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April 29, 2019 Content Chat Recap: Learnings From The Recent Content Marketing Institute Technology Content Marketing Research

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B2B technology has one of the most complex customer journeys.  With the ever-changing tech landscape, marketers in the space need to stay on top of their game to cut through the buzzwords and deliver content that helps to win or renew business.

In this #ContentChat, Lisa Murton Beets (@LisaBeets), research director at the Content Marketing Institute, and Kim Moutsos (@KMoutsos), VP of editorial at the Content Marketing Institute, discuss the Institute’s recent Technology Content Marketing 2019 research, and the community weighs in on additional trends they’re seeing.

Q1: What are the top challenges technology content marketers are facing this year?

Survey says: Pros are having difficulty creating content that pleases their various stakeholders.

Understanding the difference between TOFU and BOFU content could solve this pain point…

As well as precision targeting and creating buyer personas to laser-focus the direction for any content.

The community shared other hurdles, including attribution….

The complicated MarTech landscape and selecting the right solution for your organization….

Finding ways to break through the noise and demonstrate why your company is the best choice for consumers today and tomorrow…

Keeping content relevant, accessible and jargon-free…

And navigating new tech that changes how we market, like voice SEO.

Q2: What are the top goals tech marketers are achieving with their content?

The research surfaced some familiar goals: awareness, demand, and education.

Engagement is also a top goal….

As well as using data to drive higher levels of engagement and personalization.

All of the above point to helping consumers make the best choices for their tech purchases/driving sales with the content.

Q3: Are personas seeing wide-spread use?

The data suggests that 85% of marketers are using personas, and the community agrees with this finding.

Even if companies are using “personas,” they may be confusing personas with general audiences, or aren’t allotting the necessary resources to integrate personas into their strategy.

Personas are becoming hyper-focused thanks to the amount of data available to deliver more personalized content, adding potential hurdles for marketers to navigate all the intricacies of delivering the right message, the right way, at the right time.

Q4: How are tech content marketers getting to know their audience?

The top responses from the research were: relying on sales team feedback, web analytics, and keyword research.

Just over half of respondents also use customer conversations. Although resource intensive, these can yield some of the highest quality results.

Audience surveys are a valuable avenue to gain data on a large group with reduced time commitments compared to 1:1 conversations.

Social listening was a community favorite, and we can’t forget the importance of gathering data from all of the above sources and more to guide your strategy.

Q5: What do best-in-class nurture programs include for tech content marketers?

The sales journey is rarely linear, and best-in-class nurture programs rely on email, educational content and calls to action to help guide customers through their various stages.

Free trials are enticing.

Patrick recommends Act-On as an email nurture program, including drip programs (which the team shares best practices for below).

Tod distills the best-practices for your nurture emails:

And Bernie picks a few other campaigns you should launch, including new, active, lapsing and lapsed customers.

Q6: Are there any unusual trends when it comes to the technology tech content marketers are using?

An unsurprising find: Tech companies are generally proficient in using technology.

The right solutions can provide the data and automation you need to work smarter.

A surprising find: only 16% of companies feel they have the right tech and are using it to its potential.

But tech shouldn’t be used as the sole way to gather insights. As we explored above, person-to-person conversations are critical to gain insights.

Q7: Are tech content marketers focusing more on content for existing customers, or for prospects?

The latest data showed that 82% of marketers are creating content that builds loyalty, but most focus is still on top of the funnel content.

Both customer acquisition and retention should be a priority for companies, but the community feels that most companies focus on acquisition.

Not every company is just focusing on customer acquisition, though. Cathy commends TrackMaven/Skyword for its attention on existing customers.

Q8: What are some of the biggest differences between the top-performing tech content marketers and their peers?

A focus on the buyer’s journey and a commitment to content marketing differentiate the front-runners from the rest of the pack.

Other factors include using a more conversational and approachable voice…

And attention to detail that involves using data to guide the strategy and deliver the most relevant and personalized messages.

 

About Alek Irvin

Alek Irvin is a content marketing professional with a rich history in social media management, executive thought leadership development, and media relations. As a consultant at Erika Heald Marketing Consulting, he creates human-focused content and thought leadership platforms that help brand leaders connect and engage with their communities. Alek has worked with a range of startups and Fortune 500 companies across the B2B technology and consumer spaces, including IBM, Dell Technologies, Hitch Works, Emtrain, Integrate, and Frameable. Connect with him on Twitter @AlekIrvin.

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