Content Mastery in the New Age: Strategies for Success With Umang Sharma

In today's rapidly evolving landscape, achieving mastery in content creation has become an indispensable skill for businesses striving to make their mark. As we find ourselves entrenched in the "New Age" of digital transformation, the rules of engagement have been completely rewritten. The way we communicate, share information, and connect with our audience has shifted dramatically, presenting both challenges and unprecedented opportunities.

Join Agam Mathur, who heads Business and Partnerships at Pepper Content, and Umang Sharma, Head Of Growth Strategy at Talview who discuss all this and more.

In this insightful conversation, they discuss the trajectory of marketing's transformation and delve into the critical role of content in new-age startups and companies. They all dissect the components of an ideal marketing stack and unravel the intricacies of crafting content that resonates in today's fast-paced digital world.

Here are some excerpts.

1. Tell us about your journey so far.

I've had the privilege of working in the field of business-to-business and enterprise marketing for nearly two decades. My journey has taken me through various stages, from roles at IBM, and Talview, and even founding my organization called Sabani. Additionally, I've held the position of heading marketing at Aris Global. This journey has been nothing short of exhilarating, especially considering how profoundly the marketing landscape has transformed over the past 15 years.

During this time, I've witnessed not only technological advancements but also a shift in customer expectations and behavior. The way content is consumed, the interactions customers demand, and the level of information they expect from us before even engaging in a conversation have all evolved significantly. As marketers, we've been at the forefront of the content revolution, which has propelled us to understand the art of delivering the right information, asking pertinent questions, and setting the right expectations.

The landscape of information we marketers must navigate has also undergone a major shift. This evolution has been a thrilling journey, made even more exciting by the emergence of generative AI models. Each day, there are new developments in this field, and I find myself captivated by the potential these technologies offer to revolutionize marketing. The automation and scope they bring to the table have opened up limitless possibilities, which, as a marketer, fills me with anticipation and enthusiasm.

2. How do you see the future impact of these changes on the marketing domain?

As I reflect on the future impact of these changes in the marketing domain, I see a complete transformation underway. Marketing is in the midst of a significant transition, and within the next six months, let alone two years, the landscape will look remarkably different. Already, we're harnessing the power of generative AI models, and the marketing tech stack has undergone a seismic shift. Amid these changes, the customer has taken center stage as the focal point of our efforts.

Gone are the days of generic emails; our outreach now caters exclusively to customers who display genuine interest. We've gained the capability to discern precisely what our customers seek, aligning our approach with our Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) and campaign objectives. The evolution extends to leveraging our marketing tech stack to comprehend the needs of organizations that could benefit from solutions similar to ours. Armed with this knowledge, we provide targeted content and information that aids in informed decision-making and addressing specific business challenges.

While the fundamental essence of marketing—creating conversations between companies and customers—remains unchanged, the dynamics have evolved.

Conversations are becoming more refined, mature, and attuned to customer expectations. Touchpoints are growing in number, and the quality of these interactions is paramount.

The core of marketing's essence persists, but the methods, modes, and depth of engagement are poised for further transformation.

3. How does content play a pivotal role in new-age startups and companies?

Content's significance in the realm of new-age startups and companies is paramount. Throughout the evolution of marketing, content has remained a central factor influencing success or failure. It serves as the bedrock upon which campaigns are built, with the quality of content playing a pivotal role in shaping outcomes. The success of a campaign has a direct impact on the pipeline, causing ripples across the broader spectrum of marketing performance.

The progression of content is a fascinating journey. It began with webpages and has since evolved through various forms, from long-form pages to the emergence of short-form content and videos. Interactive content, adapting based on users' geographical locations, also entered the scene.

Today's trend is towards fast-paced, highly engaging content, catering to the decreasing attention spans of the modern audience.

To capture this fleeting attention, it's imperative to focus on three key aspects: clarity of message, a deep understanding of the audience, and the platforms that resonate with them.

With my team, we've observed the impact of such strategies firsthand.

Generating around 55 articles monthly, we've seen a noticeable uptick of nearly 1.8% in engagement. Our experimentation with automated videos and deep fake avatars underscores the trajectory toward engaging and automated content creation, where effective messaging remains pivotal amid the ever-expanding content landscape.

4. What is your opinion about the ideal marketing stack?

In terms of crafting an ideal marketing stack, I believe this is a fascinating question. Speaking from the perspective of Talview, our chosen marketing stack comprises a strategic selection of tools. At the forefront of our marketing automation efforts lies HubSpot, complemented by Salesforce as the reliable backend support. Additionally, we leverage ZoomInfo to gain invaluable insights into our audience's preferences and interests, thereby tailoring our content to meet their needs. This resource also equips us with contextual information, assisting us in delivering targeted content through our HubSpot ecosystem.

To elevate our sales automation, we're actively exploring the capabilities of Outplay, a platform that holds the potential to streamline our sales processes and optimize deal management. By amalgamating these tools, we're building an integrated infrastructure to manage everything from websites and social media to automating campaigns, enabling our sales team, and empowering our demand generation managers to devise impactful campaigns.

As for my ideal marketing stack, I envision a future integration of tools that encompass not only the search history and voice of customers but also facilitate the seamless transformation of raw content into engaging videos. This dynamic blend of technology would enable us to address customer needs more comprehensively and present content in diverse and appealing formats.

5. What do you think an ideal content looks like?

The concept of ideal content is a profound one and revolves around a strategic approach. In my experience, I start by delving into essential questions, both internally and externally. Firstly, understanding the essence of our organization is crucial - why do we exist, what's our purpose? This sets the foundation.

Secondly, we identify the business problems we're adept at solving, thereby comprehending our unique value proposition. Then comes the outward focus - who are our target customers, what problems do they face, and how are they currently tackling these issues? These answers collectively form the core of our messaging, reflecting why we exist, who we cater to, and the specific problems we resolve.

Armed with this understanding, we tailor our content for different stages of the buyer's journey, creating diverse forms of content, from social media posts to blogs and ebooks. Each stage aligns with the evolving perspective of potential customers. A person at the top of the funnel sees business problems differently from someone in the middle or at the bottom.

At each stage, our content provides solutions to the problems our clients face, establishing a solid foundation for meaningful interactions. This strategic approach to content not only connects with our audience but also fuels our growth by addressing their needs and positioning us as the solution provider they seek.