Content marketing is crucial for B2B businesses. Because it is focused on sharing knowledge, educating readers, engaging with clients and prospective clients, demonstrating expertise, and building your brand, rather then a ‘hard sell’, it can be more creative and more fun while still delivering for your business.
While it can be harder to explicitly measure the ROI for content marketing than with, for example, a click-through ad, that doesn’t mean it’s not driving results. Here are our top seven reasons why your B2B business needs to take content marketing seriously.
1. Make your website work for you
Businesses spend very little time actually meeting with potential suppliers, but anyone considering a new business relationship will do extensive online research. Your website is therefore your shop window. A strong content offer can not only impress visitors, but will also make your site more visible in search rankings.
2. Improve SEO
Content marketing is brilliant for that holy grail of website rankings: SEO. By having lots of articles, case studies, and other assets on your site, you have the opportunity to stuff them (strategically!) with keywords relevant to your business, boosting your site up the rankings and surfacing your content to a wider group of people. Blogs boost indexed pages by 434% and indexed links by 97%. Once a customer is on your site, they can be told more about your company, encouraged to sign up for your newsletter, or tempted with a lead magnet.
3. Start conversations
Creating shareable content is a double blessing: not only can you use it on your own social channels, reach more people, and start conversations, but also if your content is timely and interesting, others are more likely to share it on their own channels and networks. When 68% of people spend time reading about brands that interest them, that’s a lot of potential to boost your reach, increase brand awareness, and position your company as one to know about.
4. Stop reliance on ads
Content marketing allows you to tell stories and connect with customers in a different way. Rather then listing selling points, content marketing showcases solutions, demonstrates expertise, and positions your brand. 70% of people would rather learn about a company from an article than an advert. Around 80% trust branded websites and editorial content, too.
5. It’s applicable to every stage of the sales funnel
Whether you’re looking for new leads, conversions, or repeat business, content marketing is your friend. With so many different kinds of content to choose from, there is something for every point of the sales funnel:
- For prospects at the top of the funnel, great content can be what brings them to your door rather than a competitor’s, and is a chance to show how you can help with their pain points. Content marketing generates, on average, three times as many leads for ever dollar spent compared to traditional marketing.
- Content for the middle of the funnel demonstrates your expertise – white papers, thought leadership pieces, and case studies can all help your business stand out.
- At the bottom of the funnel, content marketing convinces the customer to make a purchase by demonstrating how you have helped other businesses.
6. Showcase your expertise
By publishing content such a white papers, businesses can demonstrate their knowledge and expertise in their field, making them an attractive prospect to new customers, and reassuring current customers that they are in good hands. Building your reputation in this was also builds trust: people buy from people, not brands. Humanising your company with effective content encourages sales.
7. Get to know your customers
Analysing the content on your site gives you an opportunity to understand and segment your audience. By looking at which pieces or types of content perform best, you can find out what topics, problems, or ideas are most relevant to your customers, allowing you to refine your offer and target specific groups.
If you’re ready to rework your website, crush your content strategy, or boost your brand, get in touch at hello@isolinecomms.com.
