B2B enterprise marketers are expanding and refining their content marketing strategies, but they still lack the strategic power and resource to be successful, according to the Content Marketing Institute. The 2014 Enterprise Trends report revealed that only 5 percent or brands’ would rate their content marketing as ‘very effective’, with 32 percent overall reporting some movement toward their goals.
Strategy could be the missing link for better results because nearly half (47 percent) of respondents said they don’t have a documented strategy, and only 58 percent have someone who oversees their content marketing campaigns.
Variety is the spice of life, but too many variables lead to oversight
One of the most notable differences between enterprise B2Bs and the B2B group at large is the number of tactics at play. When the CMI released its 2014 trends report, it seemed remarkable that businesses were using 13 types of content on average to fuel their campaigns. Enterprise organizations take this to the next level – with most implementing around 17 different formats.
42 percent of all B2Bs reported their strategies are successful versus 32 percent of enterprise companies
It’s advisable for brands to have a healthy content marketing mix to keep their audiences engaged, but variety should come after fundamental variables have been nailed down. If businesses doesn’t have an editorial calendar for regular blog publications, they may not know when their content writers have time to produce in-depth pieces like white papers – or when there’s demand for those documents at all. Perhaps social posts aren’t aligned with the content going live on the website and they miss opportunities to promote high-value assets.
Some organizations have already started to cut out tactics that aren’t as effective as they once were. The portion of B2B enterprises using licensed/syndicated content dropped to 39 percent this year from 52 percent last year.
The web is no longer the Wild West – It’s time to tame your content
Web marketing isn’t a new approach to reaching customers anymore – it’s an expectation. People are looking for businesses online, and they assume they’ll get a certain kind of experience when they land on their sites. This is why it’s crucial for businesses of any size to have someone overseeing their content marketing campaigns.
A strategist or manager will ensure brands have the kinds of resources, both written and visual, that customers want. However, just one-third of B2B enterprise marketing teams have someone at the helm, and 9 percent aren’t sure. This is significantly lower than B2Bs at large, among which 73 percent have a person overseeing their efforts. It also makes it interesting to see that these companies report higher success rates – 42 percent of all B2Bs reported their strategies are successful versus 32 percent of enterprise companies.
Businesses, regardless of size or audience, face similar marketing challenges as the SEO landscape changes. They must accept that having content isn’t a competitive advantage in and of itself. These days, it’s more about the whole package – how that content serves website visitors, where it’s promoted, how it fits into the larger marketing picture. Companies that accept this reality and still manage to wrangle the landscape will come out on top of search results, but more importantly – stay at forefront of customers’ minds as they surf the web.
