If your business sells to other businesses (what is known as B2B) then marketing can be challenging.
Often the target market is niche, so there is little point in running large-scale advertising campaigns as the message, however well-crafted, will be irrelevant to the majority of people that see it.
But running a highly targeted marketing campaign can be difficult too, as buyers may not attend the trade shows at which you exhibit or read the industry titles where you might advertise. And even if they do, this approach can be very expensive, as industry gatekeepers know very well the value of their attendees and readers.
Trying to reach industry prospects directly with a Google Ads campaign can be effective if you are in a well established category where potential customers actively search for what you do.
But this is not a strategy that will work if you have developed a new product category or offer an innovative service, as few will yet be looking for it.
This is where B2B content marketing can play an important role.
Content marketing is the creation and distribution of valuable content to inform and educate a clearly defined audience with the ultimate intention, naturally, of driving sales.
As a new study by the Content Marketing Institute observes many B2B brands are investing in content marketing as never before.
And the results, for many, have been a revelation.
Creating great content can be effective because it enables brands to position themselves as “thought leaders” – that is, experts in their domain. Undertaking research, producing case studies, creating video and infographics, and offering editorial insights can all add tremendous value.
It can build brand awareness and – that most important thing – trust.
Producing great content can help B2B brands to reveal the benefits of their offering without the off-putting hard sell. It can be an opportunity to showcase expertise and tell stories of what makes a product or service special.
But in an age when we are saturated with compelling and not-so compelling content, from social media to Netflix, it has to be good. It has to earn and retain the audience’s focus.
As the study notes, “The most successful marketers were more likely to prioritise the audience’s informational needs, differentiate their content from the competition, and craft content based on specific stages of the buyer’s journey.”
Or in other words, make something that rewards attention.
