How to: Use content for B2B marketing
Specialty business publications blanket your coffee tables; a signal to your prospects you are up-to-date and savvy in your industry. This comes as no surprise to anyone operating in the B2B space. According to the Center for Media Research, business decision makers get their information first online and, second from specialized business publications. Other sources include tradeshows, conventions, seminars, direct salespeople, direct mail and business directories, respectively.
With all of these options to consider, not including traditional advertising and search, how do you showcase your expertise and engage with your prospects? The answer: content marketing.
The Content Marketing Institute defines the discipline as a “technique of creating and distributing relevant and valuable content to attract, acquire, and engage a clearly defined and understood target audience — with the objective of driving profitable customer action.” Examples of content marketing include: articles, social media, blogs, print and electronic newsletters, white papers, case studies, speaking engagements and videos, all of which should contain meaningful information and add value.
Nine of 10 companies already publish content, and B2B marketers spend over 25% of their budget on content. With heightened competition to reach and provide a value-add for potential clients, the use of content marketing is sure to increase.
Placing a client case study in a leading industry publication (print and online) can appeal to a prospect in many ways; they already trust the outlet, so believe the testimony that your product or service succeeds with other companies, and they can save information for future reference. Content can legitimize your company over your competitors, support your sales efforts and validate your company's key differentiators – basically, improving your company's visibility, reputation and street credibility. And, once content is earned, placed or created, it can be repurposed for cross channel utilization and audience engagement.
How to deliver content
Begin with the end in mind. Content for the sake of content will sit online, in print or on a shelf, and serve no purpose.
- Identify your audiences: Who are your customers? Do you offer a product or service that is typically procured by human resource executives, or within a particular industry, such as financial services, energy, or telecommunications?
- Inventory existing content: This exercise can be pleasantly surprising. There are undoubtedly many email campaigns, newsletters, how-to guides, opinion pieces, and even research projects that were conducted for specific purposes but which have wider applicability and can be cross-promoted from a speaking engagement to a blog post, or vice versa.
- Identify 'do-able' strategies: Don't bite off more than you can chew, or you'll find yourself in your cubicle all day, tracking changes and fixing grammar. Create basic goals and give yourself a reasonable repurposing quota for each quarter.
- Develop an editorial calendar: What are upcoming speaking engagements, email campaigns, and/or industry-specific dates and deadlines? Publish content deliberately to capitalize upon lucrative and strategic opportunities.
- Repurpose brutally: Make efficient use of your resources. View each blog post as a potential speaking opportunity and each client update as a social media post. Create a matrix — list all assets across the top and all content opportunities down the side — and go through the list with each asset. Constantly ask yourself, is this blog-worthy? Would this make a good speech? Would my Twitter followers care about this?
- Share, share, share: Make sure that your email subscribers, website visitors, followers and fans know when you have published content. The key to success in content is accessibility. Optimize the display and functionality of your content so it is easy to read and share on the go. Encourage forwarding, sharing and liking — and focus on building your lists and allies from existing subscriber referrals.
- Evaluate: Constantly assess whether you are meeting your goals. Is your reputation growing? Is your target audience engaged? Frequently evaluate your tactics and strategies to ensure that you make the best use of your time and company's resources.
- Refresh. Don't get stale: Your customers will stay engaged as long as your content remains interesting and valuable.
Veteran content marketers figured out the best tips and tricks to grow their base of allies and increase lead generation:
- Keep content short and fact based: Drive folks back to social media outlets and your website.
- Use effective calls to action: Provide opportunities for your sales team to engage with the reader.
- Take note of most read and most shared: Consistently evaluate what value your content is offering to your most important audiences.
Linda Varrell is the founder and principal of Broadreach Public Relations, a Portland-based communications firm with a particular expertise in the B2B space. Visit her online at broadreachpr.com, via LinkedIn or @BRPRPrez.
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