Is there a need for the blog? Yes, there is 100%. Has video and social media completely taken over? Yes, they have. What do I mean by this? Both the blog and video can exist in your B2B marketing strategy.
In Chapter 1, we talked through the evolution of content and what is the media richness theory. As technology has transformed, so has how we consume and find information. 55% of people watch one video a day and the average person spends 100 minutes per day watching videos so it’s no surprise that companies have been quick to adopt a video-first content strategy.
The Shelf Life of Content: Quality vs. Quantity
The more social we’ve become, the less life one piece of content has. The shelf life of content has changed. The rate of social churn is higher than ever before, where content only lives for so long. Auto-refreshed dashboards and discovery pages push content out of viewers eye-sight faster than ever before. Unlike the blog during the Search Era, the written format and the blog were ranked highest to lower based on an algorithm and stayed in front of audiences’ eyes for longer.
To stay top of mind, companies have adapted to posting on social media more frequently and consistently, rather than posting one super important and high production piece of content. Viewers prefer more authentic and organic content, as they feel more connected with the brand. And in turn, gains the brand’s trust and respect.
Not saying that companies should record on 240p quality or have one-word social posts, but don’t be afraid to be experimental with content and take a multi-channel approach.
Especially as technology changes, algorithms change, and new social platforms come and go, we are now faced with the new challenges of this omni-channel decade.
3 Challenges of this Omni-channel Decade
1. Diversifying your brand voice from your blog.
The reliance on search is on a downtrend. The hub of your brand has evolved away from your website, onto social network profiles. Assuming most of your audience in GenZ, did you know that they don’t use Google but in fact, nearly half use social media platforms to research information or to make informed purchase decisions? GenZs are checking multiple channels, further reaffirming that building a presence on social media is of utmost importance. The number of global social media users is expected to reach almost 3.43 billion in 2023!
Social media has normalized imperfections and has brought forth our personal identities. The most relatable brands are the authentic brands who are comfortable with their own mistakes and content that may be quirky. Be experimental, try new things and see what resonates! You never know how you’ll get your next customer although, 93% of brands got a new customer because of a video on social media!
2. Developing a video-first content strategy.
Text alone can no longer compete. If you’re only using your blog to generate traffic, you’re doing it wrong. Audiences are expecting engaging content, we’ve come a LONG time from the search era and are constantly in an immersive multimedia culture – HD all the way! All the time! Over 85% of marketers say that video has increased traffic to their website and 83% of them say video has helped them generate leads.
Audiences are expecting engaging content, but how do B2B companies keep up with the demand? One tactic B2B companies are doing is decentralizing their content creation. Both SMBs and Enterprise companies can benefit from decentralizing their content creation, enabling all teams to create videos. Technology, such as structured video creation tools or video templates have enabled the average person to do complicated things.
3. Repurposing & distributing your content across various channels.
There are more channels available than ever before, however each channel is unique in its capabilities and audience it attracts. Repurposing key and high-performing content from your blog to video is a great way to maximize your content mileage! It can be seem a bit daunting at first, however thinking of content is half the battle.
Adapt your existing strategy and pick one asset at a time. Create one video at a time. Pick one blog post or long-form content and create a video series. Or create new content based on your long-form content. Like how we took our ebook and made it into other blogs: 3 tips to repurposing your content and 8 video types to improve your B2B marketing.
The possibilities are endless. Data shows that video engagement rate stays high between 40 and 53% for videos up to 30 minutes. For videos between 30 and 60 minutes, it drops to 26% then to 13% for videos over an hour.
Ideas are more than the format itself, but the novel and unique insights that are in the text. Retell and resurface your thoughts.
So.. The blog isn’t dead? No, the blog still lives.
Before in the Search Era, Google was your north star to finding information, making the website and blog the main hub of information for your company/on your niche. But, that flooded webpages with words – too many words. But in the Social Era and now, in the Omni-channel Decade, audiences want something more engaging.. more conversational and relatable.
Blog content is amazing, but the blog format is dead.
Ironic as I write this blog.. but don’t worry, this content has been adapted from these formats:
Webinar Series
Dethroning the Blog
And newly repurposed into this recap video:
It’s a balancing act that needs to happen with the types of content marketers are putting out there, and video is quickly becoming a major player for enterprise content marketers – though so many companies struggle with scaling their video creation.
Having a video-first strategy is key!! Take your content and repurpose into different formats – retell your stories and reteach insights. And from there, distribute your new repurposed content onto other channels in a format that your audience will love! And chances are, if you incorporate video, your videos take the cake! 🎂
