The conversion funnel is sometimes different between an “individual” customer and a “professional” customer. For this reason, it is necessary to adapt your marketing strategy and content when addressing a B2B target.
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Let's see together how to optimize your B2B content marketing strategy .
Content strategy: what are the differences in B2C and B2B?
It's a fact: a content strategy is not carried out in the same way towards a B2B target as towards a B2C target. While with the latter the objective is often to generate leads, with a professional target you must seek to strengthen their commitment to your brand.
If they buy the same product, remember that the reasons and motivations that push them to purchase are not the same. You must therefore adapt the content you create, but also their promotion.
How to conduct an effective B2B content strategy?
1. Make good use of storytelling
Just because you need to have a professional approach doesn't mean you need to impress your target with complicated vocabulary. Your content should be kept simple to understand, so avoid using jargon when it is not necessary, as it risks creating confusion.
You should keep in mind that B2B customers are often exposed to boring, personalityless content. To capture their attention, opt for storytelling. You must play on emotions by telling stories:
- Try to correlate the business of your B2B target with the products or services you sell. For example, you can tell your way of working or rely on existing customer cases.
- Tell the story of your product or company. Don't be afraid to share the problems you've had to overcome.
- Educate your target with guides or podcasts to help them stand out and develop their knowledge of the market in which they operate.
There are a thousand and one ways to use storytelling in your content strategy. If you are having difficulty, you can trust the skills of a professional writer .
2. Go beyond blogging
An effective B2B content marketing strategy requires a variety of content. So don’t just write simple blog posts.
Try other approaches little used by your competitors:
Besides infographics, newsletters and white papers, try making professional presentations, creating reports, podcasts or even print materials. The latter are used less and less; However, their impact is still as strong when done well.
Don't neglect the video, however. Whether it is the support of a customer testimonial , a tutorial, an advertisement or a simple presentation of your company, it is easy to share on social networks.
Webinars are also ideal in a B2B strategy. They allow you to:
- Send an expert image of your company;
- Generate leads likely to convert;
- Close sales more naturally;
- Create partnerships with other B2B companies.
3. Deliver personalized content
Companies that rely on blog articles to convert their B2B target have a lot of difficulty personalizing their communication. This will not be the case for you if you follow our previous advice.
With a variety of content at your disposal, you can deliver it at the right time and to the right people. Your content can be personalized according to:
- Your segmentation;
- You people;
- The stages of the conversion funnel .
This way, you will easily find the right content to broadcast and it will be more effective and persuasive. As for your B2B target, they will come back to you looking for new content.
Concerning distribution, share your content on platforms like LinkedIn , Twitter or even Instagram, without ignoring emailing of course. If a content strategy seems a priori as effective in B2B as in B2C, adjustments should be expected for professionals.
Blog posts are no longer enough: you need to stand out to show your expertise and keep your audience engaged with your brand. This requires logical and personalized promotion.
Remember to always monitor the results of your strategy in order to improve and don't be afraid to experiment.
12 content ideas for your B2B strategy
To help you find inspiration and constantly nourish your prospects with your expertise, here are 12 B2B content ideas to use now!
1. Customer case study
The publication of customer case studies allows companies to concretely position their expertise. This content format should not be perceived as disguised promotion .
It is therefore essential to rely on real customers and concrete actions that will speak to your prospects. To ensure that your target identifies with the case study, take the time to present:
- The company ;
- Its problem;
- Encrypted data at the time of contact;
- The solutions proposed;
- Each step of your intervention and the quantified results.
2. Interview client
To help your prospects in their purchasing decision, it is advisable to offer content relating to customer interviews.
Indeed, the latter facilitate name-dropping and have more of a recommendation value than a promotion. And prospects are fond of authentic feedback!
3. Market research
Market research immediately positions you as a reference in your field.
Indeed, being fully aware of the trends and developments inherent to your sector of activity demonstrates your dynamism, your flexibility and reassures you about your ability to adapt.
4. Interview d’experts
To prove their know-how, companies have every interest in presenting their employees. The first benefit of this B2B content lies in the humanization of your communication. Prospects can put names and faces to your services.
Furthermore, the interviews demonstrate the extent of the skills of internal employees. However, if a company's teams have great expertise, it is the complete picture of the company that reaps the benefits.
Finally, an exchange with a recognized professional allows companies to “evangelize” their prospects about the challenges of their profession. Which sometimes influences the purchasing decision!
5. Blog articles written by your collaborators
Proposing blog articles authored by your colleagues is an excellent showcase for your business.
Each of them can:
- Present your vision of your industry;
- Provide useful advice;
- Demonstrate analytical skills.
Similar to interviews, this content offers irrefutable proof of the expertise that reigns in your company.
6. Instructional video
Educational videos aim to meet several objectives. By offering educational content to your prospects, you increase your chances of seeing your engagement rate skyrocket while generating numerous leads. You also expand your audience among video enthusiasts.
Yes, not everyone likes reading great articles, studies or interviews!
7. Infographics
Infographics are intended to summarize information in a simple way. This may be :
- A list of tips;
- A quantitative study;
- A market analysis.
This visual is a great success with Internet users because it can be easily consulted and shared on social networks .
8. Tribune in the specialized press
The content you write may also be published elsewhere. You can express your opinion on a given subject, convey your point of view on your industry or analyze a current event in the press, on a blog, on a webzine, in a specialized magazine, etc.
The forum has a strong power of persuasion and proves to be a very relevant format for managing your e-reputation .
9. White Papers
The white paper allows a company to highlight its expertise through detailed content. Indeed, this multi-page document allows you to treat a specific theme in an educational and comprehensive manner.
White papers allow you to demonstrate your know-how and knowledge in your sector of activity in order to convince the prospect to use your services.
10. Slideshare
Essential in the B2B sphere a few years ago, slideshares generally offer educational content. Even if it is no longer at the top of B2B content, you should not neglect it in your strategy. Like a PowerPoint presentation, this format allows you to distribute, analyze and expand information in several slides for better understanding.
11. Guide for beginners
Part of your audience may not necessarily be experienced in a specific area in which you are professional. Don't be ignorant about them. Take advantage of this to create content specifically dedicated to these beginners .
Even if your audience is necessarily competent in a field, dedicate time to researching the basics of this topic. You can be sure that your guide will be consulted!
12. Trends
The passage of time, news and the advancement of technology mean that new trends continue to emerge. Take advantage of this to create dedicated content such as: Social Media: the 16 trends to follow in 2023 . This type of content will be a new source of traffic!
Here are 6 things to know about B2B content marketing.
1) B2B content marketing is not yet mature
Content marketing is today a well-established strategy : in the United States, 87% of B2B companies use it.
However, content marketing still represents a relatively small portion of these companies' marketing budgets. In the vast majority of companies, content marketing represents less than a quarter of the budget allocated to marketing. This area is therefore expected to develop in the future and occupy an increasingly important place.
2) Content marketing allows you to gain prospects
Lead generation is one of the primary objectives of content marketing, and it works! In B2B, the content that generates the most leads includes blog articles, case studies and videos:
3) The key to success: a well-defined strategy and objectives
The success of your content marketing depends on many factors. But there is one essential prerequisite for success: you must know why you are creating content and what you are trying to accomplish .
In other words, you need to have a thoughtful content strategy that will allow you to achieve goals .
4) Credible, high-quality content is essential
75% of B2B buyers say they look for trustworthy content, regardless of where it comes from:
40% of them don't care about the source as long as the content is credible ; 29% even prefer content created by providers (and therefore impartial).
So, what can we do to be more credible?
- Use data and studies to support your point;
- Include analysis and opinions from thought leaders or influencers…
5) Different content for different roles
There are a multitude of formats to explore for content marketing: from social media posts to videos to infographics.
It is necessary to understand what the role of each content is and how to use them in a complementary way. To do this, there are no predefined rules: it's all a matter of experimentation.
However, B2B marketers consider the following content to be the most effective in converting prospects into customers:
- The articles ;
- White papers;
- Study reports;
- Webinars;
- Videos.
6) Reaching your audience is as important as creating content
What’s the point of publishing tons of content if no one reads it?
Focus as much on promoting your content as on creating it in order to capture a maximum audience for each of them. To do this, use the following channels, for example:
- L’emailing ;
- LinkedIn ;
- YouTube ;
- Twitter ;
- TikTok;
- Meta.
Our tip
By relying on these ideas, you will be able to offer expert content to manage your image, acquire leads and encourage conversion.
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