New Research: Content Marketing to SMBs

We recently conducted a survey of, well, you — the leading marketers to small and medium businesses (SMBs) — on your content marketing practices. The results are instructive; there are some great learnings on your peers’ perceptions of content, content development process, use of personas, success with content formats for different stages in the sales cycle, and support of the sales team.

The results in brief include:

Content marketing is integral to SMB marketing

Almost 3 in 4 respondents see content marketing as a key component of their SMB marketing. However, only a little more than half feel that their senior management shares this perception.

Content marketing is most effective for awareness

Respondents rate content as most effective for driving awareness and brand enhancement, followed by sales support. It is rated as least effective for lead qualification.

Posting is easy; analytics are hard

Almost 2 in 3 respondents agree that they have an effective process to post the content they develop, and more than half have an effective content development process. But only 1 in 3 respondents assess the performance of their content, or use performance data to plan ongoing content.

Marketing automation makes inroads

Exactly half respondents have a marketing automation system, but only half of those really take advantage of its functionality. Only 1 in 8 of the respondents has a good content management system, but most of those who do say they are using it well.

Internal coordination

Although sales support was rated the third most effective use of content (after awareness and brand enhancement), respondents are least likely to report working closely with sales on content development. Respondents (who are mostly in marketing) are most likely to work closely on content development with other marketers, the product team and the interactive / digital team.

Buyer journey and personas

Almost half of the respondents use personas and the buyer journey for content planning and development, but only 2 in 5 develop all content for a specific stage in the buying cycle or move SMBs from one stage to the next.

Real-time content marketing: aspiration and reality

2 in 5 respondents monitor what SMBs are saying online, for example in forums and social media sites. However, only about 1 in 4 use insights from that listening to respond quickly to SMB postings with relevant content — although 2 in 3 would like to.

Most effective formats: the winners are…

Respondents rate onsite video as the most effective content format to drive site traffic, and to support SMB product research; and webcasts as the most effective format for lead generation. Onsite video and webcasts tied as the most effective format for retention and upsell.

Sales support: mixed emotions

Of all content elements, respondents are most likely to provide their sales team with event support materials such as product collateral and educational content. Still, only about 2 in 5 feel their sales team takes advantage of all the content that marketing develops. Just under half feel sales takes advantage of the leads that the content generates. Sound familiar?