A roadmap for B2B content success: Experimentation, customer expectations and generative AI
At a recent Bynder event, Forrester guest speaker Phyllis Davidson shared invaluable insights that can help marketers and CMOs enhance their content strategies and engage with their target audiences effectively.
Bynder recently sat down with guest speaker Phyllis Davidson, VP principal analyst at Forrester, for an inspiring live session that explored the future of B2B content. She talked about the importance of content in engaging audiences, the role of experimentation, and how AI is (re)shaping the landscape of content creation, orchestration and management.
This article summarises the key takeaways from the conversation, providing actionable insights for marketers who strive to stay ahead in the ever-evolving world of marketing technology. If you’re eager to explore the full discussion, you can watch the session now.
Key insights
Beyond A/B testing: How experimentation elevates content marketing
Davidson talked about the importance of experimentation for organisations looking to leverage the power of new technology to optimise many aspects of content creation, activation and delivery.
She emphasised the need to move beyond simple A/B testing of emails and landing pages and to delve into more nuanced experimentation, such as testing different interactions, content variations and methods of delivery – while including progressive profiling, omnichannel activation and other elements that contribute to the overall audience experience.
Davidson’s advice? Don’t restrict experimentation to a single marketing motion, like email subject lines, but incorporate it instead across every stage of experience delivery, with a focus on what good looks like and how to measure and compare results.
One way to achieve this is to embrace a hypothesis-driven approach, leveraging known audience preferences and behaviours to design effective experiments.
This way, organisations can refine and improve their content strategy based on data-driven insights and customer feedback—an ever-evolving journey that ensures content remains compelling, relevant and impactful.
Meeting the changing expectations of B2B customers
B2B organisations are recognising the need to improve content experiences to meet business buyers’ consumer-style expectations. Marketers are refining their strategies, progressing from basic personalisation to customisation and, ultimately, to contextualisation, where content meets an audience member’s needs in the moment. The demand for exceptional content experiences is, in fact, soaring, and Bynder’s ‘State of Content’ report has found that 66% of marketers now deliver content across a staggering 11 different channels.
This shift allows for a more dynamic content journey, fostering better engagement and value exchange between organisations and their target audience. However, B2B organisations are also recognising the imperative to adapt in order to thrive in this new era.
For businesses, this means moving away from gated content, where customers have to provide information before accessing the content. Instead, they should provide valuable content upfront to build trust and establish themselves as experts in their industry.
To meet these evolving expectations head-on, organisations must focus on delivering content experiences that are not only relevant but also truly valuable and tailored to their target audience.
Achieving this requires a deep understanding of customer preferences, pain points and challenges. By aligning content strategies with the genuine needs of their customers, businesses can elevate engagement levels and forge meaningful connections that stand the test of time and establish themselves as trusted industry leaders.
If you think about all of the things that you’d like to know in terms of data about your customer and your interactions, almost all those interactions are seated with content.
Phyllis Davidson, VP principal analyst, Forrester
Generative AI: A game changer for content creation
According to Davidson, AI is disrupting the entire content lifecycle, offering new possibilities for B2B organisations. AI has, in fact, already found its place in managing the lifecycle of content and revolutionising processes.
AI can auto-tag content, streamline workflows, orchestrate personalised content experiences, and monitor content performance. However, organisations often fail to realise the existing AI capabilities they possess and overlook the opportunity to maximise their impact.
Davidson also talked about how generative AI will empower businesses to deliver personalised, relevant content at scale, helping marketers rapidly generate first drafts and get more done with less effort. Think of it a bit like having a creative assistant that takes care of repetitive or time-consuming tasks, allowing you to focus on the important aspects of strategy and analysis while unleashing your creative ideas.
The emergence of generative AI marks a new paradigm in content creation, but it’s crucial to strike a balance between automation and the human touch. This balance provides governance over generated content, ensuring it aligns with your brand’s voice, is accurate and resonates with your target audience. In addition, organisations must exercise utmost caution in handling customer data and ensuring accuracy. This requires implementing proper oversight to deal with potential dangers and prevent inaccurate information from finding its way into a company’s content.
Unlocking the potential of B2B content: A roadmap for success
Experimentation, meeting changing customer expectations and harnessing generative AI are key factors shaping the future of B2B content.
By embracing experimentation, organisations can refine their content strategies and deliver more targeted and effective content experiences. Adapting to changing customer expectations allows businesses to build trust, provide valuable content and establish themselves as industry leaders. Finally, leveraging generative AI offers the opportunity for streamlined content creation and personalised experiences at scale.
By incorporating these insights into their strategies, marketers and CMOs can navigate the future of B2B content successfully and drive meaningful engagement with their audiences.
