B2B Lead Generation: Content is King!
Clearly, social media use has skyrocketed in the B2B sector since 2012. We have witnessed a rise in business blogging, infographics, and online videos. Companies are discovering how to utilize social media platforms to share their content and expand their reach. Businesses are effectively attracting leads and boosting conversions through inbound strategies. The overall success of B2B inbound marketing can be linked to the improved relationships between buyers and sellers throughout the sales process. The key, and likely most crucial, aim of the inbound process—lead generation—has indeed grown. The main factor behind the increase in lead generation through inbound methods is the effectiveness of content.
B2B Inbound Marketing: Effective Content Required
B2B marketing has often been viewed as strict and organized. Many companies still rely on traditional strategies like cold calling, trade shows, and email blasts to generate leads. In direct marketing, a company might distribute its content through printed materials. However, inbound marketing is transforming the approach for B2B marketers. Instead of using the “interruption” methods mentioned earlier, inbound marketing aims to draw in potential leads through online strategies like social media and SEO (search engine optimization). Effective inbound marketing requires online content, making a blog for your website essential. The type of content your company creates will differ based on your products and services, so it’s important to pinpoint your target market and niche.
In B2B Marketing, Relevant, Engaging Content is Key
Creating your content won’t happen easily at first. You may worry about your writing skills or the depth of your knowledge, for example. A good piece of advice is to keep your audience, or target market, in mind, and this will assist you in creating content. It may not happen naturally at first, but the writing process really does get easier the more you do it. It may also help to remember that people are drawn to your content because they like it, not because they are forced to view it. In other words, create content that you personally would enjoy reading, and steer away from sounding pushy or sales-y. Lead generation is more likely to occur when your content appeals to the reader on a personal level. Which leads me to another important piece of advice – be yourself and be genuine when creating content. It’s true that you need to produce good content when lead generation is your goal. Creating content that resonates with your potential leads is the key to attracting them to your website.
Effective B2B Inbound Marketing Has Passion and is Consistently Branded
Inbound B2B buyers are a progressively savvy group who know what they are looking for and how best to find it. To achieve the full power of your content for lead generation, it is imperative for your blog posts to be completely connected with your brand and what you represent. Potential leads and buyers want to know what you can do for them, and how you can do it better than your competition. I recently heard Jack Krawczyk, the Head of Monetization for StumbleUpon, speak in person at the 2012 Dallas Digital Summit. This is one thing he said that really stuck with me: “People don’t buy what you do – they buy why you do it”! In other words, your leads want to know what you stand for and why you stand for it. I find this to be an important reminder as I create content for my own blog, since this sentiment resonates quite strongly with B2B buyers. When you have passion for your company and its products or solutions, it is obvious to your leads. The power of your content is affirmed through passion, and is something potential leads will certainly notice.
In summary, it remains important to remember the mantra, “content is king” when planning your B2B lead generation strategy. The more attractive your content is to your target market – because it has resonated with them on some level – the more likely you are to see measurable increases in lead generation. Never underestimate the power of content.
What are you doing to take your content marketing to the next level?