Three Questions to Answer for Successful B2B Blogging and Content Marketing

When it comes to blogs, the writing process can take up quite a bit of time, but it can often feel like a waste if no one reads the blog once it is published. Blogging remains an important and effective B2B content marketing tactic, but with so many competitors, it is difficult to stand out. Standing out and gaining readership can go a long way in generating awareness, traffic and overall leads to your website or wherever your blog may be featured on. It might feel like you must go to great lengths to do something unique and grab attention and engagement, but sometimes, going back to the basics is the ideal place to start and figure out the next steps. Whether you are taking a step back and reevaluating your B2B blog approach or checking in to make sure your content strategy is on-track, answer these three key questions to get a clear understanding of your B2B blogging success.

What Has Worked in the Past?

Looking at the past can be an indicator and measurement of success in B2B marketing. Evaluating past blog performance can help you understand what topics resonated most, which blogs might have missed the mark and which ones gained momentum over a certain time. Using analytics software, such as Google Analytics, can show everything from page views to conversions and more. These are distinct metrics in showing what was most popular among your audience and what was not. Another thing to look at when it comes to previous B2B blog performance is to look at the search terms people used to find your site, whether it be organically or through paid search activities. Did they search more generic, broad keywords? Did they search long-tail, specific keywords? Analyzing search trends can give insights into the search engine optimization (SEO) side and what content to potentially prioritize moving forward. If you find there is a topic that is driving more people to your site, consider writing fresh content on that topic or expanding on an existing piece of content.

What Is Trending Now?

It is hard to grab the attention of an audience when every marketing channel is constantly flooded with content and information. One of the best ways to reach a broad audience and grab their attention is to write on a trending topic or be one of the first to write on an emerging trend. Is there a new technology making an impact in your industry? Is there a new research study showing new data on a certain area of interest? Whatever it may be, keeping up with the latest industry trends is an important part of a B2B content marketing strategy. The topics that are trending are the ones that are often the most important to audiences. Developing blogs or other content on these trends can be beneficial in overall success and lead generation. It is important to be aware of the changes in these trends as well. All industry trends can change in a matter of minutes depending on new developments, technologies or the world.

What Can Grab the Attention of Audiences?

As mentioned before, there are so many blogs and pieces of content available to all that it is challenging to grab the attention of audiences and convince them to engage. When it comes to a blog, it most often is a few hundred words with no other elements to it. It does not have to be that way. Adding other elements to the blog or being tactical about the information included can amp up engagement and drive more visitors to the piece. Here are a few ways to increase blog traffic:

• Add Visual Elements. Images, charts, graphs or icons are great visual elements to add to blogs. They can break up the text, provide more context on the information being presented and support details written in the blog.
• Include Actionable Best Practices and Tips. Reading a blog with important information is great, but if there is nothing the reader can take and apply to their organization or role, then the blog might not be as valuable as one might think. Including actionable best practices, tips and tactics give the reader something to grasp and apply.
• Add Other Content Opportunities. Including a call to action for an eBook, white paper, guide or report gives the reader another content type to interact with and gain information from. It is a best practice to include another piece of content that supplements the blog information so it is related and can build on the information given in the blog.
• Include Facts and Figures. Backing up information with relevant stats can solidify points made throughout a B2B blog. Sometimes a claim without data to back it up can easily be looked over. Using studies and other data to supplement information can go a long way and show your organization does your research.

B2B blogs are a great opportunity to show your expertise, build thought leadership and give actionable tips to those reading. Grabbing the attention is the first step, but keeping them engaged is almost as equally as important. Using the tips above will surely help your organization see blogging and content success.

Looking to build on your B2B blogging or content marketing efforts? Let’s talk! Contact us today or request a free marketing consultation. We’ve helped many clients establish and strengthen their B2B content marketing strategy and campaign planning.