Presentation covering how influence works in B2B. How to be WHERE they are, with your message.

1. The new business landscape: How
influence works, how to engage and
how to measure results.

2. A Team Obsessed
• 20 years in
publishing
• 20 years in
marketing
• 20 years in
research
2

3. Lunch and Learn
• Profile of today's business users
• What fuels influence and decision making
• How sites need to address today's influencers
• How to market in-line with the user
• How to measure impact across funnel
Sources:
• Marketing Sherpa Technology Benchmark Survey 2006, CNET 2007 Audience Profile Study, Business Trax,
Technology Decision Makers: The Players and the Process, CNET Influencer Research 2007, @Plan 2007,
Technoraiti, Pew Internet and American Life Project.
3

4. Business technology purchasing
isn’t quick or easy
High cost &
Complex products + implementation investment + Many vendor choices
4

5. The stakes are high
Solving new
problems with
technology
Making the Keeping up
right decision with the
for my changing tech
company landscape
Being more
effective and
productive at
work
5

6. They're serious about their
roles at work
65% 55% 55% 64% 20 hours
Often give Like to lead Like to stay Work hard Average 20
advice to others connected to advance hours per
others wherever they go career week online
Source: 2007 CNET Networks Business Audience Profile Study;
top two answers “describes/describes completely”
6

7. The sales cycle is long
• Search and
lead
generation
does not
address the
short term
• Where is the
budget against
the long term?
7

8. They need the information
Vendor content available online
(white papers, webcasts, product/services documentation) Vendor
Vendor bids content
Advice/recommendations from peers
References or recommendations from satisfied customers Peer
References or recommendations from personal network
content
Consultant opinion/advice
Value-added reseller/systems integrator opinion/advice
Advice/recommendations from industry analysts
Industry analyst reports
Article from IT industry online publications 3rd party
Financial analyst reports content
Article from IT industry print publications
Advice/recommendations from financial analysts
Other
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Source: Technology Decision-Making: The Players and the Process, CNET Networks, Inc., September 2005 8

9. And they're arming themselves
in every way
Peers 67% get News Online Podcasts Blogs up 100-fold
User Opinions Webcasts White Papers
Sources: Technoraiti, Pew Internet and American Life Project 9

10. Proven by their online behavior
7 x more likely to listen/watch tech news online
6 x more likely to use RSS
6 x more likely to read Internet & tech e-newsletter
4 x more likely to download new software
3 x more likely to download a Podcast
3 x more likely to seek/give advice online
2-7 times more likely to 3 x more likely to seek or post a product review online
3 x more likely to research products for work online
2 x more likely visit a blog
(Source: @plan Spring 2007 (Compared to internet users in general; last 30 days) 10

11. Online is the most influential
channel
• But there's an
imbalance of 19%
spending against 18%
what influences
13%
15%
• Huge opportunity for
marketers
Influence %
Spending %
11

12. Summary
• Business technology complicates us
• We need to stay up to date
• We use many resources
• Online is most important
• Marketing does not always span the buying cycle
12

13. You can measure influence
Copyright © 2006 CNET Networks, All Rights Reserved.
13

14. Influence Is a Hot Topic
It matters. It is not well understood.
14

15. Successful purchases require
many influencers
70%
IS/IT
60% 62%
56%
60%
50%
Non IS/IT
40% 39%
35%
35%
30%
25% 26%
20%
C-Level • Not just C-Level
17%
10% • All levels involved
• At every stage
0%
Need Recognition Info sear ch + eval. Pur chase decision Success
15

16. Successful decision making can
be mapped
16

17. Typical Personal Network
Casual friends
13
Close friends
9 Co-workers
19
Adult family
7 Neighbors
4
Church/Civic groups
9
People you communicate with regularly
17

18. The trickle down pyramid is a thing
of the past
Highly
Connected
Moderately
Connected
Less
Connected
18

19. The moderately connected now
change the game
90%
80%
Pyramid Reality
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Less Connected Moder ately Highly Connected
Connected
10 or Fewer Connections 11-99 Connections 100+ Connections
19

20. The new model is more of a
diamond than pyramid
Old Model New Model
Highly
Connected
Moderately
Connected
Less
Connected
20

21. So they're on portals
and searching right?
21

22. Emergence of the Sleuth
“By no means am I a self-
professed expert on
anything …but they always
want to go to me anyway.”
• Not an expert, but savvy
at finding credible info
• Enabled by the web
• Often forwards links
Greg, Project Manager, HMO
22

23. What powers spread of influence
“I trust the information I find there more than
on a lot of web sites .”
CNB Sites Web Por tals
50%
“I often find things I can't wait to share with
40% other people. ”
30% CNB Sites Web Por tals
50%
20%
40%
10%
30%
0%
Strongl y Mostl y Agree Neither Mostl y Strongl y 20%
Agree Agree Nor Disagree Disagree
Disagree
10%
0%
Strongl y Agree Mostl y Agree Neither Agree Mostl y Disagree Strongl y
Nor Disagree Disagree
“Builds my confidence in my knowledge of
things I am interested in.”
CNB Sites Web Por tals
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Strongl y Agree Mostl y Agree Neither Agree Mostl y Disagree Strongl y
Nor Disagree Disagree
23

24. Model of how to fuel influence
Unique Content
User Confidence Influence
Trusted Content
24

25. Search and Portals don't fuel or
activate influence
• Trusted, unique content Search/ CNB
What powers influence?
is the fuel Portals
• Activating influencer Find the site content unique 12% 79%
over 4x more likely off
trust the info on the site 8% 83%
portals and search
Site builds confidence in knowledge of 4% 88%
• Influence networks
things I'm interested in
almost 40% larger
where content is Find things on the site they can’t wait to 13% 60%
share with others
Avg. user’s network of influence 44 61
people people
25

26. ProvenAverage at CNET Influencer Communicates with
out Number of People
Monthly by Each Method
Monthly Communications
120 112
245
100
No. Connections
80 72
60
66 44
40
21 25
20
20 15
7 6 8 9
5 3 3
1 1
0
Less connected Moderately connected Highly connected
Email Instant message Text message Phone See in person
26

27. Proven out at CNET
Tagging Contributing
250 6
200 5
4
150
3
100
2
50 1
0 0
Less Moderately Highly Less Connected Moderately Highly
Connected Connected Connected Connected Connected
Number of Tags Number of contributions
27

28. Summary
• All parties have to be engaged
• The network is measurable
• The pyramid is out. The fat middle is in.
• Influence is fueled and activated by
trusted and unique content
28

29. Building the web for the sleuth
Copyright © 2006 CNET Networks, All Rights Reserved.
29

30. Blogs are the straight talk people
need to be productive
30

31. Trusted individuals are
sought out for information
31

32. External experts are
core to successful
business planning
32

33. People demand
300 degree
coverage
33

34. Vendors voices are
required to make
smart choices
34

35. Vendor content is
demanded by
business users
35

36. User voices need
to be welcomed
36

37. Peers need the
ability to connect
and communicate
37

38. All voices need to be
in the mix to address
business technology
38

39. Summary
• 360 degree coverage is imperative
• Blogs are important to business users
• Vendors and their content need to be in the mix
• The user needs a voice and has control
• Peers activate the community
39

40. Marketing in the influencer's path
Copyright © 2006 CNET Networks, All Rights Reserved.
40

41. 9 ways to span the funnel, arm
the sleuth and activate influence
or deep consideration
41

42. Marketers should
Sponsor areas where experts line up behind
content of interest to
are found their target. Whether
it's theirs or not
42

43. Syndicate your content Users search for
deep information,
IT Directory
and vendors need to
be there or be left out
Vendor’s Asset
CONTEXTUAL INTEGRATION
PROMOTION IN:
• Article/News Pages
• Blog Pages
• Search Results
• Discussion Pages
• Editorial Newsletters
• IT Directory
43

44. Educate users on trusted sites Vendor and editorial
not just vendor sites webcasts need to be
wherever the user is
44

45. Marketers can engage in the Ask questions on
your topic to engage,
simplest of ways inform others and
get the brand out
there
Quick Poll Unit Poll Results
45

46. Inform and activate across More power than PR,
a marketer can span
the funnel the funnel with
awareness, content
Preview + traffic Engagement + resource center and activation tools
driver
FRONT DOOR
SEARCH PAGES
NEWSLETTER
NEWS
BLOGS
46

47. Users appreciate
Send the experts to the user information they
can easily consume
and pass along to
others
47

48. The brave
The brave should be blogging executive or expert
should enter the
conversation, be
open, educate and
learn from users
Sponsored Blog
Blog headlines drive users
48

49. Marketers can now
Become part of a special define a topic,
sponsor it, and
feature on a topic engage with users
or simply generate
awareness
Vendor selected topic
Web 2.0 Storage Enterprise
Solutions
Open IT
Source Management
Security Net
Neutrality
Promotional space to drive
awareness to advertiser’s solution
49

50. Integration around
Be there 24-7 editorial features is
a cost effective way
to raise awareness
CNET/
for a low CPM
Vendor
agree on
topic/focus
CNET
Editorial
content
around topic
Vendor
related Ad or
assets
Vendor Logo
50

51. Summary
• Users crave useful information
• Create informative moments that span the
funnel
• Build in features that activate the influencer
• Plan your share of engagement at each stage
of the funnel
51

52. How to measure impact across the funnel
Copyright © 2006 CNET Networks, All Rights Reserved.
52

53. Tracking vendors, topics, users
and engagement at every stage
• What is Business Trax?
• Proprietary reporting tool allowing near-real time view into
topics and vendors that users care about across business
sites
• Shows how vendor content is performing compared to their
competitors at every stage of the marketing funnel
• A proxy for the business tech space
• How does Trax work?
• Proprietary genetic algorithms actual “read” content
• Content and behavior categorized and mapped to stages of
the marketing funnel based on algorithms
53 Source: CNET Networks, January 2007
53

54. Categorization rules used to
measure impact • Microcosm of tech space
• Over half a billion actions
• Over 20,000 vendors tracked
or deep consideration
DEEPER CLICKS & VIEWS
BNET & tech directory assets
CLICKS & VIEWS Software GATED CONTENT
ZDNet News/blogs TR download resources BNET & tech directory:
IMPRESSIONS TechRepublic news/blogs Pageviews of News >7 days White papers, Webcasts & Downloads 2 or more
Ads BNET news Email alerts / Newsletter clicks audiocasts, Case studies on topic in 30 days:
Banners Builder news Discussion thread postings Software White papers
Sponsorships TechRepublic articles Blog talkbacks Resource center assets Case studies
Power Center/Play Sponsorship driver PC resource center clicks listed in directory Webcasts & audiocasts
Spotlights Power Center "preview" White boards/ Video Streams Software downloads TR download resources
Hotspots mouse over Podcasts TR download resources Software
RSS feeds Quick Polls clicks
CNET News.com Image galleries
Resource Center pageviews Source: CNET Networks, May 2007
54

55. Share of interest and engagement
55

56. Competitive share by category
56

57. A case study
• Engagement leapt from 9% in the three months before campaign to 32% after three months
• Vendor integrated its resources where buyers were engaging with related content
Source: CNET Networks internal study within the Server category 57

58. Summary
• A site can large enough to be a proxy for the
business tech space
• Rules can track vendors, users, and technologies
• Marketers can plan for and impact each stage of
the decision making funnel
• Lift in share can be measured
58

59. Thank You
Copyright © 2006 CNET Networks, All Rights Reserved.
59