By Kim Zimmermann, Managing Editor, Demand Gen Report

Top B2B marketers are using improved analytic tools to get a better handle on how buyers are engaging with their content. That was one of the themes of the presentations at The New Rules of Marketing, a recent Marketo online event.

“Your customer engagement score is like your FICO credit score,” said Sanjay Dholakia, CMO of Marketo, during his opening remarks. “We are now able to apply science to content based on a number of factors, including open, click and conversion rates. It doesn’t take a lot of mental gymnastics to do this, as it has in the past.”

Measuring the ROI of content is complex due to the number of touches and influencers involved in each decision, Dholakia noted. There are typically seven touches needed to convert to a sale and five to 21 people involved in the buying process.

Dholakia said that marketers are moving toward segmenting customers based on behavior rather than demographics. “I get offers for Indian restaurants all of the time based on my name, but the funny thing is that I am a waste of an Indian palate because I was born without the gene to appreciate all of the Indian spices.”

Developing content that ensures durable relationships is another new rule of marketing, Dholakia explained. “It is no longer just about the point-in-time email blast. You want to share content during the early stages of the process so that when buyers go into active mode, they are predisposed to you and your company.”

Read how marketers can measure the impact of social as well as the use of content to engage advocates.