According to CMI’s 2018 B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets and Trends report for North America, B2B marketers allocate 28% of their total marketing budget, on average, to content marketing. The most effective allocate 42%, and the most sophisticated/mature allocate 46%. Also, 72% of B2B marketers, as in years past, continue to be heavily focused on creating engaging content, citing it as the top priority for their internal content creators over the next year.
What do all of these statistics suggest? In a nutshell, it means content is a vital component of a marketing strategy. You should spend the budget necessary for quality content marketing that will give you the results you want such as attracting more relevant audiences and turning it into a lead generation machine.
Creating an Engaging Content Marketing Plan
Although it may seem daunting to begin creating content for your audience, the value far outweighs the hurdles. Start with these five ideas for creating engaging content that will attract targeted visitors, keep them interested and coming back for more!
1. Blogs
If you are a business owner or work in marketing, you have probably heard lots of buzz about the importance of blogging. It’s true, the benefits of a business blog are extensive. It’s a part of your SEO strategy that will do the following things:
- Bring more visibility to your website through search engines
- Allow for interaction with visitors
- Be a source of information in your industry
- Adds a personal and human touch to your marketing strategy
2. Videos
Who doesn’t love a good video? They are engaging, interactive, and fun! The key to video marketing is to hire a quality videographer who has experience in creating visual media for business and marketing purposes. Your audience is more likely to click on a video than any other piece of content. Share it on all of your social media platforms and post it on your website for everyone to share.
3. E-Books
An e-book is an electronic document that contains multiple pages with graphics and text displaying useful and relevant information. One of the biggest benefits of an e-book is the ability to capture lead contacts upon downloading. Someone visiting your website will fill out a short form to get the free e-book. This information gives you email addresses and phone numbers for your sales team to enter into a marketing automation funnel.
4. Newsletters
An electronic newsletter is sent to a list of contacts that have given their permission to receive your emails. The content should be relevant to current events and include snippets from your most recent blog posts. The data from these e-blasts allow you to see who is opening your emails, which links are being clicked, and how many new subscribers (or unsubscribes) you are getting. Try promoting any new products or services your business is offering or upcoming discount events.
5. Social Media
Many people may think social media is easy and there is little to no strategy involved. However, it’s an intricate content marketing piece that can quickly become a monster. Aside from the obvious headlines written for individual posts, graphics are a major part of creating engaging content on social media. Use these tips when generating content on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
- Choose attention-grabbing images that are high-quality
- Match your headline with the included photo
- Cater your posts to each specific platform
- Images could be your products, meeting new clients, giveaways and prizes, illustrations, graphs, and anything else your audience would enjoy seeing
The Power of Crafted Content
Now that you have a few tools and tips for generating captive content, it’s time to start your strategy. The hardest part is beginning; dive in and start testing the waters. Once you practice and see what works and what doesn’t, your content will grow with your business.
Finding the time and dedication for an effective content marketing plan can be difficult, especially as a business owner who wears many hats. ITVibes is a marketing agency who has the experience needed to make your marketing work. Contact us today for a consultation or to talk with a representative about your business goals.
