The B2B Content Challenge: Is your message getting lost in the noise?

LIsa Vitale marketing Guru“A wealth of information creates a poverty of attention.” Herbert Simon, Social Scientist

No matter which trends or statistics you read regarding content marketing, the signals are clear – everybody’s doing it and we’re all looking to do more of it. But I question, is this content marketing trend sustainable or are we being inundated by a content deluge? And while there is certainly merit to the discussion of the consequences of target audiences being overwhelmed by “crap content,” what are the alternatives for marketers beyond focusing on the quality of our content?

In today’s information-rich era, where buyers have increasingly higher expectations of easily accessible content, marketers simply cannot afford to neglect this vital aspect of their strategy. The key to thriving in the Content Deluge lies in producing only material of the highest quality, which is precisely targeted to the right audience at the right time and in the right manner. To this end, here are three key components to address to ensure that your content doesn’t suffer from a “poverty of attention,” and get lost in the noise:

Define a game plan

The latest numbers from MarketingProfs and the Content Marketing Institute’s (CMI) 2015 content marketing trend report show that while few respondents report having a defined, documented content marketing strategy, those who do are more effective in all aspects of their content marketing. By developing an integrated, cohesive strategy around highly-targeted, purpose-driven content appropriate for the various buying stages, you can more effectively connect prospects with your offering. Here are two resources to help you structure this effort:

 

Quality, not quantity

Great content is inherently more findable, having a tendency to naturally rise above the noise. Timely, relevant, and entertaining content are the tried and true means of capturing attention. However, you can engage your audience more effectively by:

Content Challenge

 Target people, not businesses

Learn who your buyer is as a person, not just as a functional role within a prospective business. Focusing on personalization renders your content more meaningful and relevant. To do this effectively, you need to ‘be the buyer’ – learn what motivates them. What are their needs, challenges, perspectives, influences, concerns? What do they most value? What affects them emotionally (a key aspect in motivation)? Here are some resources to dig deeper into ‘the how’ of achieving greater resonance on a personal level:

As a final thought, I would be remiss in not pointing out the value an account-based survey can provide to drive customer engagement. Surveys are a great way to both listen to individual prospects and to gain the collective pulse of your target audience – invaluable intelligence for content creators to form a personalized approach, as well as achieve the broader perspective.

 

Explore the topic further:

Content Shock: Why content marketing is not a sustainable strategy

Crap: Why the single biggest threat to content marketing is content marketing

Content Shock: Worrisome Trend or Content Marketing Myth?

B2B Content Marketing: 2015 Benchmarks, Budgets, & Trends – North America