The Wise & Zeal C-suite Content Credibility Report has already told us that trust plays a critical role in securing C-suite engagement from tech vendor content. It has also highlighted the growing demand among this audience for solution-driven content and peer insights. The second instalment of the findings suggests that technology vendors need to take a more empathetic approach to content creation if they want to drive engagement, strengthen relationships, and ultimately build trust with C-suite audiences.
Summary of findings
1. C-suite seeks more detailed, actionable content
The research found that C-suite audiences are often frustrated by a lack of concise and relevant content, and content that does not answer ‘how?’.
41% of all respondents said they were annoyed by content that does not include enough information on how a solution relates back to a business problem, or how to take action. This was highest among CISOs (65%).
Lack of concise, to-the-point information was also listed as a recurring pain point, with 32% of our C-suite respondents feeling this way. 45% of USA respondents found this particularly frustrating – more than twice as much as those from Wider Europe (22%).
Our recommendation: Marketing teams may be hyper-focused on campaigns, leads, or immediate outputs, but they should pay more attention to how they create engaging content. Explain how a solution, strategy, or approach will drive positive change for the reader, and share guidance on next steps.
2. Lack of personalisation hampers relationship-building opportunities
One of the biggest challenges marketers face is creating highly personalised, engaging content that suits a wide range of audiences. Content that is perceived to be generalised wastes budget and resources. The report found that 32% of all respondents want more personalisation whilst 23% seek content that is more relevant to them and their business.
Our recommendation: Marketers need to look at business problems through the eyes of the customer, reflect their language and mirror their voice – and only then approach content creation having fully considered their point of view. The C-suite will connect with content that recognises and addresses their own business challenges.
3. Greater consideration needed for how content is absorbed
Marketing teams should also consider what format content is presented in and whether this suits the demands of their audience. When it comes to content length, around a quarter of all respondents said that technology vendor communications take too long to read and that content needs to get to the point faster. Too much copy was another reported frustration – particularly for CFOs (41%).
Our recommendation: Consider how your hero content can be repurposed to suit different preferences. How many bite-sized pieces of content can you make from a recent whitepaper? Is your e-guide more digestible as short-form video? By giving existing content new life, you’ll accommodate a wider target audience.
Download the C-suite Content Credibility Report here.