The world of B2B marketing is changing. Gone are the days of having one-way, top-down messaging from companies to their customers. Today's consumers are more informed and connected than ever before. They have access to vast amounts of information prior to the point of sale. Because information is so accessible they are choosing to interact with brands that are delivering value before the point of sale. In order to meet these expectations, B2B companies are turning to community-generated content and decentralization as a way to produce more and higher-quality content that provides genuine expert insights to customers. This community-generated content is killing top-down messaging that used to dominate the space.
Buyers Don't Want to Hear a Corporate Suit Read a Script
One of the biggest benefits of community-generated content is that it allows for a more authentic and diverse perspective. Instead of relying solely on the voice of the brand, companies are now able to tap into the collective knowledge and experiences of their customers and partners. This results in a wider range of content that is more relatable and relevant to the target audience.
Decentralization is also playing a key role in the shift towards community-driven content. By decentralizing the content creation process, companies are able to tap into a wider pool of talent and resources. This allows for a more efficient and cost-effective content production process, while also enabling companies to reach new audiences and generate more content at a faster pace.
But it's not just about producing more content. Community-generated content and decentralization also drive stronger sales results. By providing educational and informative content, companies are able to establish themselves as thought leaders in their industry and build trust with their audience. This, in turn, leads to more qualified leads and ultimately, stronger sales.
When Experts Become Creators Good Things Happen
Empowering knowledgeable people to become content creators also has its advantages. According to a study by the Content Marketing Institute, 90% of B2B marketers believe that their organization's thought leadership content is effective at building trust with their target audience. Additionally, a study by Demand Gen Report found that B2B buyers are more likely to engage with content that is created by industry thought leaders or subject matter experts.
When you empower knowledgeable people to become content creators, you're also giving them a sense of ownership and investment in the content and the company. This often leads to more authentic content and better engagement. A study by the CMO Council found that employee-generated content generates 8x more engagement than content created solely by the company.
Community-Generated Content is Killing Top-Down Messaging
In today's digital age, B2B companies can no longer rely on traditional top-down marketing methods. Instead, they must embrace community-generated content and decentralization in order to stay relevant and connect with their target audience. By doing so, they will not only be able to produce more and higher-quality content, but also drive stronger sales results. Empowering knowledgeable people to become content creators is a great way to do this, as it not only adds authenticity and diversity to the content, but also leads to better engagement and stronger trust with the target audience.
Overall, the shift from top-down marketing to community-driven content and decentralization is a win-win for B2B companies. It allows them to tap into a wider range of perspectives and resources, resulting in more authentic and diverse content that resonates better with their target audience. It also removes the issue of marketing and executive bottlenecking the content supply chain. With the right deployment of technology (like MarketScale Studio) this scale can be achieved easily. As companies start distributing this new media they drive stronger sales results, making it a valuable investment for B2B companies to consider.