Interested to see how your B2B content marketing efforts compare to other companies? The Content Marketing Institute’s 2020 B2B Benchmarks, Budgets and Trends report sponsored by Sitecore offers insights into how top-performing marketing companies perform, and how the rest of the respondents stack up.
It may not surprise you to hear that companies are quick to say they’re achieving their goals when it comes to areas like creating brand awareness, educating audiences and building credibility and trust.
In other categories, things aren’t quite as rosy: when it comes to building subscribed audiences, generating sales and revenue and building loyalty with existing customers, the results aren’t quite as promising. It’s hard not to wonder if the difference is not in how they’re performing, but instead in how measurable the goal is.
It’s easy to think you’re nailing it in terms of creating brand awareness, because it is pretty challenging to prove otherwise. If your revenue isn’t growing, however, it’s pretty safe to say that your brand awareness strategies may not be hitting the mark, either.
So, what are the top performers doing that makes a difference in how companies carry out their B2B content marketing strategy?
They Don’t Talk About Themselves: A large percentage (66%) of respondents say that they elevate the needs of their audience over their desire to trumpet their own marketing and promotional messages. When you consider only top performers, 88% manage to speak to their audience’s needs, rather than what they want to say.
They Consider Timing: Nearly all of the top performers in B2B content marketing take a strategic approach with the timing of their content distribution, compared with only 71% of the general pool of respondents.
They Amplify Their Content: Most marketers use email, social media profiles and their websites to boost brand awareness and engage potential buyers. Top performers also amplify their messages through non-owned channels, such as through influencer relations, speaking events and guest posts.
If you’re looking for ways to breathe new life into your B2B content marketing strategy, our team at SJC Marketing can help you. We know how to align your marketing plan with the top performers in your industry to deliver better growth for your company.