Creating impactful marketing content that sellers actually use is one of the biggest challenges we face as marketers. I see it all the time: marketing teams invest hours researching, writing, and designing thoughtful materials, only for those resources to sit untouched. It’s frustrating — but it’s the reality for too many marketing teams. 

The stats back up these experiences. Up to 65% of marketing content goes unused, often because it’s hard to find, misaligned with seller needs, or created without the insights needed to make it relevant. And it’s not just a waste of effort — it’s a missed opportunity. It slows deals down, leaves gaps in buyer conversations, and ultimately holds us back from hitting bigger revenue goals.

So, how do we fix it? It’s about rethinking how we approach content. Marketing teams must bring together the art of marketing — compelling storytelling, sleek design, fresh ideas — with the science of AI to create something truly impactful.

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Why marketing content misses the mark

One of the biggest challenges I see is that marketers often operate without clear insights into what will resonate with their prospects and customers. Only 25% of marketers use data to inform every strategic decision they make. That’s a staggering minority. Without those insights, we’re guessing — and guesswork rarely delivers results.

If you don’t know which content is landing with buyers, how can you feel confident in what you’re creating?

Marketing content is hard to find — and even harder to use

Then even when marketers do create content that should hit the mark, it doesn’t always get used. Sellers often can’t find what they need when they need it, or the materials don’t align with the specific buyer conversations they’re having. 

And when sellers are left to search for the right materials, they waste valuable time — time that could be spent actually selling and closing more deals.

Using AI to create marketing content that gets used

AI takes the guesswork out of marketing content creation and helps us make smarter, data-backed decisions. With tools like Showpad’s AI-powered insights, marketing teams can finally see what’s driving real engagement and adjust on the fly: topics, audience focus, formats. 

This means we can identify which materials are performing well, spot gaps, and quickly adapt strategies to meet the needs of both sellers and buyers.

When sellers have access to relevant, tailored materials, they use them with confidence — leading to stronger buyer engagement and more closed deals. That’s what makes AI such a powerful tool. It ensures the effort we put into creating content actually delivers results.

Greater usage and more time saved with AI content management

But AI isn’t just about making better marketing content; it’s about giving teams the time to focus on what really matters. One of the biggest challenges I hear from fellow marketing leaders is how much time gets wasted answering seller requests to re-share assets or tweaking materials to meet specific needs. Those hours add up fast.

With Showpad, that time-suck goes away. AI-powered content management and search functionality simplifies sharing and enhances discoverability, ensuring materials are found and used by sellers, exactly when they need it. And when content is easy to discover, it’s used three times more often, ensuring the effort my team puts into creation is worthwhile. 

Even better, smarter content management saves marketing teams over 400 hours a year. That’s busywork time that can be reinvested in big-picture strategic planning and creative ideation — the work that actually moves the needle. 

Aligning art and science for measurable wins

At its core, marketing is about storytelling. But storytelling alone isn’t enough if it doesn’t reach the right audience at the right time.

With AI-powered analytics and content management, my team and yours can ensure they're not just creating more content but creating the right content — timely, critical, focused— that sellers can use to engage buyers and move deals forward. 

That’s the power of uniting the art of marketing with the science of AI.

Further fuel your marketing strategy with real-time insights from Showpad.