Does your business-to-business (B2B) content marketing program need some sprucing up? You’re not alone — thousands of businesses struggle to drive meaningful engagement and increase conversions through content marketing initiatives. There are a few variables that make B2B content marketing especially challenging including over-saturation in the marketplace, delivering and maintaining the highest standard of content, understanding target audiences, and more. Unfortunately, businesses with a lackluster content marketing program will likely get outpaced by their competitors. The good news? There are plenty of value-driven activities marketing managers can pursue to increase the effectiveness of their content.
In this article, we’ll give you all the tools, tips, and tricks needed to kickstart your B2B content marketing program. Use this article to guide your content marketing efforts, maximize reach, and create lifelong customers through high-value and engaging content.
Top 5 Tips to Crush B2B Content Marketing Like a Boss
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The first step towards building a high-powered content marketing program is to outline your business’s goals and objectives. Without a content marketing strategy in place, it’s difficult to prioritize tasks, utilize the correct marketing channel, craft the right messaging, and more. After you’ve built a top-tier content marketing strategy, follow these simple tips to continue to crush B2B content marketing like a boss:
- Stop selling, start helping
- Market like a human
- Be brave
- Resist perfection
- Answer customers’ questions
1. Stop Selling, Start Helping
There’s a temptation to make all of your marketing content about you — how great you are, why customers should pick you over the competition, what features or services you offer, and more. This is one of the biggest mistakes that B2B marketers make. Your content shouldn’t be about you. Instead, make sure that your content is helpful. For example, if you’re a software as a service (SaaS) provider, give your readers an overview of the most effective tools, tips to better utilize the software or the latest SaaS industry trends:
- Top X SaaS Tools in 2018
- X Tip to Become a SaaS Master
- X Trends SaaS Managers Need to Know
Teach readers something new! Avoiding the “sell” is a great way to build trust and credibility with your readers. Moreover, being helpful is a fantastic way to become an industry authority.
2. Market Like a Human
Too many businesses use industry jargon in their content marketing promotions. Many B2B content marketers fail to realize that behind each business is a team of real people. Cut the stuffiness and craft content that humans actually want to read. B2B content can be much more entertaining and engaging if you embrace the fact that you’re talking to real people — “businesses” aren’t reading your content, people are!
3. Be Brave
Don’t be afraid to make a stand. You won’t be able to please everyone with your content. If there’s something wrong in the industry, call it out and provide real solutions. Singing the same old tune is a quick way to bore your target audience. Be provocative, talk about new findings, and offer alternative viewpoints. This will keep your customers coming back for more every time!
4. Resist Perfection
Don’t be afraid to make a mistake. Businesses don’t talk about their flaws. Your customers can see right through you. You’re not perfect and your competitors aren’t either! Turn your business’s problems into positives. For example, Domino's knew that their pizza wasn’t great, talked about it in commercials, and worked hard to create a pizza that everyone could enjoy. The result? Their pizza is awesome, and they have a great story to tell. The lesson here is to be humble and make plenty of mistake on your road to B2B content marketing success!
5. Answer Customers’ Questions
Finally, craft content that addresses your customers questions and concerns. Building helpful walkthroughs or how-to’s is a simple and easy way to keep your customer informed. Don’t be afraid to talk about the things that they’re concerned about. In your content, you can control the framing of the issue. For example, if you’re a SaaS company, and your dashboard is difficult to navigate, show your readers exactly how to do it. This is a great way to provide immediate value to your customers.
Master B2B Content Marketing
With a killer content marketing strategy in place and a keen eye for all the latest tips and tools, B2B organizations can become content marketing powerhouses. Remember — success won't happen overnight. The best businesses commit to perseverance, learning, and routine iteration. You must absolutely set clear goals and objectives, define your target audiences, and build an exceptional editorial calendar. For any extra leg-up on all of this and more, check out Conquering the Inbound Marketing Mountain. In this guide, we'll share some insights around:
- Inbound marketing goal setting
- Defining and detailing personas
- Tips for building a team of inbound marketers
- Key components of your editorial calendar
As an Inbound Marketer at Lean Labs, Tyler concepts, implements, and manages strategic and growth-oriented marketing initiatives for industry-leading businesses and organizations. Tyler received a B.A. in English / Professional Writing from Kutztown University of Pennsylvania. Outside of Lean Labs, Tyler is an avid Philadelphia sports fan. Go Eagles!
