The need for content is driving marketing.

By Steve Fodor.

“The biggest challenge is the mentality shift within marketing organizations. Marketing execs are always in the mind set of selling product. But we need to think and act like magazine editors. This type of thinking and approach is new.”

That’s not a quote from me, although I agree with it 100 percent. It’s a quote from an article titled, “Content needs drive organizational changes.”

Developing content that customers and prospects are seeking has become the new lifeblood of marketing. The need for content development is the result of the changing paradigm of sales. It used to be that the media controlled information and sales took the form of “going out and hunting.” Now, marketers can control information, bypass the media and invite prospects in through SEO strategies.

Sounds, easy, right? Well, apparently not.

Over the last few months, I’ve seen, heard and read about two very BIG NEEDS in the marketing world. First is the need for tighter alignment between sales and marketing. One source cited that only eight percent of companies feel that marketing departments are in touch with customers. Second is the need for developing relevant content that meets the unmet information needs of customers and prospects. Personally, I think these two needs are really one in the same.

Developing content in the form of Web site copy, blogs, videos and white papers takes time, talent and, most of all, people dedicated to the task. Companies typically look for content development insights by monitoring key words and search phrases and through Web analytics. But, here’s another suggested method for determining the direction of your content development strategy: know thy customer. Whatever happened to good, old-fashioned field research where marketing people actually went out into the field, talked to end-users and the distribution channel and asked questions? Or (and don’t make a gasping sound here) actually interviewed field sales and customer service for content development topics? After all, sales and customer service are on the front lines. And, judging by the two biggest marketing needs I keep hearing over and over again, I would suggest it’s a sensible place to start.

We call our roll-up-your-sleeves process of getting out into the field to identify unmet information needs and then creating and delivering desired content “Sales Diagnostics.”

What’s your strategy for developing content?

Flickr Photo Credit: MatthewRad