You publish 3 blog posts per week. Traffic is up.

Your VP Sales asks: "How many leads did content generate?"

You don't know.

This happens because most content marketing is activity-based (publish X posts) instead of outcome-based (generate Y pipeline).

Good content marketing isn't publishing volume. It's strategic content that drives qualified leads and revenue.

Here's the framework for content strategy that product marketers use to drive pipeline.

The Content Marketing Framework

Goal: Drive qualified pipeline through content

Strategy:

1. Map content to buyer journey
2. Create content for each stage
3. Distribute strategically
4. Measure pipeline impact

Not: Random blog posts. Yes: Buyer journey-mapped content.

Step 1: Map Content to Buyer Journey

Buyer journey stages:

Stage 1: Awareness (Top of Funnel)

• Problem: Customer has pain but doesn't know solution exists
• Goal: Educate on problem and solutions
• Content types: Blog posts, guides, videos

Stage 2: Consideration (Middle of Funnel)

• Problem: Customer evaluating solutions
• Goal: Position your approach as best
• Content types: Comparison guides, webinars, case studies

Stage 3: Decision (Bottom of Funnel)

• Problem: Customer choosing between vendors
• Goal: Prove you're the right choice
• Content types: Product demos, ROI calculators, free trials

Stage 4: Retention/Expansion (Post-Purchase)

• Problem: Customer using product, considering expansion
• Goal: Drive adoption and upsell
• Content types: Product guides, feature spotlights, upgrade campaigns

Create content for each stage.

Stage 1: Awareness Content (TOFU)

Goal: Attract prospects with pain, educate on solutions

Content types:

Blog Posts (SEO-Optimized)

Target: High-volume search terms related to pain points

Example keywords:

• "How to coordinate product launches" (500 searches/month)
• "Sales enablement best practices" (800 searches/month)
• "Product launch checklist" (400 searches/month)

Blog post structure:

Title: "[Problem]: [Solution Framework]"

Example: "Product Launch Chaos: The 7-Step Framework for Coordinated Launches"

Outline:

1. Introduction (state the problem)
2. Common mistakes (what doesn't work)
3. Framework/solution (step-by-step)
4. Examples (case studies)
5. Next steps (CTA to download template)

CTA: Download free template/guide in exchange for email

SEO best practices:

• Target keyword in title, H1, first paragraph
• 1,500-2,500 words (depth ranks better)
• Internal links to related content
• External links to authority sites

Goal: Rank on Google, drive organic traffic

Ultimate Guides (Lead Magnets)

Long-form comprehensive guides (5,000-10,000 words)

Example:

• "The Complete Guide to Product Launch Coordination"
• "Sales Enablement: The Definitive Guide"

Structure:

• 10-15 chapters covering topic comprehensively
• Downloadable PDF version
• Gated (email required to access)

Distribution:

• Dedicated landing page
• Promoted in blog posts
• Paid ads (LinkedIn, Google)

Goal: Capture emails, build authority

Educational Videos

YouTube videos (5-15 min)

Topics:

• "How to coordinate product launches across teams"
• "5 sales enablement mistakes product marketers make"

Structure:

• Problem intro (30 sec)
• Solution framework (3-10 min)
• CTA (subscribe, visit website)

Goal: Build awareness, drive traffic

Awareness content metrics:

• Organic traffic (target: 5,000-10,000 visits/month)
• Leads captured (target: 2-3% conversion)
• MQL rate (target: 20-30% of leads become MQLs)

Stage 2: Consideration Content (MOFU)

Goal: Help prospects evaluate solutions, position yours as best

Content types:

Comparison Guides

"[Your Approach] vs. [Alternative Approach]"

Example:

• "Dedicated GTM Platform vs. Generic Project Management Tools"
• "Automated Launch Coordination vs. Spreadsheets"

Structure:

1. The two approaches
2. Pros and cons of each
3. When each makes sense
4. Why most companies are shifting to [your approach]

Fair but biased: Acknowledge alternative, show why yours is better

CTA: "See our platform in action" (demo request)

Case Studies

Customer success stories with metrics

Structure:

Company: TechCorp (B2B SaaS, Series B, 200 employees)

Challenge:

• Launching 10 products/year
• Coordination chaos (spreadsheets, Slack, email)
• Sales unprepared for launches
• Lost $500K in missed revenue

Solution: Implemented our GTM platform

Results:

• 80% reduction in coordination time (15 hours → 3 hours/week)
• 100% sales readiness (all reps trained before launch)
• $1.2M additional revenue (launches hit targets)

Quote: "Best investment we made this year. Launches went from chaos to clockwork." - Sarah, VP Product Marketing

CTA: "Get similar results" (book demo)

Use case: Sales shares in demos and proposals

Webinars

Live educational sessions (45-60 min)

Topic: "How to Launch Products 10x Faster: A Framework from Leading PMMs"

Structure:

1. Problem (product launches are chaotic)
2. Framework (our methodology)
3. Case studies (customer examples)
4. Demo (show product solving problem)
5. Q&A (answer questions)

Registration: Gated (email required)

Follow-up: Recording, slides, demo offer

Goal: Nurture leads, position expertise

Ebooks

Tactical guides (20-40 pages)

Example:

• "The Product Launch Playbook: Templates and Checklists for Every Stage"
• "Sales Enablement: 50 Proven Tactics"

Gated: Email required to download

CTA: "Ready to automate this? Book a demo"

Consideration content metrics:

• Content downloads (target: 50-100/month)
• MQL→SQL conversion (target: 30-50%)
• Webinar attendance (target: 30-40% of registrants)

Stage 3: Decision Content (BOFU)

Goal: Close deals by proving ROI and removing objections

Content types:

Product Demo Videos

Self-service demo (10-15 min)

Show:

• Core workflows
• Key features
• Outcomes/results

Narration: "Here's how you'd use our platform to coordinate a product launch..."

CTA: "Try it yourself - 14-day free trial"

Use case: Prospects can self-educate before sales call

ROI Calculator

Interactive tool showing value

Inputs:

• Current coordination time (hours/week)
• Hourly rate

• of launches per year

Calculation:

Current cost: 15 hours/week × $100/hour × 50 weeks = $75,000/year

With our platform: 3 hours/week × $100/hour × 50 weeks = $15,000/year

Net savings: $60,000/year

Our cost: $12,000/year

ROI: 5x

CTA: "See how we deliver this ROI" (book demo)

Competitive Comparison Pages

Landing pages: "[Your Product] vs. [Competitor]"

Example: "Segment8 vs. Asana"

Structure:

Feature	Us	Competitor A
GTM-specific	Purpose-built	Generic PM tool
Sales enablement	Built-in	Need separate tool
Launch analytics	Included	Basic only
Implementation	2 weeks	3 months

Fair but biased: Acknowledge their strengths, show your advantages

CTA: "See why customers switch to us" (demo + case study)

Free Trial/Demo

Self-service trial (14 days)

• No credit card required
• Full product access
• Guided onboarding

Or live demo:

• 30-min product walkthrough
• Custom to their use case
• Q&A

Goal: Let them experience product before buying

Decision content metrics:

• Free trial signups (target: 100-200/month)
• Trial→Paid conversion (target: 20-40%)
• Demo→Opportunity conversion (target: 50-70%)

Step 2: Content Distribution Strategy

Create great content, then distribute it everywhere:

Organic Channels

SEO (Blog):

• Publish 2-4 posts/week
• Target high-volume keywords
• Internal linking strategy

Social Media:

• LinkedIn: Share insights, tag influencers
• Twitter: Short tips, engage with community
• YouTube: Educational videos

Email:

• Weekly newsletter (send to subscriber list)
• Content roundup (monthly)

Goal: Free traffic

Paid Channels

LinkedIn Ads:

• Promote gated content (guides, webinars)
• Target: Job titles (PMMs, VPs Product)
• Budget: $5K-$10K/month

Google Ads:

• Target: High-intent keywords ("product launch software")
• Direct to landing pages
• Budget: $5K-$10K/month

Retargeting:

• Show content to website visitors
• Nurture to demo/trial

Goal: Accelerate reach

Partner Channels

Guest posts:

• Write for industry publications
• Link back to your content

Co-marketing:

• Partner with complementary tools
• Co-host webinars
• Share audiences

Influencer outreach:

• Get industry influencers to share your content

Goal: Leverage others' audiences

Step 3: Measure Content ROI

Track content → pipeline → revenue

Attribution Model

Track touches:

Prospect journey example:

1. Found blog post via Google (first touch)
2. Downloaded guide (captured email)
3. Attended webinar (engaged)
4. Watched demo video (intent)
5. Requested demo (SQL)
6. Closed-won ($50K deal)

Credit: Multi-touch attribution (blog, guide, webinar all influenced)

Content ROI Dashboard

Monthly report:

---

CONTENT MARKETING REPORT: March 2025

Awareness:

• Blog traffic: 8,500 visits (↑15% MoM)
• Leads captured: 210 (2.5% conversion)
• MQLs: 63 (30% of leads)

Consideration:

• Webinar attendees: 85 (40% of registrants)
• Case study views: 320
• MQL→SQL conversion: 35%

Decision:

• Free trial signups: 150
• Trials→Paid: 32% (48 conversions)
• Demo→Opp: 65%

Pipeline Impact:

• Content-influenced pipeline: $2.5M (40% of total)
• Content-sourced pipeline: $800K (13% of total)
• Closed-won from content: $400K

Top Performing Content:

1. Guide: "Product Launch Playbook" (120 downloads → 15 SQLs → $200K pipeline)
2. Webinar: "10x Faster Launches" (85 attendees → 12 SQLs → $150K pipeline)
3. Case Study: TechCorp (320 views → used in 25 sales cycles)

ROI:

• Content budget: $30K (2 writers + ads)
• Revenue influenced: $400K
• ROI: 13x

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Share with exec team monthly.

The Content Calendar

Plan 90 days in advance:

April 2025:

Week	TOFU (Awareness)	MOFU (Consideration)	BOFU (Decision)
Week 1	Blog: "Launch Chaos Framework"	Webinar: "10x Faster Launches"	Case study: TechCorp
Week 2	Blog: "Sales Enablement Mistakes"	Ebook: "Launch Playbook"	ROI calculator launch
Week 3	Blog: "Launch Checklist"	Comparison: "Us vs. Asana"	Demo video series
Week 4	Guide: "GTM Complete Guide"	Webinar: "GTM Analytics"	Competitive page: vs. Competitor B

Balance:

• 50% awareness (drive traffic)
• 30% consideration (nurture)
• 20% decision (convert)

Common Content Marketing Mistakes

Mistake 1: Publishing without strategy

You post random topics without buyer journey mapping

Problem: Content doesn't drive pipeline

Fix: Map content to buyer journey (awareness, consideration, decision)

Mistake 2: Awareness content only

You only write blog posts, no bottom-of-funnel content

Problem: Traffic but no conversions

Fix: Create consideration and decision content (demos, calculators, trials)

Mistake 3: Not gating valuable content

You give away best content without capturing emails

Problem: No lead capture

Fix: Gate high-value content (guides, webinars, tools)

Mistake 4: No distribution strategy

You publish and hope people find it

Problem: Low reach

Fix: Active distribution (SEO, social, paid ads, email)

Mistake 5: Not measuring pipeline impact

You track page views, not revenue

Problem: Can't prove ROI

Fix: Track content → leads → pipeline → revenue

Quick Start: Build Content Strategy in 1 Month

Week 1: Strategy

• Map buyer journey (awareness, consideration, decision)
• Identify content gaps (what's missing per stage?)
• Choose content types (blog, guides, webinars, demos)

Week 2: Creation

• Write 3 awareness blog posts
• Create 1 gated guide (consideration)
• Build ROI calculator (decision)

Week 3: Distribution

• Set up SEO (keywords, internal linking)
• Launch paid ads (LinkedIn, Google)
• Email newsletter (send to subscribers)

Week 4: Measure

• Set up attribution tracking
• Build content ROI dashboard
• Report pipeline influence

Deliverable: Content strategy with 90-day calendar and measurement framework

Impact: 20-40% of pipeline influenced by content

The Uncomfortable Truth

Most content marketing is vanity metrics without pipeline impact.

They track:

• Page views (doesn't equal revenue)
• Time on site (doesn't close deals)
• Social shares (doesn't drive SQLs)

They don't track:

• Leads captured (email conversions)
• Content→Pipeline (attribution)
• Content→Revenue (ROI)

Result: Lots of content, no revenue impact

What works:

• Buyer journey mapping (content for each stage)
• Strategic mix (50% awareness, 30% consideration, 20% decision)
• Gated high-value content (capture emails)
• Multi-channel distribution (SEO, paid, social, email)
• Pipeline attribution (track content→leads→revenue)

The best content programs:

• Mapped to buyer journey (TOFU/MOFU/BOFU)
• Gated strategically (guides, webinars, tools)
• Actively distributed (not hoping for organic)
• Measured for pipeline (40% of pipeline influenced by content)
• Optimized continuously (double down on what drives revenue)

If you can't show how content drives pipeline, your content strategy needs work.

Map to buyer journey. Gate strategically. Measure revenue impact.