The stories are out there. The numbers say it all. From GE to HubSpot to Salesforce, the list of B2B companies that have disrupted the industry with their unique marketing continues to increase. And at the helm of this radical change lies the power of content marketing.
Content Marketing Can Make or Break a B2B Business
Among all the marketing strategies a B2B company can adopt, content marketing has the potential to be very effective and relevant to the target audience. Great content can do wonders to the seemingly boring and complex world of B2B Business. With great content marketing strategy, even the most sophisticated CXOs will hear what you want to say. Wondering how content marketing is so useful for a B2B business? Continue reading.
First Things First: Generate Leads & Drive Sales
Right from TOFU (Top of the Funnel) to MOFU (Middle of the Funnel) to BOFU (Bottom of the Funnel), the sales funnel of a B2B company can be monitored to create content very specific to the requirements of each stage.
If your TOFU is poor, it means the company is not receiving any decent attention from the industry and its clients. In these cases, usually traffic on your website will be alarmingly low. So to create more buzz, you can populate content on following mediums.
• Blog
• Social media updates
• Infographics
• Photographs
• Magazine
• Newsletter
• Audio podcast
• Videos
• Video podcast
• Microsite
If you are getting good attention (traffic) on your website, but not sufficient numbers of people are filling out the lead forms, it is a MOFU problem and to encounter that, you should publish content that helps in improving the key hooks to your leads. For example, your efforts should focus on creating:
• Educational Resources
• Any other useful Resource
• Software download
• Discounts
• Quiz or survey
• Webinar or events
At the last stage of the sales funnel, you’ve captured and converted these leads. You may already be doing business with them and if you are able to keep them interested in your product or company in the future, it is highly likely that they will go on to become your loyal clients or customers. Your content marketing resources in this case should be dedicated to:
• Demos/Free Trials
• Customer Story/Testimonials
• Comparisons
• Webinar/Event
• Tweet Chats
Your Products are not self-explanatory!
May be your company wants to sell a rugged tablet to the technology head of a manufacturing plant! How do you make it look uber-cool and yet position it as a must-have utility product? If you are a B2B marketer, you know the challenge when it comes to explaining your product in a way which sounds interesting and not just another run-of-the-mill ad! And since the stakes involved in the purchase are tremendously high, everything you say or show is followed carefully. With great content, you can weave a story that captures something bigger, larger and more impactful than just ‘a sturdy tablet for your business’ proposition. You get the drift, right?
Helps You Win Your Client’s Heart and Trust, Not Just the Business
As a B2B marketer, interacting with CEOs, CFOs, CMOs and similar CXOs is a regular affair for you. Since these senior professionals are the key decision makers in completing the purchase cycle, it is imperative to create content which adds value to their buying decision. If the content you create is useful and relevant to your client, it helps in building the strong pillars of trust, which are very important for a B2B company to succeed.
Be the Boss of the Industry, Theoretically and Practically!
Great minds think alike. And so does great businesses. Content marketing can be used as the biggest tool to establish a B2B company as the thought leader in the industry. When other brands and businesses will take a note of you, they will recognize your expertise and will love to do business with you.
Stand out from the Crowd. And the clutter.
Content marketing can be a big differentiator when it comes to separating the clutter from the rest. Instead of pushing too much information on your prospective clients and leads, send high quality content that is valuable to them. From webinars to podcasts, or videos to whitepapers, anything you create is an opportunity to shine and show your expertise in the domain. When other B2B companies are busy piling up too much content on different platforms, the ones that focus on quality content steal the show.
With the judicious mix of creativity, technology and a strong content team at your disposal, your B2B Business can create an everlasting impact. And the impact of doing great content marketing initiatives will of course start reflecting in your everyday ROI.
Hail content marketing!
Authored by RP Singh, Producer & Chairperson, Content Marketing Summit Asia