Staying ahead of the curve is essential, and with how quickly content marketing is evolving, there are a lot of curves to stay ahead of. The content marketing methods that were once driving engagement and leads have changed. While some are staying strong in their success, others have been phased out, making way for new content types or distribution strategies that are more impactful, driving more sales conversations and converting more leads. We’re here to give you the inside scoop on the content marketing methods that are in and some that are out, and provide tips on how to make the most of the resources you have.

Content Marketing Methods That Are In

Artificial intelligence is becoming a key component of marketing operations. The shift from isolated AI tools to integrated, AI-powered ecosystems is reshaping how marketers plan, execute, and optimize campaigns.

1. Repurpose More Content
   We’ve all rewritten a blog or turned an article into an infographic. But in a time when resources are tighter than ever, repurposing content is a way to save money and make the most of your content assets. It’s time to turn occasional content repurposing into a more habitual practice. It’s not only about making an article another asset type, it is about updating that article to reflect current trends or innovations. It means splitting up that article into smaller written posts that can then be shared on social media or within an email newsletter. How about taking quotes from a case study, turning them into testimonials, and including them in your sales deck? There are so many opportunities.
   
2. Create Content that Supports the B2B Buying Cycle
   B2B buying cycles are complex, and that means they can take quite a bit of time. Generating awareness and leads is often just the start of a longer process. Once leads are generated, these prospects move into the consideration phase, where they evaluate options and then make their decision. But don’t be fooled; these cycles can take up to 11 months, so the transitions between buying stages don’t exactly happen overnight. And they aren’t linear either. Some might go back and forth between consideration and decision for a time before ultimately making a final decision. Having content that supports prospects at any stage, helps them be informed, and allows you to showcase your solution in a way that they can relate to. Whether they are looking to learn more about your solution or want to compare it to other similar solutions, have a content asset ready.
   
3. Emphasize Content that Showcases Your Customers
   It’s one of the oldest things in the book, but your customers are the golden ticket to getting you more customers. If you can showcase what it’s like to be a customer and detail the benefits or results that they yield by using your product or solution, you give prospects a chance to walk in their shoes. Whether it is a case study, testimonial video, or even a quote, putting your customers at the forefront is beneficial to your marketing efforts and bottom line. People trust other people, and 72% of people consider customer feedback when making their purchase decision. If you haven’t presented anything to a prospect where they can see customer results or feedback, the statistics don’t appear to be on your side. Plus, one of the best things about collecting customer feedback and experiences is being able to use it in different situations. Every prospect has their own pain points. Having a variety of customer content allows you to choose a case study or video that relates closely to the prospect’s situation and gives them a more one-to-one viewpoint into potential results.

Content Marketing Methods That Are Out

While many B2B organizations are cautiously optimistic about growth, marketing budgets remain under pressure. As a result, efficiency is becoming a strategic imperative, not just a financial one. If you have a tight marketing budget, consider these tactics.

1. Generic Blog Posts
   We’ve all fallen victim to putting a blog post out solely for SEO purposes. Or it is a topic everyone is talking about, so you feel like you have to say something too. These generic blog posts are falling flat. With the changing search landscape, blog posts focused only on SEO won’t hit the mark or even hit the top search engine results. Everyone is talking about popular marketing topics, emerging social media trends, and AI in everything B2B marketing. While we’re not saying it’s bad to talk about trending or common topics, we are saying that it’s time to get creative. Whether it is a new perspective on a generic topic, a “hot take” on something everyone might agree on, or maybe a topic no one is talking about yet, it is important to start being unique, or your content will fall stagnant. Plus, these fresh topics can spark engagement with your audience, giving them something to look forward to, whether it is your next blog or social media post.
   
2. Gated Content Without Value
   Gated content is valuable. We know this. It is a key driver of lead generation on websites. But this often leads us to overdoing the gated content and gating something that maybe shouldn’t be. Only gate your big-ticket content. Assets like research studies, in-depth guides, eBooks, and even webinars should be gated. These are valuable assets that are worth asking for more information. These are content types that are typically of interest to prospects further down the buying cycle, such as in the consideration or decision-making stage of their journey. This signals high interest from the prospect. If they find they shared their information and only received a low-value piece of content, they might decide to go in another direction or not engage with your brand in the future.
   
3. Creating Content with No Distribution Strategy
   You’ve created an asset filled with strategic recommendations and advice from experts, so now what? Many organizations will add it to their website, but that’s all. Hoping that whatever SEO magic worked throughout the piece will generate traffic to their website. Plus, long gone are the days when optimizing a blog for a keyword is enough to generate a multitude of traffic to your website. You need to do more, and that means having a distribution strategy for the assets you create. It doesn’t have to be a robust strategy. It can be something as simple as the asset gets published, the following day there is a social post, and then an email send to your audience. For assets like research guides and eBooks, consider adding more channels. If your goal is to increase lead gen from the asset, think about running ads or submitting them to a publication.

Content marketing will continue to evolve, but it is important to stay on top of the methods that are in and out in order to stand out from the crowds and bring your organization success for years to come.

If you have questions about what content marketing methods your team should be using to bring in more leads and customers, reach out to Launch Marketing today! Or, schedule a consultation directly with our CEO, Chris Leger.