Content Delivery Models

There’s been a fair amount of conversation on LinkedIn recently about on-demand content for virtual events. The debate was sparked by a bold move from GURU Media Hub's #eventastic - a two day mega virtual event about events last week. Their policy was the was no access to on-demand content unless you watched at least 60 minutes live during their two-day event. That is just 8% of the program. Like it or not, it worked because I tuned in live to get access the content afterward. I also wanted to share another model I think is brilliant, this time from the Marketing AI Institute. Their recent AI for B2B Marketers Summit was five hours over a single afternoon (same day as #eventastic day one), and while I couldn't stay the entire time, I have sat through their entire 5-hour virtual events in the past because the content was that compelling. Their approach is layered: • Free access if you watch live and agree to share your details with sponsors • Pay $99 if you want to attend live without sharing your information • Pay $99 for on-demand access with sponsor sharing • Pay $198 for on-demand access without sharing any personal data What a smart way to create value for sponsors as well as to ensure people actually show up. Both of these examples offer ideas for those of us working in corporate B2B events. Virtual or in-person, events need people to create energy. And no matter the format, it all comes down to one thing: content. If your content isn’t timely and interesting, people won’t show up. Would love to know if anyone has come across any other models that are different? Rodney Hart Jay Schwedelson Dahlia El Gazzar 🧿

Most teams are stuck in what Josh Bersin calls the “publishing model”: identify a learning need, build content, upload to some system, promote, and hope you don’t have to change it. It’s the same playbook we’ve used for 30 years. Companies like Moderna are doing it differently. When they needed to roll out AI training globally—fast—they built and launched an interactive experience across the company in hours, not months. The difference isn’t just tech. It’s mindset. Instead of asking “What course should we build?” they ask “How do we get people answers when they need them?” Bersin’s research shows this reframes L&D’s role—from content publisher to enablement partner. Employees get answers, not assignments. Knowledge flows where and when it’s needed. The economics are changing too: faster content cycles, higher relevance, better engagement. 📘 Read the report: https://lnkd.in/d4-iviqp

Typical pattern: prioritising content creation while treating distribution as an afterthought. This imbalance represents a fundamental misalignment of strategic resources. The scenario plays out with remarkable consistency: Marketing teams invest considerable resources crafting elaborate content pieces. Meticulously researched whitepapers, visually striking infographics, comprehensive guides. Yet allocate minimal thought or budget to ensuring these assets reach their intended audience. During interviews I posed a straightforward budget allocation question: "How would you invest £10K for maximum impact?" The responses were disappointing. Elaborate production plans consumed 80-90% of hypothetical budgets, while distribution received no consideration. It's a professional disconnect: • 𝗖-𝘀𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗲: Focused on commercial metrics—pipeline contribution, conversion efficiency, revenue attribution • 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀: Optimising for production quality, volume, and creative excellence Both perspectives have merit, yet they operate in parallel rather than converge. The underlying dynamics: 𝟭. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 The concrete nature of content creation, which includes visible outputs and definable milestones, offers comfortable metrics for tracking progress. 𝟮. 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘁𝘆 • Channel orchestration • Algorithm changes • Pipeline impact It isn't easy. 𝟯. 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 Content teams track subjective standards of 'quality' while commercial leadership prioritises audience reach and business outcomes. The distribution-first mindset represents a more sophisticated approach to content strategy. Strategic principles for you: • Begin with audience ecosystem mapping—where does your ideal prospect already engage? • Reverse-engineer content formats optimised for native platform performance • Integrate distribution partnerships during content conceptualisation, not post-production • Design within platform constraints (most social algorithms favour zero-click content) • Establish budget allocation principles that properly weight distribution channels A strategically positioned content piece that reaches 1,000 precisely targeted prospects consistently outperforms exceptional content with little reach. The nuanced truth is that most content marketing initiatives don't underperform due to quality deficiencies, but rather because of no distribution. ----- p.s. Want to know why your marketing isn't working? Get my free 6-part email diagnostic series (link in profile Oren Greenberg)