In 2015, new forms of content came to the forefront and the ways marketers delivered content to their audiences evolved. These ongoing trends are sure to have an impact in 2016.
Is your content marketing keeping up with the times? As the new year approaches, take a moment to consider the delivery methods, quality and character of your content.
Once upon a time, digital marketers tried to put all their valuable content behind forms, requiring that site visitors provide their information in order to access it. Over the past year, content marketing thought leaders continued to debate the benefits and downsides of gating content.
So where does that leave content marketers? One thing is clear: all your content needs to be high-quality, including the items you leave ungated. Your audience’s personal information is valuable, and your organization must treat it as such. That means offering a fair value exchange. Top-of-the-funnel content should generally be ungated. The content you do gate should require information only in proportion to the value it offers and its placement in the funnel.
If you plan content gating carefully, gating only your most valuable content assets, you may find that the leads you gather there are more qualified.
More than ever before, content is hyper-personalized. Instead of creating just one version of a white paper and delivering it to prospects across market segments, marketers are now producing several versions of pieces like white papers and targeting them specifically to different buyer groups within each segment.
While the work needed to create numerous versions of high-level content pieces may seem like a lot up front, the more personal approach can reap rewards. By repurposing content for multiple audiences, your team can multiply the impact of each piece of content.
In 2015, 76% of B2B marketers intended to use video content in their digital marketing strategies. Whether hosted on your own site or YouTube, snackable or long-form, and shared in real-time or after-the-fact, video is now an integral part of digital media strategy. And that means success will require an ever-increasing commitment to quality and thoughtful delivery of video content.
As you prepare for the new year, consider how your marketing team can take B2B video marketing to the next level. Is your video reaching the right people? Are you effectively tracking whether it drives leads further down the funnel? Does it consistently match your brand voice and convey key brand messages? Build your 2016 strategy to address these needs, and create impactful video in the coming year.
If you’re looking for more content guidance, we’ve got you covered. Read our white paper The 5 new laws of content to learn more.
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