Why You Should Stop Mapping Content Formats to the Buyer’s Journey

Why You Should Stop Mapping Content Formats to the Buyer’s Journey:
I have had it with “research” about the content formats B2B buyers prefer at each stage of the buyers journey. Multiple B2B publishers are pedaling this misinformation and as B2B marketers struggle with content marketing, it is diverting their focus.

Here is one example from TechTarget:

eBooks are earlier than white papers which are earlier than virtual trade shows? Yeah, right. Instead of focusing on content formats by stage, marketers need to focus on the information that is needed at each stage in the buyers journey.
Information, not format, is the key:

• Information can be early stage, mid stage or late stage.
• The purpose of your content is to deliver information. The format is simply the packaging.
• The best format is the one that most effectively presents the information needed.

Once you have identified the information your audience needs, you can identify the most appropriate content formats for the information you are delivering.
Disagree? Keep reading…
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Keep going, you’re almost there…
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In Summary

Information should never be forced into an inappropriate format. When you dictate a 500 word format (this post), you get 500 words. Even if 225 words would be better.

Your Turn

The next time you see the buyers journey stage, instead of the information needed, drive content formats in your business or your client’s, please send them a link to this post and let me know in the comments below or with a note on Twitter (@wittlake) that you did.