Gaining the attention of executives can be notoriously difficult. And even if you’ve succeeded in getting your content in front of this prized audience, you have just a narrow window of opportunity to make a favorable impression.
Of course, the payoff you stand to gain is well worth it: for each piece of highly relevant, well-researched and attention-grabbing content delivered at the exact right time, you gain a new level of trust with an influential leader who can steer the confirmation phase in your direction.
When it’s time to create, update or repurpose creative content for executive audiences, no matter the format, we believe that answering the following questions will provide you with a better framework for producing content that C-suiters will engage with and value — and ultimately lead them to take action.
Content developers shouldn’t overlook the fact that executives crave new developments within their industry that they can leverage to their organization’s advantage. Any new findings or proprietary insights that closely align your solution with their business scenario should engender a more favorable reaction than oft-repeated anecdotes of what others in their position have done.
For example, your thought leadership content showing the firsthand financial implications of a trending consumer behavior will have more appeal across the C-suite — not just to the CFO. Yet a general financial thought leadership piece that merely confirms covered ground may not catch the attention of that same CFO at all.
The takeaway? It’s better to lead than follow, so whenever possible, position your brand favorably to executives with content that presents new information while highlighting relevant strengths.
Executives may never read your marketing collateral. Or your competitors’ collateral, for that matter. But it’s also true that executives are rarely comfortable not having some handle on the state of industry supplier categories and solutions.
A high-level rundown of your solution’s strengths and where it stands in line with competing offerings may be the most straightforward and appreciated way of getting your point across. Think of S.W.O.T. analyses, refer back to your messaging map and consider the C-Suiters’ likely “pros and cons” list. If “straightforward” and “effective” is how you want your solution to be viewed, save the executive or their team some time by making key information ultra-accessible.
You wouldn’t send a 1,000-word email to your CEO, would you? Structure your argument clearly so the path from their problem to your solution is as short and rewarding as possible.
We believe case studies belong deeper in the sales funnel. However, executives can be an exception to that rule, with one caveat: the presented solution by the case study must have significantly altered the course of the subject’s business.
If a case study demonstrates without a doubt how a solution led to a transformational change that helped an organization overcome barriers or achieve a lofty goal, and if results of case study could be applied in parallel to your executive’s organization, there’s a minute chance this particular piece of content will be overlooked.
Executives are thinking big-picture. Tell a big-picture story of success, and their eyes and ears will perk up.
Remember: the best content is highly relevant, easy to understand, presents a compelling story and above all else, truthfully positions your solution in the best possible light. Turn your content developers loose with these three questions in mind and then get to work winning over hearts, minds — and new business.
Ready to take action together? Contact BrandAction Agency to learn about creating C-suite content that influences and inspires.
