As marketers in the B2B world, we know that marketing trends come and go, and we must adapt as the world and technology changes around us. This past year, we learned a lot about what works and what doesn’t in terms of content. Attending events this year, such as INBOUND by HubSpot, taught us a few noteworthy tips and tricks, and as B2B marketers ourselves, we want to share with you what we learned regarding content marketing trends as you plan your 2023 strategy.

Tip #1 – Optimize your old content

Generating a large volume of content throughout the year is always a great way to bring your audience to your site and attract buyers. But you don’t always have to be focused on creating new content, when your old content is sitting there, ready to be revamped.  

Repurposing old content can be beneficial especially if it performed well when initially posted. Optimizing your old content doesn’t have to be completely re-doing your work, it can be as easy as updating dates, adjusting your data points, or adding new keywords (this will especially help to optimize your SEO).

For example, our blog, 10 cloud computing bloggers to follow today, was originally published in 2016 and was recently updated with some simple changes this year to include:

  • New relevant keywords to optimize SEO
  • A few new bloggers/influencers that were recently recognized in the cloud industry
  • Current research from our 2022 Cloud Computing Study

Tip #2 – Use more multimedia content on your channels

While long-form content like blogs and reports are effective forms of content marketing, they are not the only ones. Multimedia content like videos and podcasts are a great way to engage with your audience and capture their attention – even if they are simple and quick. With decision makers’ busy schedules, long-form content could look daunting to them if they’re on a time crunch. But, when they’re scrolling through social on a quick meal break, your video or podcast could catch their eye.

It’s important to note what kind of multimedia content you are putting on your channels and taking account of your audience. While attending some sessions at this year’s HubSpot INBOUND event, we learned a few tips on how to take multimedia content from “boring to buzz-worthy.”

  • The word “webinar” can have a negative connotation. Even if the content is a longer, educational presentation, using the word video sounds more digestible
  • Try new formats – ask yourself, should I produce an AMA (ask me anything) podcast? A fireside chat or a panel? A narrated benchmarking study presentation? See what works for your audience and what gets the most response
  • Try out short clips – a good way to tease some longer presentations is to promote strong clips or sound bites to make the audience want to learn more

Another important tip to note that was found while conducting our 2022 Customer Engagement Study, is that the maximum desired length of time to watch online videos such as a webcast (live or prerecorded) is 16.4 minutes and 12.5 minutes for a podcast or online audio clip. See the full chart below for more desired times of consuming content types.

Tip #3 – Produce “smart content”

One of the many things we learned at INBOUND a few months back was that using smart content on your website can go a long way. Smart content, also referred to as dynamic content, is website content that’s adapted based on the interests or past behavior of the audience.

Smart content gives you the ability to dynamically customize any modules, such as text, images, videos, etc.) based on each contact’s properties, previous interactions on your site, or engagement in channels like email. A personalized experience can help you create a better, overall user experience. It’s time to create experiences that stand out and convert.

Tip #4 – Reach your target audience with research

Research is a great way to enhance the credibility of your content, educate customers, and drive higher engagement. It can engage customers at a more strategic level and enhance the credibility of your content and conversations.

The #1 challenge when outsourcing content marketing is finding partners with topical expertise – Foundry has that expertise, with the added value of aligning with our known and trusted brands to raise the profile of your content.

Learn how AccessData created awareness of their solutions and generated leads, working with Foundry here.

Learn about Foundry’s custom research services here.