Content marketing continues to be on a growth trajectory, with companies adjusting their strategies as they learn more about what content their B2B target audience wants to see. While itÂ’s an exciting area with incredible potential to grow your leads and sales, you may often feel uncertain when itÂ’s time to decide where to allocate your resources between content types and formats.
An article by the Content Marketing Institute (CMI) attempts to clear some of the confusion around content marketing. Using their own research, CMI presents a number of findings demonstrating emerging trends in how companies involved in B2B marketing are finding success through the use of content.
A word of caution, however, is necessary when reading a comprehensive report like CMIÂ’s. These findings are across industries, and your specific industry may have a different mix of preferences, trends and patterns.
ItÂ’s important to talk with your target audience directly to get a clear picture of what they want to see online, in their inboxes and what theyÂ’re looking for when they search for solutions. We surveyed IT personnel about their preferred method of receiving content and gained valuable insights. ThatÂ’s where telemarketing comes in, and this article will further discuss how to use this tool to round out your content marketing strategy later.
Take a look at a few of the trends that are shaping content marketing across industries, and use this information to see how your own industry compares:
Eighty percent of all B2B marketers use blogging and 52 percent expect that it will be their most important content format for driving success. If youÂ’re not including blogging as a prominent part of your strategy, itÂ’s time to think about increasing the percentage of your resources that are allocated to this type of marketing.
Even if your company blogs regularly, donÂ’t sit back and assume youÂ’ve got the maximum possible growth out of this format. It is constantly changing. Are you up-to-date on keyword use and SEO for your blogs, and do you know whether your blogs are reaching your target audience?
The beauty of content marketing is that you can continually squeeze more growth out of it if you continue to refine and improve your approach and techniques. YouÂ’re never done improving your content, but youÂ’re also never done pulling more sales out of this type of strategy.
Content writers are replacing fluffy blogs with deeper posts. YouÂ’ve no doubt seen how your ability to zero in on a particular challenge or problem facing your industry can help you gain an audience, particularly when you are also able to provide a helpful solution or insight into that problem.
B2B audience members are looking for the supplier that stands out as the expert, and if your blogs are too light, they might hold your readersÂ’ interest when they need a coffee break. When itÂ’s time to solve a critical problem, though, theyÂ’re looking for the heavy lifters.
CMI reports that blog writers are spending more time on their posts, including in-depth topics and diving into issues.
Your target audience likes visual content, along with text. Buyers in a B2B target audience consume a lot of text, so breaking your blog up with a visual or an infographic can help your information stand out. Most bloggers include at least one image in a post and 15 percent are incorporating video in their blogs.
You donÂ’t need to follow hard-and-fast rules, but since there are a variety of learning styles among individuals, it makes sense to mix up your formats to promote the absorption of your content.
Varying formats is a great way to get more mileage out of a great content piece. If you produce a blog that receives a lot of attention on social media, capture the same concepts in a video and an infographic, for example, and use them to capture the attention of more of your target audience.
DonÂ’t just promote your products; promote your content. Social media is a great place for tooting your own horn, so do it, but get creative. You need to not only make a name for your product or service, but also for your reputation as an industry leader and expert.
CMI reports that around 95 percent of all marketers use social media for promoting their content, so donÂ’t miss this opportunity.
Surveys like these provide an important insight into the trends that are shaping marketing as a whole. Your industry, though, may have some different circumstances that impact effective marketing strategies for your company. Use these statistics as a springboard for your own survey to determine how content best fits in your marketing resources.
In a world full of digital communications, people are vying for one-on-one personal contact. When you include telemarketing as a way to talk one-on-one with a potential buyer, you gain valuable information about how they want to receive content. You will also receive other benefits youÂ’ll appreciate from telemarketing, including:
- You enjoy the development of a relationship. Telemarketing is the perfect companion to digital marketing techniques because it adds a touch of warmth and the cultivation of loyalty that comes naturally with conversation.
- YouÂ’ll find out if youÂ’re talking to the right person. You can pump out blog after blog with no measurable growth if youÂ’ve missed the decision-makers in your contacts. Telemarketing gives you immediate confirmation that youÂ’re in touch with the right people.
- You receive valuable feedback. Maybe your potential buyer prefers to receive your blog via email because they donÂ’t spend much time on LinkedIn, or they like the quick view of an infographic over a white paper. YouÂ’ll gain important insights for your content strategy through these conversations all in real-time.
- Real-time actionable leads are generated. While your sales and/or marketing representatives are on the phone learning about your clients and prospects content preferences, and gathering information about the effectiveness of your content marketing strategies, they are building relationships. They can take advantage of this opportunity and ask additional questions to understand your client’s business needs and challenges. This generates real-time leads. Clients can be asked about product/service needs, upcoming projects, budgets, schedules and who the decision-makers are. These extra steps will add well qualified leads to your sales funnel.
These are just a few of the many benefits you gain when you incorporate telemarketing into your content marketing strategy. To learn more about what telemarketing can do for your growth, make an appointment to talk with Blue Valley Telemarketing.
Last Updated on September 14, 2023 by Ronen Ben-Dror