What has changed in B2B content marketingsince the outbreak? What are the difficulties that contentmarketers face? What distinguishes effective content marketers from the rest? A new analysis of content marketing trendsprovides answers to these and other issues.

The B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends study is an annual assessment that examines the state of content marketing. It shows which types of content are most effective and which trends to follow for the best results.

Let's take a look at some of the most important trends affecting B2B content marketing and how you can use this information.

5 B2B Content Marketing Trends That You Should Know

Covid Impacts Content Marketing

This is, of course, unsurprising. Many businessmodels have been altered as a result of the epidemic. When it comes to content marketing, 94 percent of respondents said the epidemic forced them to change their strategy. However, this analysis does not portray content marketing as a doomsday scenario for COVID-19.

On the other hand, 86 percent of respondents said they were able to pivot their content strategyduring the epidemic, and 80 percent said it helped them succeed. Another 70% of those that had a content strategy said they had made moderate to large changes as a result of the outbreak.

The top three replies in the report, when asked what adjustments they had made to their B2B content marketing strategysince the start of the epidemic, were

• Message and target-audience changes (70%)
• The editorial calendar has been adjusted (64 percent)
• Content distribution and promotion strategies have been altered (53 percent)

This is something about which we've all been concerned. In a recent essay, I went into further detail on how companies might succeed at content marketing during a pandemic.

Successful Content Provides Value To Your Audience

When asked what factors contributed to their content marketing success, 83% of those polled said the value their content provided.

What does it mean to have "useful" content? From the perspective of the audience, this is valuable. Whether it answers questions, keeps people up to date on industry trends, or helps solve a specific problem, valuable content benefits an audience.

Never develop content only to fill a website's archive. Create material with a specific goal in mind. Learn what questions your audience is asking, as well as the issues that are affecting them. Social media, industry forums, and your own customer servicedepartment are all good places to start when it comes to figuring out what kind of material your audience wants to see.

After you've determined which topics will appeal to your target audience, you'll need to decide on a content structure. Determine whether your audience favors blog articles, videos, or podcasts as content types. Then produce engaging content.

Content Creation Proves To Be A Hurdle

It isn't all sunshine and flowers when it comes to content marketing. Organizations have problems, and this poll sought to identify the most significant obstacles. The issue of content generation was cited by 63 percent of respondents as the most important cause of their lack of success. It might take a lot of time and effort to develop something, whether it's a blog, a video, or an infographic.

What are your options for overcoming this obstacle? Invest in dependable tools to assist you in creating the best content possible. You can make high-quality videos and pictures that show off your businessskills with tools like Canva and Lumen5.

What about written materials like blog posts, ebooks, and white papers? If writing isn't your strong suit, consider delegating this responsibility to someone else on your team who is. Hire a skilled content writer or editor instead. They can write or edit high-quality material for you.

The Social Media Channels That Work

Every year, it appears as if new social media platforms are on the scene. Which ones are your favorites? According to the most recent poll (82 percent), LinkedIn (96 percent), Facebook (82 percent), and Twitter are the top three social media platforms used by B2B firms to share information.

Are you a member of one of these social media platforms? If not, you should strongly consider including these in your content marketing arsenal. Each one contributes something unique to the table. LinkedIn is a terrific place to network, exchange material, and participate in important industry discussions. Facebook's reach and engagement far outweigh those of other social media platforms. Twitter also has a distinct and passionate following that you may make use of.

Let's take a look at a few ways you may get the most out of each network.

LinkedIn:Improve your LinkedIn profile to better reflect you and your business, and join industry-related groups where your abilities may be showcased.

Facebook:Make sure all of your information is up to date, and take advantage of as many functions as possible, such as Facebook Live.

Twitter:Interact with your followers on a regular basis and contribute content.

Paid Content Distribution Pays Off

Although we all enjoy freebies, it is occasionally necessary to reach for your wallet. Many firms agree, with 72 percent reporting that paid content distribution platforms are part of their plan.

There are a lot of free ways to get your content out there, like on social media or on your own website, but judicious use of paid distribution can help your content strategy in ways organic means can't.

However, not every channel is created equal. Do your homework to get the most bang for your buck. If your target audience is interested in paid channels and techniques and the paid options that are available on those channels, you need to figure out which ones they are interested in.

What paid content channels do content marketers prefer? According to the poll, the following are the top three channels:

• Social media promoted posts/advertising (83 percent)
• Search enginemarketing/pay-per-click advertising (65 percent).
• Events, booths, and seminars are examples of sponsorships (60 percent).

Determine how these channels can be included in your approach. For targeting and reaching your audience, social media and search enginemarketing, in particular, have a lot of different ways to do it.

Why Content Marketing Is The Future?

Planning, developing, and disseminating useful and relevant content may help you engage and establish relationships with your target consumers. You can build a great client experience by helping them through every stage of their consumer journey using content marketing.

What Is The Next Social Media Trend?

As organisations strive to provide an interesting user experience, augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are current social media trends in 2022. Many e-commerce businesses have adapted to AR-powered shopping, allowing customers to try on things before buying them.

Conclusion

Even in the midst of a global pandemic, content marketing is here to stay. Let these B2B content marketing trendsguide your decisions and set the course for your future success.