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6 Infographics to Help You Stay On Top of 2016 B2B Content Marketing Trends

Jamie Shanks
Jamie Shanks

2016 B2B Marketing Trends

‘Tis the season for annual reporting, planning, and reviews.

As you look back on last year’s performance and look forward to what you need to accomplish next year, it’s important to understand and adapt to industry trends. After all, missing a wave doesn’t just mean that you didn’t get ahead — it means that you got left behind.

Here are some great infographics that provide excellent at-a-glance learnings about the latest B2B marketing and sales trends. May the insight help you achieve 2016 success!

The Big Content Spend: How and Where Are Brands Placing Their Content Marketing Budgets

If you need affirmation that content marketing efforts are ramping up across the board, this infographic from Express Writers is the place to look.

Key Takeaways:

  • 91% of B2B marketers use content marketing. (Tweet This)
  • 55% of B2B organizations will increase their content marketing budget this year. (Tweet This)
  • 27 million pieces of content are shared every day. (Tweet This)

Predictive Analytics Take CMOs From Survive to Thrive

According to a new study conducted by Radius and Forrester Consulting, the use of predictive analytics isn’t just a trend — it’s a proven tactic to improve marketing performance.

Key Takeaways:

  • 61% of B2B marketers are using predictive analytics to improve marketing performance. (Tweet This)
  • 83% of predictive analytics users see considerable or very high business impact. (Tweet This)
  • 86% of users agree that predictive analytics helps evaluate new opportunities to enter new markets. (Tweet This)

Marketing is a Buyer Journey, Not a Destination

The CMO Club and IBM surveyed 100 CMOs to discover how the modern CMO is treating marketing spend in conjunction with the buyer journey.

Key Takeaways:

  • Marketing budgets are extending across the buyer journey, making marketing less about filling the funnel and more about the journey. (Tweet This)
  • 57% of CMOs surveyed expect their marketing budgets to increase over the next 2-3 years. (Tweet This)
  • 53% of CMOs surveyed said the main reason to experiment is the imperative to generate higher revenue. (Tweet This)

The Death of the B2B Salesperson

Technology is taking the place of old sales methodologies — sales professionals must adapt  (or risk having their quota crushed by bots).

Key Takeaways:

  • 97% of cold calls do not work. (Tweet This)
  • 48% of buyers are frustrated with aggressive salespeople. (Tweet This)
  • 39% of buyers are frustrated with overly scripted sales approaches. (Tweet This)

SEO Mistakes to Avoid

Beware the stagnant SEO consultant — avoid making these SEO mistakes as you move forward with your content strategy.

Key Takeaways:

  • SEO leads have a 14.6% close rate. (Tweet This)
  • 70% of the links search users click on are organic. (Tweet This)
  • Link to high PR sites or an authoritative blog — think more about quality than quantity. (Tweet This)

Ann Handley’s Writing GPS

If you want your content to cut through the clutter, you have to have a defined content creation process. Who better to learn from than the one and only Ann Handley?

Key Takeaways:

  • When writing content, start with a goal — the key is to care about the purpose of what you’re writing. (Tweet This)
  • Imagine the one person you’re helping with your next piece of writing. Write directly to that person. (Tweet This)
  • Before hitting “Publish”, have a plan for what you want your reader to do next (and guide them there). (Tweet This)

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