Content marketing is an integral component of modern business-to-business marketing strategy and with good reason. The 2022 Content Preferences Survey by Demand Gen found that a majority of B2B buyers (62%) said they engage with three to seven pieces of content before connecting with a salesperson, and 11% said they typically consume more than seven pieces of content.
So it’s logical that we see a matching focus on content marketing amongst marketers. According to the Content Marketing Institute’s 2024 report, 71% of B2B marketers affirm that content marketing has become increasingly important to their organizations over the past year. Research also shows that content marketing enables B2B marketers to effectively create brand awareness (86%) and build credibility and trust (75%) with the target audience.
Let’s look at the latest trends in b2b content marketing and shape our content strategy and content creation based on the preferences of today’s B2B buyers.
The Rise of Generative AI in Content Creation
Generative AI is revolutionizing content marketing. A McKinsey survey found that ‘content support for marketing strategy’ was the highest reported use case for AI. Gen AI is playing an increasing role in content creation, and a Content Marketing Institute report indicates that 72% of B2B marketers are utilizing AI tools to brainstorm new topics, research headlines and keywords, and draft content.
Despite its growing popularity, the absence of standardized guidelines for AI use poses a challenge, potentially hindering its effectiveness and consistency across marketing strategies. With rapid developments in this field, the right approach will become more clear in the next few months or years.
What Works Best in B2B Content Marketing
Webinars and research are becoming increasingly influential. The 2022 Content Preferences Survey by Demand Gen found that 67% of buyers said they had engaged with webinars over the past 12 months — a significant increase from the previous year’s 57%. The consumption of research and survey reports also ranked high at 55%, compared to 52% in 2021.
As buying committees expand, B2B executives are increasingly seeking out content that they can share with colleagues to drive alignment around purchasing goals and decisions.
When asked about the key drivers for sharing content, respondents emphasized that content must be immediately shareable with relevant links, cited by 48% of them. Additionally, 42% of respondents valued content rich in shareable statistics and quick-hitting insights. They also highlighted the importance of a compelling narrative, with 41% stating that a strong story resonating with the buying committee is crucial. Furthermore, 37% preferred content that is ungated and easily shareable with colleagues, while 34% believed that the content’s ability to influence peers and other internal stakeholders on the buying team is essential.
Findings from BuzzSumo’s 2023 report reveal that B2B content typically garners an average of 31 shares and 2.43 links. Educational content stands out in the content marketing funnel by gaining the most shares, while converting content attracts the most links. Notably, content centered around “free tools” and “statistics” receives the highest number of links, averaging seven per blog. Meanwhile, “ebooks” and “viral” content drive the most engagement, with an average of 229 interactions per blog, including shares, likes, comments, upvotes, Facebook reactions, and pins.
So we see that an effective content marketing campaign requires much more than just getting the message right. B2B marketers must also be tuned into changing buyer expectations regarding content format, length, and style.
These trends reflect the evolving landscape of B2B content marketing, where technology, strategy, and resource allocation play pivotal roles. As marketers navigate these changes, providing valuable insights that encourage sharing will play a huge part in the success of content marketing campaigns.
The expert content strategist and content creation professionals at B2B Growth Essentials and MarketAxis Consulting can execute an effective and consistent content marketing program for you. Drop us a line and let’s talk about your objectives.
