98% of startups are writing content wrong.

Last year, we analyzed 103 funded B2B startups.

83 of those were doing some form of content marketing.

But only 2 startups were doing it successfully.

To better understand that success, we turned to the greatest minds in B2B growth.

Brian Halligan, CEO of Hubspot. The biggest advocate of content marketing in the world.

And Amit Bendov, CEO of Gong. The architect of the fastest growing sales engine in the world.

Hubspot generates over $1 billion in revenue. And Gong is valued at $7.5 billion.

Both companies were startups that used marketing to drive sales. 

And their CEOs are worth listening to for insight.

Startups aren't doing content marketing right.

Brian confirms what we have seen in our data. 

Good content marketing is incredibly rare.

"Very, very, very few people are doing content and inbound marketing right. It is very, very rare."

Brian Halligan, CEO of Hubspot

So how are startups writing content?

Blogs, case studies, whitepapers, videos, infographics, guides.

The problem lies not with the format. But with the process.

With what goes into producing content. 

And what is missing.

98% of the content we analyzed was created using this process.

1. Answer "Who are we writing this for?"
2. Answer "What topics could they be interested in?"
3. 3-4 hours of research. Using Google or internal know-how.
4. Write, review and publish. 

Content created this way might be interesting for your prospects.

But they wouldn't pay money for it.

It does not impact and inspire change.

How the best startups do it.

Effective content marketing is done with one goal in mind. 

To deliver so much value to the prospect, they want to pay money for it.

"We had a clear strategic message. Supported with content people would want to pay money for. Which we gave away for free."

Amit Bendov, CEO of Gong.io

You need to be smart to do this. 

You need a journalistic approach of the highest quality.

Think Washington Post. Not Buzzfeed.

That requires a sophisticated research and content strategy. 

And a team who knows exactly how to execute.

Otherwise, it's pointless.

In Brian's words, you are just one of the many "schmucks" out there.

"Content marketing is about the width of your brain. You need to be clever and smart and it takes time."

Brian Halligan, CEO of Hubspot

Content that no one else is writing. 

Great content is content that no one else is writing. 

It has the first mover advantage.

"We wanted our content to be like the first images from Hubble telescope. Or the first images of the sunk Titanic."

Amit Bendov, CEO of Gong.io

But it also delivers insight your buyer needs. 

It challenges the status quo and inspires change.

It educates your buyer. Impacts them in a meaningful way.

Makes them re-evaluate their beliefs and improve their ways.

"Polarisation works on the internet. And we did the inbound vs outbound really well. Educating this way made it much easier to sell."

Brian Halligan, CEO of Hubspot

Doing content this way is hard. 

Which is why only 1.9% of funded B2B startups have successful content.

Just like Hubspot and Gong, they are strategic.

They have incredibly smart and experienced marketers. 

And the highest quality standards. They aim for excellence in sales and marketing.

To replicate their success, you need to adopt their approach.

You need a marketing methodology optimised for excellence.

Only then will you create content that inspires change in your buyers.

And transforms your revenue.