Semrush publishes their annual state of content marketing report every year. You can download a copy of the report (and you should!). It is a strong state in content marketing, which I am pleased to report.

One example: 69% plan to increase content marketing budgets in the coming year. This report gives a quick snapshot of the most important content marketing trends as well as tips for how to create a content strategy that works. It was an honor to be included in one of the top trends in content marketing. I look forward to sharing it with you.

First, let's look at some highlights.

• 66% of companies who succeed in content marketing describe their content marketing strategy
• 55% of content marketing companies are seeing growth through publishing more
• 38% of businesses struggle to find content resources while 48% have outsourced content marketing
• 76% believe that the recession hasn't had much effect in their content marketing efforts

The report states that is the key to an effective content marketing strategy.

• Researching the audience (according 47% of respondents).
• Dedicated to SEO (46 percent of respondents), and
• Creating consistent content (45% respondents) based upon an annual marketing strategy.
• Refreshing or updating old content (42%). This is another favorite tactic!

My Content Marketing Trend

Content marketing must deliver tangible results. This is what I believe since childhood. This starts with search visibility and rankings. To show results to all clients, we use the Semrush Viability Tracker.

Here are some examples:

Healthcare Technology Company

Marketing Technology Company

Through a weekly blog article and an annual content plan, we help clients achieve these results.

We love the idea of updating old content. Here is an example of one our oldest clients, and the results they get from combining new and updated weekly material.

We look for pages with declining search traffic or that have been ranked previously. We give them a content refresh, an updated publish date, as well as a social boost.

This is how we have grown from zero to nearly 1,000,000 page views per month and ranking for almost 100,000 keywords.

Our weekly content publication schedule includes both new and updated content. Each week we publish two original articles that are keyword-focused. Then, we publish 2 fresh articles from our over 1,500 articles library.

However, content marketing ROI must be shown in the form leads, pipeline, and booked revenue. We have hundreds of success stories to show you that 7x ROI is possible (700k in revenue for $100k). Double or triple the number of leads. Blog content leads have 60% higher close rates.

My 2023 Content Marketing Prediction

Here is my 2023 content marketing trend prediction with Semrush's permission.

2023 will be the year that content marketing basics are rediscovered. Paid ads, social media, and leads from B2B websites account for less that 10%. Even for e-commerce, the number is below 20%.

What is the best source of marketing ROI to brands in any industry, including technology and manufacturing? Referral traffic and organic search results from content marketing

Brands will reduce ineffective advertising spend during times of economic uncertainty. They will also stop messing around with TikToks, and instead focus on smarter marketing budgets. Content marketing basics such as SEO-driven content planning, creative storytelling and consistency will be hot topics again. To determine the most important outcomes for our clients, we will work with brand (in B2B) and sales (on B2B). Then, we will map a content marketing strategy that aligns with business ROI.

This and other information can be found in the Semrush State of Content Marketing Report. Click here.

This trend is supported by the report's number one goal for content marketing: increase traffic (46%).

Content Marketing Trends for 2023

Each year, I write about 10-12 trends in content marketing that every business should follow. These are the three main ones that I want to emphasize:

1. Content Marketing is Back in Style

In the past, B2B SaaS marketing managers and startup founders would first think about buying social media ads to help grow their businesses. They would say, "We must be on Tiktok." They might say, "We need to hire a social marketing intern." Sometimes they'd ask "What is content marketing?"

After realizing that social media is not a good platform for selling anything, we're seeing them return to content marketing. Google even stated that content is the best way for buyers to search for. Industry research shows that content marketing spending is expected to increase by twice as much in 2022.

2. AI-Generated Content

Although we believe there are many efficient ways to automate content promotion, AI-generated content is still far away. For clients, we do have access to some AI-driven content marketing strategies as well as AI-driven promotion. We believe that AI will force us to rethink what we create in the future.

We've tested several AI-generated content services, and were disappointed with their ability to produce quality blog content and long-form articles. Don't take the shortcut of using AI to generate content. However, you can use it to help inform your strategy.

We will now have to confront what I call "The Paradox of AI": The more robots tell us what we should do, the more we need people (employees or customers) to create that content and share it. This brings me to my last big prediction for content marketing in 2018.

3. Employee activation

Brands will continue to turn to employees, customers, experts and executives to produce more content that aids buyers because they need more authentic, human and thought-leadership content.

My friends help me get by. You can check out my top post from a few decades back about content marketing predictions by 20 industry experts.

• Content marketing technology scaling
• Video marketing trends
• Podcasting is the next big thing
• Backlash and resistance to content marketing
• Acceptance of content marketing
• How content marketing scales
• Moving from content to experiences
• Content marketing that aligns better with sales
• cross-enterprise content marketing coordination
• Brand storytelling
• Content distribution and amplification
• personalization
• Buyer alignment and customer journeys
• Content merging with data and media
• Content is more effective than ads

Although these predictions for content marketing are only a few years old, it is still very interesting to see how they have performed over the years.

Do you want to convert new customers and engage them using the most important trend in digital marketing: consistent, quality content? Get our weekly blog content service. Get started now to generate more leads and traffic for your business.

Did you know that the blog introduction is as important as the headline in determining whether someone will read your article.

The average time spent reading a blog post takes 15 seconds. However, if they can make them stay longer than 15 seconds, the majority of readers will read a blog post for 7 minutes. Fast Company says so.

If you want people to continue reading, blog intros should be engaging and clearly communicate the value of the article. You need a hook to get people to read your blog.

There are many proven ways to ensure you hit the mark every time. These tips are used to train our writers, so that our clients get the best introduction possible!

This post will show you 8 proven ways to create a blog article introduction like a pro.

Quick Takeaways

• 
  Some formulas are more appealing than others.
  
• 
  Asking questions through blog introductions stimulates readers to think.
  
• 
  It is important to find a balance between telling the reader what to expect and giving away everything in the introduction.
  
• 
  Blog introductions that emphasize the benefits and value of the article are effective.
  

PPB Formula for Awesome Blog Intros

We are always open to learning new tips and tricks for writing the perfect blog post.

Brian Dean of Backlinko sent me an email a few years back describing his preferred formula for writing blog intros, the "the PPB Formula".

This was something I'd never heard of before so I was intrigued. The PPB Formula stands as:

• 
  Promise (or Preview)
  
• 
  
  
• 
  Bridge
  

Here's an example.

• Promise: Good blog intros can encourage readers to read your blogs.
• (or preview): Today, I will show you how to create a great blog intro.
• Evidence: Research has shown that people who only read the first 15 seconds or so of an article will read it all.
• Bridge Let's get in. . .

The "Promise" one is a bit better. The "Preview", however, seems bland and generic. You can test them both. Both work! Let's take them apart a bit more.

Promise or Preview

This is where you inform your reader exactly what to expect from your article. This is the main benefit of reading your article.

This way, people who visit your post will know that they are in the right spot. Which do you prefer?

Now Offers The Proof

This is where you can show people you are knowledgeable. Stats are my favorite way to prove credibility, but proof is also possible.

• Your personal results
• Your many years of experience in solving this problem
• Exemples of specific clients
• Additional forms of third party credentials such as stats, experts, and quotes

Take, for example:

This is how we generated tens of thousands search rankings, nearly all of our new clients, and 1 million readers each year.

How We Rank #1 – Get a Million Visitors (And Win All Our Customers)

Bridge from The Intro To The Article

This is where you convert people from your intro to your content. This is how you create a bridge between your intro and what's in the meat section of your post. The promise is also something I like to repeat in some way, using the main phrase of the article.

• Let's get started. . .
• I will show you. . .
• Learn more. . .

Digital Marketer has a similar "hook" method. It includes "short, punchy and curiosity-laden openings" that allow you to "slide" through the rest of the article.

8 Ways to Create Amazing Blog Introductions

Get to know others

People search for content that will help them solve problems or accomplish important tasks. It could be completing a difficult project at work, organizing their home better, or understanding complex situations happening around the globe.

No matter what the topic, blog introductions can help you keep your readers interested by telling them "Hey, we relate!"

Let's see:

Let's say that a user is looking for ways to increase conversions through their content. Instead of focusing on the steps they should take, you could start by saying things like "Converting customers can be difficult" or "Many businesses create great contents but struggle to get customers the next step."

These statements create a bond between you and your reader. It makes them feel connected because they are understood. They realize they are not the only one suffering from this problem. They will also realize that understanding the problem makes it more likely for them to offer a solution.

This type of content that is focused on customers' pain points has been proven to be extremely effective in keeping customers engaged. It starts with a clear mention in your blog introduction.

You can use keyword research to identify user pain points. Also, you can engage with customers to directly ask them questions. You can also conduct your own exploratory research. This article will provide a deeper look at how to identify customer pain points and what your products or services could solve.

Ask a question

Engaging people in blog introductions by asking them questions is a great way to get them thinking. It's also possible to use questions to highlight the content of your blog posts (more information on why this is important coming next).

You can ask questions about your customer's pain point. This is a great way for the user to either execute the previous tip or get curious about the content of your article.

To use the customer conversions example, you could ask: "Are your visitors driving traffic to your site but not converting paying customers?"

The question addresses the user's pain point in such a way that they ponder.

You could also use a question to see how your article will benefit you.

Your customer will be more inclined to read your article because they know they will find the answer in the end. It is your responsibility to ensure that it is there.

Tell people what to expect

The thing is that people want fast answers. Particularly on the internet. They won't stop until you get to the point 1000 words later.

As we said, you have about 15 seconds to get people interested enough that they will continue reading. Blog introductions that leave customers in the dark will not work.

You don't have to include everything in the first few sentences. Instead, provide a quick and concise summary of what your customers will find in the article, without going into detail.

Example: "In this article, we'll cover eight effective tactics that you can use in order to convert paying customers using your content." We'll then give you concrete steps to follow in order to implement these strategies immediately.

Your user now knows exactly what they will find if they decide to continue reading, but they still need to be able to understand the value of your article.

Value is what you should be focusing on

Content marketers must be able to distinguish between benefits and features.

This is a simple example to illustrate the concept.

If they don't know the benefits of the product, people won't care much about its features. Blog articles are the same.

It's not enough to simply list what you will include in your article. It is not enough to simply list what you will include in your article.

Talking directly to your readers is a great way to achieve this. Let's go back to the example. As we said, we will tell our readers what to expect from the article.

"In this article, we'll discuss 8 effective strategies you can use in order to convert paying customers through your content. We'll then give you concrete steps to follow in order to implement these strategies immediately.

Notice how the second person is used. Imagine if we said: "We'll cover eight tactics that increase customer conversions in companies."

You might argue that this still provides the same information. Although it is true, it does not directly address why I find it important. Both "You can use" or "implement them immediately" tell our users that the content is theirs and they will benefit directly from it.

To make it even more powerful, I may say something like: "Successfully applying these tactics will lead you to higher conversions as well as sales that drive revenue for the brand."

My reader now knows I am sensitive to their pain and is clear about how I will address it in my article. They can also see how it will directly benefit them.

Provide a Unique Perspective

Google searches typically yield millions of results. Even the first page of Google searches, which is where most people are looking, has 10 results for every query. What can you do to stand out from all the other content? You can do this by offering a unique perspective on the subject you are covering.

Consider this: How many times have we searched for the exact same thing only to find several articles with similar content? It's not helpful.

A blog introduction with a unique approach can grab your readers' attention. Even if you have specific topics to cover, you can still be original by writing with a different tone or showcasing your brand's personality.

It's possible to take a completely different position on a topic that has become repetitive or stale in your industry. Let's take, for instance, the blog title and intro to our article on personas. We argue that "Personas" are awesome. Except when they are a suck!

Huh? Personas don't suck! Personas are the best way to get to know your customer. Right?

They don't have to be done correctly. This article is one of our most popular, due to its challenge to the common opinion about a marketing tool that brands use.

While I do not advocate being the contrarian always, it is important to be against the grain when necessary (and emphasize it in your blog introduction) to attract people.

Do not give up on everything

Now, let's talk about balance. We've already covered the importance of telling readers what to expect from your blog post. This is absolutely true.

You should not give away everything in the first few sentences. The blog introduction should give a hint of what's coming. Your blog introduction should be a teaser for what's to come.

Let's look at our customer conversions example one more time:

"In this article, we'll discuss 8 effective strategies you can use in order to convert paying customers through your content. We'll then give you concrete steps to follow in order to implement these strategies immediately.

We let our readers know that they will find 8 tactics but don't give details about those tactics. We wouldn't want our readers to go on their own and Google each one. Instead, we encourage them to continue reading to learn more about them and how they can be used.

Write the Blog Intro

Although it might not be intuitive, I promise you that writing your blog introduction first will save you time and make your intros more interesting.

If you blog, you'll quickly realize that you cannot predict the content or direction of an article's content until it is complete. As you write, inspiration strikes, new ideas emerge, as well as the evolution of your content. It's almost certain that your blog introduction will be written before your article's body.

Write the article first so you can get an idea of the main points and overall tone. Writing your intro will be much easier.

Never fail to live up to the blog's promises

Last, but not least – I cannot stress this enough – always keep your promises in your blog introduction.

It's easier to lose trust in your readers than telling them that you will give them something, and then failing to do so. Articles with great hooks but no follow-through will go a long way in convincing readers to trust your content.

Also, 5 blog post templates to help you create remarkable content

Did you take 7 minutes to read this post? This is equivalent to 1600 words, but we're still cruising at 2143 words. It's important to increase your blog word count!

Blog content that produces results

Blog content can be published to jumpstart your entire content strategy. Marketing Insider Group has a team that includes SEO experts and writers who can provide you with ready-to-publish content for a whole year. ).

To learn more, visit our Content Builder Service.

It has been 20 years since ITSMA's team coined the term Account Based Marketing (ABM) During my nearly 20 years with SAP Marketing, I had the privilege of working with ITSMA (now Momentum ITSMA) for a large part. ABM has grown alongside key concepts and practices such as Thought Leadership and Marketing Analytics and Data (MarTech), and Marketing Transformation. A convergence has been witnessed that has established a set of competencies that all B2B marketing professionals and organizations looking to become leaders in B2B marketing. This convergence was described in my article "Momentum ITSMA marketing Vision 2022: Next-Generation b2b marketing in an age of convergence". The extremely positive feedback confirmed that others are experiencing and seeing the same.

The sixth annual survey "Elevating ABM" was conducted in partnership with ABM Leadership Alliance. Rob Leavitt (SVP Advisory) and Adam Bennington (Head of Consulting, Momentum ITSMA), presented the ABM Benchmark Study results at a webinar "Building On ABM Success: Six Keys for Long-Term Success: Six Keys". Rob and Adam both stated that ABM has transformed from a niche specialty to an all-encompassing growth driver. ABM is not a "nice to have" anymore. ABM is a key component of many companies' successful go-to market (GTM) strategies.

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At the Momentum ITSMA Fall "Marketing Vision 2023" event, I had the opportunity to view a preview of the 2022 ABM Benchmark study. ABM is the most popular B2B marketing tactic. Research shows that ABM is a top B2B marketing tactic. More than one-fourth of organizations with active ABM programs (28%) spends on it. Leaders can see more. A little over three-quarters (71%) will increase their ABM spending in 2023. This is a growth rate of an average 13 percent year-over year. ABM is not just for large organizations. Smaller organizations tend to spend 15 to 20% more on ABM than larger organizations.

ABM's business impact continues to be remarkable: 90% of respondents reported an increase in engagement, 84 per cent growth in pipeline and 77 per cent growth in revenue. ABM had a higher Marketing ROI (ROMI), and 72% of respondents saw an increase in engagement. 66% reported a greater sales and marketing alignment. We have long advocated "modern marketing" as well as "next generation marketing transformation". This is the result of a vision that we have worked on for many years. Nearly one-third of respondents (53%) have implemented ABM account coverage that is one-to one (marketing to a single universe) and almost one-third (29%) that is one-to few ABM. A small percentage (18%) of respondents use all three types of ABM, adding one-to-many and mixing and matching their ABM strategies and executions accordingly.

Momentum ITSMA champions the concept of "embedded ABM", where ABM is central to the marketing and sales approach and embedded within the company and mainstream to sales and marketing. Collaboration is, unsurprisingly, key. Marketing is and will always be a team sport. ABM leaders collaborate across functions and break down silos to invest in tools and assets to help bring this product to market. Embedded ABM is less than 1/5th (17%) of the people surveyed. This is a relatively new area in ABM adoption.

Rob and Adam talked about "six keys to ABM in 2023" and the future. They are spot on. I recommend everyone to read the ABM benchmark research, and watch the webinar. They are:

• ABM should be your company's top priority for growth: 76% of ABM leaders surveyed said that ABM is a business initiative across the entire company and not just a marketing strategy. ABM drives strategic growth for 74% of ABM leaders, which is 3X more than any other group. ABM is a key pillar of your company's strategy to go-to-market. Make ABM central in your organization and integrate ABM throughout your organization.
• ABM account segmentation and prioritization. Market down to the opportunity level in partnership. If there is a "secret sauce", it's working with sales to develop account profiling, prioritization and plan programs that are tailored for sales and accounts. You can leverage "hyper targeting" to target specific accounts with targeted marketing and resources that are based on world-class segmentation.
• Invest in team and skills development: Momentum ITSMA Marketing Vision 2022 featured the theme "The Year of Enablement". This is not just about sales enablement. It also includes cross-functional enablement that is supported by MarTech enablement tools and quality content. Training that enables collaboration, best-in-class campaign planning and execution, sales and marketing alignment and collaboration. This is what ABM leaders do. It pays off, with the added benefit of increased employee retention and the recruitment of new talent.
• ABM Project management Offices (PMOs) and ABM Centers of Expertise are great investments to align with sales and the extended ecosystem. They provide governance and roll-out programs that include the enablement mentioned above. And, they don't work in isolated stovepipes. Participate in the communities you are involved with and invest in them.
• Use data and insights to improve strategy and performance. ABM is a key part of this new era of data-driven marketing that enables better decision-making. Momentum ITSMA's ABM Three Rs are Reputation and Relationships and Revenue. We need top-quality reporting and dashboards that can be supported by Business Intelligence, Data, Analytics, Data Literacy and MarTech-savvy marketing professionals at the helm. These investments are made by ABM leaders – 75 percent in account insights, and 56 percent with engagement-level insight. Scott Brinker has a separate category for ABM in Scott Brinker’s MarTech Landscape. ABM leaders are investing in ABM platforms that integrate with their MarTech stacks and data. ABM leaders are still leaders in campaign planning, execution, sales and marketing collaboration, and integration. However, they recognize the need for greater data and analytics expertise, as well as tailored value propositions and ABM-specific MarTech.
• You can tailor messaging and thought leadership to be relevant and provide value. Decision makers don't want just to hear what we have to say as Thought Leader (inside out); they want to know that we deliver value, are trusted advisors, and tell them what they want (outside in). Thought Leadership marketing excellence is a key component of the journey to becoming an ABM leader. It requires understanding and targeting specific accounts. This is especially important as we begin our journey to one-on-one ABM.

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Rob and Adam shared great tips to close the webinar. This is very practical advice for all marketers who need to address ABM in some capacity.

• ABM should be financed with sufficient resources and budget. Don't "partly-in", with an ineffective, watered down program that is only ABM. Plan and budget properly, assign resources and keep the course with an efficient cross-functional program with "execution in an art form". (To quote another Bill McDermott, ServiceNow CEO is one of the top leaders in ABM/Thinking Leadership as cited in this research).
• ABM leadership is possible by implementing an integrated strategy and execution that results in strategic growth. This was clearly demonstrated by the Momentum ITSMA ITSMA ABM Benchmark study. It also highlighted the immense value it brings to businesses and the business success it can bring.
• Invest in Thought Leadership and research to create value and provide information that accounts need. Stay on track with a program supported with a PMO/CoE, with a healthy dose governance and collaboration.
• You can create personalized content and Thought Leader for specific accounts or personas with customized value propositions. Michael Brenner, my friend and longtime colleague, is the CEO of Marketing Insider Group. He says that successful ABM campaigns are a company's best friend. Michael Brenner is a world-renowned authority on great content marketing. His suggestions for best practices mirror the wisdom of Momentum ITSMA.

Adam and Rob also pointed out that ABM is still in a period where it is growing and maturing. It's a great time to be involved in B2B marketing. There will be more, just like everything else. Read the Elevating ABM Building Blocks for Long-Term Success benchmark Report, download the webcast and get ready to invest in ABM to reap the incredible benefits.

B2B Marketing has been my profession for so long that I can recall how we began as people who worked at trade shows, creating brochures and selling products. B2B Marketing has evolved significantly from these humble beginnings.

The B2B marketing market will soon be worth nearly $19 billion by 2027. This means that there is a lot of opportunity in this expanding digital space. It's becoming increasingly important for businesses to learn how to succeed in an environment saturated with B2B marketing strategies as they move from brick and mortar to digital channels.

B2B marketing is a fun process that produces real results, even though it can be challenging. This post will provide an in-depth overview of B2B marketing, and the various elements that work together to increase revenue and generate quality leads.

Quick Takeaways

• 
  B2B Marketing refers to any strategy used by a company to target and sell another business.
  
• 
  93% of B2B marketers are committed to content marketing
  
• 
  B2B marketing strategies are different because they have different goals and objectives
  
• 
  Search, email, social media, and search are all common forms of B2B marketing.
  
• 
  73% B2B companies increased their marketing budgets recently by 60%
  

Companies use B2B marketing to increase awareness, generate leads and traffic, rank higher, build trust, and improve their rankings.

What is B2B marketing?

B2B, or business-to-business, marketing refers to any strategy or content used by a business intended to target and sell products or services to another business. SaaS companies, which offer software as a services, target other businesses with B2B marketing.

Image Source: Investopedia

B2B marketing can be used to attract quality leads, and then convert them into loyal customers. Marketing is crucial to grab and keep the attention of potential customers and convert them into customers.

B2B Marketing is a little different from traditional marketing. This needs some redefining. People buy services and products from companies, but not from companies. Let's repeat that:

Companies don't purchase products or services. People do!

B2B marketing is a type of marketing that aims to engage, convert, retain and find buyers for B2B products or services. It must be about the people involved, just like the general definition of marketing. It must focus on their needs and solve their problems. Marketing is a conversation. Buildings don't speak back!

Let's now look at how B2B marketing is different…

Marketing B2B or B2C

It's important that you understand the differences between B2B and B2C marketing now that you have a basic understanding of B2B marketing. B2C marketing doesn't target businesses. It targets customers. B2C marketing focuses on understanding customer needs, interests, and challenges rather that delivering ROI.

Image Source: Cognism

It is important to remember that each company's marketing strategy has a different tone, target and style. Understanding the differences between B2B companies and B2C businesses will help you to develop a B2B marketing strategy that achieves your goals.

Who uses B2B marketing?

Companies use B2B marketing to sell their products and services to others. The following are some of the most popular B2B companies:

• Marketing Agencies. Digital marketing is crucial to generate revenue as more businesses go online. These are some of the most sought-after B2B services.
• Software Companies. Businesses need software to meet their customers and run efficiently. Software can solve many business problems, including keeping track of expenses and increasing productivity.
• Bookkeeping, Accounting. Companies often outsource tax preparation and accounting to save time and money. Hire a professional to manage your bookkeeping, regardless of whether you are a startup company or a Fortune 500 company. This will allow you to concentrate your attention on other areas.
• Office Suppliers. Technology's advances today still require a well-stocked workspace. Many businesses rely on supplies such as furniture, security cameras and ID badges.

These are the most popular, but there are many other types of B2B businesses to be aware of when analysing the industry and the resources needed to create products or services.

How to Create a B2B Marketing Strategy

To attract and retain potential buyers' attention, strategic planning is essential. A B2B marketing strategy that is effective will make your company stand out in a competitive market.

1. Your Vision

Before you start to develop your B2B marketing strategy, it is important that you identify and quantify your business goals. This will help you to create a framework that will guide your marketing strategy towards achieving your goals.

Also, you will need to identify how your brand and product are different from your competitors. You can focus on customer service, quality, and competitive pricing to determine how your business can best serve its customers.

2. Define your market

It is crucial to understand your target customer or ideal customer before you can develop a strategy that communicates directly with them. These attributes will help you determine the ideal customer for your product:

• Industry
• Size of the company
• Localization
• Annual revenue
• Many years of operation

These demographics have been thoroughly researched. Now, you can analyze the results and match them to your ideal customer. The future will be better if you can accurately identify your market.

3. Identify Marketing Strategies & Channels

Once you have identified your market, you need to narrow down how and where you can reach it. Effectively sharing your content is possible by choosing the right marketing channels.

• Social Media
• Email
• Paid advertising
• Blog

Consider their demographics when deciding the best channels to reach your audience. It's important to know where your audience spends their time online, and what questions they ask search engines. This will allow you to deliver the most relevant content on the right channel.

4. Create Assets & Run Campaigns

Did you know that buyers spend an average of 12 searches online before purchasing a product? Your company's assets will be the first interaction prospects have with you. It is important to share content that prospects will find valuable in order to make a great first impression.

Image Source, Finances Online

Your assets can be shared via blog posts, videos, or webinars. They act as a gateway to conversion. You can create revenue-generating content by using a creative approach, valuable insights, and strong CTAs.

5. Take a look at your home and make improvements.

It is a continuous process to analyze how your content performs. Understanding the reasons your best-performing content performs well and your weaker content won't will help to create better content for the future.

You can also measure the performance of your content to maximize company resources and make sure you are making wise investments in the future. You will be able to improve your content's performance and reach your goals if you focus more on analytics and apply your learnings.

B2B Marketing Content and Tactics

Are you unsure which marketing tactics and content will work best for your company? These are some of the most popular B2B marketing formats that you can incorporate into your strategy.

• Websites. Sharing new posts regularly and updating old content are two of the best ways for visibility and organic traffic to your blog. To establish credibility, you can talk about any topic related to your industry on your blog.
• Search. Search engine optimization is an integral part of every great B2B marketing strategy. It is important to consider keywords that are likely to rank high, but it is equally important to create quality content to answer the questions of your audience.
• Social Media. To reach potential customers, you should consider both organic and paid advertising. Social media is a popular channel for B2B buyers to research possible purchase options.
• Whitepapers, Ebooks and Infographics. Lead generation tools can be used to help you find valuable information about your business. To demonstrate value and engage your audience, you might consider offering whitepapers and Ebooks in downloadable formats.
• Email. Encourage prospects to sign up for your newsletter and send valuable content by email.
• Livestream events & webinars.On an average, LinkedIn Live videos receive 7x more engagement and 24x fewer comments than content posted directly to a social media network. Livestreaming webinars and events will show your expertise and demonstrate your commitment to education.
• Customer Testimonials & Case Studies. It is essential to demonstrate your expertise and establish credibility in your industry. Positive customer reviews, testimonials, and case studies are powerful tools to convince prospects of the value of your business.

Sharing marketing content consistently is key to helping your business stand out among the rest. A B2B marketing strategy that emphasizes content creation will have a positive effect on your audience. 73% of companies recently increased their marketing budgets to 60%.

Image Source: Backlinko

Marketing best practices for B2B

A B2B marketing strategy's effectiveness can be determined by many factors. There are some best practices that will help you get the most out of your marketing budget.

1. Profit from Data

Data is crucial for making fast, accurate decisions and improving customer experience. Marketing dollars are more likely to be wasted if you don't use data. You also risk losing loyal customers.

You can optimize your marketing resources and efforts by gathering customer data, analysing trends and categorizing your audience. Watch the video below to learn more about various types of marketing data.

Video Source: Multiview

You will likely face challenges when you create a data-driven strategy. However, analytics can help you improve the effectiveness and efficiency of your efforts.

2. Consistently Create Personalized Content

It is easier to beat the competition when you provide a memorable customer experience. Personalized marketing strategies have been shown to increase sales.

• Conversion rates
• Engagement
• Customer experiences
• Lead generation
• Acquisition of customers

Recent research found that customers are more inclined to purchase from brands that offer a personal experience. It is clear that customers will be more loyal if they receive personalized messages on a regular basis.

3. Get high quality content

Content marketing is a core focus for 93% of B2B marketers who are successful. It's simple to grow leads, increase engagement, and show thought leadership with a well-planned strategy.

It is almost impossible to reap the rewards of a B2B marketing strategy that works without high-quality content. A high quality piece of content is content that adds value and enhances the understanding of a topic. Also, it is important to create content that will satisfy people and not search engines.

You can increase the likelihood of your audience receiving high-quality content by sharing it consistently. This will help you answer their questions and keep them coming back for more.

Benefits of B2B marketing

You may be skeptical about the ROI of your B2B marketing efforts if you are just starting out. It's clear that a successful marketing strategy takes commitment. However, the rewards are worth it. A documented content marketing strategy is a key component of 69% of B2B marketers who have achieved success.

Image Source: Foundation Marketing

A B2B marketing strategy that is effective can bring you many benefits, including:

• Building brand awareness Potential customers need to be able to identify your business and what it can offer.
• Creating Quality Leads. A well-defined marketing strategy for B2B will help you generate leads and introduce prospects to your business.
• Driving traffic. Traffic.
• Improving Rankings. Great marketing will increase your rank on SERPs and ultimately improve your visibility to potential customers.
• Building relationships. Marketing strategies that work establish your business as an expert in your industry and help you build credibility with your customers.
• Customer Insight. B2B Digital Marketing Strategies offer valuable insight into customers and companies' interactions with your company.

A B2B marketing strategy that is effective will increase your business' productivity. Productivity will increase your company's ability to maximize revenue and resources.

Develop Your B2B Marketing Strategy Today

It takes dedication and hard work to create and implement a B2B marketing strategy that will build brand awareness, generate quality leads, and increase revenue.

Marketing Insider Group can help you implement a marketing strategy that requires little effort and expert knowledge. Get started on your B2B marketing strategy by reading our weekly blog posts or scheduling a consultation today!

Content marketing is only possible if you understand your customers' needs. These insights are key to Content Marketing's biggest trend: We need to create content for every stage of the buyer journey.

This often means that there are significant gaps between the middle and early stages. A few companies don't have enough product content. However, almost all companies have gaps in the early stages.

Some content is not only for lead generation. More influence can be had on buyer decisions if content is relevant to all stages of the customer's life cycle. Marketing is about influencing buyer decisions.

This article will examine some B2B marketing data in order to identify the most important trends. It all comes down to the customer. Businesses that deliver customer value by mapping content to each stage are more likely to achieve better business results.

Quick Takeaways

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  Moving towards a buyer-centric content strategy is the biggest trend in content marketing.
  
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  We must put customer insight ahead of internal demands to achieve this.
  
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  Next, brands must map content to each stage in the buyer journey and fill in the gaps.
  
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  This is the final step.
  

The State of B2B Content marketing

Let's take a look at the reasons that most B2B businesses use content marketing. It is easy to assume that B2B companies are all about content marketing. This is a popular tactic. Digital content marketing is highly popular. Nearly 88% of B2B companies use content marketing.

The main reason most companies use content marketing is because it works.

A recent survey of buyers revealed that my MarketingCharts:

• 68% said they chose a vendor because they understood their needs.
• 62% because they produce better-quality content
• 59% of them have knowledge of the industry

These terms are either about content marketing directly or the impact of content marketing.

However, many companies are not at an advanced level of content marketing. Consider:

• Only 26% feel that they are succeeding in their endeavors at B2B companies.
• Only 58% of the reports were even moderately successful.
• 16% of respondents say they are not very successful in their B2B content marketing campaigns.

These data points show that high adoption and effectiveness don't always have to be relative. Use doesn't equal success. It's more complicated than that. How do you get there? What does this mean for your customer journey?

The solution is Content marketers who are successful map their content to the buyer's journey.

We must start reframing our B2B content marketing strategy in a buyer-centric way.

Becoming Buyer-Centric: Why it Matters

It is easy to lose sight of the details of your content-marketing strategy. This is a common mistake made by many companies. This is the biggest lesson. You shouldn't be the star of your content strategy. Your buyers should be the star of your content strategy.

This is a crucial point that I cannot stress enough. Engaging buyers before they buy is not enough to make content. Content also helps to build loyalty, retention, as well as adoption. It's also valuable to communicate with them after they have bought.

You'll see that content covers the entire customer life cycle if you take a look at B2B marketers using it. It should be relevant to the customer's journey. It is of little value if it doesn't. This doesn't necessarily mean that the content is poor. It is just not relevant.

A survey of decision-makers revealed that there was a lot of concern about the relevance of the content they received. Nearly 35% said that it doesn't personalize to their stage. Another 41% stated it wasn't relevant for their company.

Relevance is not something you can't achieve. This could be due to a disconnect between your content marketing strategy, and the audience's needs. This is easily fixable.

Map More Content to All Buyer Journeys

Since years, we have advocated that B2B companies should reject the choice between quality or quantity of content. Your audience is increasingly searching for and consuming content. They need your help. The number of members in the buying committee is increasing. The new entrants to the market are not experts. The biggest gap is in basic, foundational and educational content.

In B2B Content Marketing, it is crucial to keep the publishing engine running. Your audience should find it compelling. This is possible by getting to know your audience. You must understand their needs, motives and demands before you can influence what they write.

This thought process will help you transform. Your strategy will become audience-centric.

How to Make Your Strategy Audience-Centric

There are many factors that can impact your content strategy. The customer must always be your priority. These steps will help you improve your strategy.

1. Search intent can be understood

When searching, define the buyer stage and "intent". Understanding the reason someone searched for something is called search intent. It is the question behind the query.

It could be transactional, informational, commercial, or task-oriented. Informational searches are for answers. Transactional refers to typing in a brand. Commercial is the use of buying language. Task-oriented refers to a specific action.

2. Analyze audience behavior

Data is important! Analyze how customers interact with content to personalize it. These insights will help you choose the most relevant topics. You will also learn about the formats they prefer.

3. Focus on the buyer

My belief has been that people are great, but they can be a pain in the rear. They are a waste of time if they don't help you with your content strategy. What are the questions your buyers want to know? Next, map your content to their stages of the purchase journey.

Get to know your personas. Get to know their world and what is important to them. Limit it as much as you can. It is okay to be niche. FreshBooks is one example. They offer small business accounting software. They can tell if a buyer has arrived at their site.

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4. Listen for buyer signals

Pay attention to your customers' current problems. Marketing tools can help you do this. One option is social listening. Another option is to create Google alerts for keywords. Pay attention to industry news. This can be done by subscribing Reddit threads or industry group blogs.

5. Keep up with your competitors

You can learn a lot from competitor analysis. It's a lot. Take a look at what content is performing well for them. Look for opportunities to use the same topics, but do it better!

Here are some things to consider before you start mapping buyer journeys

Before you can map, you will need to do some preparation work. This should be done together with your audience-centric strategy. These exercises will help you plan the next steps.

• Collaboration across the company: All customers-facing roles should participate in the conversation. They can provide valuable information. Learn from them.
• Segmenting can be defined in many ways. There is no one "right" way. It all depends on your content marketing goals. It might help to be role-specific. Perhaps your audience is healthcare. That's broad. There are many segments. You can be more specific and have a stronger voice.
• Do your research. Interview customers and buyers to further your research. This gives you a 360-degree view on decision-makers.
• Discuss the key points. Get your team together to discuss audience engagement. This includes both marketing and non-marketing touchpoints. To understand interactions, you need to peel back layers. You can become more strategic when you do.
• Setting goals is key: Without objectives, customer journey mapping will not work. Describe the actions that you want buyers to take throughout their life cycle.

Building your Buyer Journey

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Customer journeys are unique. This should be unique to your brand and your customers. This is not a generic exercise. You may have multiple buyer journeys in today's digital age. That's normal. You don't have to choose one.

We will start with a framework.

Framework for the B2B Buyer Journey

The buyer's perspective should be reflected in the customer journey. Important point! This framework will help you create content that is relevant to customer journeys. The four stages of the conversion funnel will be discussed. We'll also be looking at the post-conversion journey.

Awareness

• The buyer recognizes the need.
• This stage has the most content.
• Create solutions and concepts.
• SEO is important because buyers search extensively.

Take into account

• Your funnel is shrinking as you lose potential buyers.
• Concentrate on solving the problems of your customers.
• Your offerings are more visible to buyers.

Intention

• Buyers compare options and decide which product they want to purchase.
• This bucket should contain persuasive content.
• All objections must be overcome by brands
• Here, peer recommendations are crucial.

Conversion

• Buyers recognize the value of the solution, and weigh any risks.
• Comfort is an important factor in a purchase decision.
• Facilitate conversion by removing all friction and barriers (e.g. making checkout simpler).

Advocacy and retention

After conversion, your content efforts don't stop. A sale is not enough to make a customer loyal. They should also continue learning. Learning is not about just training. Keep learning. To do this, use thought leadership content.

The most important step in the post-conversion process is onboarding. You can streamline the process and communicate more. All your hard work and effort will go sour if onboarding fails. This can be achieved by working with onboarding teams.

To retain, upsell and engage customers, you must continue to support them. Don't forget your existing customers. It is much more costly to replace an existing customer than to attract one. Keep in touch with them. Continue to build a relationship.

Marketing Analytics Helps Customer Journey Tracking

Are you able to identify your audience's location in the life cycle? This is not an easy task. Marketing analytics can be a great help. After a buyer becomes a customer, you can learn more about them. All their interactions can be tracked. But what about when they convert? What can you do to monitor them?

Monitoring:

Quelle est-elle?

How did you get the inbound lead? Different sources can mean different things. If a buyer completes a form for an awareness level ebook, they are information-gathering. A demo form completed by a buyer is a step further down the funnel.

Which content did they consume?

You can track their progress using cookies and scoring. These insights can be very valuable. These insights can be used to create content for customer journeys. Learn what makes customers act. You will also learn the formats they prefer.

How often do you engage?

Visitors who visit frequently could be more welcoming. They might be ready to sell. Track engagement across channels. This allows you to understand key touch points.

What are the most important indicators?

In your marketing analytics, look for signals. A signal is an action that causes funnel movement. A high volume of traffic to new content is an indicator that it's popular. Popular means relevant. Take a look at what happens when they finish reading it. Are they asking for pricing? Or request a demo? These are funnel movers.

What are your scoring leads?

You can score visitors on marketing platforms. Scoring will help you distinguish between a marketing inquiry and a lead. You can assign points to actions. After a certain point, the buyer can move from inquiry to lead. The sales team can then take control.

Alignment of Customer Journey and Content Strategy

Your content strategy is your marketing bible. It is designed to help you share content throughout the journey. Its goals and guidelines will guide you in building content. Therefore, content strategy and customer journey must align.

The most content is usually found in awareness. CMI estimates that nearly half of all efforts are directed towards early-stage content. This is a good thing. This content must be well-written to get attention.

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Early-stage content (awareness)

Content in the early stages plays many roles. It builds credibility. This is where you present your case. This stage is not where you shout your own message. Instead, you are creating connections. Your content speaks to their needs.

It must also inspire action. It should also generate leads. It must be valuable. Buyers will share their information if it has value. Once you have their email address, you can start to communicate with them.

SEO is also important in the early stages of content. Buyers are searching for answers. These buyers are looking for answers. Optimize your content. Visibility is gained through high organic rankings.

Content for middle-stage (consideration, intention)

The party goes on at the middle stage. Buyers know. They know about you and your competitors. It should be more personal. This content should be unique.

Congratulations! Now, it's time for deeper connections. You should focus on the positive impact your product will have on a buyer's lives. Tell them what success looks like.

Consider case studies and explainer video. Here you should address particular decision-makers. These can change over time. It is time to nurture. You can do this with great content.

Conversion of late-stage content

Buyers are more inclined to purchase late-stage content. The buyer should be able to see the benefits of the purchase. A ROI calculator (return on investment), is one example. You can also empower your internal champion. This person is affirming yes. This person is willing to share their custom content with others.

Content after conversion

This content is focused on adoption and onboarding. These are the first topics. These topics are the first. This content can include tutorials, how-to guides and guides about the process.

Keep the relationship strong with useful content. Loyalty, advocacy, retention are all important. You can use topics such as new features, challenges, and upselling. This is also a chance to include your customer in your content. Ask them questions. Praise them for their efforts. Tell their story. Your customers should be part of the conversation to advocate for your cause.

Content for the Customer Journey: Use It With Content Experts

Are you ready to increase traffic to your website with high quality content that is consistently published? Our Content Builder Service is available. Get in touch with me for a quick consultation and I'll send you a PDF copy of one of my books.