Proof Content Marketing
trends and tips for B2B marketers
Mananging Marketing in a Recess ion
I’ve written for many finance pros, and they’ve all said the same thing: Recessions generally last 2-5 years. For marketers, we’re looking at trimmed budgets and pressure to show success—even though companies that kept up their prerecession output show 3.5x more visibility .
Businesses that want to stay competitive can’t afford to drop their marketing spending. At least not by too much.
In fact, cutt I ng budgets means potent I ally los I ng 15% of business to compet I tors.
During these times, it’s best to double down on what you know works. If your lifeblood is case studies, ring up every client you haven’t covered yet. Refresh your performing articles. And shifting toward high-value content and focusing on a lean strategy doesn’t hurt, either.
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Top Challenges Trimmed budgeTs ConTenT faTigue Less Consumer spending HigH-vaLue ConTenT Long-Term sTraTegy CLear d o CumenTaTion Our Approach Yes and no. Leaner years translate into fewer changes for experimentation. Most SMBs don’t have the wiggle room for the first 1-2 years of a recession. every choIce matters. h ey, aren’t these just “best p ract I ces?” 3
5 Types
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of High-Value Content Long-form content pieces provide two main benefits: They attract more leads with: They are easily repurposed into: socIal medIa posts InfographIcs newsletter blurbs webInars 2x more pagevIews 4x more traffIc 75% more backlInks 43% more shares
1. Case Studies
Case studies are bragging rights. Don’t hide them behind an email request. Instead, turn them into SEO-rich blog posts, or embed the PDFs into relevant articles and landing pages. You can collect emails with higher-quality content that does more than selling your product—and you’ll likely have a better chance of a conversion.
2. Blog Articles
It’s never too late (or too early) to invest in organic traffic. Unique blog posts that go beyond SEO optimization are ideal for leading clients down your marketing funnel and generating revenue. Yes, it can take 3-6 months for a blog post to really work. But you’ll be reaping the rewards for years, too.
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3. Checklists and Guides
Many prospects want more than a blog post. Checklists and guides that help them to solve complex problems are not only delightful, but it’s a great chance to capture leads. You can gate these, offer them for free, or both. Regardless, it’s a strong offer, and they are relatively easy to make.
4. One-Pagers
If you want to create a marketing tool that works with the sales team and your online efforts, consider designing a one-pager. This one-page report or PDF should focus on a specific deal or product line. Maybe even zone in on a specific client question or problem.
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5. eBooks
Ebooks help brands and company leaders build authority. A sound eBook doesn’t have to be long. I’ve seen them as short as 10 pages and as long as 200 or 300. These are also great pieces to work for your team on podcasts, guest blogs, and other potential marketing opportunities. There are different types of eBooks, of course. You can have a gated PDF or publish it for Amazon Kindle. What method you choose depends on your strategy and goals. But it can be a long-term investment in your growth.
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8 Unique content After Google’s Content Helpfulness update in September 2022, It’s clear that the search engIne Is attemptIng to fIlter out repetItIve content. Simply regurgitating competitors talking points with 1-3 new details thrown in won’t work. The more unique your content is, the better. This can translate into targeting more unique, low-competitor keywords for SEO to adding expert insights, infographics, 4 Tips for a Recession-Proof B2B Content Strategy
Adaptability
Content marketing is a long game. Quick wins are rare. But with the right approach, you can repurpose and distribute the same content several times without getting repetitive or spamming your distribution channels.
Having the tools and capabilities to adapt current content into other forms can help reduce the workload and optImIze the budget.
This can include turning a blog post into a visual story, a newsletter, or a video. Or even putting a fresh face on older content.
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Streamlining
KPIs and documentation
Given the nature of a recession, tracking KPIs and providing clear documentation could make or break your marketing goals.
Budgets may be aligned with how well you can sell your strategy. There are tools and templates for generating reports.
Combined with sound documentation, you can make a bIgger and better case for the value of marketIng.
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Clear and fast workflows
The last thing you want is bottlenecks in your content creation approval workflow. set clear roles, responsIbIlItIes, and deadlInes for each step In the content process to ensure you get more content out faster. This is especially important for SEObased metrics, which are slow to start but compound over time.
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The Wrap Up
At the end of the day, 40% of marketers consider content marketing to be an important part of their overall strategy. If done correctly, it can offer considerable organic growth down the road.
But, as with digital marketing, things are always changing. Flexibility and long-term strategy can take your business to the next level.
What
is Obsidian Identity? Obsidian is a content and design agency headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee. With 15 years of experience between our founders, we help busInesses buIld better brands for long-term growth through comprehesnive content, branding, and design packages. Get In Touch Book a Discovery Call www.obsidianidentity.com PO Box 341364, Memphis, TN 38134, United States (901)-654-8044 13