The Future of Content Marketing
Stay up to date on the landscape and how it's evolving with insights from industry leaders.
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Covered today:
The future of content marketing.
More on GTM for your eardrums.
More on GTM for your eyeballs.
Startup to watch.
Hottest GTM jobs of the week.
GTM industry events.
If you’re not evolving your go-to-market strategy with the latest in content marketing, you risk being left behind. Whether you’re fine-tuning your current approach or overhauling your strategy, understanding the future of content marketing is essential – where we are now and where are we going.
This topic is near and dear to us at GTMnow, being the media brand of GTMfund and entrenched in content marketing. I partnered with our VP of Marketing, Sophie Buonassisi, to dig into this topic and highlight the knowledge and perspectives of three of the best B2B marketing revenue leaders: Udi Ledergor, Jon Miller, and Peter Lorenco.
Let’s get into it.
The Future of Content Marketing
The evolution of content marketing
Gone are the days when long-form blogs and eBooks ruled the content marketing world. Today’s audience wants snackable, engaging content they can consume on the go. Extensive eBooks are becoming a relic of the past as people opt for immediate and concise information. The rise of AI and synthetic AI is driving this shift, pushing marketers to create experiences that AI simply can't replicate.
Attention spans have taken a nosedive, from 150 seconds in 2004 to a mere 47 seconds in 2023.
This means marketers need to capture attention quickly and effectively.
Udi advises that a good gauge is whether the content is something that people would actually consider paying for. If not, you may need to rethink your approach.
The challenge now is not just to produce content, but to produce content that cuts through the noise. With AI generating a plethora of mediocre content, standing out requires exceptional creativity and value (enter: memorable experiences).
Creating memorable experiences
It’s a balancing act between education and entertainment. Pete recalls a memorable example where a creative and entertaining zombie video outperformed traditional blogs, emphasizing the need for unique, engaging content.
“It's about creating experiences that people talk about and share, making them willing to put their necks out and recommend your content.” -Pete
Know your audience inside and out, and create content that speaks directly to their needs and desires.
Gong's Gong Labs series, which shares data-driven insights from actual customer conversations, is a good example. One popular post analyzed the impact of swearing on sales calls, revealing that salespeople who swear have an 8% higher win rate. This post not only garnered significant media attention but also sparked lively discussions online.
“Content like this creates a marketer's dream scenario – sparking conversations and engagement.” -Udi
Another engaging example from Gong Labs involved analyzing the ideal length of a sales pitch. The data revealed that the most successful pitches lasted between 46 to 50 minutes, providing actionable insights for sales professionals. This type of content, grounded in real data, offers immense value and positions Gong as a thought leader in the industry.
“Incorporating elements of storytelling and real-life examples into your content can make it more relatable and memorable. It's about making a connection with your audience on a human level.” -Pete
Strategic distribution
Focus on the platforms where your audience is most active. For many reading this, it’s LinkedIn.
Use insights to inform your content strategy. PathFactory leverages unique customer data to produce industry-level reports and content engagement insights. These insights help them stay top-of-mind with their audience by providing valuable, relevant content regularly.
“By understanding where our audience lives and focusing our efforts there, we can create more impactful and engaging content. For PathFactory, this means leveraging platforms like LinkedIn and industry-specific forums to distribute our insights effectively.” -Pete
It’s important to also have cross-channel consistency.
“Ensuring that your message is consistent across all platforms helps reinforce your brand and makes it easier for your audience to recognize and engage with your content.” -Jon
Personalization and authenticity
Personalized content, such as direct mail campaigns tailored to the recipient's interests, can stand out. Pete advises marketers not to shy away from asking their audience what type of content they prefer, then using those insights to inform strategies.
“Substack newsletters have become popular because they offer a personal touch. This trend underscores the importance of authenticity and personal connection in content marketing.” -Jon
I definitely agree with Jon, Substack has become quite the hub and I’m finding that with every The GTM Newsletter post I spend more and more time on it as a social platform.
Udi echoes this sentiment: “Building personal brands within your team can significantly enhance your content's authenticity and reach. People want to hear from individuals, not faceless companies.”
Future strategies
1. Embracing original research
Original research and unique insights are invaluable. Gong Labs is a perfect example of content marketing done right, where data-driven insights provide real value to the audience. Content teams should include domain experts capable of producing such research.
“It's about producing content only you can produce, grounded in your unique data set.” -Jon
An example of leveraging original research is PathFactory's industry benchmarks. By analyzing content consumption patterns across various industries, they provide unique insights that help their audience make informed decisions.
2. Building personal brands
The growing importance of personal brands in content marketing cannot be overstated.
People connect more with individuals than with companies.
Foster personal brands within teams to enhance authenticity and engagement.
“People want to hear from individuals, not faceless companies.” -Udi
“Encouraging your team members to develop their personal brands not only boosts your company's visibility but also fosters a sense of authenticity and trust with your audience.” -Jon
3. Preparing for the future
Looking towards H2, a few focus points for Udi, Jon and Pete:
Producing regular live events and industry-level reports based on unique customer data.
Optimizing LinkedIn posts and balancing content types to keep the audience engaged.
Building a modern go-to-market strategy aligned with future buying behaviors.
“We're focusing on producing a regular scheduled live event show, bringing in experts to discuss various marketing topics. It's about consistently showing up for our audience and providing valuable content that they look forward to.” -Peter
It’s importance to experiment with new content formats and channels.
“We're exploring new ways to engage our audience, from interactive webinars to immersive virtual events. The goal is to create experiences that are not only informative but also memorable.” -Jon
There’s also a need for continuous learning and adaptation.
“The content marketing landscape is always evolving. Staying ahead means constantly experimenting, learning from your audience, and refining your strategies.” -Udi
The future of content marketing lies in creating high-quality, engaging experiences that resonate with your audience. By leveraging original research, personal branding, and strategic distribution, marketers can stay ahead in the extremely rapidly evolving area of content marketing.
👂 More for your eardrums:
Subscribe to The GTM Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube.
GTM 99: Mastering Customer Success in the AI New Age with Jon Dick.
Jon Dick is the Global SVP of Customer Success at HubSpot where he’s focused on helping millions of organizations grow better. Prior to customer success, Jon led marketing teams at HubSpot, Trunk Club, and Klout. He has a background in improvised comedy and earned his MBA from the Harvard Business School.
Listen wherever you get your podcasts by searching “The GTM Podcast.”
👀 More for your eyeballs:
TrustRadius and Pavilion released their 2024 B2B Buying Disconnect Report. The headline? The Year of the Brand Crisis.
🚀 Startup to watch:
Spekit - Spekit's launched AI-powered content recommendations. Spekit’s AI eliminates the guesswork - it recommends the most relevant, personalized content based on a rep's situation seamlessly within their favorite tools, such as Gmail, Gong, Chorus, Salesloft, Outlook Browser, and more. We love how they sprinkled customers throughout their launch video.
🔥 Hottest GTM jobs of the week:
Customer Success Manager at WorkRamp (Remote - US)
Senior Product Marketing Manager at Matik (Remote)
Regional Director of Sales - West at Vanta (Remote - US)
Director of Customer Success at Document Crunch (Hybrid - Atlanta, GA)
Industry Relations Account Manager at Closinglock (Austin, TX)
See more top GTM jobs on the GTMfund Job Board.
🗓️ GTM industry events
Upcoming go-to-market events you won’t want to miss:
[September 10-12] SaaStr Annual (SaaStr): 3 full days of tactical content, 100’s of workshops, and 1000s of networking sessions for SaaS founders, executives and others.
[October 14-16] GTM Summit by Pavilion (Austin, TX): a B2B SaaS conference for go-to-market executives. Bring your GTM leadership team to learn, get aligned and get ahead on planning your 2025 strategy.
Just hosted our third GTMfund dinner in two weeks. We got together in London, Toronto and NYC.
There is nothing more energizing than seeing the GTMfund community together in person.
Have a great weekend!
Barker ✌️
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