7 B2B Content Marketing Trends You Need to Know in 2024

Content marketing is a powerful way to attract and engage your target audience, build trust and credibility, and generate leads and sales. But content marketing is not static. It evolves with the changing needs and preferences of your customers, the latest technologies and tools, and the competitive landscape. To stay ahead of the curve, you need to keep up with the latest b2b content marketing trends and best practices. Here are seven of them that you should know in 2024.

Key Takeaways

Content marketing is evolving with the changing needs and preferences of your customers, the latest technologies and tools, and the competitive landscape.

You need to keep up with the latest b2b content marketing trends and best practices to stay ahead of the curve.

Some of the most important b2b content marketing trends in 2024 are interactive content, video content, podcast content, user-generated content, long-form content, personalized content, and AI-generated content.

1. Interactive Content

Interactive content is content that requires the user’s active participation, such as quizzes, polls, surveys, calculators, games, etc. Interactive content can boost engagement, retention, and conversion rates by providing personalized and relevant experiences, feedback, and recommendations. According to a report by DemandGen, 91% of b2b buyers prefer interactive content over static content. Interactive content can also help you collect valuable data and insights about your audience, which can inform your content strategy and improve your lead generation and nurturing.

2. Video Content

Video content is not a new trend, but it continues to grow in popularity and importance. Video content can capture attention, convey emotions, demonstrate value, and increase trust. According to a report by Wyzowl, 86% of b2b marketers use video as a marketing tool, and 93% of them say it’s an important part of their strategy. Video content can be used for various purposes, such as educating, entertaining, inspiring, or persuading your audience. Some of the most effective types of video content for b2b are explainer videos, testimonial videos, product demo videos, webinar videos, etc.

3. Podcast Content

Podcast content is another form of audiovisual content that is gaining traction in the b2b space. Podcasts are convenient, accessible, and engaging. They allow you to showcase your expertise, personality, and brand voice. They also enable you to reach a wider and more loyal audience who consume your content on the go or while multitasking. According to a report by Edison Research and Triton Digital, 41% of b2b decision-makers listen to podcasts weekly, and 14% listen daily. Podcasts can be used to share valuable insights, tips, trends, stories, interviews, etc.

4. User-Generated Content

User-generated content (UGC) is content created by your customers or prospects, such as reviews, testimonials, case studies, social media posts, etc. UGC can boost your brand awareness, reputation, and credibility by showcasing social proof and customer satisfaction. UGC can also increase your organic reach and traffic by encouraging word-of-mouth and referrals. According to a report by Stackla, 79% of b2b marketers use UGC in their marketing strategy, and 87% of them say it improves their brand trust.

5. Long-Form Content

Long-form content is content that is longer than 1,000 words. Long-form content can help you establish your authority, thought leadership, and expertise in your niche. It can also help you rank higher on search engines by providing comprehensive and in-depth information that answers your audience’s questions and solves their problems. Long-form content can also generate more leads and conversions by providing more value and opportunities for calls-to-action. According to a report by SEMrush, long-form articles get 3 times more traffic than short-form articles.

6. Personalized Content

Personalized content is content that is tailored to the specific needs, preferences, interests, behaviors, or goals of each individual user or segment. Personalized content can improve your relevance, engagement, and conversion rates by delivering the right message to the right person at the right time. Personalized content can also enhance your customer loyalty and retention by making them feel valued and understood. According to a report by Evergage, 88% of b2b marketers say personalization improves their marketing results.

7. AI-Generated Content

AI-generated content is content that is created or enhanced by artificial intelligence (AI) tools or platforms. AI-generated content can save you time, money, and resources by automating or streamlining some of the tasks involved in content creation, such as research, writing, editing, optimizing, etc. AI-generated content can also help you create more diverse, creative, and relevant content that appeals to your audience. According to a report by Salesforce, 51% of b2b marketers use AI in their marketing strategy, and 57% of them say it improves their efficiency.

Tips

Use interactive content to boost engagement and collect data

Use video content to capture attention and convey emotions

Use podcast content to reach a wider and loyal audience

Use user-generated content to showcase social proof and credibility

Use long-form content to rank higher on search engines and provide more value

Use personalized content to improve relevance and conversion rates

Use AI-generated content to save time and resources and create more diverse content

B2B Content Marketing Trends: How to Stay Ahead of the Curve in 2024

Content marketing is a powerful way to attract, engage, and convert B2B buyers. But with the ever-changing landscape of digital marketing, how can you ensure that your content strategy is effective and relevant in 2024? Here are some of the key trends and statistics that you need to know to stay ahead of the curve in B2B content marketing.

Content marketing budget and ROI

According to the Content Marketing Institute, the B2B marketing teams with the highest success rates spend 40% of the marketing budget on content marketing . This shows that content marketing is a worthwhile investment that can generate significant returns. However, measuring the ROI of content marketing is still a challenge for many B2B marketers. Only 43% of B2B marketers say they can measure the ROI of their content marketing efforts . To improve your content marketing ROI, you need to set clear goals, track relevant metrics, and use tools and platforms that can help you analyze and optimize your performance.

Content distribution and promotion

Creating high-quality content is not enough to reach and influence your target audience. You also need to distribute and promote your content effectively across various channels and platforms. According to HubSpot, email collection forms were the most successful at converting viewers, with a 15% conversion rate in 2020 . Email newsletters are also a popular and effective way to nurture leads and build customer loyalty. 77% of B2B agencies and companies offer an email newsletter as a major part of their content marketing plan . Besides email, social media, blogs, webinars, podcasts, and video platforms are also important channels for B2B content distribution and promotion.

Content personalization and optimization

B2B buyers expect personalized and relevant content that addresses their pain points and needs. According to DemandGen Report, 75% of B2B buyers say they are more likely to buy from a vendor that knows their company name and industry . To deliver personalized content, you need to segment your audience based on criteria such as industry, company size, role, stage of the buyer’s journey, and behavior. You also need to optimize your content for search engines, mobile devices, and user experience. According to Statista, 3.5% of ecommerce website visits via mobile are converted into purchases, compared to 3.9% on desktop . This means that optimizing your content for mobile can help you increase your conversion rate and revenue.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: What is b2b content marketing?
A: B2b content marketing is the process of creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience of business buyers and influencers, and ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.

Q2: What are the benefits of b2b content marketing?
A: B2b content marketing can help you achieve various goals, such as increasing brand awareness, generating leads, nurturing prospects, converting customers, building loyalty, and driving referrals.

Q3: How to measure the effectiveness of b2b content marketing?
A: To measure the effectiveness of b2b content marketing, you need to define your key performance indicators (KPIs) and track them using various tools and metrics. Some of the common KPIs are website traffic, social media engagement, email open and click rates, lead generation and quality, conversion rates, customer retention and satisfaction, etc.

Q4: How to create a b2b content marketing strategy?
A: To create a b2b content marketing strategy, you need to follow these steps:

Define your goals and objectives
Identify your target audience and buyer personas
Conduct a content audit and gap analysis
Create a content plan and calendar
Choose the right content formats and channels
Produce and distribute your content
Monitor and optimize your performance

Q5: How to improve your b2b content marketing skills?
A: To improve your b2b content marketing skills, you need to:

Stay updated on the latest trends and best practices
Learn from the experts and influencers in your industry
Experiment with different types of content and techniques
Analyze your results and feedback
Seek feedback and guidance from your peers and mentors

References:

https://www.infosys.com/about/knowledge-institute/insights/Documents/future-customer-engagement.pdf

https://contentmarketinginstitute.com/articles/b2b-content-marketing-research-trends-statistics
https://www.hubspot.com/marketing-statistics
https://contentmarketinginstitute.com/articles/b2b-content-marketing-research-trends-statistics
https://bestwriting.com/blog/b2b-content-marketing-statistics
https://www.demandgenreport.com/resources/research/2019-b2b-buyers-survey-report
https://www.statista.com/statistics/249863/us-mobile-retail-commerce-sales-as-percentage-of-e-commerce-sales/

https://stackla.com/resources/reports/2019-consumer-content-report-influence-in-the-digital-age/

https://www.semrush.com/blog/long-form-content/

https://www.evergage.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Evergage-2019-Trends-in-Personalization-Survey-Report.pdf