Meanwhile, the other 94 percent are creating their own content: white papers, case studies, infographics, e-newsletters, articles on their websites, and more. They know that effective content marketing is about creating interesting content and sharing it. They also know that effective content is often written: 83 percent use articles on their websites, 78 percent use e-newsletters, 77 percent use blogs, 71 percent use case studies, 70 percent write articles for other sites (establishing themselves as experts), and 61 percent produce white papers.
Since 91 percent of B2B companies are using content marketing tactics, if you’re not, you’re behind the eight ball. Here’s the secret many of the successful ones aren’t telling you: while they may have a dedicated content marketing director in their organization, they often hire freelance copywriters, white paper writers, or case study writers to create their content.
This is the one time where it’s okay to be a part of the herd. Find a former journalist who knows your industry, contract with her to start writing white papers, case studies, and contributed articles, and start watching the leads roll in. Your salespeople will thank you for not only getting them leads but providing them with leave-behinds and collateral they can use to explain your offerings and close the deal.