What opportunities and challenges did you and/or Uberflip identify at the start of 2018 and manage to conquer by now, or plan to soon?

We saw a real need for a platform that wasn’t just focused on the creation of content. So often, marketers think that if they keep churning out content, it will result in more conversions, ROI, etc., but that’s just not the case. We’re simplifying the web for marketers by helping them create personalized content experiences at scale under one roof. You know the motto “work smarter, not harder”?

That’s essentially what our platform does. In our recent Content Experience Report, we found that when content is put in more than one place, it increases views by eight times, on average. As you can see, it’s all about how you leverage the current content you have to engage your audience throughout their buyer journey. From Content Marketing, ABM, demand gen, and Sales Enablement, we created a framework that teaches marketers how to centralize, organize, and personalize content to each use case/audience depending on their focus.

As a content experience platform, how does Uberflip look further into 2019 to build on its expertise to connect cross-channel content experiences?

We recently partnered with Bombora, the leading provider of B2B intent data, to strengthen how we power personalized content recommendations. The key to effective content personalization is pairing intent data with AI to enable better cross-channel experiences. With key insights into buyers’ behaviors and what drives them to convert, marketers can take that data and use it to personalize content experiences at scale across channels.

As we head into 2019, we are excited to further expand our distribution channel offerings. We recently integrated with Sigstr, the leading email signature marketing platform, to give B2B marketers an easier way to deliver personalized content streams into every email their employees send. With this integration, marketers have a full view into who is engaging with their content experiences through cross-platform click-through and conversion analytics. Sigstr and Uberflip customers can then assign content streams to different segments, ensuring every email contains a relevant call-to-action, creating an effective new distribution channel.

What are your predictions on the “role of CMOs” and the closing gap between Sales and Marketing functions?

The role of CMOs is evolving constantly. CMOs used to be more focused on the creative side of things, but I would argue that now the role has become much more data-driven and focused.

I think we’ll see the gap between Sales and Marketing shrink significantly over the next few years. According to Forrester research, CMOs are predicted to spend more than $122 billion on MarTech tools (such as databases and analytics) by 2022. These tools help align Sales and Marketing teams, giving them clarity on what content strategies are working to fuel conversations, and uncover key insights to help close deals.

Do you think AI-as-a-Service and Experience-as-a-Service could be the new destination for MarTech companies?

With audiences wanting more personalized experiences than ever, EaaS is definitely going to be on MarTech companies’ radars. Not only can you reuse and re-purpose content, but it can span across channels, engaging buyers throughout their journey and driving conversions. In our Content Experience Report, it was found that personalized recommendations increase the chances of content consumption by 60 percent. Personalized content means more views, more views means more engagement, and more engagement means more conversions.

How do you prepare for this new line of business in 2019?

Companies should do their research and find a software solution that they can incorporate into their current stack. Equally important is ensuring they have a team in place that can be taught what this solution will look like and troubleshoot any areas of concern before its implementation.

At Uberflip, we invest in great people first and foremost. Ensuring our team is agile and savvy enough to take on new solutions as they are created, we set ourselves up for any new business that comes our way.

Do you think CMOs now have more of a grip on technology budgets than ever before?

CMOs definitely have more of a grip on technology budgets than before. Partially because there is so much more technology currently being used in marketing, CMOs’ involvement has evolved out of necessity. CIOs and CTOs still head these budgets and work the closest with them, but as marketing initiatives continue to involve more tech solutions, CMOs’ involvement will become increasingly common.

What’s the most convincing way to get business leaders investing in Content Marketing platforms?

Business leaders will be convinced by seeing the strong data that comes from using a platform like a CMP or CEP. Considering business leaders like cold, hard facts when it comes to debating the adoption of a new solution, you must put the numbers in front of them if you want their investment. With reports like our Content Experience Report, you can show business leaders the value of investing in new platforms with data that proves the ROI.

Which technology are you hoping would make the biggest impact on Marketing and Sales performance?

I would be remiss if I didn’t say content experience platforms, wouldn’t I? At its core, sales is about building and nurturing relationships, and a CEP makes that (and more) possible. To see success from a sales performance, you must show the value your content has, and that starts with teaching sales reps how to identify the right content and package it accordingly for each deal. With a CEP, it ensures that the right personalized content is shown to users at the right time throughout their buyer journey. It takes the guessing out of the equation since its AI and intent data technology gives marketers (and, in turn, sales teams) the insight they need to do their job effectively.

What was the most impactful lesson you had learned from 2018? How do you plan to implement the lesson in 2019 within your company and with partners?

The most impactful lesson we have learned is that you can take something and make it even better. While Content Marketing has been around forever, the concept behind a content experience platform grew from audiences wanting personalized experiences and engagement. Through the centralization and organization of content, we molded content marketing into what it was always meant to be — an experience. As a result of this growing need and demand, a new category of marketing was born, as identified by G2 Crowd. Moral of the story is, if you see an area that’s lacking, jump on it and create a solution that solves a common problem.

Which leaders in the industry do you closely work with? How do they help you stay close to the business actions?

We work closely with Bombora, G2 Crowd, and Sigstr. From AI and intent data analytics, to current marketing trends and cross-channel distribution, these three leaders work alongside us to keep the others up to date and ahead of industry changes.

If you could offer one piece of advice to all the CMOs and leaders in your community, what would it be?

At the end of the day, it’s all about driving conversions and seeing that ROI. Streamline your efforts and watch as your efficiency and results grow when you adopt a solution that can do it all for you. Broad marketing is no longer enough in this day and age if you want to convert prospects into customers. If you personalize the content you’re showing your audiences and engage with them throughout their cycle, you’ll get the results you’re looking for.