Blogception: Why B2B tech Marketing is drowning in unoriginal content

We’re talking far too much, for far too little reason

In the world of B2B tech marketing, everyone’s constantly churning out content — articles, blog posts, white papers, you name it.

Let’s put the strategy of it all aside for one second, however. What I find weird about this mountain of content being created is that, when you look closely, very samey. Much of it feels like a rehash of different opinions already out there. 

And often, that’s because… it is. 

So why do marketers willingly contribute to this never-ending ‘blogception’ of recycled and upcycled posts?

Why blogception happens — and why it sucks

There are a few reasons we keep remaking the same content again and again. First, we all want to be seen and heard. Secondly, we want to be seen as thought leaders in our industry, and that creates the need to communicate the ‘right’ things. Then, there’s the fear of losing share of voice to competitors, which creates the pressure to constantly produce content. 

But mostly, blogception happens because it’s efficient. Rehashing content doesn’t require too much thought or time or money — because it’s based on what someone else has already said.

And so we keep writing articles based on what someone has already said, without offering our unique perspective. We write constant recaps of recaps of recaps, without adding any value to the conversation.

That’s a problem, when we all talk about the same things, it gets boring and repetitive. very fast. We feed into a never-ending echo chamber of clichés that drowns out real conversation. 

Not only is the ‘blogception’ approach boring and repetitive, it doesn’t help customers. In fact, it makes it harder for them to find the information they need. Instead of sifting through a sea of repetitive content, they should be able to find the valuable insights and unique perspectives that they need.

What you can do about it

We need to ask ourselves some tough questions when we’re creating content. Namely, do I have something to add here? Am I furthering the conversation, or just chipping in for the sake of it? What spokespeople can I use — or what research can I conduct — to add value to the conversation?

This isn’t to say that repurposing old content is always a bad thing. In fact, it can be immensely valuable when done in the right way. According to a study, a whopping 94% of marketers repurpose their content. And 42% of marketers say that updating and repurposing existing content has led to successful marketing campaigns. So I’m not criticising getting the biggest bang for your buck out of one existing asset — adapting the same key message to different media is a great thing to do, and we should continue to do it.

What’s not a good idea, however, is trying to make something ‘new’ based on something old, without any additional input, updated information, or strong opinions. We need to bring big, bold creative ideas to the table. We need to offer unique perspectives and insights that can’t be found anywhere else by going out there and interviewing real people. And we need to be the ones driving the conversation, not just adding to the noise.

So take a moment if you will to step back and evaluate the content you’re creating. Are you just talking for the sake of talking, or are you adding value to the conversation? Are you yourself drowning out real conversation with repetitive content? 

It’s time to prioritise quality over quantity and strive for originality and authenticity in our content. Only then can we truly make a meaningful impact in the industries we work in.