Content marketing has become one of the biggest and most successful areas of marketing – especially B2B marketing.

In an information-hungry world, people want to be able to learn more and gain value from the brands they choose. And, that’s as true for business-people and professionals as it is for consumers.

The key is to create content which really engages with your audience and turns them into your next sale.

So, in this blog, we’re going to look at some hints and tips which can help you produce content that converts more customers.

Getting your content marketing right

First, let’s start with the basics.

Whilst content marketing will be familiar to many, it can mean different things to different people and businesses. In essence, content marketing is the creation and dissemination of any written, visual or audio information intended to be of value to your customers or potential customers. This could be as simple as a social media post on LinkedIn – or as complex as a weekly podcast on YouTube.

For most businesses, content marketing is often frequently written content, such as social media posts, press releases, blogs, articles, advertorials, editorials or comments on other stories.

The key to using content to convert those who read it into customers, is two-fold:

1. Be of value – impart some information or demonstrate some skills which help the potential customer to resolve a particular challenge
2. Demonstrate your expertise – resonate with the reader and demonstrate a level of expertise which convinces them you can help achieve their goals

So, with these two objectives in mind, how can you create content which helps convert more customers?

1 – Understand and address your audience’s goals and pain points

If a recipient of your content marketing is to make contact with you, they will have a present or approaching need for what you deliver. That means they have a situation or issue within their business which your products or service can help resolve.

So, to be effective, it’s important that your content identifies their needs and resonates with the pain points (the challenge or obstacle) with which the potential customer is wrestling. For example, for an accountant, how to minimise corporation tax might resonate well with businesses currently eager to avoid an uncomfortable payment to HMRC.

Research your target audience thoroughly to understand their needs. Be realistic about when and how they will identify a desire for what you deliver. As important as what you do is, business-people have lots to think about and tend to ‘compartmentalise’. Try to identify the circumstances which might trigger a need for what you deliver, so your content can tap directly into it.

Developing ‘personas’ for the various individual decision-makers and influencers within your target customers’ businesses can also be helpful. By understanding their focus and preferences, your content can satisfy specific needs which will lead them to what you deliver.

2 – Focus on practical and solutions-oriented content

Ever read an article and given up because it doesn’t actually tell you anything?

When consuming content marketing, business-people and professionals want to understand what it’s about and get to the core of how it can help them. Their attention span is typically short!

So, content marketing which offers solutions needs to do just that. If, after a thousand words, your article does not provide any practical help, the likelihood of converting the reader into a customer will be low. Instead, don’t be afraid to give away a little of the ‘secret sauce’ which makes what you do valuable or unique.

Business audiences often seek content that addresses specific issues or provides a clear solution. Focus on actionable insights that help solve their day-to-day problems or achieve their business goals. Case studies, how-to guides and white papers can all be effective.

True, some readers may simply use this information to solve the issue themselves. However, they were potentially unlikely to engage with you in the first place. Many consumers of your content will instead be grateful for the solution – which will no doubt help but not entirely resolve their situation – and turn to you for further help.

3 – Use data and industry insights

Statistics are a strong way to communicate information and quickly make a point.

Though not everyone loves maths, we often gravitate towards content which includes facts and figures which pique our interest. They can be a quick way to earn credibility and trust.

B2B customers respond particularly well to content backed by credible data, such as statistics published by sector groups, industry reports or government research. If you share research or insights published by others, make sure you reference them and give them credit.

Another option is to deliver a fact or statistic sourced from your own experience. An example might be the percentage of your customers who use your product to overcome a specific challenge – or the number of companies who’ve stated your service has benefited their business.

4 – Create thought-leadership by offering educational content

One of the main drivers of the ‘conversion’ of customers from content marketing, is the belief that your company are experts.

As such, giving away advice and information can quickly create a trusted bond with your audience. Content that positions your brand as an authority is often best communicated in longer formats, such as webinars, eBooks, white papers or in-depth articles on complex topics. In addition, you can invite other industry experts – such as from partner companies or sector organisations – to contribute to your content marketing. Again, you may benefit from their expert status.

5 – Personalise your content

As with any marketing, it can be tempting to try to be all things to all people!

However, whilst there are many topics which may appeal to the majority of your intended customers, there are often areas which resonate more with a specific group. To increase the conversion of customers from your content marketing, it is often most productive to focus on a specific segment. It could be a key industry, geographical area or a group of businesses affected by a specific change or development.

Personalisation can be applied to content marketing including social media, press releases and, especially, content such as white papers, guides and how-to articles which can be sent direct to potential customers.

Equally, you can vary the format of your content marketing for specific audiences. Video content is increasingly effective, especially for product demos and testimonials, as it can communicate complex information quickly.

6 – Incorporate SEO into your content marketing

B2B decision-makers often start their journey with online searches.

Discovering content through your website or other online presence can make a strong introduction. As such, satisfying the topic of searches which your ideal customers may make can be a powerful tactic of content marketing.

This can be approached from two directions – either by looking at the keywords which your potential customers are using – or by seeking to address the search terms which you believe relate most to your product, service or business. Long-tail keywords (containing 3 or more words) often help attract niche audiences looking for specific solutions which you can address.

Convert more customers with your content marketing

As East Anglia’s leading B2B marketing agency, we work with businesses across the UK – in sectors including manufacturing, engineering, technology, logistics and business services – to help them generate new sales, customers, enquiries and leads from content marketing.

You can find out more here