There’s no doubt about it – content came, saw and conquered the marketing world. Unlike the empires of the past that did the same, content marketing isn’t going away. Google, Bing, and major search engines are placing more emphasis on the content businesses, bloggers, and marketers deliver in an effort to provide users and customers with better experiences. According to a research paper by MeowEssay in which they wrote that marketing is a top priority for B2B marketers, and in this post, we’ll share insights into the best tactics and strategies.
Source: AtulHost
A Dominating Trend
Uberflip pulled data from eMarketer, Content Marketing Institute (CMI), and IDG Knowledge Hub to find out just how B2B marketers are using the content. In case you’re still skeptical of the impact on marketing can make, studies show that more than two-thirds of CMOs plan to increase their marketing budgets in 2019. This marketing trend isn’t just a fad — it’s an idea and concept that is here to stay. CMI found that the top content marketing objectives for B2B marketers include:
- Engaging customers/prospects (82%)
- Driving sales (55%)
- Educating marketing (44%)
- Building thought leadership (43%)
- Increasing web traffic (43%)
It seems that, across the board, the content marketing objectives remain the same. The KPIs and metrics your business looks at, however, will differ depending on what you do with the lining created. If your goal is to increase web traffic, sharing plays an important role. If your measurements of success are dependent upon lead quality for your sales team, you’ll need to have a lead nurturing plan that works cohesively with your marketing strategy. The top 5 measurement criteria among B2B marketers are web traffic; sales lead quality, social media sharing, sales lead quantity and direct sales.
Source: DMNews
B2B Content Best Practices
The best types of lining vary from business to business, so it’s up to you to find what will work for you and your audience. Video marketing, podcasts, email newsletters, and white papers are just a few of the options available. Content marketing is about creating pieces of writings that will engage your audience and prompt them to take action. As you develop a marketing strategy or redefine the one you already have, consider what your goals are and how creation and distribution need to take place in order for those goals to be met.
- Be valuable. Your content can’t be spun so far that it’s no longer valuable to your audience. Focus on providing materials that add value. White papers, industry case studies, and relevant blog posts are all places you can get started.
- Learn from your audience. Measure the types of content your audience has the most positive response to. You’ll gain insight into what your customers are looking for in terms, be able to provide tips that touch their pain points and receive feedback that can help your business redefine products or processes for greater success in the long run.
- Understand your customer and your sales cycle. The sales cycle has lengthened for many businesses according to recent studies, and more people are involved in the decision making process than ever before. Understand who your content needs to reach directly and indirectly and where they need to receive it in the buying process.
- Repurpose. The majority of marketers create their materials from scratch, but a common challenge is finding enough to create fresh, engaging material. If your business is constantly creating brand new content, you are wasting time and energy. Repurpose your own older on, repost or share new insight from third-parties, and look for ways to up-cycle the materials you already own.
Now that you’ve determined your goals and the needed to meet those determine what social networks your business can distribute that content on. 83% of B2B marketers use LinkedIn, followed by 80% for Facebook and another 80% using Twitter. In order for your business to conquer with content marketing, you need to create it that your audience is after and distribute it to them directly, whether it’s through an email newsletter, LinkedIn or an in-person meeting. Check out Techslang if you’re looking for professional content marketing and SEO content writing services
