Digital content and search engine optimization will drive business to offset the impact of ad budgets on hold based on the impact of COVID-19, as marketers attempt to stay connected with existing and potential new customers.
The CMO Council report — Making Content Marketing Convert — released this week shows that despite the need for content marketers to keep brands top of mind, only 12% of marketers believe they have relevant and persuasive content marketing strategies to target the correct audiences.
The majority do not use multiple distribution and syndication channels, and most view their content marketing process as decentralized and driven by other interests. Only 21% of marketers admit to working closely with sales and business development counterparts when it comes to developing the strategy, as well as measuring the effectiveness of demand-generation programs.
And while 88% of business buyers say online content impacts vendor selection, just 9% view vendors as trusted sources of content.
The report, produced in partnership with NetLine, which focuses on B2B content syndication, provides insights into the challenges marketers face around content development, distribution and lead conversion. It also offers up best practices, along with a checklist to improve lead performance.
Becoming a thought leader in a specific market can pay off now more than ever -- not only in terms of ranking higher as an authoritative source in Google’s organic search ranking, but in the minds of customers. Authority validates the relationship.
Past CMO surveys found that nearly 30% of those downloading content say they share what they source with more than 100 colleagues, while another 31% share it with 25 to 100 business associates. Some 67% of respondents named research and white papers from professional organizations among their most trusted content sources, compared to just 9% who named vendor white papers.
Other valued types of content include papers from industry organizations at 50%, customer case studies at 48%, analyst reports at 44%, and independent product reviews at 41%.