Content Still Matters!

By Tequia Burt, Editor in Chief of the LinkedIn for Marketing Blog

There’s more content out there than ever before. Thanks to generative AI, much of it has become bland, generic and undifferentiated. Does this mean content marketing is less important today than it was five or 10 years ago? Quite the contrary, I would argue!

Content — real, compelling, valuable content — is one of the few remaining ways to build genuine differentiation, trust and connection with your audience. When everyone has access to the same tools, it's how you use them (and what you uniquely bring to the table) that matters most.

The key to ensuring your content stands out and makes an impact, as Joel Harrison recently explained, is to center on the irreplaceable human inputs that AI cannot mimic, such as:

• Provocative point of view
• Strategic alignment
• Emotional intelligence
• Ethical considerations
• The trust factor

Dig into our roundup of trending content to find plenty more tips for helping your content stand out and deliver results!

What to Read

The Now-Next Continuum: A Bridge Between Today's Marketing Reality and Tomorrow's Potential (MarketingProfs): Marketers must embrace adaptable expertise and human-centered metrics while using AI not just for efficiency, but to line up present goals with future opportunities. Kate O'Neill calls this mindset the Now-Next Continuum, which is needed to thrive amid rapid technological change. 

B2B Copywriting in the Age of AI: Why Human Voice Still Wins (B2B Marketing): In an AI-dominated landscape, Lina Vaz urges B2B marketers to double down on clear, human-first copywriting that resonates with audiences and AI systems, sharing insights from copywriting specialist David McGuire.

“No one grows up wanting to write stuff like ‘leverage synergies’ for a living, but we’re pressured to write in this way because we think it sounds credible …The more needlessly complex your language is, the less credible you sound. We all know this and we still do it.”—David McGuire, B2B Copywriting Specialist, Propolis

Customer Loyalty in the Experience Economy — the CMO's Perspective (CMSWire): Ian Truscott remarks on the need to prioritize customer loyalty and post-sale engagement — alongside acquisition — to drive sustainable growth, reduce churn and turn users into long-term brand advocates. “Retention is everyone’s job,” says Truscott.

How Leading B2B Marketers Approach Content, Intent, and Personalisation in ABM (Econsultancy): Highlighting perspectives from senior B2B executives, Rebecca Sentance offers a blueprint for effective account-based marketing, with content playing a key role in buyer enablement.

“This is the role of marketing now. The content has to be the best salesperson of your company.”—Avishai Sharon, Co-founder and CEO, Trendemon

Standing Out in Healthcare Conversations on LinkedIn: How Brands Can Earn Trust and Cut Through the Noise (LinkedIn for Marketing Blog): As healthcare dialogue surges on LinkedIn, with a 41% rise in health-related conversations in the last year, brands must rise above generic messaging by embracing authenticity, emotional storytelling and community-driven content to earn trust. Anika N. has the data-backed details.

What to Watch

Highlights from LinkedIn NewFront

In case you missed it, LinkedIn hosted its first-ever NewFronts showcase earlier this month, with video and professional creators taking center stage. You can catch up on some of the sights and scenes in this short highlight reel from our LinkedIn Page.

What to Know

If you’ve been feeling the crunch of stagnant or shrinking marketing budgets, know that plenty around the world are in the same boat. One of the biggest factors behind this troubling trend is almost entirely out of our hands: geopolitical tensions and global economic uncertainty.  

New data from Pipeline360's State of B2B Pipeline Growth shows that "economic uncertainty" is the top challenge being faced in B2B marketing, with a healthy lead over "unrealistic expectations." Meanwhile, more than half of respondents (55%) in a spend outlook survey from Plural Strategy Group say they are being cautious with spending decisions as a result of geopolitical tensions.

It’s frustrating. It’s daunting. But as B2B marketers, all we can focus on is controlling the things we can control. Keep building your brand and showing up for your customers, and eventually you’ll be in good shape when we come out of this tumultuous moment in the global business ecosystem.

Make sure to follow the LinkedIn for Marketing Blog for more insights.