B2B marketing content is informational and straightforward than that of B2C since B2B audience relies on a logic-based purchase decision. Most marketers believe that ” Content is the King” since it amplifies the conversion process but the scenario is not so, “Customer is the king” and all marketing techniques should be directed towards them.
The B2B sales funnel is very similar to that of B2C but it has more tricky elements than a B2C funnel. B2B sales funnel generally concerns with customers becoming aware of the product, then consider whether to buy after evaluating on the offer, if convinced convert and then the final stage after conversion is customer retention/loyalty.
The Retention element or more appropriately called “Customer Loyalty” is less true in B2C since the transaction is usually a one-time process unlike in B2B there is always repurchase.
Let us now focus on a few tips on some content marketing for B2B organization relevant in today’s business operation.
Tip 1: Identify the part of the funnel which is needed to be worked on:
One of the basic problems that marketers face is that they often target the wrong part of the funnel, this happens mostly because of the fact in B2C usually the steps are consistent, awareness will lead to consideration followed by conversion and retention but it is not so in B2B. A customer can become aware of the product but may not go for buying. So the chief trick is to target each part of the funnel, identify which part works excellent and which part needs more focus that will open the path towards lead generation and customer retention.
Tip 2: Target mostly two stages of the funnel
Marketers mostly target the majority of the funnel but this is a failed trick because as discussed earlier B2B audience may not convert even after proper awareness and consideration. So instead of focusing on the whole, it is advisable to focus on not more than two stages at a time. While marketing, content marketers should try to focus on mostly two stages they feel that can amplify the entire process of lead generation and customer retention. The content should be directed mostly on what can change the audience’s minds when they are not convinced enough.
Tip 3: contents should focus mostly on the number of leads created than other classic metrics
The parameter on which marketers judge success in B2B is lead generation than other classic metrics like how many social shares? how many different networks crossed? how much visibility and raw traffic and engagement is there?
B2B is basically a leads-driven process and other metrics tends to less vital, so the content strategy should focus its needle on leads generation.
Tip 4: Target content to not only the buyer but other persons involved in decision making
B2C marketing mainly is focused on a single buyer so the content is mainly directed towards convincing that individual buyer. In B2B there is a chain and usually, the customer is not a single entity that needs to be focused in the corporate ecosystem. The content marketing directed towards the end buyer need not be the only person who makes the decision, so it is significant that it should convince every individual linked in the chain.
Tip 5: Focus mostly on re-targeting
The important strategy behind the conversion is re-targeting. Spending money in paid advertisements and re-marketing for amplification is a real deal in content marketing. In B2B, marketers not only focuses on the customer lifetime value(CLTV) but also the current cost of customer acquisition ( CAC ). The ratio between CAC and CLTV determines how much a marketer should go for remarketing if the lifetime value is higher than the cost of acquiring a new customer.
Tip 6: High Content Exposure for free
The main obstacle i.e; conversion can only be eradicated if the content exposure is more and it is free. Mostly the websites do not expose much content and the B2B audience needs to follow and fill up a series of forms to get more access, and this tends to make then ignorant towards the offer. The main mantra is that the content should be web-accessible and ” Go Mobile” too. If the customer finds the basic teaser right on the landing page, they are more likely to get converted.
Tip 7: Incorporate Storytelling
One of the key factors of a successful B2B content marketing campaign is the ability to connect with audiences. And good storytelling allows you to do it smoothly.
It enhances the selling aspect and simplifies the process as every business has a story to tell, this will be difficult to implement.
What is needed to remember is that even though B2B content marketing is focused on businesses, but people mainly make buying decisions
You are targeting key decision-makers in these. And you need to wow them and show the value of your offer.
B2B audience is exposed to a lot of marketing content with no personality. Connect with the prospects on an emotional level, captivate them with your stories, and see your conversion spike.
Here are, three key tips to infusing storytelling into your B2B content marketing plan:
- Get a holistic approach and understanding of your client’s business.
- Map out a clear and very distinct product/service journey for your customers.
- Strive to educate prospects and customers with informative and insightful content.
Tip 8: Content should be engaging
The content that is usually fed to the audience has such a focus on being straightforward that it forgets to be engaging. So no matter what style of content you are creating, it has to be engaging.
Because you can not expect people to extract value from your content and convert if they have fallen asleep reading it. The does not have to be Shakespeare to be engaging. The main narrative just has to have enough structural integrity to get people to the juicy, valuable bits to enjoy.
Content marketing is the backbone for any B2B organization trying to set its foot in the survival game. The web content of your business is the single most important predominant component in internet marketing strategy. Henceforth, playing by proper rules is a must when it comes to content marketing for generating leads.
PS: Contributed by Nexuses
