Are You a Best-In-Class B2B Content Marketer? See How You Stack Up

The Content Marketing Institute recently released their 2013 B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks Report, which paints a clear picture of what top brands and agencies are doing to find success in content marketing. One particular chart in the report provides a great comparison of the most effective content marketers with the least effective content marketers. So…I wanted to share it and talk through some of its criteria in the hopes that your 2013 planning might benefit from it.

Profile of a Best-In-Class B2B Content Marketer

Profile Components

• Percentage of Marketing Budget Allocated to Content Marketing – With more and more buyers utilizing the web as their primary source for research, B2B brands are experimenting with their transition to digital marketing. The comfortable habits of trade advertising and tradeshows are hard to break, but the effectiveness and ROI of those high-dollar tactics are making them harder pills to swallow. The challenge, though, comes with the different set of costs that come with content marketing. It’s a much more labor-intensive strategy and companies are quickly realizing that their reduction in traditional media spend needs to be transitioned directly to people or vendors who can own the ongoing content strategy, planning and production roles.
• Average Number of Tactics Used – The key here…The content consumption preferences of your buyers are diverse. The more vehicles, formats and channels you utilize, the better your chances of reaching the largest share.
• Average Number of Social Platforms Used – Same concept – Smart content marketers are packaging, repurposing and promoting content across all major social channels. When you strategically weave a wide web, you’re going to catch more flies.
• Percentage that Plans to Increase Content Marketing Spend Next Year – Pretty even across the board, which is good to see. B2B companies are starting to get it, and more dollars are being allocated. Too bad for the other 46% that may get left in the online dust this next year…
• Tailor Content to Profile of Decision Maker & Challenged with Producing Engaging Content – I grouped these next two rows together because, in my mind, they go hand in hand. First off, 71% of the most effective content marketers are profiling (getting in the heads of) their target buyers/decision makers. Thus, they are the least challenged when it comes to producing engaging content.  This is because a robust buyer profiling exercise helps you clearly define what types of content your buyers will find valuable. Companies that neglect to profile their buyers don’t have these insights, so their aimless content is being loaded into a shotgun with a spray-and-pray distribution strategy. Such a waste.
• Challenged with Lack of Buy-In/Vision from Higher-Ups – Obviously, the data shows that effective content marketers have a c-suite that gets it. When they get it, you get budget and many of these other factors fall into place. Over the years, I’ve talked with a lot of smart, frustrated marketers who are stuck in an old-school culture. I’m a straight shooter, so my advice to them is often to jump ship and look for a company with a more progressive head on their shoulders. Not only will they continually be frustrated with the lack of c-suite buy-in, there’s a good chance that lack of vision might sink the entire ship. Why stay on board?

Your Turn

How do you stack up against the best? How many tactics and social platforms are you managing? Is your budget increasing? Does your c-suite get it? Are you using Divvy to help you get it all done? Tell us in the comments!

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