B2B content marketing is undergoing a transformation. We’re breaking free from the notion that being “professional” has to be dull. Authenticity and transparency are no longer mere buzzwords; they’re becoming the new standard in content strategy. What used to be unique, emotionally compelling content is now becoming the norm.
However, these industry changes come with their share of challenges. As B2B marketing evolves, we must adapt our procedures, metrics, and our entire marketing philosophy.
B2B Content Strategy & Operations Benchmark Report
The insightful team at Kapost, a B2B marketing platform, recently released their B2B Content Strategy & Operations Benchmark report. They conducted extensive surveys across diverse industries, from small businesses to large enterprises. Let’s delve into the challenges they uncovered and how B2B marketers can thrive in this changing landscape.
Challenge: Lack of Communication and Alignment
In football, you can’t score a touchdown if you don’t know where the end zone is. Unfortunately, it seems like many B2B content marketers are wandering around the field aimlessly. According to Kapost, 22% of content creators didn’t even know if their organization had set lead generation goals. Even worse, 32% weren’t sure if they were meeting revenue goals. Perhaps most concerning of all, 60% admitted they lacked visibility into how their content aligns with organizational priorities.
Solution: Clear Goals and KPIs
Content creators need to fully embrace their role as marketers. It’s not sufficient to just receive an assignment, churn out words, and release it into the digital abyss. That approach leads to generic content.
Every piece of content should have these elements:
- Proof that it serves an existing search demand.
- A specific target audience.
- A rationale for why this content will resonate with that audience.
- An amplification plan.
- A specific next-step goal (CTA) aligned with organizational goals.
- Content creators and management should share the responsibility for communication and goal-setting. Ideally, the entire team should collaborate on content strategy.
Challenge: Organizational Silos
When different teams and departments work in isolation, efficiency suffers. Marketers estimate that around 25% of their content is redundant work. Even worse, only 44% have complete visibility into other departments’ campaigns and content. The true extent of duplicated effort could be much higher.
Solution: Centralized Content and Cross-Disciplinary Teams
If your organization has multiple marketing teams scattered across different departments, centralizing content strategy on a platform accessible to all is crucial. Breaking down silos and fostering collaboration will eliminate redundant content and uncover new synergies.
Consider how TopRank Marketing restructured its teams. Instead of separate content, SEO, and design teams, they formed “pods” that span multiple disciplines, with experts from each area collaborating. This approach has encouraged cross-training and the production of more strategic content.
Challenge: Calculating ROI
Measuring the impact of marketing efforts remains a top concern. In Kapost’s survey, 54% of marketers listed proving ROI as a major hurdle. Surprisingly, nearly half rely on superficial metrics like web traffic to track ROI, and 25% use no ROI-tracking metrics at all.
Solution: Embrace Revenue Metrics
Marketers must become well-versed in the entire revenue process. Vague metrics are no longer sufficient. We live in the era of data, and we must harness it to prove ROI.
For example, it’s not enough to measure web traffic; we need to understand its source and relevance to our target audience. Does increased traffic lead to more conversions? What’s the monetary value of each conversion? All this data is at our fingertips.
This journey might involve delving into what was previously seen as the sales department’s domain, but it’s necessary for marketers to grasp and contribute to the entire revenue process to meet revenue goals.
Embracing the Challenges
B2B content marketing has grown significantly in recent years, but there’s room for more sophistication in our efforts. Content creators must focus on strategy and goals, communicate with leadership and teams, and prioritize metrics that demonstrate ROI.
Are you ready to become more intelligent, creative, and result-focused? We’re here to guide you on this exciting journey. Don’t hesitate to contact us and work together.
