Three B2B Content Marketing Fundamentals to Get Right to Stand Out from Competitors

Content marketing is a top priority for 53% of B2B marketers as it builds awareness, generates leads, fosters trust and connects with audiences. At the core of every marketing campaign or initiative that your organization facilitates is content, so it is important to understand the fundamentals to drive overall success. We dive into the B2B content marketing fundamentals and offer a few best practices to set the content your organization creates apart from the competition and makes an impact.

Why is B2B Content Marketing Important?

B2B content marketing is a marketing approach that focuses on creating and distributing valuable, targeted and consistent content for your buyer personas and general audience. Not only does content marketing cost less than traditional marketing, but it also generates almost three times as many leads. Like any business, generating awareness for your product or service and turning those into leads is a top priority and effective B2B content marketing can help make that happen. While many components make up a content marketing strategy and plan, we highlight three of the most essential elements to get your content to reach the right audiences at the right time.

Content Ideation and Brainstorming

Content marketing begins with knowing what content to create. This is the foundation for your marketing campaign or activities. So, how do you know what topics to cover? Or what to talk about with audiences? With the goals in mind of generating awareness and leads, it is important to carefully consider all options. These questions can help you find the answers about what content to create.

1. Who is my audience and who are my buyer personas?
2. What are some of my ideal audience pain points and needs?
3. What type of content do they like to consume?
4. What topics would they find most relevant and useful?

This is not an exhaustive list of questions to ask in the content ideation process, but these can help set you up for a focused brainstorming session. Think of as many ideas as possible. You can always go back through your list and remove topics or thoughts that don’t fit your plan, or save them for a later date. Remember, you want to create engaging and useful content for your audience.

Content Creation Process

Now that you are equipped with a solid list of content ideas, it is time to start creating your content. While the content creation process might seem straightforward, it is important to understand it before starting to create. It may vary from person to person, but the three steps below can serve as a guide for content creation efforts.

1. Research. On some occasions, depending on the topic, ideas need to be developed further than what they are currently at. Conducting additional research to back claims by data and form a coherent narrative on the topic makes the content more valuable and reliable. Doing research can also help form a better outline of the blog, article, eBook or other piece of content that is being created. By understanding what information is out there, you can also ensure to include a unique perspective or special tips while also providing necessary information for audiences.
2. Format. Some information that you may want to convey can be best presented in certain formats. For example, a topic around “Tips for Better Email Marketing Performance” might be best suited as a blog and maybe even an infographic rather than an eBook or longer article. A topic that is evergreen could be better served as an eBook or article. Consider what topics fit what content format best. It might be different for everyone, but your audience should be top of mind at all times. Understand what content formats resonate most with them and plan your B2B content marketing tactics accordingly.
3. Get Creative. Adding a unique spin on content and getting creative can help your content stand out. With the constant flood of content on various digital platforms, it can be hard to do this, but thinking of out-of-the-box ideas can give a step up on the competition. Don’t be afraid to also focus on the basics. Sometimes, a refresh on common topics or strategies can be exactly what audiences need.

Content Promotion on Digital Channels

Now that content is created, it is time to promote it. There are numerous channels where content can be shared, such as your website, on social media and in emails. Promoting content on as many relevant channels and platforms as possible can increase the reach it has. The more people reached, the more awareness that your content, and brand, can gain. But, it is important to also consider what platforms make the most sense to use. Again, this comes down to your ideal target audience and their behaviors. For example, what are the most popular platforms your audience uses? Is it LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter or something else? While the more the merrier, it can be a waste of resources to use platforms that your audience does not use.

B2B content marketing is a staple for B2B marketing and continues to deliver key results for companies in all industries. Becoming an expert on content marketing fundamentals including content ideation, creation and promotion, will guide you on the path to business success and beyond.

Looking for B2B content marketing experts to help you elevate your marketing? Look no further. Contact us today or request a free marketing consultation to discuss. We have helped clients take their content marketing to the next level, generating increased awareness and leads.