Do you have a content marketing strategy? If yes, is it a documented one? According to a survey conducted by the Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProfs, more and more B2B marketers and organizations are turning to content marketing and making it their primary marketing tool. However, the survey also suggests that while it is quite helpful to have a content marketing strategy in place, it is more beneficial to have a strategy that is documented. Simply put, those who write down their strategy, produce more effective content, and are more successful in their businesses.
In the survey, B2B marketers were asked about a new thing they would like to discover or learn about content marketing strategy. The answers ranged from being able to work parallely with content to learning about the various formats of content marketing such as audio and video. There has been a 7 percent drop this year in the percentage of respondents who say they utilize content marketing strategies in their businesses. The reason behind this drop is a change in the way CMI defines content marketing. The new definition suggests that content marketing isn’t just about creating and distributing content, but also about maintaing marketing discipline in businesses.
As a smart approach to content marketing most B2B marketers use upto 13 different tactics for their marketing purposes. Of the 13 used, social media ranks the highest and is the most beloved of all strategies. However, in this case, social media does not include blog posts or other articles on websites. Social media is free to use and reaches the highest number of masses, making it a powerful and effective tactic. Of all the social media platforms, LinkedIn seems to be gaining popularity as a way of promoting new content, and not just as a job search tool. Meanwhile, search engine marketing grabs the top spot on the list of paid distribution methods.
B2B marketers are now taking on new initiatives in trying to improve their content strategies. From developing engaging and informative content that is relevant to their businesses, to gaining a better understanding of their potential audiences to measuring the ROI from content marketing. As content marketing changes the face of marketing, B2B marketers are starting to take it more seriously, and are learning to properly incorporate interesting content in their marketing strategies.