It’s been nearly three decades since Bill Gates’ profound “Content is king” essay was published on the Microsoft website. And while a lot has changed over the years — at Microsoft, on the internet and across the business world at-large — the importance of content is not one of them. In fact, many would argue that purposeful content creation is more vital today than ever before, thanks to the ability marketers now have to deliver highly targeted content to custom audiences. That’s especially true for B2B businesses, who are finally starting to harness the power of content in the same way their B2C counterparts have been.
Here are a few of the top reasons why a content creation strategy is critical for today’s B2B businesses.
Context is key to quality content
To be fair, if content is king, then context is the ace. What we mean by that is that a content strategy that hinges on “more is more,” is doomed to fail if it doesn’t take context into account. Content without context annoys and bores the reader and adds little to the brand-customer relationship. Content without the right context can also damage your brand’s ability to rank highly in organic search results (more on that next).
Attract more visitors and potential leads
Whether B2C or B2B, getting your brand and its products or services in front of potential customers is job one — and a content creation strategy can do just that. Content rich with the right short and long tail keywords that uses links with good authority will inevitably lead to better rankings in organic search results. That means the businesses you’re trying to sell to, which are also the same ones searching for those relevant keywords, are more likely to find you and convert. You should also remember that it’s beneficial to produce different types of content — from blog posts to infographics, videos to listicles — with the more explanatory the content, the better. In fact, well-produced content on a timely topic could be picked up and featured by other brands, helping to spread your reach even further.
Lower conversion costs
In a perfect world, your brand would have an unlimited budget and the talent and resources to continually pump out conversion-generating paid spots. But there is no such thing as unlimited budgets, and the fact that B2B companies can produce content with staying power at a relatively low cost is yet another reason why you need it. So long as the content you’ve crafted doesn’t include outdated information, it can be recycled or repurposed for as long as you’d like. When budgets are analyzed on a cost-per-conversion metric, content creation is the one line item you can count on to lower your average.
Establish cross-pollination and collaboration
For B2B companies with limited resources or budgets, content creation is the perfect way to stretch an idea or tactic across a variety of platforms. For example, let’s say you create a white paper that supports one of your products or services. In addition to hosting that white paper on the website, snippets of the content can be used on social media, a video with highlights can be posted to YouTube, a blog can be written, and so much more. And the best part about this strategy is that each medium plays well together, meaning those individual ancillary channels can all link content consumers to the original white paper. To take things a step further, that white paper can be gated, with anyone wanting to read the contents having to fill out a form, which gives you contact information for a potential new customer. Win. Win.
The right content builds trust
Content creation gives B2B brands a way to build trust that other forms of marketing, particularly paid advertisements, simply can’t. That’s because it encourages formats that enable the brand to prove its worth by showcasing past successes. This content typically comes in the form of case studies, authentic testimonials, webinars, and even collaborations with other notable brands. Authoritative content like this can genuinely help potential customers, either by answering a question or providing thought leadership.
It’s also possible to build a strong brand voice and establish expertise within your vertical by discussing industry-trending topics. White papers and ebooks are a good way to do this, allowing brands to share industry knowledge while including a subtle sales pitch.
While B2C customers often make purchases based on impulse or emotion, B2B buyers are generally more measured and insistent on generating a return on investment. Crafting quality, fact-driven and contextually relevant content can establish your brand as a trusted authority on the topic, helping to ease any buyer trepidation. Unlike B2C brands who can market for awareness, B2B brands must instill confidence that what they’re selling will work, and it will work well.
Get started with a content creation strategy
Our team has in-depth knowledge and expertise at collaborating with clients to identify what’s lacking from the existing content strategy before developing a solution-based plan for improvement. We work across all verticals and have proven success in helping clients build and strengthen relationships with their core customers.
If you’re interested in learning more about how we work and what we do, contact us today.