Unfortunately, B2B marketing has a reputation for being dry and boring. We all know that dry and boring is unacceptable in today’s world of social sharing and virality. In fact, engaging the customer with compelling content has become the essential path to getting a sale.
Sometimes, this quest for fun and shareable seems easier for the B2C marketer. B2B marketers, in contrast, are faced with the challenges of highly complex products, educated prospects, and extended sales cycles. To solve this problem, here are five ways to make seemingly boring B2B content sexy:
Whether your product is software or fencing, there are experts who love to talk about it, and they are the B2B marketer’s most valuable tool. Invite them to a roundtable to discuss ideas, or pass around a shared document. In return, you will gain invaluable ideas for quality content.
The notion that B2B customers don’t read blogs is outdated and wrong. They are researching their purchases just as thoroughly as B2C customers. Companies that create compelling digital content with this platform tend to have more success with building a community, which in turn will choose them when it is time to purchase.
Calling on experts and executing a customer listening campaign are excellent ways to find ideas for content. However, not just any idea will work. The best ideas are extendable and sustainable; they lend themselves easily to editorial marketing plans, and they can be broken up over time. This extended release engages customer comments and feedback that can be crucial to building sales.
Formulating a marketing plan that is engaging and shareable relies almost wholly on its alignment with customer need. Use social media and your sales force to determine your customers’ biggest problems, and develop your marketing content to answer them.
The most engaging marketing is planned and executed over time. It is sustainable and organized, and it offers a chance to tie strategy to the sales cycle. Use it to marry your company to its prospects by connecting marketing to industry-wide events.
With some organization and creativity, B2B marketing can be just as compelling as anything else. What strategies have worked for you?
(Photo credit by Hodgers)
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