Content marketing is key to any business-to-business (B2B) marketing plan and when considering content marketing tactics the first thing many people think of is blogging. Blogging and business storytelling are both vitally important as a cornerstone for your content and SEO marketing plan however there is also much you can achieve with other types of content and campaigns.
The main objective for your content marketing strategy is to build relationships and trust. To do that you need to share quality content that provides real value to your prospective buyer. But remember...it can be easy to get creative and try everything. Resist the temptation! Invest your marketing in a smaller number of tactics and campaigns that you can track and test in order to achieve a greater return-on-investment. Before you start, here are 10 important pointers for your content marketing planning.
#1 - Take a deep-dive into understanding your audience
Before you start, take the time to make sure you're clear about your audience's pain points, challenges, motivations and aspirations because growing your influence is more than demographics, behaviours, and preferences. As humans, emotions play a bigger part in our decision-making than we care to think, when something meets our needs, emotionally or practically, we take action. Use this information to help you create every piece of content.
#2 - Content marketing needs clear and measurable goals
Much like any sat-nav, you can't get anywhere with marketing unless you set your direction. Define specific, measurable objectives that support your business goals. You'll be looking for more than vanity metrics such as likes. Decide what defines a conversion for your business from initial lead to sale.
Set up your tracking to identify where your followers and leads come from, who converts, how quickly and for how much.
Content marketing tactics to consider... Quality e-books, quizzes, video & animations, infographics, how-to guides, blogs, whitepapers, case studies, social media content, User Generated Content (UGC), testimonials, customer reviews, content series, webinars, learning content, download tools, audio content, podcasts.
#3 - Create high quality, relevant and valuable content
Quality doesn't have to mean expensive (or tons of it), it could actually be quite simple. Buyers are jaded by content that has no depth (e.g. e-books with no relevant information and are just a pitch) and are canny about giving their valuable email details away. Therefore we all need to create content that delivers value, that makes people intrigued and want to engage. The reality is, buying cycles can be long (with budgets set once a year). Content is your opportunity to stay in a conversation with your buyer until they are at the point that they are ready to take their next steps.
Remember, relevant also means the stage of the buying cycle a person is at, e.g. are they researching solutions and learning more about it, or do they already have a solution and are looking for something better. Your sales and marketing funnel will have content that meets your buyers' and customers' needs at each stage of the buying cycle.
#4 - SEO Optimisation
Make sure every piece of content is optimised for SEO (search engine optimisation) and these days, that can also adding descriptions compatible with voice search. It's important to conduct keyword research and integrate relevant keywords naturally within your content. Make sure you've added meta descriptions, titles, and headers for higher search engine rankings. Many people skip this stage, however it's the important information that helps Google (or any other search engine) to understand your website, your offering and how relevant you are to a user search. Tip - A great source for keyword research is Answer The Public.
#5 - Use a consistent brand voice and messaging
Maintain consistency in your brand's voice and messaging across all content. Establishing a cohesive tone helps in building brand awareness, recognition and trust among your audience.
#6 - Storytelling is powerful for content marketing
Storytelling humanises your brand and grabs your audience's attention because it's relatable and emotional - and therefore memorable. People look for examples of how a product or service has helped someone like them.This is why case studies work because they help you share stories that resonate emotionally, illustrating how your products or services address real-world challenges.
#7 - Personalisation = connection & relevance
Tailor content to specific segments of your audience. Personalisation, whether through simple mail merges with their name or learning their preferences to send them targeted content, demonstrates that you understand individual needs, fostering stronger connections and relevance. In summary, 'Dear Mary', is always better than 'Dear Sir/Madam' and will have a higher response rate.
#8 - Add value with educational content
You can offer valuable insights and expertise through educational content such as thought leadership pieces, guides, and industry reports that establish your authority and credibility within your niche. Even better, if it's produced as a series, you have more of an opportunity to develop a relationship with your prospective buyer and to keep them coming back to you for more.
#9 - Interactive content for increased engagement
Build relationships with quizzes, polls, or interactive content. Interaction fosters a sense of involvement and connection increasing the understanding and context of your product and service, encouraging them to take action. An incredibly simple way to do this is to use a Linked In Poll.
#10 - Drill your data and analytics
Leverage analytics tools to track and improve content engagement and conversions. Metrics such as click-through rates, time spent on page, and social shares can be valuable indicators of what content types deliver on your objectives best. The simplest and cheapest tool is Google Analytics, make sure this is linked to your site. Google Console will also help you identify the keywords people are using to find your website and services.
Remember, a well-crafted (and successful) B2B content marketing plan, like any marketing, is an on-going process that needs regular monitoring, review and adjustment.
Got more questions? Talk to our experts to find out what tactics you can leverage for your marketing plan.