Integrated Campaign
Before we dive into building an integrated campaign, let’s first understand its core components:
Omnichannel Integrated campaigns coordinate a mix of digital and traditional channels

Approach (including social media, email, content marketing, events, and advertising)
to engage audiences throughout their buyer’s journey.
Consistent Given the diverse array of channels and tactics employed, integrated campaigns
Messaging demand consistent messaging and branding to reinforce brand identity across
all touchpoints.
Strategic Timing Campaign activations, messages, and content should be timed strategically to
coincide with important events or customer touchpoints.
Data-Driven Integrated campaigns rely on data and analytics to shape future strategies,
Insights optimize performance, and drive continuous improvement.
ASSESSMENT:
Have you ever planned or participated in the execution of an integrated campaign?
If so, what did you enjoy about it? What could have been improved? If not, what aspects of an integrated
campaign do you find most interesting?
Types of Integrated Campaigns
And, depending on your goals and objectives, integrated campaigns can be used to support a variety
of use cases too.
Lead Generation Attract and nurture leads with gated content, email marketing, and targeted
advertising across social and digital channels.
Demand Drive demand and deepen engagement through an array of content formats
Generation (including blogs, eBooks, guides, webinars, and whitepapers) across a diverse
mix of channels.
Event Marketing Boost registration, encourage attendance, and maximize engagement by

seamlessly integrating digital and physical events with comprehensive
marketing strategies.
Account-Based Secure your footholds within key accounts and drive conversions through
Marketing (ABM) tailored ABM initiatives designed for high-priority target accounts.
Product Marketing Generate interest and anticipation for new product offerings with coordinated
marketing efforts, from product teasers to post-launch follow-ups.
4.2 Unlocking the Mysteries of Buyer Engagement:
Who, What, When, Where, and Why
Let’s reinforce what you’ve learned so far.
Understanding the “who” unlocks the mysteries behind the “why,” “what,” “when,” and “where.”
Defining these elements is non-negotiable, and mastery over them not only positions you as a
trusted advisor, but also ensures you deliver the right message to the right person with the right
content at the right time.
The WHO: Know Your Audience
Explore your vast universe of buyers, find your best customers, and understand who they are
inside and out.
• Identify Demographics and Firmographics: Determine the best-fit accounts and buyers
of your solution.
• Create Detailed Buyer Personas: Develop comprehensive profiles of your ideal customers,
defining their goals, challenges, and motivations.
• Segment Your Audiences: Break down your audience into smaller, more specific groups
to tailor your messaging and content effectively.
ASTRAL ADVICE
Revisit these resources: • Targeting Matrix (Ch. 1.2)

• Persona Template (Ch. 1.3)
The WHY: Understand Why They Buy
Discover the gravity of your audience’s needs, interests, motivations, and pain points.
• Understand Customer Motivations: Identify the reasons why your audience needs your solution.
What problems are they trying to solve?
• Map the Customer Journey: Map the path your customers take from awareness to purchase and
beyond. Identify key touchpoints and opportunities to engage.
• Address Pain Points and Goals: Create content and tailor messaging that speaks to your
audience’s specific pain points and goals at each stage of their journey
ASTRAL ADVICE
Revisit these resources: • Buyer’s Journey Framework (Ch. 2.2)

• Buyer Engagement Framework (Ch. 2.4)
The WHAT: Uncover the Solutions They Seek
Create and tailor your content and messaging to address your audience’s specific needs and interests
at every stage of the buyer’s journey.
• Personalize Content and Recommendations: Tailor your content and recommendations

for each audience segment to address their specific needs and preferences, enhancing your
content’s effectiveness.
• Tailor Messaging and Tone: Use language and tone that resonate with your audience,
considering their industry, job seniority, and overall maturity.
• Establish Consistency, Expertise, and Thought Leadership: Plan and schedule content
consistently to align with your audience’s needs, establish your brand, and offer relevant
solutions, insights, and actionable advice.
ASTRAL ADVICE
Revisit these resources: • Content by Persona and Buying Stage Framework (Ch. 3.2)
• Messaging Framework (Ch. 3.3)
• Content Strategy Brief Template (Ch. 3.4)
The WHEN: Strike When the Time is Right
Decipher buying signals that indicate when your buyers are in-market, actively researching solutions,
and ready to make a move.
• Surface Online and Offline Intent: Use buyer intent signals like high-value website visits,
content downloads, or in-person event registration and attendance data to trigger personalized
and timely communications.
• Explore Beyond Your Own Content and Website: Gain insights into your buyer’s complete
journey, encompassing activities beyond your own content and website.
• Reveal Timelines to Purchase: Leverage buying signals to understand an individual’s readiness

to purchase, giving them the tools and resources they need to move forward in their journey.
ASTRAL ADVICE
Revisit these resources: • Understanding Buying Signals (Ch. 2.3)

• Buyer’s Journey Framework (Ch. 2.2)
The WHERE: Make Your Message Heard
Find where your audiences gravitate and leverage the best channels to reach and engage them based
on their preferences and stage in the buyer’s journey.
• Select the Right Channels: Choose the most effective channels to reach your audience, including
email, social media, 1:1 meetings, or in-person events.
• Maintain Message Consistency: Ensure your message remains consistent across all platforms,
leveraging each one’s unique features to enhance engagement.
• Analyze Engagement: Track and analyze engagement on each channel to understand where your
audience is most active and how they interact with your content.
ASTRAL ADVICE
Revisit these resources: • Content Promotion Strategy Framework (Ch. 3.6)

• Buyer Engagement Framework (Ch. 2.4)
4.3 Sparking Engagement: Frameworks to Shape Your

Integrated Campaign
Understanding how your buyers engage is important in deciding how you want to engage your buyers.
When planning your integrated campaign, consider these two engagement frameworks.
Buyer’s Journey Engagement Map
Use this framework if you’re unsure how or where to start planning your integrated campaign.
This framework will guide you in creating a detailed map of your engaged buyer personas.
Gather insights about their recent activities (content downloaded, websites visited, events
attended, etc.), presumed projects, interests, and current stage in the buying journey.
With these insights, you can determine what your campaign needs to accomplish, communicate,
and offer.
Engaged Buyer The specific personas or audience segments most relevant for your offerings.
Segment
Key Topic The topics most relevant to your audience.
Last Activity The most recent action or interaction performed by the buyer
(content download, website visit, event attendance, etc.).
Last Activity Date The date of the buyer’s last known interaction or engagement.
Key Insights Based on the buyer’s last activity and past behaviors, valuable insights that
reveal their interests and focus areas.
Presumed Projects Based on the buyer’s last activity and past behaviors, initiatives they are
assumed to be involved in or planning.
Presumed Buying Based on the buyer’s last activity and past behaviors, the stage they are in their
Journey Stage buying journey.
Proposed Planned marketing strategies or tactics as a response to the last known activity
Marketing Play with the goals of engagement and qualification.
Proposed Planned sales strategies or tactics as a response to the last known activity with
Sales Play the goal of conversion.
BUYER’S JOURNEY ENGAGEMENT MAP
Engaged Buyer’s Segment: Manager, Demand Generation
KEY TOPIC LAST LAST KEY PRESUMED PRESUMED PROPOSED PROPOSED

ACTIVITY ACTIVITY INSIGHTS PROJECTS BUYING MARKETING SALES PLAY
DATE JOURNEY PLAY
STAGE
Content Attended a June 5, 2024 • Interested • Launching a Consideration Promote an Provide case
Marketing webinar on in improving new social stage, actively upcoming studies on
Strategies social media social media media researching webinar on successful
marketing engagement brand and evaluating advanced social media
campaign solutions for social media campaigns
• Looking for
new tools marketing strategies
to enhance improvements
content
marketing
efforts
• Emphasizes
data-driven
marketing
strategies
Download the full

template here
Campaign Engagement Map
Use this framework if you’ve already defined your campaign offers.
This framework will help you map out how you hope audiences will engage with your offers.
Include detailed insights on their presumed interests and projects, and plan potential marketing
and sales strategies aligned with their actions.
This approach will effectively help you answer the question, “If a buyer engages with X, then we
should respond with Y.”
Consider the following criteria:
Campaign Offer The specific offer(s) of your campaign.
Target Audience The specific personas or audience segments that you’re targeting in
this campaign.
Presumed Buying Based on the buyer’s response to the offer, the stage they are in their
Journey Stage buying journey.
Desired Action The action(s) you want a buyer to take in relation to the offer (download,
register, attend, etc.)
Key Insights Based on the buyer’s response to the offer, presumed insights that reveal their
interests and focus areas.
Presumed Projects Based on the buyer’s response to the offer, initiatives they are assumed to be
involved in or planning.
Proposed Planned marketing strategies or tactics as a response to the offer with the goals
Marketing Play of engagement and qualification.
Proposed Planned sales strategies or tactics as a response to the offer with the goal of
Sales Play conversion.
CAMPAIGN ENGAGEMENT MAP
Campaign Theme: Your buyers are out there: Reveal them with buyer-level intent data
CAMPAIGN TARGET PRESUMED DESIRED KEY INSIGHTS PRESUMED PROPOSED PROPOSED

OFFER AUDIENCE BUYING ACTION PROJECTS MARKETING SALES PLAY
JOURNEY PLAY
STAGE
Offer 1 Manager, Awareness Register • Curious about • Researching • Send follow- • Follow up
Demand and attend enhancing integrating up email with case
Webinar: Generation content intent offering study and
“Leveraging marketing with data into Whitepaper. offer for
Buyer-Level buyer level marketing “Utilizing consultation
Intent Data to intent data processes Buyer-Level
Boost Content Intent Data
• Exploring • Evaluating
Marketing to Improve
the potential tools and
Effectiveness” Lead Scoring
of intent platforms
and Sales
data, seeking for intent
Forecasting”
foundational data
knowledge analytics • Add to
marketing
• Investigating • Planning
nurture and
new marketing small-scale
account
strategies with content
retargeting
intent data marketing
initiatives
post-
webinar
Download the full

template here
4.4 Go for Launch! Building Your Integrated Campaign:
Strategy, Tactics, and Timeline
You’ve identified your audience, mapped their journey, and honed your content
and messaging. Now, it’s time to plan your integrated marketing campaign!
We are go for launch.
This will combine everything you’ve learned so far—blending creativity, data-driven insights,
and a deep understanding of your audience—to effectively engage buyers across channels
and throughout their buying journey.
While it may seem daunting at first, creating an integrated campaign strategy can be
broken down into three key components:
• Campaign Strategy Brief: The foundational document that outlines campaign goals,
target audience, key messaging, and desired outcomes to align marketing efforts with
business objectives.
• Campaign Tactics Brief: A document that details the specific tasks, channels, timelines,
budgets, and responsibilities to implement the campaign effectively.
• Campaign Timeline: A visual representation of the key milestones and activities

planned throughout the duration of the campaign.
We’ll explore the Campaign Strategy Brief first.
Campaign Strategy Brief
Creating an integrated campaign starts with a Strategy Brief: a structured framework that details
your campaign’s target audience, goals, themes, and content and will guide the development and
execution of the tactics that follow.
ASSESSMENT: Yes No
Does your marketing team currently use a shared and standardized
campaign strategy brief, template, or framework?
Your brief should contain the following details:
Target Audience Who are you targeting? Identify the demographics and firmographics of your
audience. Understand their pain points, challenges, and motivations to tailor
your messaging effectively.
Need help? Pg. 16 — 1.3 Spheres of Influence: Buying Committees and Personas
Campaign Goals What do you want to accomplish? Define your objectives and how you will
measure success, such as increasing brand awareness, generating leads,
driving website traffic, or boosting sales revenue.
Timing How long is your campaign? Determine the duration of your campaign (year,
six months, three months, etc.) and decide on how often you want to update
your themes, messaging, and content (quarterly, monthly, etc.). Set clear start
and end dates, and consider seasonal trends, industry events, and holidays.
Campaign Theme What broad themes or ideas do you want to take ownership of in the market?
Choose a central theme that resonates with your audience, conveys your
value proposition, and differentiates your brand. Ensure this theme remains
consistent across all campaign elements.
Need help? Pg. 62 — 3.2 Enter Your Buyer’s Orbit: Crafting Content by Buying Stage and Persona
Supporting What subtopics, themes, or ideas do you want to focus on? Identify subtopics
Themes that complement the main theme and address different audience needs.
Organize these into monthly or quarterly themes to create diverse content.
Key Messages What do you want your audience to understand, remember, and associate
with your brand? Define concise, compelling core messages that align with your
supporting themes. Ensure these messages are memorable and associated with
your brand.
Need help? Pg. 79 — 3.3 Incoming Message: Crafting a Messaging Framework
Solution How does your campaign align to your solution? Explain how your products or
Positioning services solve your audience’s specific problems. Align this with your campaign
Statements theme, supporting themes, and key messages.
Big Rock Content How will you engage your audiences? Identify or create cornerstone content
that serves as focal points for your campaign, such as whitepapers, e-books,
webinars, or research reports offering in-depth insights.
Need help? Pg. 62 — 3.2 Enter Your Buyer’s Orbit: Crafting Content by Buying Stage and Persona
Supporting What additional content will be used or created? Develop a variety of smaller-
Content scale content that reinforces your key messages and supporting themes. This
includes blog posts, videos, infographics, case studies, social media posts, and
email newsletters.
Channels How will you reach your audiences? Select the most effective communication
channels to reach your audience. Use a mix of online and offline channels,
including email marketing, content syndication, social media, paid advertising,
events, and direct mail.
Need help? Pg. 98 — 3.6 Expand Your Orbit, Reach Your Buyers: 4 Steps to Promote Your Content
and Drive Engagement
Here’s one example of what a campaign strategy brief could look like.
CAMPAIGN STRATEGY BRIEF
Buyer’s
Consideration
Journey Stage
Small to mid-sized enterprise technology companies:

Target • Decision-makers: CMO, CTO, Head of Sales
Audience • Champions: Sr. Managers and Directors of Marketing
• Influencers/Users: Marketing Managers and Sales Managers
• Drive engagement with qualified leads to convert down-funnel into opportunities

Campaign for sales conversion
Goals • Increase brand awareness and market visibility within the target audience
• Position the company as a trusted for innovation and growth
Timing 1 Month/Quarter 2 Month/Quarter
Campaign
Your Buyers Are Out There: Reveal Them With Buyer-Level Intent Data
Theme
Supporting
Actions Speak Loder Than ICPs Explore Your Universe of Buyers
Themes
Key Messages • Real-Time Actions Over Static Profiles: • Discover Hidden Opportunities: Uncover
Focus on dynamic buyer behaviors instead untapped potential by exploring the full
of static customer profiles spectrum of buyer behaviors
• From Hypothetical to Practical: Use real • Navigate Real-Time Insights: Use real-
buyer intent data for actionable insights time data to understand and engage
with your buyers effectively
• Action-Based Insights Boost Conversions:
Let prospect actions guide your marketing • Map Your Path to Higher
for better results Conversions: Let detailed buyer
insights guide your marketing strategy
for improved conversions
Solution Move beyond static ICPs and focus on real-time Unlock comprehensive buyer insights,
buyer actions. By analyzing actual behaviors, we discover opportunities, and navigate buyer
Positioning
provide actionable insights that ensure precise and behavior complexities.
Statements effective targeting.
Big Rock eBook: “From Profiles to Predictions: Harnessing Webinar Series: “Navigating Buyer Behaviors:
Real-Time Buyer Actions for Marketing Success” Uncovering Opportunities in Your Universe
Content
of Buyers”
Explores leveraging real-time buyer actions to
enhance marketing effectiveness. Dives deep into understanding diverse buyer
behavior to uncover growth opportunities.
Download the full

template here
Here’s one example of what a campaign strategy brief could look like.
CAMPAIGN STRATEGY BRIEF (CONTINUED)
Supporting Content
Decision Executive Brief: “Transforming Marketing Whitepaper: “Navigating Buyer

Strategies: The Power of Real-Time Buyer Actions” Behavior: Strategies for Discovering
Makers
New Market Opportunities”
Champions Case Study: “Driving Revenue Growth: Workshop: “Uncovering Hidden Market Potential:
How Real-Time Insights Revolutionized A deep Dive into Buyer Behavior Analysis”
Our Marketing Strategy”
Influencers/ Webinar: “Marketing Dynamic Buyer Insights: Infographic: “Visualizing Buyer Behavior:
Practical Tips for Marketing Professionals” Key Insights for Marketers”
Users
Channels
Decision • Content syndication lead generation campaigns

Makers • LinkedIn sponsored content targeting relevant job titles
• Industry webinars and conferences
• Email newsletters
Champions • Content syndication lead generation campaigns

• Targeted email campaigns with product demos and comparison guides
• Social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook for engaging content and updates
Influencers/ • Content syndication lead generation campaigns

Users • Technical forums and online communities for sharing guides and tutorials
• Product-focused webinars and workshops
• YouTube tutorials demonstrating product features and benefits
Download the full

template here
Campaign Tactics Brief
Next, you’ll need to identify and document how each individual channel will be used in your campaign.
This is the role of a Tactics Brief—created uniquely for each channel, these briefs outline key details around
segmentation, timing, offers, and messaging to ensure consistent brand alignment across your campaign.
ASSESSMENT: Yes No
Does your marketing team currently use a shared and standardized tactical
brief, template, or framework?
Regardless of the channel, your tactics briefs should be able to address the following questions:
• What channel are you using? • What are your offers? Your calls-to-action?
• Why are you using this channel? • When will this channel be active? When will
promotions launch? When will they end?
• Who are you targeting?
• How will you use this channel to drive
• What is your key message? engagement and support your campaign?
The examples below cover some common marketing channels and can serve as a starting
point for your tactics briefs:
EMAIL
TACTICS BRIEF | EMAIL
EMAIL ADDITIONAL EMAIL EMAIL # SEND EMAIL KEY MESSAGE/ OFFER/CTA

RECIPIENTS FILTERS GROUP DATE TYPE IMPORTANT CALLOUTS
(SEGMENT)
All N/A A 1 3/5 Promo Announcing the launch of our Research

newest Research Report Report
Directors N/A B 1 3/12 Promo Give your team the tools to Research
and above achieve new levels of success Report
N/A B 2 3/19 Promo Blog Post of

Key Takeaways
Undecided: B 3 3/20 Reminder Research

Opened Report
email, didn’t
click-through
Download the full

template here
ORGANIC SOCIAL
TACTICS BRIEF | ORGANIC SOCIAL
CHANNEL POST # POST POST KEY MESSAGE/ OFFER/CTA

DATE TYPE IMPORTANT CALLOUTS
LinkedIn 1 3/4 Text + Get the tools to level-up your strategies and advance Research
Image your career Report
2 3/11 Video Hear 5 key takeaways from our research report Blog Post of
Key Takeaways
X / Twitter 1 3/4 Promo
2 3/11 Promo
Download the full

template here
PAID DIGITAL ADVERTISING
TACTICS BRIEF | PAID DIGITAL ADVERTISING
CAMPAIGN DAILY START END AD # AD TYPE AD KEY MESSAGE/

TYPE BUDGET DATE DATE SIZE IMPORTANT CALLOUTS
Advertising $10.00 3/1 3/31 1 Image Web Ad 300x250 Get the tools to level-up your
strategies and advance your career
2 Image Web Ad 300x600

Retargeting $10.00 3/15 4/30 1 Image Web Ad 300x250 Generate more results
Download the full

template here
CONTENT SYNDICATION
TACTICS BRIEF | CONTENT SYNDICATION
OFFER TITLE TARGET AUDIENCE LEAD CPL START END OFFER OFFER TAGLINE CTA
GOAL DATE DATE TYPE
eBook: “From Profiles to • Geography: US 1,000 $11.00 3/1 6/1 eBook Enhance Download
Predictions: Harnessing marketing Now
• Industry: Marketing
Real-Time Buyer Actions effectiveness
for Marketing Success” • Job Level: Manager
and above
• Company Size: 100
and above
Download the full

template here
DIRECT MAIL
CAMPAIGN TACTICS BRIEF | DIRECT MAIL
PROGRAM GOAL Sales meetings
DIRECT MAIL RECIPIENTS Managers and above from Top 100 target accounts who visited our booth or attended
our event session
WHAT ARE YOU SENDING? (EGIFT? $50 eGift card of their choice
PHYSICAL GIFT? SOMETHING ELSE?)
HOW WILL YOU SEND IT? (TOOL/SERVICE)
SEND DATE 3/15
QUANTITY 39
TOTAL BUDGET $2,000
DIRECT MAIL COPY Thank you for visiting us!
Download the full

template here
Campaign Timeline
Finally, you’ll develop a Campaign Timeline—an outline detailing the start and end dates of your
various campaign channels and activities.
This tool helps ensure that your channels, offers, and messages are well-coordinated, well-balanced,
and rightly-targeted to your diverse audiences.
ASSESSMENT: Yes No
Does your marketing team currently use a shared and standardized
campaign management system, timeline, or tool?
Whether using a calendar, project management tool, or Excel, creating a timeline provides a clear
visual of your integrated campaign, fostering alignment among different teams and helping identify
potential bottlenecks, dependencies, and risks.
CAMPAIGN PLAN
Download the full

template here
WORKSHEET | CAMPAIGN STRATEGY BRIEF
Download the full

template here
Buyer’s
Journey Stage
Target
Audience
Campaign
Goals
Timing 1 Month/Quarter 2 Month/Quarter
Campaign
Theme
Supporting
Themes
Key Messages
Solution
Positioning
Statements
Big Rock
Content
WORKSHEET | CAMPAIGN STRATEGY BRIEF
Download the full

template here
1 Month/Quarter 2 Month/Quarter
Supporting Content
Decision
Makers
Champions
Influencers/
Users
Channels
Decision
Makers
Champions
Influencers/
Users
WORKSHEET | CAMPAIGN TACTICS BRIEF: EMAIL
Download the full

template here
EMAIL ADDITIONAL EMAIL EMAIL # SEND EMAIL KEY MESSAGE/ OFFER/

RECIPIENTS FILTERS GROUP DATE TYPE IMPORTANT CALLOUTS CTA
(SEGMENT)
WORKSHEET | CAMPAIGN TIMELINE FRAMEWORK
Download the full

template here
PERSONA SUPPORTING CONTENT CHANNELS

Wk 1 Wk 2 Wk 3 Wk 4 Wk 1 Wk 2 Wk 3 Wk 4 Wk 1 Wk 2 Wk 3 Wk 4
THEME
4.5 Breaking Through: Tips for Integrated Campaign Success
Creating engaging integrated campaigns requires a cosmic blend of captivating content, multi-channel
coordination, and deep audience understanding.
By aligning your objectives with consistent branding and messaging, you can engage your buyers and
ensure your campaigns remain relevant and impactful long after launch.
Here are some tips to help you achieve your goals with high-impact integrated campaigns.
Adopt a Centralized Campaign

Limited Visibility Management Process
Whether you’re planning, executing, or completing a campaign, it’s important that others have
visibility into the work you’re doing.
Limited visibility occurs when marketing teams work in silos, focusing on their own plans and goals
without coordination. This leads to inconsistent messaging, inefficient use of resources, brand dilution,
and the risk of oversaturating some audience segments while neglecting others.
A centralized campaign management system—whether through specialized software or a custom

solution—can address this by allowing all campaigns to be planned and tracked in one place.
Leverage shared documents and briefs and create integrated frameworks to further enhance
visibility and effectiveness.
ASSESSMENT:
Which of the following options does your organization currently leverage to foster alignment,
consistency, and collaboration in the planning and execution of a campaign? Check all that apply.
Regular Team Meetings Standardized Campaign Templates

and Frameworks
Regular Cross-Functional Team Meetings
Integrated Feedback Loops
Centralized Communication Platforms or Review Sessions
Unified Branding Guidelines Project Management Tools
Internal Newsletters for Updates
Marketing Inefficiency Streamline Team Coordination
Teams don’t have a lot of time and resources to spare, so when they fail to coordinate, it can lead to
conflicting initiatives, duplicated efforts, and a lot of waste.
Hold regular meetings with your marketing team to review priorities, goals, and upcoming campaigns.
Use these sessions to gather feedback, share perspectives, collaborate on solutions, and brainstorm
new and exciting ideas to engage your audience.
ASSESSMENT:
Please rate the following statements on a scale from 1-5, with 5 being strongly agree and 1 being
strongly disagree.
Strongly Strongly
Disagree Agree
1 2 3 4 5
Our team coordinates effectively on campaign
planning and execution.
The regular meetings we hold are effective

in aligning our priorities and goals.
Our team successfully avoids duplicated

efforts and conflicting initiatives.
Our team collaborates effectively to find

solutions and brainstorm new ideas.
Campaign Complexity Start Small, Then Scale
Planning an integrated campaign can feel overwhelming, especially when you may not know where
or how to begin.
Our advice: Start small, test things out, and iterate as you go. Build confidence in what works.
Begin with a focused pilot campaign or a select few key channels. This allows you to gather valuable
feedback and refine your strategies based on real-world results. As you identify what resonates with
different audience segments, adjust your messaging and content accordingly.
Once you’ve honed in on what works, you can gradually scale your efforts. This might mean expanding
to new channels or broadening your audience reach. Taking this step-by-step approach helps ensure
your resources are used effectively and your campaigns hit the mark.
EXERCISE:
In 2-3 sentences, describe the next campaign you want to create by identifying your goals,
target audience, and key message. Then, outline your first step in your planning process.
Goals
Target Audience
Key Message
The first step in my campaign

planning process will be to…
4.6 Key Takeaways: Driving Engagement With Integrated Campaigns
• Define Clear Objectives: When you clearly define your campaign objectives, everyone knows
what you’re aiming to achieve. This clarity helps you track how well your campaign is doing,
optimize your strategies as you go, and stay aligned with your team.
• Understand Your Audience: Getting to know your audience isn’t just about numbers—it’s about
understanding what makes them tick. When you know their interests, behaviors, and what they
care about, you can create campaigns and experiences that truly resonate with them.
• Maintain Consistent Branding: Consistency is key in how you present your brand. Whether it’s the
look and feel of your visuals or the tone of your messages, keeping it consistent builds trust with
your audience and makes your brand more recognizable and trustworthy.
• Adopt a Multi-Channel Approach: Using different channels lets you reach buyers wherever they
are in their journey. Each channel has its own strengths in reaching different audiences. Maximize
your campaign’s impact and don’t be afraid to mix things up.
• Captivate Your Audiences With Content: Good content grabs people’s attention and makes them
want to learn more. Whether it’s a great story, eye-catching visuals, or something interactive,
compelling content draws your audience in and gets them interested in what you have to offer.
• Unify Your Messaging: When your message is consistent across all channels, it reinforces what
your brand stands for. It helps people remember who you are and what you’re about, which
builds stronger connections and keeps your brand top of mind.
• Measure and Analyze: Tracking how your campaign performs gives you insights into what’s
working and what isn’t. By analyzing the data—like engagement rates or conversion metrics—
you can make informed decisions to improve your campaign’s effectiveness over time.
• [On-Demand Series] Beyond Limits: The Power of Content

and Insights to Ignite Your Engine for Growth
• The 2024 B2B Marketer’s Playbook: 12 Winning Strategies Explore Additional

Resources
and Insider Insights
• How Studying B2B Content Consumption Patterns Can

Drive 2024 Success

a free-to-use, real-time interactive tool that helps B2B marketers
Try NetLine’s
understand the content, trends, and topics that their buyers are Audience Explorer
engaging with most.
Try it now
CONCLUSION
The End of One Journey, the Beginning of the Next
Congratulations!
You’ve reached the end of this workbook and have successfully learned how to target your buyers,
understand their buying journeys, create high-impact content, and develop integrated campaigns.
You’ve taken a giant leap towards marketing mastery, but your journey is only just beginning. There is
still so much to learn and explore—untapped galaxies of strategies and tools, systems of technology
yet to be discovered, buyers searching for a light in the dark.
So, as you continue your voyage across the B2B cosmos, here are three final reminders:
Be Curious: Curiosity is a cornerstone of learning. Ask questions, investigate the world around you,
and dedicate time to learning new skills and expanding your knowledge of what’s possible.
Be Bold: Progress often requires stepping outside your comfort zone. Don’t be afraid to experiment.
Try new strategies and tools and discover what works best for your audience.
Be Impactful: Lead with intention, originality, and impact. Inspire your team to innovate and deliver
extraordinary results that resonate with customers and stakeholders alike.
Now, go forth—fly further, go faster, and conquer new frontiers.
This is NetLine, signing off.
Keep Us In Your Orbit

We’d love to hear about your progress with this workbook!
Whether you have questions, feedback, or want to dive deeper
into any topic, our team is here to help. Send us an email at
[email protected].
ABOUT
NETLINE
NetLine empowers B2B marketers to scale revenue
via an all-in-one buyer engagement platform that
delivers unparalleled buyer-level intent data and
lead generation capabilities.
Operating the only buyer-level intent platform, INTENTIVE, delivering real-time
insights into “who” is actively expressing intent in an account, “what” actions that
person is taking, “when” those actions took place, and uniquely “where” those actions
occurred, including offline Event Intent data, NetLine fast tracks buyer transparency.
In addition, NetLine also operates the largest B2B content-centric lead

generation platform offering content syndication, lead generation, account-based
marketing, lead management, and more. Founded in 1994, NetLine is a part of
Informa Tech, a leading provider of market insight and market access to the
global technology industry.
Successful B2B marketers start with NetLine. To learn more, visit www.netline.com
or email us at [email protected].
ABOUT
HEINZ MARKETING
Focused on helping clients drive predictable growth via
a revenue responsible focus, Heinz Marketing helps B2B
marketing teams elevate their impact and contribution
to business outcomes that matter.
Their proven Predictable Pipeline methodology has been successfully customized and
implemented at countless organizations, changing the trajectory of marketing work,
careers and lives.
The Heinz Marketing team is made up of full-funnel experts who speak the language
of sales, empowering clients with strategy and tools for success. To learn more, visit
www.heinzmarketing.com or email us at [email protected].

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THE 2024

A Comprehensive Guide to Targeting, Content,

Greetings, explorer! This is where your

Whether you’re a marketing veteran or a new cadet, this resource will be

THE 2024 MARKETING MASTERY WORKBOOK • To Marketing Mastery and Beyond 2

Are you ready for liftoff?

THE 2024 MARKETING MASTERY WORKBOOK • To Marketing Mastery and Beyond 3

INTRODUCTION: Blaze a Trail Through the Stars: 5 Areas of Success....................................................................... 2

CHAPTER 1: 1.1 Exploring Your Universe of B2B Buyers.................................................................................... 6

CHAPTER 2: 2.1 The Gravity of Buyer Needs, Behaviors, and Signals............................................................28

CHAPTER 3: 3.1 Creating Content to Captivate the Cosmos............................................................................ 60

CHAPTER 4: 4.1 Navigating the Cosmos of Buyer Engagement....................................................................115

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THE 2024 MARKETING MASTERY WORKBOOK • To Marketing Mastery and Beyond 5

DISCOVER YOUR BUYERS

1.1 Exploring Your Universe of B2B Buyers

In this chapter, you will learn how to:

What Does Effective Targeting Look Like?

Not effective Very

THE 2024 MARKETING MASTERY WORKBOOK • To Marketing Mastery and Beyond 6

But there are pros and cons to different levels of targeting.

EXAMPLES OF BROAD TARGETING EXAMPLES OF FOCUSED TARGETING

Email newsletter Tailored email nurture program

Social media posts Account-based advertising

Search and display ads Direct mail program to top accounts

A blog post that addresses common A whitepaper that addresses

Thought leadership webinar

THE 2024 MARKETING MASTERY WORKBOOK • To Marketing Mastery and Beyond 7

8 Ways to Target Your Best Buyers

Calibrate your telescope—here are 8 targeting

1. Account Fit / Account-Based Marketing (ABM):

companies in . We create custom

industry. We create content about .

THE 2024 MARKETING MASTERY WORKBOOK • To Marketing Mastery and Beyond 8

organizations. The content we create emphasizes for

[target company description]

. We translate our content into

and highlight products based on .

5. Company Sophistication and Maturity:

THE 2024 MARKETING MASTERY WORKBOOK • To Marketing Mastery and Beyond 9

tools and technologies: and demonstrate

6. Job Title / Role:

and are responsible for . We cover topics about

to help them achieve their goals of .

7. Buyer Interests, Needs, and Motivations:

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to address faced by . We provide practical

tips and solutions to help them .

Explore your audiences with NetLine’s Audience Explorer.

This free-to-use, real-time interactive tool helps B2B marketers understand

attended . We create a(n) about

, relating it to the themes and subjects covered at the event.

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Not effective Very

Account Fit / Account-Based

Job Title / Role

Buyer Interests, Needs,

THE 2024 MARKETING MASTERY WORKBOOK • To Marketing Mastery and Beyond 12

Audience Account Fit / Industry Company Size