During the past couple of years, content development has surfaced as a major topic in B2B business marketing circles. Solid content geared to the interests of prospects can jump-start any marketing program and improve conversion rates. Take a look at this presentation on b2b business marketing from Larry Fleischman, Director of Marketing for Televerde, a leading B2B provider of sales pipeline development solutions. For more information about lead generation programs, visit http://www.Televerde.com today.
2. B2B Business Marketing
During the past couple of years, content
development has surfaced as a major topic in
B2B business marketing circles. Solid content
geared to the interests of prospects can jump-
start any marketing program and improve
conversion rates. Today, many companies are
setting their sights on developing the best
content marketing program possible. But, how
do they accomplish that feat?
3. B2B Business Marketing
One way to determine how to create successful content
for B2B business marketing is to look at past
performance of previous programs. In 2011, the Content
Marketing Institute conducted a study to evaluate
performance and identify trends to expect this year. This
article will focus on the study’s conclusion relative to
content development programs.
4. B2B Business Marketing
Content Development Still King in B2B Business Marketing
First, we need to define content marketing or content
development as it’s interpreted by B2B marketing
professionals. A common definition refers to it as a
marketing function in which professionals create and
distribute content of interest to a company’s target
audiences. Content marketers use a variety of formats
to attract and retain customers.
5. B2B Business Marketing
B2B marketers rank content development and alignment
as a must-do strategy, and it’s here to stay. Some
interesting findings supporting this continued and
increased dedication to content development include the
following:
Nine out of 10 B2B marketing professionals use content
development to increase leads and close new business.
6. B2B Business Marketing
During 2012, 60 percent of respondents said they plan to
increase their spending on content marketing. And, these
marketers expect to spend over 25 percent of their marketing
budget on content development projects.
The average B2B marketing program will use eight different
content marketing tactics. The most popular tactics include
article posting, social media, blogs, eNewsletters, case studies
and in-person events.
7. B2B Business Marketing
Successful B2B marketers are creating content based on the
stage the prospect is in the sales cycle. Tailoring content is a
key strategy for a results-oriented program.
An increased number of B2B companies are outsourcing
content development projects. This particular study found
over 60 percent of companies hire outside consultants to
develop content.
8. B2B Business Marketing
How Do B2B Marketers Know Content Development is Working?
As with any marketing program, marketers need to measure
results objectively. So how do they do that with content
development projects?
According to the Content Marketing Institute study, more
respondents than the previous year’s findings believe content
marketing is effective. But what about objective data to
support performance?
9. B2B Business Marketing
Web traffic was the success metric most respondents used to
gauge content marketing success. Increases in site visits and
specific downloads of content can provide a more objective
look at the level of interest in any particular form of content.
Another metric being used more is sales lead quality. As
prospects access content developed by B2B marketing
professionals, they can be measured to determine how closely
matched they are to the company’s lead scoring. The higher
the score of any prospect, the better quality lead the content
has generated.
10. B2B Business Marketing
In B2B marketing, this measurement criterion seems to
provide greater insight into the success of a content
development program. After all, companies need to attract
qualified leads that can be worked through the sales pipeline,
not just a high volume of downloads.
The feedback from the Content Marketing Institute’s annual
report along with the findings in other studies conclude that
content development is here to stay as a must-have
component for effective marketing, lead generation and lead
nurturing. It’s an established, accepted practice that
generates stronger results. And, more and more companies
will jump on the bandwagon and expand their content
marketing into a core strategy for B2B business marketing.
11. About the Author
Larry Fleischman is Director of Marketing for
Televerde, a leading B2B provider of sales
pipeline development solutions. For more
information about B2B Business Marketing ,
visit http://www.Televerde.com today.
