New research signals that content marketing and, specifically, thought leadership will assume ever-growing importance for B2B marketers. "Capturing current thinking on content marketing and thought leadership," a survey-driven white paper from Euromoney Institutional Investor Thought Leadership, suggests that investment in content marketing could triple in the next few years as more and more B2B marketers adopt it as the main ingredient in their marketing mix.
The main driver behind this trend appears to be a shift in the channels through which target audiences are increasingly consuming information and making purchasing decisions. Social media, for example, is cited as a major delivery channel even for B2B companies. Equally importantly, thought leadership is seen by B2B marketers as a vital component in increasing brand awareness, changing audience perception and, of course, generating new sales leads.
While adoption of thought leadership through content marketing continues to rise, there are a number of challenges that marketers face in making it work. Many survey respondents cited the difficulty in distinguishing their brand through lack of forward-looking and engaging content. Others appear to struggle to connect with their intended audience even when they have great content.
Commenting on the research, Guy Dunn, CEO of Euromoney Institutional Investor Thought Leadership, said, "Our research confirms that content marketing is the principal tool for B2B marketers and will only grow in importance in coming years. But, as more organisations adopt a thought leadership approach, it is going to be increasingly difficult to stand out from the crowd. Marketers will need more compelling content, greater access to high-level audiences and more innovative means of delivery to achieve success."
About "Capturing current thinking on content marketing and thought leadership "
"Capturing current thinking on content marketing and thought leadership" is an in-depth look at some of the main trends and challenges primarily faced by B2B marketing executives globally in this area. The report was commissioned and compiled by Euromoney Institutional Investor Thought Leadership, part of Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC, and draws on the results of a global survey of financial and non-financial clients and contacts of the company. In total, 207 responses were received mostly from senior marketers of companies across industries and geographies with annual revenues of less than $250 million to over $40 billion. The vast majority of companies surveyed were based in the Americas and Europe, with the remainder in Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa.
About Euromoney Institutional Investor Thought Leadership
Euromoney Institutional Investor Thought Leadership was founded in 2015 in response to an accelerating requirement from marketers for high quality content with which to engage their audience. As the owner of some of the world's most respected business information brands across a variety of sectors, we are able to provide access to over 5 million decision-makers across the globe. Our Thought Leaders Network offers marketers a way to tap into the thoughts of their audience and our editorial expertise means that we can create content that resonates, illuminates and inspires. We are also able to disseminate that content effectively to specific audiences to complete the circle for marketers.
SOURCE Euromoney Institutional Investor Thought Leadership
www.euromoneythoughtleadership.com
