SMART Technologies creates data-driven thought leadership content with Scribe National
SMART Technologies is a pioneer in Calgary, Alberta’s now-booming tech industry. Founded in 1987, SMART was one of the city’s earliest tech companies. Today, the organization has offices in multiple countries around the globe and a team of more than 500 employees, selling into every corner of the world.
“We were founded on the principle that collaboration is key to connecting people, whether that's in business or in classrooms and education,” says Katie Novak, Team Lead, Global Content & Communications at SMART Technologies. “The first SMART Board hit the market in 1991 and SMART launched this idea of touch technology before we all had touchscreens in our pockets.”
For most of the company’s tenure, SMART has been primarily focused on serving the education sector. Its user-friendly, collaborative technology improves classroom experiences for both students and teachers alike.
“We’re very hands-on with how we design and build our technology, to the point that we have engineering and woodworking shops in our office here in Calgary,” Novak says.
In this story, you’ll learn how SMART worked with our B2B content writing studio to create research-driven white papers and blog posts, helping the company build thought leadership and drive its mission forward.
“It felt good for us to know we wouldn’t just be a name on a list of clients with Scribe National — it was going to be a more personal connection.”
— Katie Novak, Team Lead, Global Content & Communications, SMART Technologies
key highlights
2 white papers, 1 infographic and 6 supporting search-optimized blog posts written
300+ downloads on the Hidden Costs white paper and infographic following SMART’s Global Partner Summit
White paper ‘remixed’ and used in customer pitches dozens of times
Translated into German and content mixed into other assets at different stages of the buying journey
Blogs helped to drive traffic 48% from organic search
a new content marketing function and a need to build thought leadership
While SMART Technologies has been in business for more than 35 years and has leveraged content marketing in the past, a dedicated role to oversee content was new to the company.
“We did a lot of work around defining what content marketing was going to look like for us and how we would showcase it on our owned digital properties,” Novak says.
Novak and her colleague Katie Yarn, Content Marketing Manager at SMART, collaborated with the company’s Product Marketing team to determine their requirements for the campaigns they wanted to bring to market. Together, they identified ways to address customer needs through content based on the challenges they knew their customers were facing.
However, with a lean team and multiple priorities to manage, Novak and Yarn knew they’d need support to move their content initiatives forward in a way that would be successful.
“We have different lines of business, and in some cases they have different go-to-market strategies. Demands on the team's time can have us feeling like we’re pulled in multiple directions,” Novak says. “Making sure we had a partner who could be dedicated to these high priority projects was important.”
a boutique content studio with a personal approach
SMART Technologies was looking to work with a content agency that could bring focused expertise to the table, connect with thought leaders and create content that would help buyers along their journey to making a purchase.
“We know we're experts in our field, but we can't accurately show the knowledge and value behind our products without content marketing,” Yarn says.
She and Novak wanted to ensure they could produce excellent content and activate it at the time that was right for the market. They needed support with the heavy lifting involved with interviews and writing.
As a boutique B2B content marketing studio, Scribe National’s size and ability to be agile stood out to Novak and Yarn.
“It felt good for us to know we wouldn’t just be a name on a list of clients — it was going to be a more personal connection,” Novak says. “Working with a local, woman-owned agency was also valuable to us.”
In addition, Scribe’s company values (excellence, dedication, curiosity and originality) as well as founder Afton Brazzoni’s perspective on content marketing was appealing.
“It was easy to see that there was alignment with the way we view content from SMART’s perspective as well,” Novak says.
“Based on our past projects with Scribe, we've seen the value they bring and we want more of that. We’re really excited to continue our work together.”
— Katie Yarn, Content Marketing Manager, SMART Technologies
data-driven content with original insights from subject matter experts
SMART Technologies and Scribe National teamed up to produce two research-driven white papers to build thought leadership for the company and generate interest in its products. Scribe also wrote landing pages and six search-optimized blog posts to accompany the white papers, as well as turned key highlights from one of the white papers into an infographic.
The first white paper, ‘Hidden Costs of Lower Quality Interactive Displays,’ involved numerous subject matter expert (SME) interviews to craft a high-value piece of content full of original data directly from the SMEs.
“When buyers are making technology purchases for a whole school or district, even a difference of $100 to $200 more per interactive display panel can seem like a lot,” Novak says. “This white paper helps readers understand the value that's there, and the places they're likely to encounter additional costs if they choose a lower quality product. The idea behind the content is about simplifying a purchasing decision.”
The second white paper, ‘Strategies to Build and Nurture High-Performing Teams,’ was aimed at SMART’s business audience. The company is still growing its profile among this market and wanted to communicate why interactive technology is important in a business setting.
“We wanted to lean into a topic that all organizations deal with, which is training, to reach our customers with a message that would provide value for them,” Novak says.
During the content creation process for both white papers, Scribe National’s ability to map out the production schedule upfront and keep it on track was key.
“Having things mapped out ahead of time so we understood when we were going to need to review the content was super helpful. It helps ensure we’re not overcomplicating things,” Novak says.
Scribe National’s data-driven approach and ability to conduct SME interviews that would offer rich insights was also integral to the process.
“To showcase our expertise in that way is valuable for customers and really powerful for our brand,” Yarn says. “Leading with the research and data, and talking to the people who are most impacted by the issues addressed in the content, was important to develop content we can rely on and trust.”
adding value for SMART’s reseller partners
Following SMART Technologies’ Global Partner Summit, Novak and Yarn received 300+ downloads and resoundingly positive feedback on the Hidden Costs white paper content from the company’s channel partners, who act as resellers for SMART products.
The content Scribe National helped SMART create supported the company’s marketing leaders in standing up in front of these global reseller partners and showcasing what SMART is doing to help them get more leads and sales. The partners have since used the content in customer pitches dozens of times. It was even translated into German and mixed into other assets at different stages of the buying journey.
“These folks don't often get excited about marketing materials, but the Hidden Costs white paper in particular was incredibly well received. It really spoke to them in terms of being something they could use to nurture sales opportunities,” Novak says. “To get through to them with a great piece of content that got them excited about using it was a huge win for us.”
In addition, the High-Performing Teams white paper helped SMART create the foundation for a resource hub for the company’s business audience.
“This is a new space on the business side of our digital properties dedicated to content marketing, which is something we haven't had before,” Yarn says.
The blog posts that accompanied the white papers also helped to drive traffic to SMART’s website, to the tune of 48% from organic search.
new SME-focused content initiatives
SMART Technologies is continuing to work with Scribe National on a new series of blog posts to highlight the accessibility of the company’s products. Just like the last project did, these blog posts will involve subject matter experts in the interview process to ensure that the content created is full of valuable original insights.
“Based on our past projects with Scribe, we've seen the value they bring and we want more of that. We’re really excited to continue our work together,” Yarn says.
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