These reasons contribute to the inefficiency of B2B content marketing. But other reasons weaken the power of the B2B marketing pillar. It doesn’t happen for the reasons you think. For example, you’ll hear discussions about inconsistent publishing, inability to measure, overproduction, promoting features and benefits, or “build it and come” as a strategy.
Consider the following tactics to try or avoid.
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Do buyers act to avoid suffering or take advantage of it?
Buyers act in both situations. But does one approach work better than the other? According to Dan Kennedy, arguably the most legendary copywriter of all time, potential clients act more often to avoid pain.
He describes his copywriting formula “PAS” (Problem Solving) and writes in his final sales letter: Attracting new customers. Increase your sales: “If you understand that people act to avoid suffering and not to win, you will understand how powerful this first formula is. This is perhaps the most reliable sales formula ever invented.”
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Don’t limit your marketing to just discussing the business benefits
As a B2B marketer, you know how many buyers want to know the benefits of your product or service. You did well with this method.
But with a simple change, you can increase your efficiency even more. According to a study by Kapost, B2B shoppers rate “personal value” as twice as much as “commercial value”.
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Don’t waste time looking like an innovative leader?
Virtually every B2B company wants to be the ‘innovator leader’ when discussing its vision for content marketing. But innovative leadership doesn’t influence B2B decision-makers to buy from you. A CEB Global survey published in Harvard Business Review supports this claim.
To influence buyers’ decision-making, you need to teach them something new about your business. And you have to give them a compelling reason to change their behavior from what they’re currently doing.
You can work to become an “innovative leader,” but you need to change your definition of what that means.
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Promote your content at the right time
Many debates have to do with blocking, whether or not you should. You need a “soft port”. And you have many opinions to choose from.
What does the survey say? Start by not blocking everything: According to a LinkedIn survey, 75% of tech buyers say they are less likely to consider a seller blocking all content.
In a recent webinar on the latest changes in B2B buying behavior, John Dering, director of marketing programs at Demand Gen Report, said gating works best at the bottom of the funnel, with content like case studies. Closer to the top, with content like white papers, screens don’t work as well, he advised.
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Offer content to your buyer at an important time
Most B2B companies excel at delivering large amounts of content to buyers before purchase. While important, it doesn’t take into account that 80% of B2B shoppers say it’s important or very important to receive continuous content after making a purchase, according to Eccolo Media’s 2015 B2B Technology Content Research Report.
What do buyers want after the sale? Following:
- Innovative leadership content (36%)
- Technical support/updates (30%)
- Information about new products (25%)
- Customer stories (9%)
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How much do you need to customize your B2B content?
The same research by the CEB group, published in Harvard Business Review, analyzed content personification and found an inverse relationship between B2B content personification and sales: “The most personalized personification for each member of a buying group should arrive at one consensus, the less likely it’s going to be a ‘quality sale’.”
It makes sense when you consider the following: focus too much on what the buyer has to offer and they lose sight of what they’re getting from the rest of the group; as a result, the consensus is defeated and much less likely.
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How well do you understand your buyer’s process?
According to B2G surveys, B2B shoppers believe they are not receiving content that is relevant or consistent with their organizational goals or purchasing process. How big is the problem? 66% of shoppers surveyed think so.
Successful B2B content marketers follow every stage of the purchase cycle. They then list buyers’ questions at a specific stage in the content.
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Which content format do B2B buyers prefer?
These days you hear all the hype about video marketing, webinars, and podcasts. These channels have their time and place, but do B2B buyers really want this kind of content?
No, according to an Economist survey: 85% of drivers surveyed prefer plain text to audio and video. So no fantasies are needed – just provide the buyer with the information they want.
Which of these approaches will benefit your B2B audience the most now?
Also Read:
Digital Marketing Strategy for Small Business Owners in 2021