by Fronetics | Jan 1, 2015 | Blog, Content Marketing, Marketing, Strategy, Talent
93% of B2B marketers use content marketing. However, less than half (42%) of B2B marketers say that they are effective at content marketing. One of the reasons these marketers are ineffective: bad content.
All content is not created equal. There is good content. There is bad content. Good content drives profitable customer action. Bad content does not drive profitable customer action.
You need good content.
What is good content? Here are 3 elements of good content:
1. Good content is original
Good content is content that is unique. It is not content that is copied and pasted. It is not regurgitated content. Not only is original content SEO friendly, original content is customer-friendly. 70% of consumers prefer to get to know a company through original articles.
2. Good content stands out
There are more than 27 million pieces of content shared each day. If you want your content to get lost, create bad content. If you want content that stands out you need content that differs from that of the rest of the pack. You can make content stand out by using winning headlines, graphics, images, infographics, and with great writing.
3. Good content attracts and engages current and prospective customers
Every single piece of content that makes it onto your website and blog needs to be content that is created with your current and prospective customers in mind.
Content that attracts and engages is not a sales pitch. Rather, it is content that communicates valuable information to customers and prospects so that they have the knowledge to make better informed decisions. Moreover, it is content that establishes your business as a reliable source of knowledge – as the thought-leader within the industry.
Good content excites customers and prospects and makes them want to reach out to you.
You get what you pay for
Content creation takes time. However, time is often hard to come by. 69% of content marketers feel a lack of time is their greatest challenge. Moreover, almost 50% of marketers struggle with producing enough content, and producing content that engages.
Faced with constraints of time and volume, quality often takes a hit. In some cases the company itself creates and distributes content of poor quality. In other cases, the company chooses to outsource content creation, but does not do their due diligence with respect to the outsource partner and the quality of content that is created.
Good content is not inexpensive. That being said, good content is worth its weight in gold. This is not something I just say, this is something I know. I gave several low cost content options a try.
I began by conducting a search for companies that offered low-cost content (content that costs less than $20 per blog post). I then narrowed the field down even more by researching which of these companies had the highest rankings and customer satisfaction rates. I then selected two companies and decided to give it a go.
The results were dismal. The content was not good content.
If you want content that is good content and will drive profitable results you need to invest. You need to either invest in someone in-house, or you need to conduct your due diligence and find an outsource partner that can create good content for your company.
Interested in learning more about content? Check out these articles:
Or simply,
by Fronetics | Aug 19, 2014 | Blog, Content Marketing, Leadership, Marketing, Strategy, Talent
By consistently creating, curating, and distributing valued and trusted content you can position your company as an industry leader.
What is valued and trusted content?
“Peer-power”
A survey by the CMO Council found that all content is not viewed equally by B2B buyers. “Peer-powered content” is more valued and trusted than non-peer content.
The survey found that professional association research and papers are the most valued and trusted content. Papers from industry organizations, case studies, and analyst reports and white papers were also reported to be valued. In contrast, vendor white papers were not found to be valued highly.
What type of content do you most value and trust?
Source: CMO Council
Depth not promotional
The characteristics that were found to be valued the most by B2B buyers were depth of the content (47 percent) and ease of access and readability (44 percent). Respondents reported that they do not like content that has too many requirements to download (50 percent) or is promotional or self-serving (43 percent).
Good content is shared
B2B buyers report that they share good content. Fifty-nine percent of survey respondents share content with 25 or more peers and associates, and 28 percent of survey respondents forward content on to 100 or more people.
Position yourself
To position your company as an industry leader you need to provide valued and trusted content. This means creating, curating, and distributing content that educates, informs, and addresses specific needs.
It also means avoiding the trap of self-promotion. Valued and trusted content is not content that is self-serving or promotional, rather valued and trusted content provides customers with answers, solutions, and education.
Blogging is essential, but additional content is necessary as well. Case studies and white papers are two go-to content solutions that can help you position your company as a trusted leader within your industry.
Remember that you don’t need to go it alone. More than 44 percent of B2B marketers report that they outsource content creation.
by Fronetics | Aug 19, 2014 | Blog, Content Marketing, Leadership, Marketing, Strategy, Talent
By consistently creating, curating, and distributing valued and trusted content you can position your company as an industry leader.
What is valued and trusted content?
“Peer-power”
A survey by the CMO Council found that all content is not viewed equally by B2B buyers. “Peer-powered content” is more valued and trusted than non-peer content.
The survey found that professional association research and papers are the most valued and trusted content. Papers from industry organizations, case studies, and analyst reports and white papers were also reported to be valued. In contrast, vendor white papers were not found to be valued highly.
What type of content do you most value and trust?
Source: CMO Council
Depth not promotional
The characteristics that were found to be valued the most by B2B buyers were depth of the content (47 percent) and ease of access and readability (44 percent). Respondents reported that they do not like content that has too many requirements to download (50 percent) or is promotional or self-serving (43 percent).
Good content is shared
B2B buyers report that they share good content. Fifty-nine percent of survey respondents share content with 25 or more peers and associates, and 28 percent of survey respondents forward content on to 100 or more people.
Position yourself
To position your company as an industry leader you need to provide valued and trusted content. This means creating, curating, and distributing content that educates, informs, and addresses specific needs.
It also means avoiding the trap of self-promotion. Valued and trusted content is not content that is self-serving or promotional, rather valued and trusted content provides customers with answers, solutions, and education.
Blogging is essential, but additional content is necessary as well. Case studies and white papers are two go-to content solutions that can help you position your company as a trusted leader within your industry.
Remember that you don’t need to go it alone. More than 44 percent of B2B marketers report that they outsource content creation.
by Fronetics | Aug 5, 2014 | Blog, Content Marketing, Marketing, Strategy
The amount of content on the internet is tremendous – and is growing by the second. With 93 percent of B2B companies using content marketing, and with more than $16.6 billion dollars being invested annually by B2B companies in digital content publishing – how can your content and your business stand out?
The CMO Council, Content ROI Center, and Netline conducted a survey of 352 senior-level B2B buyers, influencers, and decision makers with the objective of determining content’s role in influencing B2B buyers in the purchase process. The results of the survey can be used as a guide for creating content that will help you grow your business by driving profitable customer action.
Why do buyers consume content?
Sixty-two percent of B2B buyers turn to content in order to learn about new market developments and industry practices. Sixty percent turn to content to discover new solutions to address a specific problem. 52 percent look to content to address a project or a program being undertaken by their company.
Why do buyers value content?
Fifty-four percent of B2B buyers report they believe content keeps them current on new techniques. Forty percent say that it helps identify partners and solution providers. Thirty-eight percent of B2B buyers believe content provides strategic insights and shapes their purchase specifications. Thirty-seven percent of B2B buyers report that content educates them about industry issues, problems, and challenges.
Content that will grow your business
Content that will draw customers to your website and to your business is content that educates, informs, and addresses specific needs.
So that your business does not get lost in the clutter, you need to create and curate content that educates consumers about the industry, technology, and new market trends. Moreover, your content should address the needs and pain points of your target customer. Therefore, your content should answer questions, provide solutions, and provide strategic insight.
If you consistently create and curate content that B2B buyers find valuable, you will realize results.
by Fronetics | Aug 5, 2014 | Blog, Content Marketing, Marketing, Strategy
The amount of content on the internet is tremendous – and is growing by the second. With 93 percent of B2B companies using content marketing, and with more than $16.6 billion dollars being invested annually by B2B companies in digital content publishing – how can your content and your business stand out?
The CMO Council, Content ROI Center, and Netline conducted a survey of 352 senior-level B2B buyers, influencers, and decision makers with the objective of determining content’s role in influencing B2B buyers in the purchase process. The results of the survey can be used as a guide for creating content that will help you grow your business by driving profitable customer action.
Why do buyers consume content?
Sixty-two percent of B2B buyers turn to content in order to learn about new market developments and industry practices. Sixty percent turn to content to discover new solutions to address a specific problem. 52 percent look to content to address a project or a program being undertaken by their company.
Why do buyers value content?
Fifty-four percent of B2B buyers report they believe content keeps them current on new techniques. Forty percent say that it helps identify partners and solution providers. Thirty-eight percent of B2B buyers believe content provides strategic insights and shapes their purchase specifications. Thirty-seven percent of B2B buyers report that content educates them about industry issues, problems, and challenges.
Content that will grow your business
Content that will draw customers to your website and to your business is content that educates, informs, and addresses specific needs.
So that your business does not get lost in the clutter, you need to create and curate content that educates consumers about the industry, technology, and new market trends. Moreover, your content should address the needs and pain points of your target customer. Therefore, your content should answer questions, provide solutions, and provide strategic insight.
If you consistently create and curate content that B2B buyers find valuable, you will realize results.
