Business-to-business (B2B) content marketing
uses many of the same principles as business-to-consumer (B2C) strategies but
with a few key differences. Honing in on these differences can ensure that your
B2B marketing strategies remain relevant and effective in our ever-evolving
business climate.
In fact, your B2B content marketing strategy
will include several “must have” components. Without them, your ability to
generate leads, convert those leads, and retain existing customers could suffer
greatly. With these “must haves,” you can increase your chances of success and
ensure that your content marketing campaigns follow all of the latest
recommended best practices.
So, to help you improve your B2B content
marketing strategy to be as effective as possible, here are the six “musts” you
need in place.
Have a Documented Content Strategy
There’s power in the simple act of writing
things down, yet so many B2B companies neglect to document their content
marketing strategy! In fact, in a recent survey shows [just 37% of all B2B companies said that they had a\\
documented content marketing strategy](https://contentmarketinginstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/2018-b2b-research-final.pdf "Link: https://contentmarketinginstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/2018-b2b-research-final.pdf")
at all.
Looking at just the B2B companies finding the
most success with content marketing, only 62% said they had a documented
content marketing strategy. This, despite the fact that they dedicated 40% of
their total marketing budget to content marketing on average.
The danger in not having a documented strategy
is that important details are left up in the air. You may not realize there is
a gap in how your content strategy is able to nurture late stage buyers to an
actual purchase. Or, you may fail to define your specific content marketing
goals, leading to campaigns that are poorly optimized.
Most worrisome, not having documentation
leaves critical parts of your content marketing campaigns open to
interpretation. A writer may create content with a completely different
audience in mind than your target personas, and without documentation there is
no way for them to know otherwise.
Every person involved in creating content
should have the same intent and abide by all of the necessary markers of
quality, so the content you create is consistent and up to your expectations.
Define your content goals. Outline your
expectations for each piece created. Ensure that your content marketing
campaigns account for your buyer personas during key stages in their journey.
Getting all of these things down in writing can help you have more precise
control over your results, while achieving quality more in line with your
expectations.
Conduct Original Research and Publish It
Your B2B company can survive by simply
regurgitating and repackaging information obtained by others, but it will face
stiff competition from those that publish their own research.
According to one survey, [half of B2B companies say that their original research\\
reports generate leads that have the highest conversion rates](http://www.convinceandconvert.com/content-marketing/b2b-content-marketing-musts/ "Link: http://www.convinceandconvert.com/content-marketing/b2b-content-marketing-musts/")
.
This makes them the most effective form of content, beating out video,
webinars, case studies, white papers, and social media content.
Conducting your own research can be tough, but
the efforts pay off. People will share and cite your information readily, as
long as it provides current information that answers an important business
question. Your research can also earn you a top spot on search engine results
if it covers an important topic, follows SEO guidelines, and earns shares from
websites with [high\\
domain authority](https://moz.com/learn/seo/domain-authority)
.
Aim for Content Downloads, Which Correlate to the Highest Customer Conversion Rates
B2B companies don’t just want engagement or
occasional readers. They want paying customers. Therefore, they should seek out
the content marketing methods most likely to earn them a customer conversion
out of their sales leads.
Surprisingly, content downloads had the
highest conversion rate according to the same survey cited above. 66% of
companies listed them as the asset with the best conversion rate. Webinars came
in second, which seems counterintuitive given how much of a time investment
registering and attending one can be. Equally surprising – demo requests came
in third.
Nevertheless, creating premium content and
requiring a download seems to be the most effective content marketing tactic
for generating qualified leads and converting them to completed sales. Consider
this as you determine which types of content are priorities and most deserving
of your time, money and effort.
Tap Subject Matter Experts and Industry Influencers to Gain More Traction
The right input from the right source can make
a huge difference in the perceived value B2B marketing content offers. By
crowdsourcing information, ideas, and quotable phrases from recognizable names
in your industry, you can amplify the authority your content projects while
making it more appealing.
One company revealed to _Forbes_
that onboarding influencers was a game changer for their
content marketing effectiveness. They switched from a focus of educating target
audiences to engaging them in discussions. The topics they covered had no right
answers, making them more interesting to explore and contribute to. Having
influencers submit their own input completed the package and helped the content
have broader appeal.
Using this strategy, the company was able to
earn [seven times the amount of impressions and 160% more\\
engagement](https://www.forbes.com/sites/joeescobedo/2017/11/29/10-insights-from-the-best-b2b-content-marketing-strategies-in-2017/#2bb089ca60a6)
compared to their average post before the
switch.
When seeking out influencers to contribute,
make the process of responding as simple as possible. Ask one direct,
easy-to-grasp question, and let them know exactly what the intended guidelines
are. If you can reduce the effort required to contribute to the project, you
can improve your response rate and get more people to contribute their valuable
input.
Don’t Neglect Video and Visuals
Visuals help “sell” content and make it into a
much more appealing package. When you have the resources, make sure to pull
important quotes and statistics from your content and repurpose them into
easy-to-read graphics.
These graphics will undoubtedly get more
visual attention and shares compared to text-only options. They also make for
impactful assets any time you want to promote your content on social media.
Don’t be surprised if many people seem to just read the photos and not really
dig into the article itself!
If you want even better engagement, video
content is where the industry is headed these days. [Four times as many people say they would prefer to watch\\
a video](https://www.socialmediatoday.com/social-business/50-social-media-video-marketing-stats-2017-infographic)
about a product or service compared to reading
about it.
Key decision makers in particular are busy and
enjoy having information compacted into a format that combines audio and visual
information. [75% of executives claim that they watch branded video\\
content related to their industry at least weekly](https://www.vidyard.com/wp-content/uploads/video-marketing-stats.jpg)
, and
65% say that they later visit the website of the brand that created the video.
Like graphics, video combines well with other
content and can also be a great way to repurpose it. Creating an executive
summary of a research report can encourage downloads, for instance, while
providing a more appealing and easily shareable format to earn more
impressions.
Remember B2B Content Marketing Is for Retention and Not Just New Leads
B2B content marketing is one of the most
effective methods at getting past customers to return to the buying cycle.
Unfortunately, many B2B companies neglect this fact and only create content
with new leads in mind. Remember that [it costs a fifth as much on average to convert past\\
customers into repeat buyers](https://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2017/32621/your-customers-second-purchase-is-the-most-important "Link: https://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2017/32621/your-customers-second-purchase-is-the-most-important")
compared to converting new
sales leads.
Offering content for those in the post-purchase
phase can enhance their buyer satisfaction while keeping your business
top-of-mind. Your content can also help turn them into brand evangelists by
giving them information they’d be excitedly willing to share with their
friends, colleagues, and social media followers.
Because of these benefits, make sure to
account for repeat buyers’ needs within your persona and your B2B content
strategy in general.
Ready to Start Selling More? Get Help Creating and Optimizing Your B2B Content Strategy
The path to success for B2B content marketing
is never easy nor obvious, and it must be customized to fit the unique needs of
your particular company and your target personas.
Get help forming a strategy that accounts for
all of the above “must haves,” while increasing your chances of meeting or even
exceeding your marketing goals. Contact us today to find out how!