Is Content Marketing Costing You Customers?

Marketing Profs Content Marketing vs. Marketing Automation

Maybe, indirectly. Content marketing could certainly be affecting your conversions and marketing ROI. I’ll tell you why in just a few ways. Before I do though, how about a fitting quote:

“Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.” (“The more things change, the more they stay the same) – French novelist Alphonse Karr (1808-90)

Looking over this research from [Adobe/Econsultancy] via MarketingProfs.com, some observations became completely clear: the terminology may change slightly, but how B2B marketers attack marketing problems changes very little.

As promised, let’s take a look at why I say content marketing could cost your software business customers. Or, why focusing mostly on the top of the funnel is about as new as dust.

Content Marketing vs. Targeting and Personalization

One of the challenges you probably have as a marketer is to connect with your audience with a relevant message. As you target and personalize your message, you will create a message that is relevant to your prospects.

Then they know you are “talking to them” and they will see value in what you offer.
When you’re not targeting your prospects, they won’t see you as any more unique or helpful than your competition. Uh oh!

What does this mean?
This study shows that B2B marketers prioritize content marketing twice as much as they prioritize targeting their customer. So your prospects are seeing your content, but there isn’t much priority placed on relevance, so maybe they’re tuning it out.

If you targeted your prospects and they became leads and customers, you want to keep them right?

Content Marketing Outpaces Marketing Automation
As I see it, content marketing is, at its simplest essentially a marketing tactic for lead generation or creating awareness and a following.

Nothing wrong with that. It’s an important piece of the puzzle. Even though it always existed as just good business.

When you look at that research above, you’ll notice 44% of B2B marketers say content marketing is their biggest priority, while marketing automation (lead nurturing) is only a priority for 21% of respondents.

What does that mean?
Quite simply, B2B marketers are more concerned about generating more content and interest (leads) than they are finding ways to keep in touch with them long enough to become customers, buy more, or even just stay customers.

Now I’m not saying content marketing is not useful and needed. Of course it is. To put more resources on content marketing without powering up marketing automation (nurturing those leads) may not be the best idea though.

Content Marketing Trumps Conversion Rate Optimization
B2B marketers are not just putting a lot more resources into content marketing than
targeting and marketing automation, B2B marketers are also putting nearly twice as much priority on actually optimizing the conversion process.

Again, content marketing is important to provide value to generate leads and new business. What about converting some of that business though?

What does this mean?
It seems like there isn’t much importance in actually converting the customer. Sounds like a lot of money spent to generate leads and not very much priority in actually closing it.

What are your thoughts on marketing priorities?

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