Spending on content marketing is rising, with the most successful B2B marketers now spending 40% of their total marketing budget on content. You know that creating content can bring in leads and grow your brand, but before you go out and hire a writer or social media manager, you need a strategy in place to make sure your efforts will actually pay off.
This may seem like a no-brainer – have a plan before you spend money – but you would be surprised how many small businesses skip this step. Putting together a strategy will help ensure that the content you create is working toward a larger goal, and ultimately pulling in new customers. Here are a few questions to answer as you build your strategy.
Who is your audience?
Some brands try to be all things to all people so they don’t lose any potential business. In reality, if you are small you probably have less resources than a larger company so it is even more important to focus on the customers that are most profitable. When your content is hyper-targeted, you will attract the right audience and let them know you understand their unique problems.
When selecting your target, consider your competition, your pricing, your core competencies or expertise, the segment’s size and growth potential, and logistical realities. Are you producing the highest quality product that commands a premium price? You don’t want to be creating content for bargain shoppers.
What are they looking for?
What problem do they have that you can solve? Your content should seek to address and help solve this problem. If you don’t know, it is probably time for some Voice of the Customer. You can also use Google Trends to find out what people are searching for.
Don’t underestimate the value of good content. Well written articles will keep people on your site longer, boosting SEO, and will get shared by readers and reach a wider audience.
What makes you unique?
Don’t be afraid to get specific with your content. If you truly understand your audience and their unique needs, you can dominate that niche. A digital marketing company could write an article on “How to advertise through social media” and try to out-rank thousands of other articles, or, if they have expertise in advertising to baby boomers they could write “How to reach seniors through social media” and have a higher chance of being found by potential customers.
Where can you find them?
Finally, consider where you will put your content and what type of content to create. This depends on your target audience, but B2B brands typically utilize:
Blogs are a popular form of content, being simple to set up and maintain. They should seek to educate the reader as well as help your website rank higher in search with strategic key words.
Ebooks are longer than blog posts. If you have a lot of expertise on the subject an Ebook can be a good way to gather leads. You can write an intriguing summary and ask for users to submit their information before downloading.
Infographics are visual ways to convey information quickly or to simplify a complex idea. They can get shared a lot, especially on social media.
Case studies are an excellent way to build trust with new customers. Start by describing a problem a customer had that you solved, and get as specific as possible!
White papers are where you can really show your expertise in a technical field. They are in-depth explorations of a solution to an industry problem. They are also great for generating leads but take a long time to put together.
Social media posts should be frequent and work to build your brand identity. You can share photo or video, or repurpose content shared in other places.
Spending time up-front defining your audience and niche will help keep your content marketing strategy focused. It can be easy to chase every channel and think “we have to be there”, but spending money only where it makes sense for your particular audience is a more efficient use of your resources.
I can help you develop a content strategy that makes sense for your market and business goals. Let’s talk!
