Its mid 2016 and it is interesting to know for B2B content marketers the changes happening in the current content marketing industry. Hit Google and you will find tons of articles floating on how B2B companies and marketers must leverage content marketing this year. However, there are few stubborn content marketing doubts that refuse to subside even today, providing digital marketers a reason to relegate content marketing to back burner.
Here in this post, I bring across you 5 such myths associated with content marketing which if not debunked may cripple your B2B business.
Our Marketing Strategies Don’t Need to Encompass Content Marketing
The reasons ideally given by B2Bs for not investing their marketing dollars in content marketing are: our clients are not interested in content or we are in industry where this does not work or our competitors are not doing it or simply because we don’t have anything to talk about.
Here’s a stat which proves that this is a big misconception among B2B marketers: In 2016 51% of more B2B buyers are relying on content for researching and buying products than they did in 2015.
As rightly said, ‘Content is the king’; irrespective of the industry your business falls into, you need to embrace this form of marketing. In fact when content comes from B2B companies that belong to verticals that are not using this strategy, it is unexpected and thus quite welcoming from the target audience.
B2B companies must take a cue from Siemens which though being an engineering company is killing its competitors with content marketing.
Content Must be Only About the Products/Services My Company Sells/Provides
Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, the rule for B2C companies applies here to B2Bs also: definitely content must be related to your industry, but it should not ‘strictly’ be only about your product or services.
Rather than being too promotional, B2B companies must provide solutions to challenges their clients are facing, talk about trending or emerging topics in the industry or publish research content, ebooks or guides related to the industry or product. In short, content managers must provide value to prospects rather than only sell their products/services.
This does not mean an occasional promotional content is completely off the table; you need to know the right balance between promotion and offering relevant content. Let your clients know why they should be interested in you and sales will follow naturally.
Cisco does a great job of offering various informative articles related to its industry.
Content Production is as Easy as Pie
Content managers are advised to craft content that act as a lead magnet. But let’s face it, coming up with clickable ideas everyday is a big task!
As per reports, 60% of B2B content marketers believe it is highly difficult to churn out engaging content on a regular basis. This is in fact one of the biggest challenges faced by B2B content marketers.
B2B content marketers are required to have strategic planning to craft riveting content consistently. To generate unending stream of customer-focused, relevant and unique content, B2B content managers spend more time on brainstorming about the idea and researching about the topic.
Companies and managers that don’t pay right attention while developing content strategies, usually fail to acquire leads with content marketing.
Content marketers at Kinaxis, a cloud-based SCM and S&OP solution firm, do a fantastic job of producing consistently interesting content related to their field for their target audience.
Content Marketing is Costing My Company Big Bucks
True and False.
Companies cannot simply hire anyone to do the job of content marketing for their B2B business. When B2B companies get content marketing wrong, it can cause irreparable damage to their business. So, it is vital for companies to have best content creators and marketers onboard.
Hiring best content strategists, having guest contributors, guest-posting and other such content strategies and tactics will cost you few marketing dollars, but in the long-run it is worthwhile. If reports are to be believed, content marketing generates 3 times more leads than traditional advertising at 62% less cost.
Apart from generating leads, content marketing helps in brand visibility and even lets you nurture you your generated leads – an added advantage over traditional marketing. Given an option, companies and marketers must therefore prefer to spend their marketing dollars on content marketing rather than traditional advertising.
FireRock, a B2B company that manufactures pre-engineered masonry products for contractors and home builders is investing heavily in content to reap its benefits over-time.
Content Marketing is Not Effective
As a content marketer, you’ve almost certainly heard this one!
When it comes to content marketing, patience and consistency are the keys. Unlike traditional advertising that shows results of success or failure immediately, content marketing takes time.
To generate considerable traffic, leads and clients, B2B content marketers are required to consistently produce high-quality content for some period. Certain marketers stop trying when they don’t see any results from their content marketing efforts. Content marketing done for a short time for your B2B business will do you no good. It’s a strong and effective but long-term approach.
Moreover, traditional advertising is just a one-time thing whereas content generated months (or years) ago can even generate considerable traffic today (provided it is relevant today).
By sticking to various content marketing tactics for a long time, content marketers of Vera Solutions, a global social enterprise were able to improve their search rankings, generate qualified leads and get brand recognition.
To Conclude
Holding the above content myths could produce bad karma for your company. Now that you have clear picture about content marketing, it’s time to demystify these doubts and re-examine your content marketing strategies. Content marketing done right will bring dramatic results for your B2B business!
This article is contributed by Kim Smith is a Content Consultant at GoodFirms, a full-fledged research firm in USA. She’s been journeying through the world of content marketing for more than 4 years. If you would like to write for us, join eSoftload Community.
