A myriad of business-to-business and government-focused marketers have ramped up their content creation programs. They engage with their company’s subject matter experts to write, record, video, tweet, post and share. That’s goodness!
Yet, the Content Marketing Institute recently reports that while activity is up, quality and ROI remain elusive. Consider the following:
-Only 30 percent of B2B marketers say their organizations are effective at content marketing, down from 38 percent in 2015.
-55 percent of marketers say their organization lacks clarity on success metrics for the investment in content.
What is the take-away here?
Companies shell out a ton of resources to publish C-R-A-P and then fail to recognize the waste due to lack of measurement. That’s badness!
Strategic Communications Group’s (Strategic) Web2Sales model ratchets up the impact of content marketing. We drive readership through social media engagement, search optimization and digital promotion, and then align these activities in a programmatic way with tactical sales priorities (lead generation, account based marketing, etc.).
Content though is the foundation of everything we do. And if that content is poorly conceived or lacks punch, the results of our efforts become muted.
I’d like to share four core guideposts that may very well help get the C-R-A-P out of your next content effort:
- Select a topic that is timely
- Cite third party sources – such as analysts, industry associations and think tanks — for balanced perspective and credibility
- Express an opinion, even if others in the industry disagree
- Bridge to your company’s solution only when relevant
Here is an example of exceptional content from cybersecurity company Authomate. It engages and educates, and helps the company solidify relationships with influencers in their market.
(Disclosure: Authomate is a Strategic client.)
Learning Lessons from Ukraine – Ensuring Cybersecurity for Critical Infrastructure
The Access Granted
Authored by John Lloyd, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer, Authomate