Recap: How Thought Leadership Drives Demand Generation for DMOs

Have you checked out LinkedIn’s research study, “How Thought Leadership Drives Demand Generation” yet? If not, we’ve got you covered with this recap that your group sales team can use to create new content marketing strategies.

When I saw this report, I was immediately so excited to see the findings, as they really hit home to what we have been telling CVBs/DMOs for years now. Several times a year, we share research, insights and recommendations on how destinations can create thought leadership content to support group sales. Oftentimes, we hear that while the leisure marketing team is working to own the destination experience via a content approach, the transition to doing this on the group sales side has yet to take place.

The time to invest in thought leadership content is now!  Here’s why:

• It’s more powerful than marketers think.  B2B marketers and salespeople significantly underestimate the impact of thought leadership on demand generation and sales efforts compared to actual feedback from B2B buyers.  
• Consumption is on the rise.  Each year, decision makers are spending more time reading thought leadership; in fact, most do so for at least an hour per week.   
• Vision and substance matter.  The majority of decision makers said they gain valuable insights from thought leadership only half of the time, and they are disappointed by the lack of high-quality thought leadership.  

How does this apply to DMOs since you are not selling a traditional B2B product?

You are selling the fact that your group sales team is the ultimate authority for your destination’s product, experience and offerings.  This is incredibly important to get across to meeting planners and those making the ultimate decision on the location of the meeting.

Let me ask you this: does your website have meetings content that goes beyond where you are located, how planners get to your destination, what hotels are available and listings of suppliers?  

Too many DMO sites have basic meetings content and therefore are not creating the type of thought leadership it will take to engage meeting planners and decision makers in new and innovative ways.

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP GENERATES RFP OPPORTUNITIES.  45% invited the organization to bid on a project when not previously considering them.

Creating a comprehensive group sales content marketing program will generate sales activity for your team and help position your destination to new lead opportunities.  If your group sales team is looking to generate new lead opportunities, consider using content as an approach to do so.

How you can get started:

• Create evergreen content around your growth segments.
• Develop think pieces around the meetings experience.
• Audit your site for content that goes deeper into the segments and experiences you want to grow.
• Complement your new content with paid social.
• Train your sales team to use LinkedIn to share your content with their contacts.

If your team doesn’t have time to tackle this new approach, have no fear!  That’s what we are here for. Our team of meetings marketing specialist will manage your content marketing program from start to finish.  

Reach out and let’s see what we can do.  – link to page

Source: LinkedIn research study, “How Thought Leadership Drives Demand Generation”