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Heather Piper Author

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hpiper@avistapr.com

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Content marketing is no longer an enigma.

We know its importance with respect to lead generation, customer engagement and SEO.  In fact, we’ve discussed the 7 Ways to Better Content Marketing.

Seems simple enough.  So why do a whopping 50% of marketers believe they’re only somewhat successful on a competitive basis with their content marketing efforts?

Perhaps this has to do with the different types of content marketing vehicles used, and how they’re used in relation to your audience?

When surveyed 219 marketing influencers from around the world, 84% are engaged in some aspect of B2B marketing.  Even though you may be strictly a B2C marketer, this information is most certainly pertinent to all efforts and should be adopted into your practices.

According to a recent Ascend2 survey and Regalix research, both agree these are the most effective types of content marketing:

46% – Research reports

45% – Blog posts

Great!  This makes sense considering 98% of B2B buyers want to see specific data and research to support the vendor content.

This information shows that combining current research and survey reports with topic specific blog posts, make for a very powerful content tool for marketers.  That is, as long, as the data used is current and pertains directly to your marketing material or message.

Additional Content Marketing

Naturally, you’re only as limited as your imagination when it comes to content marketing vehicles and tools.  Be creative with your content marketing efforts; use one or the other, or a combine of tools to create powerful marketing pieces.  It’s always advantageous to create original content and be inventive in order to stand out from your competitors.  Give the market something fresh and new.  Have fun with content marketing!

Have you tried incorporating these standard ideas into your content marketing efforts?

• Webinars
• Podcasts
• Videos
• White Papers
• Infographics
• Guides
• Product Reviews
• eBooks
• Case Studies
• Articles / Interviews

Roadblocks

Sure, easy right? Now you are ready to just dive right in and begin building your own content.  However, life is never that simple.  There’s always a catch or a roadblock to overcome.  According to the same study:

48% – lack of content creation sources

48% – lack of strategy

36% – inability to measure effectiveness

What is the good news?  All of these hiccups can be addressed and avoided with proper planning and additional resources.  Sure, a lack of content sources may be slightly difficult to obtain, but with all the online tools and resources available, this roadblock can be overcome.  Get creative and inventive.

Overcoming Roadblocks

Outsource 

There are many research companies to commission to obtain specific information.  Sure, this might dib into your marketing budget, but the findings might carry your marketing efforts even further and open a new niche or even better, make you the expert on said topic.

Partner

It might be advantageous to partner up with a similar company or even an indirect competitor.  Many times an outside source has the means to offer an unbiased survey, research or measurement tools geared toward your focus, or tweaked slightly to include your objective.  Perhaps an exchange of information, products or services might do the trick, avoiding incurring additional expenses.  This option might also open the lines of communication for a perfect partnership.  You might even exchange more than statics and surveys, you might consider exchanging marketing strategy ideas and more.

Remember, before you begin to attack the idea of content marketing, make sure to outline your strategy.  List your goals and objectives, as well as a means to measure their effectiveness.  Focus on one, a couple, or a combination of content marketing tools and fully execute them and take the time to properly evaluation your efforts before jumping to a new idea.  Stopping and starting any marketing efforts are never a good practice unless it’s paramount to avoid falsifying information or causing brand damage.

What are you ideas for effective content marketing tools?  Did you try our suggestions?  We’re always keeping up with trends and we want to hear from you!