The Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProfs have collaborated on their fifth annual survey of B2B content marketing. This survey queried 1820 B2B marketing professionals in North America to determine trends to watch for as we head into 2015. The linked infographic displays the results of the survey visually.
While some people may think so, web copywriting is not pure guesswork. There is a lot of science behind it. The results of this survey will help guide content marketers for the next several months.
Documented Strategy
Results of the survey illuminated the absolute need for a written content marketing strategy. Only 21 percent of content marketing professionals feel that they are successful at calculating the ROI of their content marketing. This issue may be linked to the fact that only 35 percent have a documented content marketing strategy. Of the people questioned who have a documented strategy, 60 percent rated themselves as very effective in using content marketing.
More Content Produced
More content is being produced for B2B marketing than was a year ago. In fact, 70 percent of participants stated that they had increased their content marketing over that of one year ago. Included in that quantity is an increase in the use of infographics — from 51 to 62 percent, over last year. Social media content was also increased.
Increased Budget for 2015
More than half of the participants in the survey are planning to increase their budget for content marketing in 2015, which will require the input of professional content writers. The increased budget will enable the hiring of high-quality writers necessary for creating compelling copy for content marketing efforts. Basic writing skills are no longer enough to provide companies with the level of content needed.
LinkedIn is the Favorite
LinkedIn is the most used social media platform for B2B marketers; 94 percent of those surveyed use the site compared to the 84 percent who use Facebook. LinkedIn has increased the ability of content marketing within their platform by inviting members to write content there. LinkedIn appeals to the B2B market because it is focused on the business sector which encompasses their market.
Micro-Targeting
Micro-targeting will increase in 2015. Companies will need to really get to know who their customers are in order to create personalized strategies to attract them. Developing customer personas will assist in providing the right data for personalization.
Challenges
The survey highlighted challenges that need to be addressed by content marketers. These challenges are:
- Creating engaging content
- Producing content consistently
- Measuring content effectiveness
Additionally organizations will need to continue brand awareness campaigns to keep their brands in the forefront of the public eye.
Paula A has a mind that is often taken off in flights of fantasy, imagining traveling in mystical worlds and meeting creatures of brilliant imagination.
