You're facing conflicting feedback from stakeholders on B2B content. How do you decide what changes to make?

Understanding feedback is essential, but it's not just about categorizing or prioritizing it. Dive deeper into the intent behind each piece of feedback. Often, conflicting feedback stems from different stakeholders viewing the content through the lens of their unique objectives. Instead of seeing these as contradictions, view them as opportunities to create a more nuanced and multifaceted piece. For example, feedback from sales might push for more persuasive content, while product teams might emphasize accuracy. Integrating these perspectives can result in content that is both compelling and credible.

Face à des retours contradictoires, l'analyse est clé. Catégorisez les feedbacks : factuel, tonalité, branding, stratégie. Priorisez les corrections essentielles pour l'exactitude et la cohérence de marque. Utilisez une matrice de décision pour évaluer l'impact potentiel de chaque modification. Impliquez les parties prenantes dans la prise de décision finale. Communiquez clairement les choix et les raisons sous-jacentes. Cette démarche garantit des ajustements efficaces et alignés avec les objectifs.

Categorize feedback to see what’s crucial and what’s just noise. Prioritize changes that keep your content accurate and on-brand.

Consider the source and context of each piece of feedback. Stakeholders with direct involvement or expertise in the subject matter or target audience should be prioritized, as their insights are more likely to align with your content’s goals and impact. Weigh their input against the established objectives of your B2B content strategy. If feedback suggests significant strategic or alignment issues, it may warrant broader changes. For more subjective or less critical feedback, find a balance that maintains the integrity of your content while addressing valid concerns. This approach ensures you address essential issues effectively while maintaining a clear, focused content strategy.

When faced with conflicting feedback from stakeholders, prioritise impact. Not all input is equal, so focus on what drives the most value for your audience and the business. Align feedback with your core objectives—does it support your content's goals? If yes, consider it; if not, it might not be worth the change. Use data to guide decisions: if the feedback is backed by analytics, it's more likely to be effective. Consider the source—give more weight to those with deep audience insight. Finally, communicate your choices clearly, emphasising that decisions are strategic, not arbitrary.

Rather than merely considering the immediate impact on KPIs, think strategically about the long-term implications of the feedback. Ask questions like: How will this change affect the perception of our brand? Will it resonate with our target audience in a way that drives sustained engagement? In some cases, feedback that doesn’t directly impact short-term metrics could be crucial for long-term brand positioning or customer loyalty. Understanding the broader impact ensures that the content not only performs well now but also contributes to long-term success.

Will a suggested change boost lead generation, engage customers better, or sharpen your value proposition? Align feedback with your KPIs. If it doesn’t help achieve your core goals, it might not be worth the effort.

The clarity of content goals is crucial, but it’s also important to recognize when goals might need to evolve. If multiple stakeholders offer conflicting feedback, it could indicate that the initial goals weren’t fully aligned with broader business objectives. This is an opportunity to reassess and refine those goals. For instance, if feedback reveals a gap between what the content is achieving and what it should achieve, it may be necessary to pivot. By being flexible and open to redefining goals, the content can be more effectively aligned with the dynamic needs of the business.

What’s the purpose of your content? Ensure feedback supports your content’s objectives. Is it about generating leads, building thought leadership, or educating customers?

Understanding the roles of stakeholders goes beyond recognizing their expertise. It’s about strategically balancing their input to create content that serves multiple purposes. In B2B marketing, content often needs to serve as a bridge between different departments—sales, product, customer service, etc. Instead of weighing one type of feedback more heavily based on expertise alone, consider how each piece of feedback can help unify these departments' objectives. The best content doesn’t just reflect the perspective of one stakeholder but harmonizes the input of all to create a cohesive narrative that drives overall business goals.

Consensus building isn’t just about facilitating discussions—it’s about being a leader who can guide the conversation toward a shared vision. This involves not just listening to stakeholders but also educating them on the content’s broader strategic goals. Often, stakeholders provide feedback based on their immediate needs or concerns. By aligning them with the long-term vision of the content, it’s possible to bring everyone on board and turn conflicting feedback into a unified strategy. Leadership in this context is about being the person who can see the big picture and articulate it in a way that resonates with everyone involved.

Let us discuss what we missed out on. 1. Check- if it aligns with the research done by the team on the targeted visitors/audience/consumers. 2. Does it stand out from the competition? Does it align with the SEO strategy? 3. We must seek out neutral feedback. 4. Does this fit into long-term content strategy and brand narrative? We must answer these questions.

Testing and iterating on content is vital, but it’s also about fostering a culture of continuous improvement within the team. This means not just relying on A/B testing but also encouraging team members to take ownership of the data-driven decision-making process. By creating an environment where experimentation is valued and where failure is seen as a learning opportunity, the team can develop content that is not only optimized for performance but also innovative and forward-thinking. The goal is to create a feedback loop where testing informs content development, and content development, in turn, becomes more strategic and insightful.