By Nick Nelson

It’s been 15 years since Seth Godin declared that content marketing is “the only marketing that’s left.”

Amusingly, Godin had not actually heard of the term “content marketing” back in 2008 according to Joe Pulizzi, who shared the experience of participating in a teleseminar for the reputed author’s book tour.

As Pulizzi described, Godin didn’t see much reason for distinction. “Teaching your customers and giving your customers the resources to believe you is new marketing,” Pulizzi paraphrased. “They become a fan of yours because you teach them something that makes them feel better about the world.”

All this time later, Godin’s assertion has proven remarkably prescient. In the modern digital business landscape, marketing and content marketing have become inseparable. You can’t have one without the other. Content is the draw that brings people in and sets your B2B marketing machine in motion.

And as such, content strategies are growing more important, not less. The latest B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets and Trends report from CMI and MarketingProfs found that nearly three in four respondents viewed B2B content marketing as more important than a year ago.

Even with its ubiquity and growing status, B2B marketers still express opportunities to get better at the craft. While a vast majority of marketers in the survey said they are having some success with content marketing, only 29% say their organization is very or extremely successful.

Let’s explore ways that B2B marketers can drive growth in today’s digital environment with the only marketing that’s left.

How Brands Drive Growth Today with B2B Content Marketing

From the creation process to optimizing user experiences to measuring results, these are some of the key tenets of modern B2B content marketing best practices.

1 — Bold and creative content that makes an impression

The new B2B Marketing Benchmark report from LinkedIn* found, among other things, that creative commitment is on the rise. This is no surprise to those who’ve been tracking the B2B industry as it increasingly celebrates bold creativity – such as the self-described “world’s most urgent IPO” campaign that earned Grand Prix for Creative B2B at Cannes Lions in June.

The B2B Marketing Benchmark shows that CMOs view “Creative Strategy & Execution” as the single most important skill in their current roles. More broadly, LinkedIn saw a 46% increase in creative skills added to marketers’ profiles in the past year.

At a time where content marketing has grown ubiquitous, creativity and innovation are the prime differentiators. Talent holds the foremost key to unlocking them.

• Boldly creative content in action: Learn how TopRank Marketing partnered with Smartsheet on a colorful, influencer-driven #FruitfulWork campaign that achieved sweet results.

2 — Content that brings brand purpose and values to life

As Creative B2B jury president Tom Stein said of the aforementioned award-winning EART4 campaign, “One of the biggest things for all of us on the …read more

Source:: Top Rank Blog

Author: Aaron