As a recent Forrester study showed, B2B buyers will find three pieces of content relating to a vendor for each one that is pushed out by the company. This content is found in many channels – intentional via search engine research and unintentional via social media – and is constantly accessible on computers, smart phones, and tablets. In many ways, this content overload has given the B2B buyer an advantage over the B2B seller.
It is unnerving that the content B2B marketers create might be competing with other, external content over which they have no control. This result of the multichannel sales system is unavoidable, but it can – and should be – addressed. It has become necessary to use the same research tools to your own advantage by conducting your own content audit.
Do a systematic search to uncover all content related to your company. Leave no channel untouched, and compile a report of your results. Collect all the data you can find, identify trends, and use them to evaluate how your own messaging is being impacted.
The final step requires some subtlety, but the results will be worth it. Restructure future marketing plans to address your findings. When you have a full understanding of what is being said by your competition, you can strengthen your voice – and therefore your position for sales – in comparison to theirs.
(Image credit: Joe Hall)
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