Keeping your content fresh and relevant is essential for engaging your audience and maintaining a competitive edge in the B2B and industrial landscape. I have observed that companies tend only put feature based post calling it as “ Content marketing” . Although companies are investing in the content marketing stragegy but the results are below par if compared to the budget spent. Below is the research statistics as per “NP Digital”.
This clearly shows that companies are increasing their content marketing budgets. To make the full use of resources, I am sharing these 5 content research ideas to keep your content fresh and you can stay relevant within the industry.
Subscribe to Influencer Content
One of the simplest ways to stay updated is by subscribing to content from influencers in your industry. This allows you to gain insights into emerging trends, best practices, and innovative ideas. For instance, a software company might follow thought leaders in tech innovation or digital marketing to gather fresh ideas that can be integrated into their content strategy.
Example: HubSpot, a leader in B2B inbound marketing, regularly features insights from industry experts on their blog and social media channels. By curating content from these influencers, they not only keep their audience informed but also position themselves as a knowledge hub.
Conduct Regular Research with Tools like BuzzSumo
Utilizing Research Tools: Platforms such as BuzzSumo allow marketers to analyze trending topics and popular content within their niche. By identifying what resonates with audiences, businesses can tailor their content accordingly.
You can also take a look at SEMJournal or MarketingProf. Reddit and Twitter can also be agreat tool to research topics and find real industry problems in your specific industry.
PoisedB2B marketing agency used BuzzSumo to discover that infographics were gaining traction in their industry. They subsequently created a series of infographics that summarized complex data into digestible visuals, leading to a 40% increase in engagement on their website.
Experimenting with Different Formats
Diversifying content formats
Content formats such as videos, infographics, podcasts, and live streams—can help capture the attention of various audience segments. Each format has unique advantages; for example, videos can convey complex information quickly, while podcasts offer convenience for on-the-go learning.
Example
Buffer, a social media management platform, successfully uses multiple formats by repurposing blog posts into podcasts and video tutorials. This approach not only broadens their reach but also caters to different learning preferences among their audience.
Repurpose Content
Repurposing existing content into new formats is another effective strategy. For instance, transforming a well-received blog post into an infographic or video can attract new audiences while keeping the core message intact.
Leverage User-Generated Content
Encourage audience participation through comments or social media interactions. User-generated content can keep your site dynamic and continually updated.
Example: Galalite screens have successfully implemented “Testimonial Feedback videos” as their core part of content strategy. They identified that Theater owners (ICP) are active on LInkedIn to promote their business. So they started creating Testimonial videos to pull them organically. This helped them quickly to grow to 3k followers on LinkedIn. In fact, the website banner has multiple Testimonial videos showcasing their UGC strategy.
Sales interaction and regular customer visits
Regular interactions with sales teams and customers can provide direct insights into market needs and customer pain points. These interactions are critical for adjusting your content strategy to meet evolving demands. The depth of information that you can get from a sales interaction is uncompareable to any content source. Just go out there an “Speak with customers.”
Example: Salesforce frequently solicits feedback through surveys and social media polls to understand customer needs better. They adapt their content based on this feedback, ensuring it remains relevant and useful.
By implementing these strategies—subscribing to influencer content, conducting regular research, experimenting with diverse formats, engaging with your audience, and maintaining direct sales interactions—businesses can keep their content fresh and relevant. Each approach not only enhances engagement but also positions companies as thought leaders in their respective industries. Adopting these practices ensures that your content remains valuable and resonates with your target audience over time.
