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Keep up to date with the latest content marketing tips and news.

30/Sep/2019
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Keeping up with the content demands of B2B consumers and partners is a major concern for decision-makers, according to a new study released last week by Episerver, which found that 84% believe that meeting digital expectations is now the single biggest “external” issue.

The ‘B2B Digital Experiences Report 2019: How Companies Are Meeting Rising Expectations’ explores the tactics and strategies being deployed by B2B companies to deliver consistent, high-quality campaigns and highlights a number of problems and challenges to overcome.

The need to provide excellent digital experiences was highlighted in a recent, separate report by Episerver, which acts a prelude to the latest exploratory research showing that 91% of B2B consumers believe that they have a better experience and think more fondly of a brand when the latter is able to publish personalised content that speaks to them.

Personalised, tailored content has been a key trend in marketing for a couple of years now, but it still remains a top priority for business-to-business organisations and will continue to shape the direction of campaigns during the next 12 months.

The study found that personalised content is the single website feature that B2Bs plan on adopting the most during the next year, with 36% saying that they plan to focus on personalisation, putting it ahead of mobile experience improvements (33%).

The emergence of cutting-edge technology such as artificial intelligence (AI) is making it easier for B2B brands to improve personalisation, and 82% revealed that they will use AI during the next three years to increase the quality of their digital experiences.

“Consumers expect more from our organizations every day,” Episerver’s senior director of content management strategy Deane Barker noted in a statement.

He added: “Unfortunately, the accounting department expects…well, less. Digital marketers are in a tug-of-war between rising expectations and dwindling budgets. With this report, we’ve looked at the factors pushing and pulling these teams toward their decision points. If you work in digital marketing, I promise you’ll see yourself somewhere in these results.”

Personalised content also fits neatly into the trend of one-click purchases on e-commerce sites as it helps to streamline a buyer’s journey by providing the information they need to take action and buy products and services without having to navigate elsewhere.

The previous ‘B2B Digital Experiences Report’ by Episerver found that the majority of B2B enterprises are at least using basic web personalisation but that there is significant room for improvement in terms of providing content that consumers crave to drive engagement and sales.

One in five B2Bs say that they see the growing number of digital channels they use as an opportunity for even better personalised customer experiences, and those able to act on this will see happier consumers who believe that companies actually care about their journeys with a brand.

Another report released last week by Uberflip and Heinz Marketing defined the new “marketing standard”, which is based around data and content.

It said: “The new standard is centered around a buyer experience that’s built around ease of access and discovery, frictionless consumption, personalized and relevant suggestions, and curated engagement paths – a buyer experience designed to delight, engage, enable, and empower better decisions.”


24/Sep/2018
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According to a new study published by B2B research enterprise Clutch, brands that produce business content with added value will benefit from a snowball effect of enhanced awareness, engagement and retention. The study also outlines a range of interesting trends and information for marketers.

The good news is that content marketing appears to be working as intended. Almost nine in ten of those surveyed said they had completed the purchase of a brand’s product or service after consuming content online, while more two-thirds believe the articles, blogs, videos and infographics they consume are either useful and valuable in some way.

Content marketing can trigger positive actions from consumers in a variety of ways. For example, more than half said they would take the time to research what a brand offers if they deem a piece of content to be engaging and offering added value. The report notes that giving “value first” is a preferable strategy, as it will feed into awareness, search intent and sales further down the line.

While 33% said that the content they consume is often “biased and unreliable,” these materials would not put them off from purchasing a product entirely. On the contrary, almost three-quarters of people said they had bought goods or services from a brand despite their concerns about the quality of content marketing.

Content that is transparent and unique will drive engagement and sales in the best way for brands, but the results suggest less reliable promotional resources may also have a place in the marketing mix. However, marketers need to approach with caution, as it is difficult to get right.

“I think audiences can find content marketing biased and unreliable if the content is, in fact, biased and unreliable; audiences aren’t stupid,” said Arron Richmond, a content manager for High Speed Training. “This is a gigantic missed opportunity because the one thing content marketing should aim to achieve, above all else, is increasing a customer’s confidence to buy from you.”

Targeting value is still the best method for serving up content that audiences want to engage with, and Clutch believes there are three primary factors involved. The first is to produce content tailored to the specific preferences and issues of an audience, using keyword research and customer outreach to underscore topics that will resonate.

Brands should also showcase their expertise by doubling down on a “core question.” This practice allows writers to answer with authority while hitting the bullet points that audiences want from content. Finally, brands should optimise for SEO, as 87% said they use Google and other search engines to find business content.

The study also unearthed a few surprising takeaways about content and what each generation prefers. Millennials are often criticised for their short attention spans and love of simple videos, but blogs and articles were the most popular with young adults and Generation X. Baby boomers also enjoy articles but prefer to read reviews and product descriptions. In contrast, just 16% of Millennials said they prefer these descriptions.


08/Aug/2016
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For many people, LinkedIn is one of the last social platforms to focus advertising efforts on. However, for B2B marketers, it can be the perfect network, as long as it’s used correctly. Regardless of whether LinkedIn is a major part of content strategy or not, there are essential pointers to consider when developing a campaign, and by following these, marketers place themselves in the best position to experience success.

It should come as no surprise that producing valuable content remains the most important aspect of marketing via LinkedIn. The Global Content Marketing Leader for the network, Jason Miller, says: “The most important thing is to think about LinkedIn beyond recruiting – because it’s so much more than that.” He went on to add,  “For the first time in the history of media, you can engage with the world’s professionals all in one place.”

One of the first steps of any intended content marketing strategy is to sign up to LinkedIn and create a professional, engaging company homepage. It’s essential for this page to properly reflect a company, as it will act as an on-site catalyst for all other marketing plans. The LinkedIn community is huge and rich with expertise; and as such, many professionals want to be part of the website’s conversations. Unlike other platforms, where many people simply spend time, LinkedIn is a place where people invest time to learn, connect and be inspired. Therefor, it’s vital to correctly curate a homepage to maximise appeal and draw readers towards published content.

For all B2B content marketers, it is also essential to increase their content’s exposure. This can be done by publishing material on both LinkedIn and Slideshare. Slideshare acts as a way to draw readers through a self-guided visual journey. It also provides an opportunity to repurpose old content and turn it into something new. This can cut content investment whilst boosting impressions. In addition, according to Mr Miller, LinkedIn’s content gets up to fifteen times more impressions than the website’s job listings, making it an opportunity not to be missed.

Finally, as expected, marketers must be prepared to promote their best content if they want to experience success. The old adage of quantity over quality has been surpassed, and those producing digital content must now pay close attention to ensure new material is fresh and appealing. Producing this content requires significant investment, and this can be wasted if it’s not properly marketed. As such, Mr Miller suggests targeting the correct audience and having the investment budget to properly promote.

For content marketers, LinkedIn offers a great opportunity. Mr Miller concludes: “I don’t think there are any excuses anymore. If you know that you have a different way to fix a problem and you’re not writing about it, and you’re not putting it out there starting with LinkedIn, then you’re just missing opportunities left and right.” Whilst many marketers might be focussed on other platforms, LinkedIn offers real potential – particularly for companies focussing on other business contacts instead of selling directly to the consumer.


11/Jul/2016
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Content marketing can be a complex topic for even the most experienced advertiser. Many people around the world strive to be successful in this arena, though few fully achieve it. A study published in 2014, for example, revealed that just 9 per cent of B2B marketers said their content marketing attempts were very successful. In fact, 41 per cent admitted marginal effectiveness was seen at best. Some of the reasons behind this could be down to simple personal habits, from a lack of organisation to an inability to seek perfection. If these characteristics can be honed, then content strategists could see increased success in their campaigns.

Many of the most successful content marketers have a very specific game plan that is well documented. For example, Social Media Examiner reported that 66 per cent of effective marketers have their strategy written down. This is compared to just 11 per cent of the least effective individuals. It might sound obvious, but writing a strategy helps immensely with the planning stage. Strategists can work out which social networks to concentrate on, for example, or the topics and publication dates of blog posts. Content strategies should also be reviewed regularly to ensure they are fresh and on-trend. This is very important, as most industries are in a state of perpetual flux, which means that any firm lagging behind a trend quickly looks like it’s out of touch. Savvy strategists ensure they’re ahead of the competition and are on top of the latest trend. Remaining relevant to your audience helps build branding, whilst doing the reverse can result in lost engagement and consumer interest.

Content marketers also have to be extremely organised, as with the complexity of modern social networks and spreading content, it can become extremely confusing. When a campaign includes blogging, guest posting and sending out content across social media, email and other platforms, it can get messy very quickly. Staying organised is, therefore, essential.

Networks are also a vital part of any content strategist’s arsenal and become an integral component of any successful campaign. Being able to guest-post on an important influencer’s blog, or having mentions on Twitter and other social media platforms by brands can push advertising up a notch. Therefore, it is important to have a network of well-connected people, and concentrate on building long-standing relationships with them. Networking should be conducted on a continual basis, by both reaching out to new people and engaging with those within a specific niche or industry.

It’s been revealed that content marketing costs a staggering 62 per cent less than traditional forms of marketing. In addition, when it’s done right, it can generate an average of three times as many leads. It’s no surprise, therefore, that many advertisers place a high priority on their content strategy. However, in the modern day when the market is evolving at a swift pace, it is no longer possible to throw content out and see what sticks. Instead, marketers have to have a deliberate strategy and cultivate key habits if they’re to experience successful results.