(More Than Ever)
And while it plays a critical role in any B2B marketing strategy, it doesn’t have to be complicated or costly to execute.
Content is no mere king. It is the very lifeblood of business.
Like nothing else, content has the power to turn ideas into action and inspire change.
It initiates and drives the customer journey at every touchpoint.
And while it plays a critical role in any B2B marketing strategy, it doesn’t have to be complicated or costly to execute.
Content
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By 2025, Gartner expects 80% of B2B sales interactions between suppliers and buyers to occur in digital channels
Like nothing else, content has the power to inspire and turn ideas into action.
It initiates and drives the customer journey at every touchpoint.
Dive in to find out why original content should be the driving force of your digital marketing strategy, now more than ever.
WHy
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STATS
And while it plays a critical role in any B2B marketing strategy, it doesn’t have to be complicated or costly to execute.
The AI Gap
“AI tools like ChatGPT will help brands scale production but generate tons of low-quality content. Brands will need original, human-researched content to stand out,” says Julia McCoy, VP of marketing, Content at Scale.
Leaning into your unique knowledge allows you to curate experiences that address what users don't know they don't know — content that surprises, delights, and provides new insights.
— Ben Steele, Senior Editor, Search Engine Journal9
B2B buying behaviors have been shifting toward a buyer-centric digital model, a change that has been accelerated over the past couple of years.
Content Marketing Now
It takes about five to 20 touchpoints for a lead to convert.
Forrester projected marketing message volume would increase by 40% post-pandemic as brands tried to retain customers and continue to drive new business
short articles/posts
(94%, up from 89% last year)
videos
(84%, up from 75% last year)
and case studies/customer stories
(78%, up from 67% last year6
The three most popular content types/formats are:
As the sheer volume of content continues to rise, artificial intelligence (AI) has completely changed the playing field.
“
Content Marketing
is not a
One-Size-Fits-All Message
A one-dimensional message doesn’t work for all your customers and audiences. To engage with buyers, your story needs to align with each of their unique needs and where they are in the buying journey.
“Marketing organizations can frame value for buyers by integrating digital content aligned to buyer objectives,”
according to Gartner.12
By 2025, Gartner expects 80% of B2B sales interactions between suppliers and buyers to occur in digital channels.
B2B buying behaviors have been shifting toward a buyer-centric digital model, a change that has been accelerated over the past couple of years.1
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Gartner says digital interactions that frame value often include elements such as...12
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Marketers Cannot Afford
to Ignore Their Content
Content marketing increases brand awareness through vital storytelling and information sharing that offers immediate value to the intended audience.
“Increasing brand affinity is vital to becoming a value-adding partner. Aligning brand promise and purpose with customer experience in B2B helps companies to stand out from the competition and drive higher preference. In turn, this leads to a higher share of spend,” according to Kantar.
Brand authenticity questioned
By connecting on a personal level with your customers, individual customers become much more motivated to continue the conversation with you or connect you up the chain to key decision-makers.
5 traits of an effective B2B marketing strategy
According to Justin Honaman of AWS, marketers should “start with a focus on building strong relationships, understanding your customers’ needs, and then leveraging the right channels to effectively communicate your value proposition.”
Here, he breaks down some traits of a good B2B marketing strategy:
Sources:
1. Gartner, “The Future of Sales: Digital-First Sales Transformation Strategies”
2. Winterberry Group, “Outlook for B2B Marketing – A Market in Transformation (June 2023)”
3. LinkedIn, “Social Selling: Definition, Benefits & Tips for Sales Leaders”
4. HubSpot, “Inbound Sales: How to Sell the Way Prospects Buy”
5. Ceros via Forrester, “How to Make a Business Case for Better Content”
6. Content Marketing Institute, “B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends: Outlook for 2024”
7. 99 Firms, “Lead Nurturing Statistics”
8. Semrush, “100+ Eye-Opening Content Marketing Statistics for 2023”
9. HubSpot, “The State of Marketing Report”
10. Kantar, “One step beyond: Why becoming a value adding CX partner pays off in B2B”
11. HBR, “What B2Bs Need to Know About Their Buyers”
12. Gartner, B2B Buying: How Top CSOs and CMOs Optimize the Journey”
13. Forrester, “Planning Guide 2024: B2B Marketing Executives”
14. BigCommerce, “B2B Ecommerce: Learn Everything You Need to Know”
15. Forrester, “2024 Planning: Don’t Let Modest Budgets Create Complacency”
16. HubSpot, “The State of Consumer Trends in 2023 [Data from 600+ Consumers]”
Understand Your Audience
+
Content Marketing
+
Digital Advertising
+
Flexibility and Adaptation
+
Collaborative Partnerships
+
Content Marketing Doesn't Have to be Hard or Expensive
Even with resource challenges and the proliferation of digital channels, a well-rounded content strategy can be easy to execute.
The most frequently cited non-creation challenge for content marketers, by far, is a lack of resources at 58%.
“
“The rising cost of digital media and shifting consumption patterns is encouraging marketers to shift spend not just amongst channels, but among providers who have the ability to target hard-to-reach niche audiences.”
— Bruce Biegel, Senior Managing Partner, Winterberry Group2
“
Savvy publishers and media companies have created in-house creative services teams — like micro agencies — to address this growing need, operating at a fraction of the cost of the traditional agency billing model.
How much of the B2B marketing budget is going to content?
of B2B marketers think their content marketing budget will increase compared with 2023.
Where do B2B marketers plan to increase their spending
According to Stephanie Losee, director of executive and ABM content at Autodesk,
“As measurement becomes more sophisticated, companies are finding they’re better able to quantify the return from upper-funnel activities like thought leadership content.”
Content Marketing Drives Value and Return
According to The Content Marketing Institute, B2B marketers say the top three goals content marketing helps them achieve are:
Creating brand awareness
Building credibility/trust
Educating the audience
Key Takeaways
By 2025, Gartner expects 80% of B2B sales interactions between suppliers and buyers to occur in digital channels.
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B2B marketing spending is expected to reach ~$53.7B this year, for the first time eclipsing pre-pandemic spending of $50.4B as measured in 2019
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75% of B2B buyers use social media to make buying decisions
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62% of B2B customers respond to salespeople who connect by sharing relevant content and insights with the buyer
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41% of B2B buyers view 3 to 5 pieces of content online before interacting with a salesperson
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back to the beginning
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CONTACT
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CONTACT
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CONTACT
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CONTACT
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• Copy that is grounded in buyer needs,
not product capabilities
• Peer benchmarking and other data that
pique buyers’ interest in third-party perspectives
• Opportunities to dig deeper into
educational content
• Simple, intuitive digital experiences native
to the channel
Along the same lines, a recent Forrester survey
reveals the need for businesses to employ
connected messaging, or a consistent story,
to bond brand and demand, enhance engagement
and create a better experience.13
Connected messaging helps marketers “better align and integrate brand building and demand-generation activities,” which was identified as the biggest focus to support growth by half of B2B marketing decision-makers responsible for brand and communications.13
Gartner says digital interactions that frame value often include elements such as...12
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• 65% of B2B buyers prefer doing their purchase research online rather than from a salesperson14
• One-quarter of today’s B2B buyers complete at least 50% of their work purchases online14
• Global senior-level Gen Z and Millennial B2B buyers make up more than two-thirds of digital purchasers15
• Millennial leaders who are B2B buyers make up an audience two and a half times larger than that of Gen X leaders, a clear indication that the composition and practices of B2B buyers has changed15
New Digital Buyers
Digital natives are an influential B2B buying cohort that engages electronically and transacts online, making it imperative to cater custom content to them through multiple digital channels...
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Conduct thorough market research to understand the needs, challenges, and decision-making processes of your B2B customers and tailor your messaging to meet their specific requirements.
Develop high-quality, informative content that addresses the specific needs and pain points of your B2B audience. This includes whitepapers, case studies, industry reports, and blogs to establish your brand as a thought leader.
Be prepared to adapt your strategy based on market trends, customer feedback, and performance data. The digital landscape is constantly evolving, and flexibility can give you a competitive edge.
Invest in targeted digital advertising campaigns, including display ads and retargeting, to reach potential B2B customers on platforms they frequent. Focus on industry-specific websites and forums.
Form strategic partnerships with other businesses to expand your reach, co-create content, or offer bundled solutions. These partnerships can open up new markets and enhance your value proposition.
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Video 69%
Thought leadership content 53%
In-person events 47%
Paid advertising 43%
Online community building 33%
Webinars 33%
of B2B marketers say content marketing helped create brand awareness in the last 12 months
What are the implications of getting this right?
6
say it helped generate
demand/leads
say it helped
nurture subscribers/
audiences/leads
say it helped generate sales/revenue
(up from 42% the previous year)
1
B2B marketing spending is expected to reach ~$53.7B this year, for the first time eclipsing pre-pandemic spending of $50.4B as measured in 2019.
2
B2B marketers say the top three goals
content marketing helps them achieve are:
creating brand awareness, building credibility/trust, and educating the audience.
2
Forty-five percent of B2B marketers think their content marketing budget will increase compared with 2023.
6
41% of B2B buyers view 3 to 5 pieces of content online before interacting with a salesperson.
4
84% of B2B marketers say content marketing
helped create brand awareness in the last 12 months;
76% say it helped generate demand/leads;
63% say it helped nurture subscribers/audiences/leads;
58% say it helped generate sales/revenue.
6
Especially within B2B, customers look for deeper,
long-term partnerships, and not a one-time transaction.
“To differentiate and create preference, it’s important to go the extra mile to add value and create strong emotional bonds,” according to Kantar.
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Win more business.
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Without the use of value-added unique content businesses risk:
Becoming outplayed by lesser competitors
Lost share of voice and brand equity
Fading into the market noise
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Top creative talent with deep industry experience
Access to subject matter experts
Alignment on the right audience targets and channels for distribution
Executed effectively even on a modest budget
45%
69%
53%
47%
43%
33%
33%
10
Especially within B2B, customers look for deeper, long-term partnerships, and not a one-time transaction.
“To differentiate and create preference, it’s important to go the extra mile to add value and create strong emotional bonds,” according to Kantar.
Sources: click here
By 2025, Gartner expects 80% of B2B sales interactions between suppliers and buyers to occur in digital channels.
1
B2B marketing spending is expected to reach ~$53.7B this year, for the first time eclipsing pre-pandemic spending of $50.4B as measured in 2019.
2
B2B marketers say the top three goals content marketing helps them achieve are: creating brand awareness, building credibility/trust, and educating the audience.
2
Forty-five percent of B2B marketers think their content marketing budget will increase compared with 2023.
6
41% of B2B buyers view 3 to 5 pieces of content online before interacting with a salesperson.
4
84% of B2B marketers say content marketing
helped create brand awareness in the last 12 months;
76% say it helped generate demand/leads;
63% say it helped nurture subscribers/audiences/leads;
58% say it helped generate sales/revenue.
6
Especially within B2B, customers look for deeper,
long-term partnerships, and not a one-time transaction.
“To differentiate and create preference, it’s important to go the extra mile to add value and create strong emotional bonds,” according to Kantar.
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Content Marketing & the Customer Journey
“Each of these strategies can be tailored to the specific goals of the company, whether it's increasing brand awareness, generating leads, or nurturing existing business relationships”
Content has the power to accomplish what other marketing channels cannot.
Justin Honaman, head, worldwide retail & consumer goods GTM at Amazon Web Services (AWS), says that the focus of B2B digital marketing is on forming partnerships and fostering relationships with other businesses — largely done via content marketing, email marketing, social media marketing (i.e. LinkedIn), SEO, digital ads, webinars, trade shows, and influencer marketing.
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“When B2B companies embrace differentiation to become a value-adding partner to their customers, they increase perceptions of their performance and crucially, the preference towards them in relation to the competition.
This leads to increased loyalty, share of spend, and customer retention.”
Integrating unique and differentiated content within the customer journey is essential throughout the sales cycle:
Research from Bain and Google reveals that 90% of B2B purchases go to vendors that buyers already have in mind before they ever do any research.
Click
<
As trade shows are back on the rise, in-person networking presents a
need for integrated brand experiences through thoughtful content.
Brands require consistent visibility in the market to maximize each touch point.
A content push
pre-event drives awareness, warms a potential lead, and ultimately helps
set up meetings
during the show.
Afterward,
businesses should
be well-armed with
a targeted content plan to remain top of mind and further nurture leads.
PRESHOW
• Build awareness • Establish authenticity • Introduce products & services
FOLLOW UP • Case studies • Thought
leadership • Product demos
EVENTS
• Interactive presentations
• QR-code activations
• Sales
enablement
Close
Trade Shows:
Open More
Doors and
Close More Sales
84%
76%
63%
58%
Key
Takeaways
Your time starts now
Create.
Engage.
Inspire.
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Content
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Content
Key Takeaways
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