I recently ran a poll on LinkedIn to find out what people think should be the top priority for generating leads in B2B companies in 2012. I shared the poll in various LinkedIn Groups that focus on B2B marketing and sales, where I’m a member. The poll attracted 172 votes, and the results were quite revealing. It also backs up my point about the close relationship between content marketing and lead generation.

Results in detail:

Improving content marketing strategy took nearly 40% of the vote. I was surprised by the amount of votes content received. However, the importance of content strategy to lead generation cannot be understated. Consider:

  • If you’re advertising or implementing direct mail; it’s the message that drives engagement.
  • Paid search for lead generation success relies on good content to attract clicks; and good content to convert clicks into web form conversions.
  • Your website’s content is the key to keeping website visitors on your site and persuading those visitors to engage.
  • Great downloadable content that solves business problems generates leads; that simple.
  • Great nurturing content that tells a compelling story with the goal to shorten sales cycles is the key to increased sales opportunities.
  • Great content is the fuel to social media messaging, sharing, and engagement.
  • The key to SEO results is content; the right keywords; the right meta descriptions, and the right keywords in your site.

In essence, great content marketing encompasses all of the other choices in the poll.

Marketing automation won’t function effectively without a clear lead nurturing strategy and a content plan. Search engine optimization focuses on content, especially content that speaks the buyer’s language. Keep in mind that with SEO, the focus is not on your actions, but on the queries your buyers use in search engines to discover your solutions. Optimizing your pipeline conversion rate—from landing pages to the follow-up sales process—works more effectively when content is consistently shared with your prospects. Social media engagement relies on content; your trust and credibility through social media channels are key to your social media success.

What do you think of the results above? Do you agree? What would you vote for and why?