Just 3 in 10 B2B Tech Marketers Rate Their Content Strategies as Effective
The “B2B Technology Content Marketing 2016” report from the Content Marketing Institute has discovered that B2B technology marketers are using content marketing more this year (95 percent) than last (93 percent). However, just 30 percent believe their current strategies are effective.
“Like other groups of marketers we’ve studied over the last six months, technology marketers reported lower overall content marketing effectiveness this year compared with last,” explains Joe Pulizzi, founder, Content Marketing Institute and author of Content Inc.
In an effort to improve effectiveness, about 36 percent claim that they now have a documented content plan, up from 33 percent a year ago.
When looking at the challenges being faced, 62 percent state that their largest hurdle has been creating engaging assets. As a result, about 70 percent claim that they are intent on generating more gripping content in 2016.
Approximately 71 percent who said their organizations are effective at content marketing stated that they are in the “sophisticated/mature” stage. This indicates that their success is growing with experience.
Additionally, respondents said that there is more clarity in regard to their content marketing efforts today. About 45 percent said that at their company, it is clear what an “effective” or “successful” content marketing program looks like.
The Varying Challenges of Content Marketing
The struggles associated with content marketing have varied over the past few months. For example, research published by Contently in the beginning of 2016 revealed that time (37 percent) was the largest hurdle for marketers creating content. A lack of strategy (19 percent) and internal support (14 percent) were also deemed challenges.
At the time, marketers were also using a wide range of metrics to measure the effectiveness of content. Lead conversion (32 percent), social shares and likes (19 percent) and page views (16 percent) were some of the most popular KPIs. About one-fourth of respondents said they were not confident in these metrics.