As the lines between marketing and PR continue to blur, it’s no surprise that effective marketers are investing more and more in content marketing. In fact, according to a report issued by the Content Marketing Institute (CMI), the most effective B2B marketers allocate 42 percent of their budget (up from 37 percent in 2015) to content marketing, whereas the least effective allocate 15 percent.

According to the CMI, “Content marketing is a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience — and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.”

At the core of this strategy is the assumption that when businesses deliver valuable, compelling information to buyers, they will a) view the business as an expert in the industry, and b) reward the business with increased loyalty.

While examples of content marketing can range from blogs and microsites to podcasts and contributed articles, the key to a successful content marketing campaign is compelling content. According to a recent report, however, 60 percent of marketers say that they struggle to develop engaging content on a regular cadence.

The Key to Compelling Content?  Write for Your Audience

And with the rise of publications hungry for contributed content (Forbes now has over 1,000 contributors), developing compelling B2B marketing collateral will become only more critical to a brand’s success.

The key to creating compelling content is to know what your audience cares about, offer a fresh perspective and align the content with your brand voice. A brand that’s mastering content marketing is Simple Finance, a modern, branchless bank that appeals to millennials. The company’s blog offers a wealth of content that’s compelling, timely and, most importantly, significant for its key audience. From articles on how to save for a baby to how to budget for a road trip, the company’s blog rivals a quality editorial site. (See “The Rise of Contributed Content: 5 Tips to Make Yours Sing” and “Considerations to Stay Competitive in Creative Content Marketing” for more tips on creating great content.)

And Simple is just one company that’s nailing content marketing. As companies continue to leverage both blogs and editorial publications to share their content, the lines between marketing and PR become increasingly blurred.

Marketing and PR Should Work in Concert

While content marketing may appear to fall squarely in a seasoned marketer’s camp, PR professionals have deep experience with content marketing. From developing thought-leadership bylines to crafting social media content, content marketing is central to a PR pro’s expertise.

Unfortunately, PR and marketing teams have typically operated in remote isolation, but the rise of content marketing calls for working together to achieve the same goals.

With the majority of marketers struggling to produce compelling content, it will be increasingly important for PR professionals to actively engage in marketing discussions and leverage their expertise in editorial content for content marketing.

At Communiqué PR, we’re passionate about content creation and welcome the opportunity to snap into marketing teams to assist with their content marketing initiatives.