Content Marketing vs Performance Marketing vs Cold Email

I know this is not fun to hear, but:

In B2B, it generally takes 3-12 months for content to have an impact on your bottom line (depending on how long your average sales cycles are)

Which is a long time.

Which is also the reason why most companies commit to it.

Performance marketing and cold emailing have shorter feedback loops. You can set up a Facebook ad, put $2,000 in budget behind it and immediately see how it’s working.

So to take some of the risk out of it, here 3 early indicators you can look at whether you’re moving in the right direction with your content:

1. Relevant content engagements:

How many people like or comment on your content that can actually buy from you? (right job title, right industry, right company size, etc)

Getting 50 likes from your colleagues and friends < Getting 5 likes from potential customers.

2. Increased profile visits:

If you start seeing 2nd or 3rd-degree connections who fit your customer profile visiting your profile, it's a good indicator that you’re doing something right on LinkedIn.

3. Follow-ups and messages:

Another strong indicator that your content is working is getting messages and follow-up questions related to your content from people who are potential buyers.

Look out for topics that make these indicators go up and create more content around them.

Content marketing is a long-term activity that works only if you trust the process and keep putting out content.

But you don’t have to do it blindly.