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Last Updated on August 2, 2023 by Nikhil
The verdict is in. Now more than ever, B2B content marketing success is critical. This means, of course, that thereโs more content out there than ever before and it can be hard to cut through the noise and get yourself heard. And if no one is listening, itโs also hard to sell your product or services.
Rather than just raising your voice to shout the same tired messages even louder, be strategic about your approach. Think both inside and outside the box, and youโll find that your messaging is more effective. Start with these five strategies for B2B content marketing success in 2023.
1. Show Donโt Tell
Show your audience members what you can do for them rather than tell them why they need your product or services. To do this well, you need to know what youโre selling. Start by evaluating your own product or service to understand it from an outsiderโs perspective.
Service providers may want to take special care to establish a culture and personality for their brand. Selling services is tricky, but it is easier if your target audience can relate to your brand on a human level. We find that B2B service providers often get mired in the nuts and bolts of what they do when it comes to marketing. The better strategy is to create a story around your brand and your mission โ something people can relate to. Use creativity to foster interest.
2. Get Creative
So much B2B marketing content out there can be a real snore. So while itโs true that different rules apply for B2B and B2C marketing, sometimes itโs beneficial to treat your B2B content like B2C content. Whether that means shaking up the medium or messaging, thereโs no reason to put your audience to sleep just to prove your product or services should be trusted for their quality and value.
One way you can add pizzaz to your marketing strategy is to utilize a few of the many forms of media and media platforms out there today. Here are a few ideas:
- Craft videos to feature on your social channels, your website, or your YouTube channel. If you donโt have the latter, make one! And then donโt forget to promote it.
- Be a guest on a podcast that speaks to your target audience โ or host your own!
- Use one of the cool content creation tools out there right now the whole purpose of which is to make content more engaging. Like this awesome, easy-to-use digital media tool we found called Giide. Click here to check out the Giide we made covering the very topic youโre reading about now: getting creative with B2B content marketing.
Of course, you can always boost your existing, more traditional content with infographics, quotes from subject matter experts, and even โ gasp! โ humor. Thatโs right, ladies and gentlemen, just because youโre a serious business person doesnโt mean you have to be serious all the time. So get those creative juices flowing and youโll craft engaging B2B content that will truly wow your audience.
3. Know Your Audience
If you want to โwowโ your audience, you have to know who they are. Do your research on your target audience to determine your ideal customer profile. That audience persona will help you figure out what your customers want and/or what problem they need to solve. And that will help determine how you pitch your product or services to them.
Your marketing strategy should be devised directly out of a complete understanding of your audience. If you can show your audience members how they win with your product or services, youโll turn audience members into loyal customers, and youโll be that much more likely toโฆ
4. Keep Your Audience!
Many B2B content marketers focus only on capturing new audience members, but studies show that over 77% of B2B customer revenue comes from current clients โ not new ones. So customer retention should be high on your list of priorities.
Of course, some content works for new and existing clientele: blog posts asserting your expertise on strategies for B2B content marketing success in 2023, for example. (Wink.) But if you want to focus on customer retention, youโll need a specific strategy. That may include making content integral to the onboarding process or even using it to set the stage for repeat sales (e.g. cross-selling and up-selling). Most importantly, look at how to leverage content for building brand loyalty.
5. Promote! Promote! Promote!
If a piece of content is created and no one is around the hear it, did it make a sound? You must be your own best advocate for the product or services you offer. Make sure all that brilliant creativity doesnโt go to waste, languishing unseen and unheard in the far reaches of a subpage on your website.
One of the easiest ways to ensure you stay on top of promoting your own content is to utilize a content calendar that links to your social channels. We particularly like the following top-rated options:
Theyโre all free to try, so play around and see which one you jive with the most. Then set yourself a monthly calendar and stick to it.
Now that youโre equipped with these five strategies sure to bring you B2B content marketing success in 2023, your messaging will no longer get lost in the noise. Go forth and create some stellar content! And then promote, promote, promote! Weโre all ears.