Survey Results: Improving Content Marketing is the #1 Priority for 2012 Lead Generation.

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I recently conducted a poll on LinkedIn asking respondents what they believe should be the #1 priority in 2012 for generating leads in B2B firms. The poll was promoted throughout LinkedIn Groups; a mix of b2b marketing and sales groups that I am a member of. I received 172 votes and the results were quite interesting. The poll also supports my message of how content marketing and lead generation go hand-in-hand.

Results in detail:


Improving content marketing strategy took nearly 40% of the vote. I was surprised by the amount of votes content received. However, the importance of content strategy to lead generation cannot be understated. Consider:

  • If you’re advertising or implementing direct mail; it’s the message that drives engagement.
  • Paid search for lead generation success relies on good content to attract clicks; and good content to convert clicks into web form conversions.
  • Your website’s content is the key to keeping website visitors on your site and persuading those visitors to engage.
  • Great downloadable content that solves business problems generates leads; that simple.
  • Great nurturing content that tells a compelling story with the goal to shorten sales cycles is the key to increased sales opportunities.
  • Great content is the fuel to social media messaging, sharing, and engagement.
  • The key to SEO results is content; the right keywords; the right meta descriptions, and the right keywords in your site.

In essence, great content marketing encompasses all of the other choices in the poll.

Marketing Automation doesn’t work properly without a well-thought out lead nurturing strategy and content map. Search Engine Optimization is all about content; and content written in buyer’s language. Remember, with SEO, it’s not about what you do, rather it’s about what your buyer’s queries are in search engines to find your solutions. Pipeline Conversion rate optimization; from landing pages to the follow-up sales process, all work better when content is being distributed on an ongoing basis to your prospects. Social Media Engagement is all about content- your trust and credibility via social media channels is what drives your social media effectiveness.

What do you think of the results above? Do you agree? What would you vote for and why?

Republished with author's permission from original post.

Paul Mosenson
Owner of NuSpark Marketing Helps B2B and B2C companies market themselves through integrated tactics, (traditional advertising, internet advertising, SEO, social media), conversions, and sales through lead nurturing/marketing automation.

2 COMMENTS

  1. @Paul
    I fully agree with you that Marketing Automation is only of value when an effective buyer persona oriented content creation, distribution and marketing is in place and executed seriously.
    In fact it is more about what the buyer queries are in search engines to find solutions!
    In my opinion still to less companies spent enough diligence to identify their buyer personas and that's why they still fail to reach their lead generation goals, no matter how much content they produce and market on the web.
    It simply doesn't fit their buyer personas, doesn't reach them where they are around and doesn't attract them through search engines to the companies landing pages.
    And yes, smart content marketing is a critical factor to attract the right buyer personas to a company website and convert them to leads and during a lead nurturing process to revenue!
    Moreover a good executed inbound marketing strategy can help to save up to proven 62% cost per lad and to increase lead conversion up to proven 55%.
    Buyer persona oriented content creation is an essential part of inbound marketing which consists of content creation like Blogging, Social Media, Lead Conversion, Lead Nurturing and Closed-Loop Analysis.

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