Business-to-business (B2B) content marketing is a way for one business to reach and connect with other businesses in its target audience.
Direct sales are not the focus of content marketing. Instead, it’s all about the creation of relevant and informative content that attracts and engages prospects from other businesses or organisations and converts them into loyal customers.
Building trust, establishing brand authority and developing long-term relationships with these companies is vital. A good content marketing strategy will have already sowed a lot of seeds in their mind when it is time for them to make a purchase.
Why content marketing matters
Consistent, high-quality content which addresses the audience’s pain points has the benefit of establishing brands as knowledgeable industry leaders. In turn, this enhances brand credibility.
It is therefore vital to have an understanding of the businesses and decision-makers you are trying to reach. Identifying their specific needs, challenges and interests is the blueprint of the content’s creation.
Ways of presenting yourself
This can be done in many ways. For instance, thought leadership presents your company as experts in its field. Key people in your business are seen as the leading minds in the sector when relevant insight is attributed to them and shared.
Content marketing also helps lead generation become more efficient, as the content attracts prospects who are genuinely interested in the products which it talks about. It can guide enquiries, while nurture campaigns can take prospective customers through the B2B buying process.
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) involves tweaking content so it becomes more visible on the web. This boosts organic traffic to websites because search engines love content that is fresh and relevant, which then makes it easier for potential B2B customers to find your content online.
Content marketing rather than traditional marketing fosters customer loyalty. The consistent creation of content that is valuable to your audience keeps existing customers engaged with, and therefore loyal to, your brand.
Types of B2B content marketing
There are many different forms of content marketing, with each serving a specific purpose. These include:
- Blog posts, which are informative and engaging articles that address industry topics, challenges and trends
- Whitepapers and e-books, which are in-depth research reports and educational materials that position a brand as an industry authority
- Infographics, which are visual representations of data and other information which are easy to digest and share onwards
- Case studies, which highlight real-world examples of how a product or service has solved a specific problem
- Videos, which explain complex concepts or showcase a product in action
- Webinars or podcasts, which can be live or recorded presentations or discussions on industry topics which matter to your audience
Begin your B2B content marketing journey by getting in touch with us.
