Most of my friends have no idea what I do for a living. When I say I’m a “content specialist,” they know it has something to do with writing, but unless they work in marketing themselves, they have no idea what all “content” encompasses—or how important it is.
In marketing, when we talk about “content,” we mean anything you produce that conveys an idea of who you are and what your brand is about. In B2B marketing, content should do at least one of three things:
- Inform or educate
- Engage or connect
- Amuse or entertain
This means anything a B2B company produces, from blog posts to videos or newsletters to white papers, will do one of three things for your B2B company. It’s going to teach your audience something they don’t already know about you, your business, your product, or your service. It’s going to build rapport with your customers and foster loyalty to your brand. Or it’s going to grab someone’s attention and make your message “stick.”
Whatever your aim, content marketing for B2B business is essential.
What Is B2B Content Marketing?
To put it simply, the best B2B content marketing is using all the great content you make, guiding it with a clear strategy, and sharing it with your audience. Many B2B marketing content types make “great content”:
- Email and e-newsletters
- Social media posts
- Blog posts
- Case studies
- White papers
- Infographics
- Videos
- Websites
- And more
Whichever form you choose, you’re giving your customers information about what makes you unique. You’re sharing important information about who you are, what you do, and why you do it.
You are, ultimately, telling your story and giving your customers the information they need to want to work with you.
What Makes B2B and B2C Marketing Different
At Revel, we’ve adopted a clear analogy to explain the difference between B2B and B2C marketing. It goes a little like this:
If you’re selling ice cream to consumers, you need business-to-consumer (B2C) marketing. If you’re selling ice cream to grocery store chains, you need business-to-business (B2B) marketing.
The differences in your marketing approaches when considering a B2B audience are going to be significant. The audience is smaller (think hundreds instead of thousands), purchasing decisions take a long time, and the cost of a lead is higher.
And this is where having a great B2B content marketing strategy in place can make all the difference, and why working with a B2B content marketing agency like Revel can be a game-changer.
Why Content Marketing Is Important for B2B
In the realm of B2B marketing, content is king—and for good reason. Not only does it attract higher-quality leads, but it also lays the foundation for nurturing stronger and more enduring customer relationships.
While B2B and B2C marketing may share some common channels, B2B’s approach is all about fostering meaningful engagement that resonates with leads ready to make significant investments.
Through strategic content creation, you can boost your brand awareness and position yourself as an industry leader and expert. Plus, investing in B2B content marketing achieves a better return on investment (ROI), as each piece of content serves as a valuable asset that continues to generate leads and drive conversions over time.
Higher-Quality Leads
B2B content marketing helps businesses attract better leads by sharing useful and interesting information that speaks to their audience’s needs.
When you create blogs, videos, or guides that answer common questions or provide valuable insights, you build trust with potential customers. This trust leads to stronger relationships and increases the likelihood that these leads will become paying customers.
And, when content is easy to find online, it brings in more people who are actively looking for what you offer, making those leads even more valuable.
Stronger Customer Relationships
Having a clear and consistent brand helps B2B companies connect better with current customers and attract new customers.
When you have a strong and recognizable brand that people can easily identify, it builds trust and credibility. A strong brand communicates not only what your company offers but also what your company stands for, which is sure to attract customers who share your values and appreciate what you bring to the table.
Increased Brand Awareness
B2B content marketing is about making your brand visible in the crowd but in a smart way. By sharing helpful blogs, interesting social media posts, and informative whitepapers, you can regularly show off what you know and become a trusted expert in your industry.
To do this well, you have to start with having a clear voice. Your “voice” is your brand’s personality; it’s the tone, style, and story you use when you communicate anything about who you are — and this is a narrative you want to control. A voice guide is a great way to get this down on paper.
Once you know your voice, don’t be shy in sharing it with the world. When people see this content regularly and find it helpful, they start to trust you more and might even become customers.
Better ROI
When it comes right down to it, B2B content marketing doesn’t cost you much. You’ll want a writer to take the lead and you’ll need to account for their time, or you’ll need to account for outsourcing content creation and strategy to a fractional marketing team like Revel (who I, of course, unbiasedly hear has a solid writing team), but beyond that – the investment cost is fairly low.
When you’re sharing content regularly, though, the returns are pretty substantial:
- Teach people about your brand and what you offer
- Develop trust with your brand
- Show that you’re a thought leader in your industry
- Get ahead of competitors by highlighting what makes you unique
- Get more people to visit your website through search engines
- Get more people to know about your brand through social media
- Get other websites to link to yours, which also helps your website show up better in search results
And because content can be used again and again, the effort put into it keeps giving back, making it a smart investment for the long term.
How to Use Content Marketing for B2B Brands
Use Content to Tell Your Brand’s Story
Telling your brand’s story through content is a powerful way to connect with your audience on an emotional level. Start by identifying the key elements of your brand narrative:
- What inspired your company’s creation?
- What values do you hold dear?
- What challenges have you overcome?
- What makes you unique?
- What makes you get out of bed in the morning?
Once you have a clear understanding of your brand story, weave it into every piece of content you create. Whether it’s a blog post, social media update, or video, use it as an opportunity to show your brand’s personality and connect with your audience.
Revel’s B2B Content Marketing Services
Content marketing is vital in today’s competitive business landscape. At Revel, our B2B content marketing services focus on crafting compelling content tailored to engage your target audience and drive meaningful results for your business. From blog posts and e-newsletters to website content and digital and social media campaigns, our comprehensive suite of marketing services is designed to help you stand out and succeed.
Though these are only a few of the marketing services we offer, consider the following ways in which Revel might help you make your content stand out.
Direct Marketing Campaigns
We use both digital and print materials to reach your B2B contacts through our Brandvertising™ direct marketing campaigns. Through emails, social media ads, and landing pages that share digital content, we make sure your message gets to the right people online. We create brochures, send direct mail, and feature in industry magazines to give your brand a physical presence that sticks in people’s minds. By doing both, we make sure your brand stands out wherever your potential clients are and through whatever is the best means to reach them.
Website Content Creation
Website content can be a primary platform for showcasing your products, services, values, and expertise to potential customers. By crafting compelling and informative content for websites, we aim to engage visitors, educate them about your brand, and ultimately convert them into leads or customers.
Additionally, website content is optimized for search engines to improve visibility and attract organic traffic, further enhancing the effectiveness of your overall content marketing strategy.
Employee Recruitment Marketing
Employee recruitment marketing is about how businesses find and keep good employees. It’s marketing focused on what makes your company a great place to work. This includes focusing content on your company’s culture, the benefits you offer, and opportunities for career growth. It’s not just about getting people to apply for jobs; it’s also about making sure employees want to stay for the long term. By doing this, you build your reputation as a great place to work and attract the top talent to build the right team for your organization.
Blogging & E-Newsletters
Blogging and sending e-newsletters are the backbone of a content marketing strategy. Blogs let you share useful information and tips with your audience, demonstrating your expertise and your place as a thought leader in your industry. E-newsletters are like personal updates sent straight to people’s email inboxes, keeping them in the loop about new blog posts, company news, special offers, and other key pieces of information. Both these tools help keep people engaged, build trust in the brand, and strengthen relationships.
Start Your B2B Content Marketing Campaign Today
At the end of the day, the best B2B content marketing is about making your content work for you. We’re ready to help you craft a personalized content strategy to help you meet your goals. (After all, it’s why I do it for a living.)
Contact Revel today to start a B2B content marketing campaign sure to make an impact.
