In our new white paper, Strategic Content Partnerships: Content Creation, Evolved we proposed a more efficient and strategic way for B2B marketing and communications leaders to engage with external content creators beyond traditional freelancer and 'by the hour' consultant retainer arrangements.
In this post we will go into a little more depth about why demand for content is currently booming, and therefore why B2B marketing and communications leaders MUST consider a shift in how they resource strategic content creation if they are to ride the current wave of demand.
In short, the COVID-19 pandemic has been a significant driver of demand for online content. With many people staying at or close to home, there has been a sharp increase in online
media consumption, as people seek to stay connected, informed and entertained when traditional ‘in person’ methods are limited.
Deloitte (among others) has reported on the booming market for streaming video content, which has only accelerated since the onset of the pandemic.
However, consumers are also willing to invest in longer-form written content. According to Neil Patel, a recognised expert in the digital marketing arena:
Our attention spans are getting shorter, and we hop from page to page, website to website – but people are still willing to invest the time in a comprehensive and well-written post.
Just remember we’re not talking about words for the sake of words. Consumers want quality. They want detailed, relevant, useful posts. And they’re not afraid to spend some time with them.
Furthermore, many traditional corporate networking events and meetings have shifted to a virtual or hybrid format since the onset of the pandemic. Research suggests this model is hereto stay, with up to 80 percent of B2B decision makers stating a preference for remote interactions or digital self-service throughout the sales process.
Without as many in-person interactions, executives and sales teams will need to arm themselves with interesting and insightful digital content to engage prospects and open
conversations.
Finally, marketing and communications teams are struggling to meet the demand for engaging relevant content.
Less than one-third of B2B marketers say their organisation has been extremely or very successful with content since the start of the pandemic, according to Research by the Content Marketing Institute, conducted towards the end of 2020. Content creation and strategy issues were listed as the predominant challenges.
If you would like to read more about our proposed model to help B2B marketing and communications leaders solve these issues, it’s all in our new white paper Strategic Content Partnerships: Content Creation, Evolved.
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