No doubt, B2B marketers have heard, uttered and preached the phrase, “Content Is King”, more than once over the last few years. And there is reason for that. According to B2B Magazine, a recent survey of 440 B2B professionals revealed that 34 percent said they were “very” or “fully” engaged with content marketing, compared with 18 percent the previous year. The most interesting aspect of the study predicts this number will shoot up to 66 percent by next year.
That means heading into 2014 there will still be 33 percent of the B2B world that doesn’t believe content is a main driver of marketing results. Who are these professionals in the 33 percentile? Every B2B campaign today involves content as a cornerstone strategy. Why? Because it is effective. In today’s world, where search engines dominate the land, having content found online serves a number of purposes. It makes you look smart. It delivers qualified leads. It drives traffic to your online destinations.
In a B2B environment, the results of content marketing are even more significant when integrated into a larger marketing strategy. Let’s leave that 33 percentile in the dust for a second. Companies that truly separate themselves from the pack will go beyond content creation. They will also build content marketing strategies that allow them to “push” that knowledge in front of targeted audiences. In a true B2B environment this means posting blog content on the right social media platforms, particularly LinkedIn discussion groups that focus on specific subjects. Content that involves a video component will be placed on YouTube, and those videos shared with other audiences or customer groups. And lastly, engaging with a Twitter network is a tremendous way to share content that’s organically produced. Twitter continues to grow, and today it is a main driver of sharing knowledge on a variety of subjects. Virtually every industry has a focused group of Twitterers who seek information and resources on a particular subject. What is your business doing for content marketing?