Why Content Marketing is not the Only Answer

Remember the corner shop aunty giving you a sweet when you went to buy bread & milk on behalf of your mom?

Remember the pharmacist giving you a chance to pop a balloon to win something just because you bought more than a certain amount worth of medicine or bath salts?

Those shops who had the friendliest staff & made my experience with them a little bit more personal, were my favourites. I went back time & time again because I felt a personal connection even if it was just because they fed my sweet-tooth; at least it was done with a smile & genuine interest in how I was doing.

In the B2B market, we are bombarded with 'how-to' guides on making marketing personal with automation; How to write with your specific audience in mind; How to add value before the client even knows who you are, etc etc.

Is marketing automation & content marketing really the only answer for all B2B companies out there?

I don't think so. Here's why:

•  Resource restrictions: Time & money. It takes a lot of time & quite a few approvals to get one article written. According to 'those-who-know' you need to publish an article on LinkedIN at least once a week, tweet at least 4 times a day, etc etc. This process can take from 1 to 8 & even more working days to just finish one article. With many B2B companies stuck in the perception that all they need to survive is a sales team, they usually only have one general marketing manager or admin person with no budget for more or to outsource.
•  Sometimes a company's products have so many non-disclosure agreements it will take the Hague court to get to an even vague description.
•  People tend to forget that your best ambassadors are your clients & whether they are happy with your product & your service. In the relentless mission to constantly crunch content & update the database, the marketing team tends to forget one of the most important processes - the after sales customer experience.
•  It is becoming increasingly difficult to break through the content clutter

So, what is the answer to creating awareness for B2B companies & their products & services?

A blog by Elsjene Burger