B2B CONTENT MARKETING - CONTENT MARKETING TRENDS

5 B2B Content marketing trends

As another year closes we take a look at some key trends that we believe will come to the fore in content marketing during the next 12 months.

Quality Content

In the rush to generate inbound interest to the brand, many have fallen into the trap of “volume not value”. Generating random and unconnected content serves no one.

Creating quality content takes time, money and resources and should offer value to the audience and the brand by generating awareness, interest and ultimately sales and leads. A move to more strategically aligned content that is properly planned and executed will see a growth in the maturity of content and its effectiveness.

Visual content

How many reports, research papers and rambling articles can we take? Whilst these will still form part of the mix, a move to more consumable media is underway – think infographics and video. Interactive content will continue to grow, but with greater recognition that whilst the media is part of the message, it is not the message itself. And when papers and articles are required, the inclusion of quality creative elements will increasingly win out. A word template simple won’t cut it!

Social content

Social selling is becoming more mainstream and we should see elements of it being recognised and integrated within the overall marketing communications mix - specifically contributions to social discussion being considered part of content marketing. Some may go as far as integrating part of the sales team into the marketing department.

Human content

Content that is based on the customer’s agenda and not the brand’s is now widely accepted as the most engaging, but this is set to go a step further. With the lines between search, social and content marketing increasingly blurred, content that better understands and reflects the thinking processes of the customer during the buying process will be the most compelling.

Mobile content

The importance of adaptive and responsive websites grows ever more significant and content is a driving force. People want access wherever and whenever, irrespective of the technology they’re using to search and view it on. Those that adapt their content for consumption across devices will have a distinct advantage.

Whatever happens, we’re sure that everything that currently exists under the banner of content marketing will continue to grow. And while further questions around measuring its ROI will continue to arise, its vital contribution to delivering overall marketing success will remain.