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B2B Content Marketing in 2012: Goals, Tactics & Challenges

A recent study from BtoB Magazine found that the number of business-to-business marketers engaging in content marketing nearly doubled in the past year, jumping from 18% in 2011 to 34% in 2012. But what exactly does content marketing look like to B2B marketers? We dug into the “Content Marketing: Ready for Prime Time,” a survey of 440 business-to-business marketers to take a closer look at goals, tactics and challenges for content marketing in 2012.

B2B Content Marketing: Primary Goals

B2B marketers turn to content marketing first and foremost as a way to generate qualified leads. Brand awareness, thought leadership and sales were also cited as reasons for employing content marketing strategies.

Primary B2B Content Marketing Goals 2012

B2B Content Marketing: Secondary Goals

But lead generation and sales aren’t the only benefits of a content program. B2B brands also use content marketing as a means for improving engagement, enhancing trust, gaining relevant touch points with audiences and finally for search engine optimization.

Secondary B2B Content Marketing Goals 2012

B2B Content Marketing: Most Effective Content

B2B marketers turn to a variety of content types to provide value to audiences. Social media came in on top, with 80% saying social engagement is an effective means for boosting sales and marketing effectiveness. Other popular content types include articles, e-newsletters, white papers, blogs, case studies and videos.

Effective B2B Content Marketing Tactics 2012

B2B Content Marketing: Biggest Challenges for 2012

Despite the enthusiasm for B2B content marketing, the strategy comes with a unique set of challenges. The survey shows a pretty even spread between lack of resources, inability to produce engaging content and inability to produce enough content to fill the pipeline as primary challenges. 22% of B2B marketers mentioned that they have issues identifying success metrics for content marketing programs.

2012 B2B Content Marketing Challenges

Looking to boost content marketing efforts in 2013? Check out our free B2B content marketing strategy white paper.