Why Do Marketers Struggle with Content Marketing Effectiveness?
Sometimes an answer or solution is so obvious, it is hard to see. Think about the “can’t see the forest through the trees” scenario that mystifies us. Is that the reason why the vast majority of content that is produced today does not help marketers connect with their buyers?
According to the recent B2B Enterprise Demand Generation Study conducted by ANNUITAS, only 44.3 percent of enterprise marketers utilize buyer personas when planning Demand Generation programs and activities. If less than half of marketers use buyer personas when planning…no wonder marketers feel their programs and efforts are ineffective in Demand Generation.
What will make your content stand out? What will help you connect with your buyer? Knowing your buyer and understanding what drives your buyer is the only thing that matters. Amazing creative might work in the short term, catchy titles are great clickbait, but only content that your buyer wants and needs to hear will ensure effectiveness in the long run to generate revenue.
Take the time to learn about your buyer, understand who he, she or they are before you develop any programs, write a piece of content or plan demand generation. Don’t know where to begin? Start with asking a few basic questions to gain insights in what drives them and then build on those answers and dig deeper:
- What are your biggest challenges?
- Where do you go to learn about solving business issues?
- Do you use social media? If so, which properties are most valuable?
- Who makes up your buying committee?
- What was it that put you in a buying cycle?
To understand your buyer, ask them about themselves. Interview customers, prospects, team members, and even those prospects that got away. Gather relevant information to build those buyer personas and deep buyer insights and don’t think about developing content without it.
Author: Erika Goldwater, CIPP/US @erikawg is Vice President, Marketing, ANNUITAS
