We thrive on original ideas as a seasoned B2B marketing firm, and we're constantly on the lookout for new trends, techniques, and approaches to help our clients better connect with their target audience. We are unashamed proponents of content marketing because we've seen businesses thrive when they implement a well-thought-out content strategy.

We're constantly looking for fresh, inventive content marketing ideas for B2B organizations, but there are a few old, out-of-date content marketing methods that we wish would just go away.

In this post, we'll look at some of the most out-of-date content marketing strategies and why we want them to go away (and possibly off a cliff).

Blogs that are disguised as sales pitches

As marketers, we now recognize that the ultimate goal for the B2B businesses we deal with is to generate sales and income. And it's true that B2B content marketing is often used to attain that purpose.

The primary purpose of content marketing, on the other hand, is to educate the end-user (aka. your target market).

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A typical blunder we see businesses make is publishing a blog post that is actually simply a sales pitch masquerading as a blog article. It's OK, even encouraged, to add a call-to-action in a blog post to arrange a consultation or request a quotation, but it's not acceptable to design a sales pitch and put it on a blog as thought leadership.

Your target market is interested in learning more about your goods or services. Use cases, projected outcomes, how to leverage your services, how to convey the value of your product to their internal team, and so on are all examples of information they may want.

They aren't seeking for a sales pitch when they are searching for this information. Prospects (and people in general) are fundamentally self-centered, so only read stuff that is directly valuable to them.

They aren't ready to talk about their purchase yet; all they want is pertinent information to help them make an informed selection. Blog articles masquerading as sales pitches are often ignored, and in the worst-case scenario, send your prospect away or towards a rival who has the information they need.

White papers with no content sponsored white papers with no content sponsored white papers with no content sponsor

Have you ever experienced anything similar? You come across a white paper that promises to provide you with X Y Z information, so you trade your contact information in exchange for access to the white paper.

Unfortunately, when you get the pdf in your mailbox or view it after completing the form, it does not include the X Y Z information stated in the summary and/or just provides basic information.

What a disappointment.

B2B marketers with good intentions frequently believe that writing a white paper is the pinnacle of lead creation. These white papers, on the other hand, are only successful if they deliver on their promises and provide something useful for the reader.

Prospects aren't looking for a bait and switch when it comes to content. In reality, using the bait and switch method will damage rather than build your brand's image.

Don't write a white paper if you don't have enough substance or relevant information to add in it. A white document with no important takeaways is nothing more than a shell.

The most successful white papers require a great amount of time and effort to develop. They need the participation of thought leaders, expert copywriting, and a polished design from a designer who is familiar with digital media.

When a white paper is thrown together with little resources, it shows, and it may hurt your company's trust with your target market.

Bait and switch social posts are a great way to get others to share your content

We've seen some really skilled copywriters and marketers who are absolute masters at creating intriguing social media postings. However, much as with white papers, we've seen marketers use bait and switch (also referred to as clickbait) postings on social media.

These sorts of posts, as the name says, powerfully appeal to the target market, but the experience is not consistent when the consumer clicks on the post.

The word "clickbait" is well-known in the popular media, and it is something that customers must be aware of on a regular basis. Because this strategy looks to work in B2C marketing, inexperienced B2B marketers have used it to increase the number of clicks on their marketing efforts.

It's a tremendous credibility-crusher, just like the prior two approaches. Clicks and likes are all that matters to the people who use these techniques. They are unconcerned about cultivating a connection with the end-user and nurturing them through the lead conversion process.

Although not every content marketing strategy can produce leads, some strategies make a firm seem spammy and untrustworthy.

Webinars that aren't useful

This nefarious kind of content production arose from a respectable lead generating tactic. Webinars are an excellent method to communicate with prospects and partners, educate them about your business, and show them how to efficiently utilize certain goods or services.

However, in the haste to "host a webinar as soon as possible," there has been an overabundance of webinars that are of little utility to the end-user. They usually wind up being a waste of time merely to pretend they had a webinar.

Only one of the previous ten webinars I've signed up for has delivered any useful information. Others were either not as advertised, were so simple that they might have been a 10-minute tape, or were just a bunch of salesmen chatting about themselves — almost as if they were oblivious to the audience.

If your webinar participants don't leave with at least 2–3 practical ideas or new learnings, your webinar isn't worth attending. Furthermore, since prospects are busy individuals, the longer the webinar, the less effective it is. A 15- to 30-minute webinar is much more effective and considerate of your prospects' time.

A webinar is not the time to go through your sales pitch. It's an opportunity to share your expertise with your audience, analyze industry trends, and respond to any questions they may have.

Many individuals have been burnt out on webinars in the last two years, so it's critical to put in the effort and give valuable information to your webinar participants. If you do so, news will go around, and your next webinar will be even more popular.

If you don't, word will get out, and your internal workers will be the only ones who attend the webinar.

What does B2B content marketing work?

What works in B2B content marketing varies depending on the sector, business, and audience. We've even discovered that what works for one firm doesn't always work for another in the same sector.

Why? It's all about the purpose and work that went into creating the material.

The most successful, effective content pieces are smart, deliberate, and painstakingly created, with frequent check-in points along the way to ask, "What does the viewer/reader/registrant get out of this?" "What is it that they are concerned about?"

Thanks to Rachel Cunningham at Business 2 Community whose reporting provided the original basis for this story.