Survey: Usefulness is Top Attribute for Marketing Content | B2B Marketing

Marketers are constantly putting out a wide array of content for their customers and prospects to consume, but what type resonates the most with their target audience? According to a new report, usefulness and timeliness may be the factors that rise above the rest.

Zeughauser Group recently published the “State of Digital and Content Marketing Survey” in partnership with Greentarget, and revealed that most people (77 percent) turn to marketing content frequently for its utility/usefulness above all else. This was followed by timeliness (68 percent) and source (56 percent).

When it comes to the most favored type of content, 77 percent of respondents said they prefer articles, followed by alerts (70 percent). About 59 percent said they have a preference toward newsletters.

“Digging deeper, we also asked respondents what they find most valuable for each type of content – they're looking for articles that are educational, timely and relevant, and alerts that are timely, relevant and brief,” wrote the authors of the report.

Meeting Content Marketing Expectations

Previous research suggests that marketers were already looking into what customers expect from their content marketing efforts.

To gauge customer expectations, Meyocks surveyed a group of customers for their “The Case for Mentor Branding” white paper. Statistics showed that 90 percent of respondents believe that marketers should provide value-added information to their customers.

Nearly 77 percent think that they should receive information on how to get the most out of their product, while 73 percent expect instruction on different ways to use their product. Fifty-eight percent would appreciate tools to help them make better choices.