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Last Updated on September 20, 2022 by admin
B2B decision-makers love content. In fact, they use it as a purchasing tool, with the average decision-making consuming 13 pieces of content before buying. In other words, your content speaks volumes and can impact a decision-maker’s purchase decision.
Even knowing this, many B2B fintechs produce content that isn’t unique or helpful. Even those that follow an editorial calendar but fail to address the needs of their audience will not see the desired results.
A successful content marketing strategy requires constant evaluation and improvement. While doing everything “right” can be a good start, you also want to be sure you’re not falling prey to top B2B fintech content marketing mistakes. We’ve outlined some of the major ones below.
Not Speaking to Humans
B2B content often gets a bad rap for being boring, for good reason. Most B2B content is boring. Something happens to creatives when they’re told they are writing for a B2B audience. They lose sight of the fact that they are still writing for humans, and the tone can become a little too professional.
No doubt, a level of professionalism is a positive thing. But it’s also important to remember that your audience is still human and still experiences human emotions. It’s critical to not let writing get bogged down in jargon and technical terms. Of course, those things can be used where appropriate, but content needs to be breathable to make an impact. Too much data and jargon can suffocate content.
Address your target audience’s pain points in relatable ways. Remember that humor can be your friend and that stories make the best points. Show, don’t tell. There is a fine balance to strike between being professional and being grounded. Your brand should have a tone and voice that people can connect with.
Being Stingy with Content
Content should be helpful, valuable, and… free. While many businesses are hesitant to give away the “secret sauce,” it may actually be the thing that helps you sell more. Your audience likely needs to be educated to some degree and producing helpful, educational content can help you generate leads.
Forrester reports that buyers may be through 70%-90% of the B2B buyer journey before they reach out to you. Buyers are researching on their own – and they’re paying attention to which organizations are sating their informational hunger.
Educational content offered for free (in exchange for a name and email address) can move you ahead of the competition. Offering content that your competitors charge for is even better. Case studies, reports, and white papers can go a long way in being helpful to your audience and positioning yourself as an authority. People tend to remember this and look to you when they’re ready to buy.
Sacrificing Quality
Creating quality content is key. It’s easy to look for quantity over quality and commit to producing X number of content pieces each week or month. However, your audience will quickly notice if you are not rising to the expected standards of content in your industry – or if the content is irrelevant.
One of the biggest B2B fintech content marketing mistakes is partnering with copywriters or agencies that do not understand the industry. There is an endless pool of copywriters out there, but finding a good B2B copywriter can be tough. Finding a good B2B copywriter that understands fintech? Well, that’s a downright problem for many.
Look for content partners that have experience writing and producing content for fintech. Seek out partners with samples writing for the industry or who have testimonials from former or current clients in fintech.
Don’t settle for low-quality content just because it’s cheaper. You absolutely get what you pay for, and unfortunately, your target audience does too. Make sure you’re serving your audience by working with partners who understand fintech inside and out – and who have the writing chops to produce great content around it.
Not Reevaluating Content
Another big B2B fintech content marketing mistake is attempting to make content “set it and forget it.” Content marketing is a living, breathing operation. That means it requires upkeep and maintenance to function well.
Conduct periodic (say, quarterly) assessments of your content. Analyze metrics and KPIs. See how different channels are performing. Conduct surveys to see if content is resonating with people. Conduct a content inventory to identify gaps. Check-in with your agency to see how things could run more smoothly.
Chances are you will run into some hiccups. That’s ok. An assessment is a time to identify those wrinkles and create plans to smooth them out. Reevaluate your current content strategy and production calendar against your goals. Ensure your content partners are performing up to standards. See where you can improve and make a plan to do it.
Next Steps
Avoiding B2B fintech content marketing mistakes can be the difference between a mediocre content program and a great one. Whether you’re a large fintech or a startup, keeping an eye out for the mishaps above is a great way to keep your content marketing functioning like a well-oiled machine.
For more information about how we can help you avoid B2B fintech content marketing mistakes and optimize your program from start to finish, download the FREE Fintech Content Marketing Playbook today!
