The Art of B2B Content Marketing

Let’s face it, traditional, ‘broadcast-style’, B2B marketing is broken. Nobody cares about your brochures, ads, web banners or direct mailings any more (unless these old media pass a new kind of test). While vendors used to be seen as valuable sources of information, you’re now seen as just one of thousands of sources – and not a particularly reliable one at that.  It’s as if you’ve got a sizzling neon sign on your head that says, “Beware: Hidden Agenda”. The problem: we’re all buffeted by a firehose of information. By email, on the web, on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.  When that happens, humans tend to send all input through a filter called ‘What’s In It For Me?’ -- a filter with very small holes. Your challenge So the new challenge for B2B marketers is not just to deliver messages to target audiences.  It’s to get through the WIIFM filter – and to get people to ignore the sizzling neon sign. That’s where the most powerful weapon in the B2B arsenal comes in: thought leadership via content marketing.  We’ve read lots of definitions of these, but here’s how we think about them: Thought Leadership is exploiting your unique position in your markets to generate valuable insight and advice on issues your customers and prospects care most about. Content Marketing is turning your insight and advice into campaigns that change people’s minds and incite action. It’s all about playing to your strengths and adding value to the sales conversation from the very start. Done properly, content marketing will help you position your company as an expert; generate new leads; progress existing ones; build your database; raise awareness; and give a real boost to your search engine performance. It will also make you a better contributor to the social media communities you’re starting to engage with, making you a good social media citizen instead of a leech.  Finally, great content marketing gives your sales team a reason to engage with prospects instead of cold calling (which sucks). You’re an expert A lot of B2B marketers shy away from content marketing because they’re intimidated by the expertise of their target audience.  But if you think about it, you’ve got a lot to offer when it comes to advising and sharing insights. Any single prospect sees only one deployment; you see lots more.  They spend a bit of their time in your area of expertise’ you leave and breath this stuff.  They see their own problem in this moment in time; you’ve seen the whole market develop over time. In other words, you (and your in-house experts) aren’t just posing as experts – you are experts – and this expertise is your most important asset as a B2B marketer.  Don’t squander it. The principles of content marketing. Content marketing plays by different rules than traditional, ‘broadcast-style’ marketing, here are some of the key ones: It’s not about you. Put your own agenda aside and put your prospect’s agenda at the heart of your marketing.  They want to talk about their problems, their challenges and their opportunities. Not your products. Pick a single, high-priority issue. Content marketing is issues marketing.  Pick a topic that matters to your audience and stick to it.  One issue at a time is usually best. Find some clear water. Find an issue that hasn’t been beaten to death already by competitors, analysts and editors, then give it a novel spin to keep things fresh. Aim for an independent tone of voice. The reader knows you have an agenda but will respect you more if you can set it aside and speak as a neutral advisor. Support your story with data. A strong story is compelling.  A strong story supported by credible data is irresistible.  Do anything you have to do to get that data. Don’t argue your case, prove your case. Use your customers. Real users of your solutions have more credibility than you do.  Harness the enthusiasm of your best customers to tell your story.  But it’s still your story.  You frame the debate and structure the argument. Your users are witnesses. Consider third party credibility. Bringing in a recognised analyst or high-profile editor is a good way to add credibility and the appearance of independence.  But it’s not a magic bullet. You still have to do your homework. Pick a good title The best piece of content in the world is useless if it never gets consumed. Make your title punchy and benefit-driven. Share some negatives. There’s no better way to increase your credibility as an advisor than to admit some of the downsides of your approach.  This is never easy but ‘opening your kimono’ will surprise your audience, make you more believable and show how confident you are in your offer. Go forth and create. In my next BizNik article, I’ll talk about how you generate your next great piece of content, how to promote it (including all the new social media vectors) and how to measure success. But if you leave this short article with a single thought, I hope it’s this: content marketing is the most important thing you can do as a B2B marketer.  If you’re not good at it, it’s time to fix that.  And if you’re good at it already, it’s time to become great. 2009-06-24T17:00:36Z

2009-06-30T15:52:56Z

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the-art-of-b2b-content-marketing

2009-06-30T08:52:29Z

2009-06-30T15:52:56Z

Content Marketing is the most powerful weapon in the B2B marketing arsenal. Here's how to start deploying it.

The Art of B2B Content Marketing

2009-06-30T15:52:56Z