Content marketing is a powerful sales strategy for business-to-business organisations; on the face of it it can seem like it should be a simple thing to do to generate leads, up your SEO and demonstrate your expertise. All you need is a few ad-hoc blogs, a smattering of case studies and maybe a lead magnet, don't you? Hmmm, well maybe there's a little more to it than that which is often why B2B content marketing just isn't reaping the rewards that it should.
In this blog, we explore some of the common marketing mistakes that can sabotage your content marketing so you can create better business content that reaps results.
1. Know Your Customer (Inside-Out) Before You Write the Content Marketing Strategy
Who is your customer and what do they really need (and are reassured by)? It seems like the simplest of questions, doesn't it? Of course you know who your customer is, but do you? Inside-out? And if you do, are you talking to them in their language? How would you describe your benefit to them in one sentence?
Key to your content marketing strategy will be the questions your prospective client will want to answer and the pain points they will want to solve so that you can move them down the funnel from Awareness through to Discovery and Conversion to the final sale. You need content that will attract their attention, what will help them compare your services to others and thirdly help them choose you.
Emotions and Values Help Create Influential Business Content
Emotion and values that are often the tipping point influencers for a sale or engagement. In a crowded market, it's no longer simply about a technical sale. Prospects (let's call them humans) engage with you more deeply if they perceive you have shared values and emotionally that makes them feel good. In other words, these are subconscious elements affecting whether they want to follow what you say, engage with you and buy from you. It's far more than pounds and pence. When you plan your content and your marketing messaging, it is therefore important to factor in the values that are important to your client (an easy example is the environment) and make sure they are included in your plan.
Your Business Content Strategy Can Achieve More than Just Clicks
Here's the truth, you can't control social media or algorithm updates that change search parameters or how the costs or competition will change on PPC. What you can control is your own engaged community and this is what content marketing experts are talking about in 2022.
Content shouldn't just be a tactic, it can be your strategy for nurturing, retaining and engaging new prospects and existing clients. By creating content that people want to follow, you can start creating your own community that draws your 'fans' in, bypassing the noise on search engines, making you the first stop for the latest and most relevant news, products and services. A great example of this in the cyber security community is Rela8 Group's Technology Leaders Club. If you are an SME with a small marketing team, you may not have the time resources to achieve everything they have, but this is a great example to show you how it can work. The TLC is well-respected and has forged deep relationships with senior level cyber security professionals all around the world who are typically hard to reach and sales and marketing-shy.
2. Write a Content Marketing Strategy (pretty please)
I get it, you're busy. I've been a marketing leader for B2B SMEs and I empathise. I also understand the drive to get marketing campaigns out there, often under pressure to show results for target-laden sales teams.
88% of B2B marketers use content marketing tactics but only 32% had a documented marketing strategy. The Content Marketing Institute
Your content marketing strategy might be a sub-division of your overall strategy but it's no less important. It will include your messaging, your target markets and audiences and will help you design the tactics for a plan of attack based on priorities for the business. It also provides you with a benchmark to compare your results to and to take mitigative action if required. What's more, plans are great because they save you time. You won't get to the beginning of each month or quarter wondering what you need to do next and the business can see the intended journey and objectives. Without your strategy you'll be like a windsock with no pole. I need say no more, other than... don't put it in a 'virtual' drawer and forget about it. Keep it to hand, review it and update it on a quarterly basis (and a monthly review of stats) so that you can keep up with the ebbs and flows of your sector. Your strategy should be an active (not historical) document.
3. You Haven't Mapped The Sales Funnel
Content marketing can be exciting (OK, OK, I'm a geek) but it can. You have the next great idea or you've seen a piece of marketing that's inspired you to create something even better than before... but how is it going to improve your sales funnel? Each piece of content should have a role. This could also save you time in a lean team because a lot of people get stuck replicating content assets which all do the same job. Decide which assets need to be created for each part of the sales funnel. This will also make it easier to map your lead funnel later, rather than just grabbing any random piece of content to fill it (purpose, remember!). Stats show that most marketers just focus on the Attraction part of the sales funnel and far fewer pay attention to the needs lower down the funnel. I know you have a sales team but ask yourself what other messages, social proof, collateral and tools are needed to support that all-important sale?
Mapping the Lead Funnel is Vital
When you map the lead and sales funnel in any good CRM you'll gain important statistics about how your prospects are interacting with your content and strategy so that you can review and improve it.
Remember, it's not just about the automated emails you collect from lead magnets. Make sure that your blogs and other assets also drive traffic to your lead collection forms with automated and sales team follow-ups. What is common, is that the lead funnel doesn't mirror the sales funnel, so make sure that the sequence of emails and assets makes sense and work together.
B2B companies that blog generate 67% more leads than those who don't. (Optinmonster)
4. You Haven't Collaborated with the Sales Team
It is very common that there is a cravasse between sales and marketing; perhaps you've experienced this?
The link between sales and marketing in B2B organisations needs to be tight. Sales can provide gold dust information (such as those pain points we previously discussed). They'll also be able to tell you want the current themes and challenges are in the market. Let's not forget, they will love you forever if you can deliver Marketing Qualified Leads (MQL) that swiftly covert to Sales Qualified Leads (SQL) and revenue.
Expertise in lead nurturing results in a 50% increase in sales-ready leads, along with 33% decrease in cost. Weidert
Your sales team should also be able to give you information on what additional information their prospects need in the course of their discussions. In summary, closer ties with the Sales Team will help you create campaigns that really make a positive difference to the speed of the sales cycle and the ROI statistics on your marketing investment. Book regular review meetings with your sales team to make sure that tools and campaigns are working.
6. Your Data Isn't Up to Scratch
Only 56% of B2Bs companies check valid leads before passing them to sales. Marketing Sherpa
There is no point in sending campaigns out to bad data, apart from anything else, it will up your spam rate and harm your domain and deliverability. It might be that you're sending out to a recent list that has come in via a lead magnet or from your Linked In first connections. Great, however we all know that not everyone on that list will be your target customer, however well you're communicating your pain points. Some people are 'not right now', some were literally browsing, or looking for competitor info. The more qualified your list, the greater ROI you will get (and you want that to keep your marketing budget up!). The minimum that can be done is to make sure you qualify the contact when they download the lead magnet (e.g. an ebook). Are they are sole-trader or an enterprise? Split and segment the data accordingly and up your response rate. Alternatively, get an expert lead nurturer to hone your list for you and establish what's warm and identify the opportunities and potential revenue, one great example of this service for B2B in the UK is Pushbike B2B.
7. Whoops! Wot No Content Creation & Publishing Schedule?
It literally saves you time! You know what you're doing and when and you can get other 'stuff' done. Plus, a content publishing schedule helps you organise others such as your content writers, proofers, graphic designers or experts in the business from whom you need sign-off, quotes or information. Make it accessible across the business (easily done with Google Drive or OneDrive) and then your content collaborators will have no excuse other than to make sure they are keeping up with the publishing schedule. Less chasing, more content, less stress....and you can see where you can re-purpose or re-use content to save even more time.
8. Your Content Has No Purpose
All marketing content should have a purpose relating directly to your marketing strategy and your audience's needs. Full stop. It's that simple, why else would you put the energy in unless it's a vanity project? Your content is starting a conversation with your customers, so what do you want to discover, or to happen as a result of that conversation?
It's not about you...
It's easy to get excited about what YOU want to say, after all, your product or service is fantastic. Where many people inadvertently fall down a manhole cover is when they focus on what they want to tell - and not what their customer wants to hear (go back to point 1). If the content you create is all about you and not what your reader needs or is interested in, it's frankly the online version of someone who can't stop talking about themselves on a date. Do you want to see them again? Think of it like the 3 Step Model for Communication:
What do you want them to hear? Translates to...what do they need to know to make a decision about your product, services or business.
What do you want them to feel (emotions again)? Translates to what will make them feel (in their world) good/excited/safe/trusting? Remember, you are stepping into their shoes.
What do you want them to do? Ask for it! What's the next stage for your courtship? Is it a Call to Action or decision that takes them further down the funnel, or do you perhaps want to engage them over the longer term and create a community. Know your next step and ask for it. If you don't ask you won't get but again, like dating, you might have to ask more than once to get a 'yes'.
When it is about you...
You might have noticed more people posting personal content on Linked In. Some people get fed up about this but there is a strategy here. Those posts are about helping people in the virtual world get to know you and engage with you as a person and professional without it being a hard sell all the time. Let's face it, we like doing business with people we like and respect. If you choose this strategy, just don't go as far as Too Much Information! Good examples might include things like spending time out walking with your dog - because you've achieved your goals this month and it's great to have the extra time for you.
No cute kittens please...unless you are a cat charity!
9. You Don't Get a Content Writer to Write the Content...
What commonly happens in business is that a senior manager (with the knowledge) or a product expert is asked to create some content but this doesn't always work. Business writing is very different to proposal writing, there's a science behind it. Some people are lucky, they are gifted with the ability to write well. These people however, are more rare than most people think.
The reality is, while you might know your subject and you're excited about the opportunity to express your thoughts about it, you may not have developed the skills to communicate it well. Each type of business content writing from ad copy to blogs or proposals, all require different styles of writing to achieve their purpose.
It takes 10,000 hours to become an expert.
Malcolm Gladwell
Just like tennis or kick-ass guitar playing, it takes practice to make things look easy and to do it well. Save time and reach your goals by getting a copywriter to write your content for you. If not, at least allow them to proof and edit it so it meets your communication and SEO objectives effectively. Just as importantly, a second pair of eyes is more likely to pick up those pesky grammar and spelling typos. Remember, your piece of content might be their first introduction to you and your business, and first impressions last, you don't want to go into a first conversation with written equivalent of spaghetti sauce on your shirt.
10. All Your Content is Hiding Behind Fort Knox
Yes, you need to capture leads but resist the temptation of putting everything behind a form. One survey showed that 81% of people abandon online forms (The Manifest). Abandon. That means they were interested and started but something stopped them (more often than not, security concerns). Be careful of having too many 'Top of the Funnel' assets behind a form, you might kill off your chance to build awareness and consideration. Yes, we all need to gather leads but for example, having all your case studies behind a form could put you at a disadvantage. If people are comparing services, they can get other information elsewhere quicker, without having to give their crown jewels (email and phone) away before they are ready. You'll also lose a huge amount of SEO opportunities.
You can gate assets (you'll need to) but typically this will be information that is of higher value, a more in-depth information-set or limited by time or availability. The message is, get the balance right and...if you're going to gate the asset, make sure you send it to your prospect BEFORE you call them, or you have already broken a promise.
11. You Haven't Researched Your Keywords (or Hashtags)
OK, you know this. Keywords are vital for your distribution and reach. Enough said. Web page content needs keywords and social content goes wider when you use hashtags strategically. Try a great tool that you can add to your Chrome tool bar called Hashtags Analytics. This tool will enable you to find the best hashtags with current reach figures while you're righting your Linked In post.
12. You're Not Re-Purposing Content
Re-purposing content is a massive opportunity for a business or team of any size because it saves you time and resources. Re-purposing content is simply squeezing every ounce of value out of any content by communicating every ounce of value and then using that content over every channel which can be used time and time again. Some ideas include:
Blogs - use extracts and quotes for social media graphics to link to the blog. Is your blog a list of tips? Perhaps you can create a social media series of one post (graphic and text) for each tip.
Update older blogs with latest information, statistics and content
Pull similar content together into a handy (and useful e-book - it must be useful!)
Animated video graphic of key stats and findings.
Get an 'expert' colleague to record a quick piece to camera (an iphone will do) on the findings in your white paper or survey.
So there you have it, 12 common and usually inadvertent mistakes any B2B can make with their content marketing. The good news is, just small consistent changes in any of these areas (or ideally all) will help you gain a higher return from your content marketing.