Content Marketing
When it comes to connecting with today’s B2B buyers, content marketing has never had a bigger role to play. Buyers are self-directing more of their purchase journeys, and to solve their problems, they’re turning to content first — not to Sales. In fact, according to Gartner’s B2B Buying Journey Report, the average number of touch points for B2B buyers along the customer journey has jumped from 17 to 27 since the pandemic reflecting the need for strategic B2B content, in multiple channels.
61%
of time a B2B Buyer spends in the purchase journey is on independent research
Gartner
The company with the most effective, easily accessible content will hold buyers’ attention — and win their business. We offer our clients a content marketing solution that sits at the intersection of content strategy, content creation, content distribution and content performance – where strategy turns into messaging, messaging into action, and action into change.
The Mx Group taps the collective expertise of award-winning content creators Imagination and, in doing so, expands its content marketing offerings to create rich customer experiences for the brands Mx represents.
Our Content Marketing Process
Our team of content thought leaders that make up our Content Marketing Practice approach each content marketing program with a strategic eye and a translator’s ear – putting the audience first and clearly connect their needs with clients’ business objectives. In short, our content marketing team is audience first and strategy driven. Our team creates content that connects brands to their audiences to deepen relationships and encourage more informed decisions through a four pronged approach.
Content Strategy
Successful content serves a purpose for you and your audience. By understanding your brand goals, we create strategy-driven, audience-first content programs that deliver measurable results.
A content strategy begins with truly understanding your audience’s needs, motivations and pain points. They must be at the center of every decision, guiding all program development and execution decisions.
Inputs
- Goals
- Audience personas
- Performance analytics
- Distribution plan overview
- Content inventory
- Discoverability & SEO analysis
- Competitive landscape
Outputs
- Content framework & editorial calendar
- Keyword cluster matrix
- Campaign plan
- Social playbook
- Email campaign plan
- User experience ecosystem
- Optimization/consolidation plan
- Measurement plan
We create content strategies that are relentlessly aligned to business goals and objectives. Considering the purpose of every piece, we deliver leads to a cohesive, streamlined content program seamlessly aligned to your marketing pillars.
Successful content works best when integrated across all marketing efforts and delivered at the moment your audience needs it. Our strategic planning process considers how content marketing can enhance all of your marketing touch points, creating a clear roadmap for use across your organization.
Services
- Landscape audits and competitive research
- Business marketing goals and objectives assessment
- Content audits and content refreshes
- Persona development and journey mapping
- Distribution plan development
- Program and project management
- Marketing integration
Content Creation
Great content changes minds and sparks action. With quality, journalistic storytelling and audience-first design, we convey your brand message in creative, authentic ways.
Own the conversation
Thought leaders shape conversations with content that comes with a distinct point of view on the topics and trends your audience cares about.
Inspire action
More content doesn’t always mean more influence. Your brand’s storytelling must be both authentic and rooted in strategy to earn attention and inspire engagement.
Cut through the noise
Breakthrough content keeps audiences engaged. Whether it’s motion graphic videos and podcasts or infographics and tactile print magazines, leverage content that stands out, no matter the channel.
Our process
A rigorous content creation process undergirds everything we produce. Through a cross-discipline team, we layer strategy, design, content, fact-checking, and digital together to ensure creativity, quality and performance.
1. Ideation & planning
Our team tracks news, trends and keywords to identify story ideas and ensure maximum optimization.
2. Journalism & storytelling
Subject matter experts draft stories and route manuscripts through three rounds of editorial review, plus fact-check.
3. Design & development
Stories are then transformed into creative concepts, whether designed pieces, video or digital interactives.
4. Evaluation & optimization
As content is developed and the program matures, performance analytics are evaluated against objectives and KPIs for actionable insights and future ideation.
Content Distribution
Delivering carefully curated content to specific segments at precise touch points helps keep your brand top of mind, nurture relationships and assist audiences throughout their journeys.
Reach audiences where they are
Content in a vacuum is invisible. You need to put content in front of audiences where they spend their time — through deliberate, atomized, strategic distribution plans.
Create a surround-sound experience
With consumers spending time on a variety of platforms, email, social media and native advertising enable brands to create cohesive brand experiences delivering information across multiple touchpoints.
Facilitate user journeys
Guiding users through their journeys starts with refined campaign objectives. Use content to drive awareness, spark dialogue and encourage engagement with the end goals of deepened relationships and increased brand affinity.
Services
- Program and channel strategic planning
- Distribution activation planning
- Email marketing
- Native advertising
- Social media planning and execution
- SEO and interlinking strategy
- Sales enablement
- Print magazine production and mailing
Content Performance
Performance analytics tell the story of content’s full potential as much as they reveal performance. Our ongoing analysis enables stakeholders to make data-driven decisions needed to achieve their goals and maximize ROI.
Harness the power of analytics
Content marketing is only successful if you can prove its value. To do so, you need to measure content’s strengths: visibility, engagement and authority.
Test & learn
Accelerate your content program with A/B testing. By reviewing patterns, significant data variations and audience behaviors, we uncover insights and optimization opportunities.
Reports & dashboards
Reviewing data analysis, insights and recommendations on a monthly basis is the best way to continually improve an ongoing program. Real-time dashboards empower your team to take the pulse of performance. With a comprehensive performance analytics approach, we review:
- Campaign efficiency
- Channel performance
- Audience segments
- Audience engagement
- Content and creative performance
- Native advertising campaign transparency and accountability
- On-site user behavior
- KPI trends over time
- Experiment results
- Overall program analysis
Services
- Measurement planning
- KPI and goal setting
- Monthly and quarterly reporting
- Thought Leadership Index™
- Content Performance Score™
- A/B/C test planning and management
The Thought Leadership Index™ is the first tool of its kind to effectively and critically calculate the drivers of thought leadership and an organization’s thought leadership position versus its competitors.
Thought Leadership
Thought leadership is more than a buzzword — it drives real results. It is content and creative delivered in an engaging way that commands a premium with audiences. Together, we can create:
- White papers and ebooks with detailed, targeted information that engages your market
- Engaging videos using the latest technology and effects
- Social media and PR content, including blog entries that showcase your point of view and expand your brand’s footprint
- Webinars to spread your message broadly and digitally
- Presentations and keynotes to give your company an informative, engaging in-person presence
Interactive Content
Interactive content marketing should not be overlooked in the mix. It encompasses many different assets with different roles in the buyer’s journey. Here are seven of the most common types we’re creating for our clients:
- Data visualizers
- Assessments
- Demonstrations
- Interactive calculators
- Product configurators
- e-Commerce
- Gamification
See samples of the relevant, nuanced content we’ve created for U.S. Cellular for Business, all utilizing a persuasive, personal tone.
Content That Matters
Our in-house team of marketing strategists, graphic designers, writers, web developers and more will ensure that every asset we create is an engaging showpiece for your message. And we’ll get that content in front of the right audience through the right channels: a compelling web presence, strategic demand generation programs and more. Together, we’ll make your content marketing program a success and your company the go-to source of information for your buyers.
Ready to take your content marketing plans to the next level? Get in touch with our award-winning team, and let’s get started.