Thrillers, Fillers and Spillers: Cultivating Your B2B Content Garden

As a gardener, I’ve learned that the secret to a beautiful mixed border or container planting is to assemble just the right combination of thrillers, fillers and spillers. The same is true for your B2B content marketing strategy.

Whether it’s a targeted campaign or comprehensive program, you need to plant a strong foundation of content that attracts prospects at every stage of the buyer’s journey, seeding awareness and nurturing ongoing interest.

Thrillers are the rock stars.

Every garden needs a focal point, something big and bold with enough sex appeal to catch the eye and inspire further discovery.

In your content garden, a thriller could be based on original or third-party research, providing thought leadership and unique insights for your audience. For example, you might conduct a survey of industry peers and publish the results in a white paper or e-book. That same research can then be chunked into smaller pieces or used to connect your audience to deeper levels of consideration content. And although it’s got the power to stand alone, your thrillers should always connect to other content and/or activities.

The annual Edelman Trust Barometer, which gauges attitudes about trust in business, government, NGOs and media across 23 countries, is a great example of thriller content with high impact and broad interest. Edelman publishes its key findings in multiple formats and channels, keeping journalists, bloggers and social media mavens buzzing long after the report comes out.

Fillers are the workhorses.

They may not command center stage, but fillers are essential elements that build on the featured attraction, connecting it to the rest of the garden and holding attention over time.

Every B2B content collection needs a foundation of content that covers industry trends and best practices, customer stories, ROI/TCO information—and yes, tech specs and benefits.

Form is less important than function: Whether it’s in a white paper, webinar, video or blog post, your information should answer the questions your audience has at each stage of the buyer’s journey. “B2B buyers are looking for information to validate a decision,” says Michael Gale, partner at management consulting firm PulsePoint. “They don’t care about vehicles.”

Like thrillers, your fillers must connect your audience to the part of the story they’re ready to hear next. Gale recommends that every piece of content offer three content pathways:

1. Ready to move on: how to buy or how to get in touch with sales
2. Need more information: thought leadership, best practices, features and benefits
3. Need more confidence: customer testimonial, analyst recommendation or other validation

Spillers are the social butterflies.

You can plan all you want, but serendipity has its place—and so do spillers. These are the groundcovers, vines and creepers that enthusiastically flop over edges, reaching tendrils over, under and around to weave a cohesive tapestry—or share with the garden next door.

For the B2B content marketer, spillers are the compelling tidbits that people want to pass along to colleagues, social networks—or even their boss. Spill-worthy content could be an entertaining video, a practical checklist, an interesting infographic or a newsworthy tweet—anything that can be easily snipped and shared.

Cisco’s award-winning (and hilarious) “IPv6—Are You Ready?” video used humor to spread the word about the imminent shortage of IP addresses—and drive viewers to learn more about Cisco’s IPv6 solutions.

Whether you’re designing a garden or a B2B content marketing plan, it’s important to focus on your goals and audience. It’s easy to get distracted by bright colors and flashy flowers that don’t really hold their own or hold up over time. So choose carefully. Make sure every asset either thrills, fills or spills. And don’t be afraid to yank out the pieces that fail to thrive.

How does your content garden grow?