Have you ever travelled to the beautiful state of Colorado? For those of you who live there, count yourself among the very fortunate. I have to admit a slight case of envy over the mountain scenery and all of that great skiing!
While attending a marketing school at the University of Colorado at Boulder several years back, I took some time afterward to visit an architect friend who had moved from Ohio to Colorado Springs. While there, I also visited the Garden of the Gods Nature Center Park and experienced first-hand one of the most intriguing natural phenomenons I’ve ever seen . . . a colossal, perfectly balanced rock that undoubtedly weighs several tons!
If this huge rock should decide to become, let’s just say—unbalanced—you would definitely want to stay as far away from it as possible!
Ever ask yourself how balanced your B2B content marketing strategy is? Have you even thought about a balanced content strategy lately? Your overall content strategy can contain up to 20 or so content marketing tactics. Does it matter which ones you invest the most time and energy on?
Prioritizing (and balancing)
According to the B2B Content Marketing: 2017 Benchmarks, Budgets & Trends – North America report from Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfs/Brightcove, the biggest challenge among more than half of the B2B marketers surveyed is “not enough time devoted to content marketing.”
The report (which included 1,100 North American marketer participants) also indicates that 88% of respondents agree that content marketing is an important component of their organization's marketing program. Even though content marketing enjoys a high level of acceptance, marketers with limited amounts of time need to carve out the a balanced approach to what can seem like a myriad of tactics available.
In other words, if you're committed to content marketing, but don't have the time or a limited amount of resources to devote to a concerted effort, prioritizing while simultaneously achieving a balanced approach is the best solution.
Out of all the content marketing tactics covered in the report, blogs, email newsletters and white papers all rank high in popularity. Combined, they also provide a good balance for your content marketing program, rather than relying on just one or two tactics (since we all know that things like chairs or stools never balance well on only two legs).
Three-legged approach
If you're overwhelmed by all of the content marketing possibilities out there, consider using this three-legged approach:
- Substantive and well-thought-out blog posts that cover important industry trends and helpful advice, in turn, helps your company become a trusted and credible authority.
- Consistently published, yet simple email newsletters will help you drive traffic to your company’s website. At the same time, you'll build a strong list of opt-in customers and prospects, providing them with timely updates about your company and your unique perspectives on industry developments.
- White papers will establish your company as an authority and a highly credible thought-leader on important topics that address how to solve problems, help your audience understand a complex issue or make a sound decision.
And, even though this content tactic wasn't covered in the report (and not exactly sure why due to its high degree of popularity and usefulness as well), don't forget the all-powerful case study, or customer success story. This consistently reliable content marketing tool offers your most satisfied customers the chance to shine in the spotlight using their own voice to share how your company found a solution to or helped them overcome an issue or problem.
A limited number of proven and powerful content marketing tools will not only keep your content strategy balanced and effective, but also manageable. And that all adds up to ensuring your company remains pointed in the right direction—skyward!