Our content marketing experts have identified five levels of maturity – or landmarks – on the journey to building a data-driven and results-oriented operation.
Content strategy and planning is critical in determining where a content team falls on the Maturity Map. This aspect – the heavy lifting that goes into content before creation starts – is an important factor in setting up an operation for success.
Content creation and a team’s ability to execute their strategy across a variety of formats and channels is also heavily weighted in our Maturity Map. Understanding the creative resources available to you and the tools at your disposable will help us determine your landmark.
The value, or possible lack thereof, that the wider organization places in content marketing is important in identifying an operation’s impact and effectiveness. The sophistication in which the impact of content is measured is key in placing you on the Maturity Map.
Unplanned & Spontaneous
A reactive content marketing operation struggles to efficiently and effectively execute a strategy. As the name implies, reactive content marketers react to immediate needs, like one-off requests from the sales team or to play catch-up to a competitor’s content.
Speculative, Aspiring Editors
A proactive operation understands that content created in chaos inhibits its effectiveness to enhance the customer experience on the path to purchase. Although a strategy has been put in place, buy-in from the entire organization is still unattainable, and the value of content isn’t obvious because it’s a function that works in its own silo.
Established & Accountable
A correlative operation has found stability after having proved its value and purpose within an organization, while also spearheading cross-functional integration within the wider marketing team and other departments. Content marketing teams receive fewer and fewer internal ad hoc requests because they’re creating content that stakeholders can use to engage prospects and existing customers.
Versatile & Results-driven
Content operations that score a level four on the Content Marketing Maturity Map have successfully built a team that is generating assets tightly tied to tangible results, like revenue generation. New to level four is the ability to not only engage leads through the entire buyer journey of new business, but to help retain existing business with customer-focused content.
Personalized & Automated
The content marketing masters. A very small amount of organizations currently fit within this maturity. At this landmark, content marketing has a streamlined editorial process for all creation, strong reporting and proof of business impact. Content is not just a brand identifier at this level, it’s a competitive differentiator.
Take our quick quiz (5 minutes) to find out where your content marketing operation lands on the Maturity Map. Simply answer a handful of questions about your current strategy, and we’ll reveal your landmark as well as provide some helpful guidance on your content marketing journey
