Ep. 37 – Marketing to audience intent instead of the funnel w/ Ashley Faus

Our guest today is Ashley Faus, whose work has been featured in TIME, Forbes, and The Journal of Brand Strategy. She currently works at Atlassian as a Head of Lifecycle Marketing.

In this episode, Ashley and Noz Urbina unpack the power of content intent in boosting demand, dissecting learn vs. use intent, funnel phases in intent-focused strategies, and AI’s role in content creation. They offer expert insights and tips on streamlining content roles for team synergy, ensuring message harmony, and aligning marketing with audience needs.

“I actually think the funnel is a retrospective measurement tool, not a forward-looking strategy tool. Nobody wakes up in the morning and says, ‘Today I shall be in the awareness phase.’ People don’t behave that way. So, I like to frame up the audience journey in terms of a playground, where people can go up, down, sideways; they can chart their own journey.” – Ashley Faus By the end of the episode, you’ll learn:

• The Importance of Content Intent: Understand the difference between learn intent and use intent, and how this knowledge can dramatically improve demand generation and pipeline generation.
• Redefining the Funnel: Learn how the traditional top-of-funnel, middle-of-funnel, and bottom-of-funnel model is evolving to accommodate content by intent, and why a mindset shift is necessary for effective marketing.
• AI in Content Creation: Discover the spectrum of content creation from 100% human to 100% AI, and learn how to match the intent with the appropriate approach for creating meaningful content.
• Audience Intent Mapping: Gain insights into mapping the customer journey to a “playground” model where consumers can chart their own path, moving beyond the linear funnel model to understand consumer behavior more accurately.
• Content Planning and Strategy: Find out how breaking down content into actionable steps and clear CTAs can guide users more effectively towards their goals.
• Effective Marketing through Understanding: Learn the importance of tailoring marketing messages to individual preferences and interests, and how understanding the job or message behind each piece of content can lead to more successful engagement.
• Collaboration and Strategy in Content Marketing: Discover the critical role of collaboration across teams to create consistent messaging, the importance of a multichannel approach, and how to scale content marketing strategies effectively.