Thursday, August 08, 2024 by Shelley Hirst

With so much content vying for attention, it's important to take buyers on an engaging journey. 

Every piece of content you present to them should offer them helpful insights that enable them to make informed decisions about your brand, products and services and offer them the next step closer to wanting to have a sales conversation. 

Step 1:  The right content for the right time

So you're familiar with content marketing strategies for demand creation, right?  It's about consistent storytelling across multiple channels using multiple media types that address the key trigger points in the funnel, 52 weeks of the year.  

That's a BIG ask and a BIG programme of work. 

Step 2:  Analysing buying intent

Then, a big part of a successful content programme is the ability to capture and analyse  each interaction to determine the performance of that content for every digital engagement before passing across to the sales team as a lead with high-intent markers.

Before you feel overwhelmed by the enormity of the task in hand, think about it this way and consider how you apply it to your planning.  

(You may not need as much content as you think if you plan it in the right way). 

Starting out (the plan)

You're about to tell a cracking story down at the pub. You want your mates to be hanging on every word, so you take a swift swig from your chosen beverage as you begin to deliver your belter of a tale. 

Awareness (top of funnel)

You start off with, 'You're never going to believe what happened...' Your pals lean in, ready for a good yarn. If you were selling, say, some new fitness gear, you'd talk about someone having a hard time getting off the sofa or munching one too many crisps. 

Consideration

Now you've got their attention you dive into the meat of the story. It's like saying, 'So, Dave tried this fitness thing, and guess what...?' You're showing them how it can be done, and the listeners are thinking, 'Well if Dave can, maybe I can too!' 

Desire

By this point, your mates are getting excited. They're thinking, 'I fancy a bit of that!' If it's about the fitness thing, they're not just hearing about weight loss, they're dreaming of strutting their stuff on the beach or finally fitting into that shirt they bought two sizes too small. 

Engagement

Here's the grand finale. 'So, if you fancy getting fit like Dave, here's how...' You lay it out, show them the way, maybe flash a before-and-after pic of Dave, who's now running marathons and stealing everyone's chips at the pub without gaining a pound. 

The killer CTA

It's a blinder of a story, from the first pint to the last call. If you nail it, not only will you have everyone in stitches or on the edge of their seats, but you might just get them to sign up for that marathon... or at least have them buy another round! 

You're the sales team's rock star

Not only will you have made efficient use of your budget and resources, you will have delivered leads that inform the sales team of where they are in their decision making cycle.  And made a huge contribution to the sales number. 

Before I forget

Remember I mentioned analysing performance of your content?  The only way to do this efficiently is through automation, but that's another story ......

 

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

How does Market Activation differ from Demand Generation?
Demand Gen builds broad awareness and interest over time (e.g., whitepapers, webinars).
Market Activation identifies in-market buyers (via intent data, behavioural signals) and immediately engages them with tailored outreach (nurture tracks, one-to-one advisor sessions, community invites).
Market Activation talks about “Demand-as-a-Service”? What’s included in this?
Engagement Engine: Continuous, multi-channel publishing (articles, webinars, newsletters) to sustain interest
Demand Engine: Targeted outreach (email, ads, sponsorships) that scores clicks → qualified leads → sales-ready appointments.
Performance Dashboard: Real-time visibility into open rates, CTOR, CPL and lead progression via our online sales portal.
What role does The Amigos Network play in Market Activation?
Early Detection: Community discussions surface real-world challenges and project signals before formal RFPs.
Content Amplification: Thought leadership shared in The Amigos Network drives deeper engagement and social proof.
Peer Validation: Prospects get candid feedback from peers on your solutions, shortening the evaluation cycle.
Pipeline Catalysis: Warm introductions and referral paths within the community fuel high- intent conversations.
How do B2B communities like The Amigos Network fit into the sales process?
  • Top-of-Funnel: Build credibility through community content and events.
  • Mid-Funnel: Leverage peer case studies, expert Q&As, and live demos to answer deep technical questions.
  • Bottom-of-Funnel: Invite high-intent members to advisory councils or private 1:1 sessions, often the final nudge before purchase.
How does The Amigos Network create Intent Data?
  1. Interesting content: We originate, curate, and syndicate different types of content we know our audiences want to engage with and tell them it’s there.
  2. Sponsored content: We use sponsored content to drive engagement with individual brands.
  3. Promotion: We promote that content via multiple channels such as email, social media, YouTube, and so on.
  4. Identification: We ingest company-level engagement signals and combine it with known contacts that may be researching key topics.
  5. Segmentation: Members are bucketed by level of intent (high, medium, low) plus ICP fit and company size.
  6. Activation: High-intent members receive prioritised community invitations (events, focus groups, product deep-dives) to accelerate deals.
Is buying intent data worth it when you’re part of The Amigos Network?
Yes, if you blend purchased intent data with community signals and nurture streams, it makes a powerful mix, but it is not necessary for this programme.
  • Purchased data highlights who’s in-market.
  • Community engagement reveals what questions they’re asking, so your nurture can be hyper-relevant.
  • Result: A 2–3× lift in meeting acceptance and pipeline velocity vs. cold outreach alone.
Is buying intent data worth it?
It turns out that intent data is one of the best ways to find and target in-market buyers who match your ideal customer profile (ICP). Intent data shows at a company level who's actively interested in a product or service area. Depending on your investment, it will determine whether you can get named individuals.
Why would I buy intent data?
As a starting point to onward prospect engagement and pipeline building for the future. The best use of it comes from entering it into marketing nurture until such point it becomes a sales-ready opportunity.
Is intent data good for sales teams?
It depends. If it’s seen as a fast-track to dropping it into a sales queue, then ROI will be poor. It is valuable if given to marketing to nurture first and pass it through when it becomes high-intent, rather than “just showing an interest.”
Is it better to buy or create intent data?
Buying it is one approach, but it’s what you do next with it that counts. Dropping it into a sales queue and expecting a potential buyer to be asking “where do I sign” is unlikely to happen, especially for strategic or big-ticket purchases. Buying basic intent information should be the first step in a long-term nurture process designed to build an ongoing pipeline in a joined-up marketing and sales approach.
Is purchased intent data alone enough to fast track to sales?
No.
How should Sales and Marketing collaborate on intent in The Amigos Network?
  • Marketing owns the nurture tracks, community invites, educational content, and event promos.
  • Sales intervenes only at “high-intent + active community engagement” thresholds, with account-specific demos and peer introductions.
  • Outcome: Fewer wasted calls and a higher win rate on truly qualified opportunities.
How do we measure success for Market Activation in The Amigos Network?
  • Engagement Metrics: Community log-ins, event attendance, content downloads.
  • Intent Conversion: % of intent-scored members who join private roundtables or request demos.
  • Pipeline Velocity: Time from first community touch to opportunity creation.
  • Revenue Impact: Contribution of community-sourced deals to overall bookings.
What key metrics and ROI can be expected?
  • Average Weekly Open Rate: 40%
  • Average Weekly Click-to-Open Rate: 70%
  • Average Cost-per-Lead: £45
  • Minimum ROI: 500%
  • Average Dwell Times: 1 minute 45 seconds
These benchmarks illustrate strong engagement and cost efficiency versus standard digital campaigns.