B2B marketing has changed a lot in the last 18 months. Buyers want to shop online and want more of a B2C experience. To stay competitive, you need to start planning your B2B Content strategy now.
Table of Contents
1. It’s important to know your buyers. According to HBR, 73% of all B2B buyers involved in the purchase decisions are now millennials. And a third of them are the sole decision-maker. They won’t put up with poor-quality content or web engagement. It’s time to modernize and ramp up that content!
2. B2B companies are lagging in meeting the buying needs of that millennial decision-maker. These buyers expect the stats and the data that show how you compare to be readily available.
3. While 76% of B2B companies have a marketing plan. However, that means 24% don’t have one. If you don’t have a plan, you can’t expect to win. It’s true in every sport, and it’s true in business. The guy with the game plan will leave you in the dust.
4. B2B buyers, just like B2C counterparts, start their research online. That’s the time to start building their trust with quality information. Quality content is what keeps them on your pages and brings them back again.
5. Most B2B buyers have done the research and are into the compare stage when they reach out to a vendor. Getting their attention during the information and comparing steps creates credibility and trust opportunities.
6. According to WebFX, 56% of B2B companies now incorporate digital content marketing. When this content includes SEO components, the ROI ramps up. Search engine optimization helps improve Google rankings and better placement for keyword searches.
7. Give them LOTS of content. The average B2B buyer reads more than ten pieces of content before they make a purchasing decision, according to 99Firms.
8. The value of face-to-face has changed. While it used to be a cornerstone of B2B sales, pandemic concerns have shifted that. Now 70% of B2B buyers prefer remote or digital interactions. As a result, the value of digital content has grown exponentially since February of 2020.
9. The average B2B buying journey can take up to four months for nearly 75% of all purchases. That creates the opportunity for lots of targeted touchpoints and the need for segmentation in sales enablement content.
Use these stats to analyze your B2B web content. They also work for evaluating social media marketing and email campaigns.
Your website needs to be easy to read and provide the information buyers are looking for. Search results should be need-focused. What they want depends on who is doing the searching.
Each person comes with a different set of goals. The end-user has different needs than the purchasing department or accounting.
Keep information easily searchable. Consider each department that may be involved and the unique data they seek. Then, meet each department’s needs and expedite the buying process.
Case Studies allow them to see how your product was successful for someone similar. In addition, these success stories let them see how it would feel to use your product.
White papers provide all the technical data on the product.
Frequently asked questions, guides, and how-tos all add value.
Likewise, comparison pages on your website keep the visitors’ on your site, called long-clicking. It boosts your Google ranking. It also allows them to do their research at the same time.
Your web needs to offer free, helpful, relevant information in exchange for the viewer's contact information. Collecting an email allows you to send information that guides your prospect through buying. Those emails also build trust with the shopper as they get to know you.
The most effective emails are focused on where the buyer is in their journey and being product-specific.
Blog content can tie into bite-size emails or an e-newsletter. Share content like videos, infographics, or reports on social media like Facebook and LinkedIn.
Many B2B companies start with great intent to post on Facebook or other social media. However, social media requires regular, helpful, relevant posts to work well. Once a month just doesn't cut it. Daily posts are essential. In B2C, the most successful companies post multiple times daily.
Many companies now use social media for a public or private groups. They offer interaction with a product specialist, answer questions, and post reviews.
CMI recently published study results on B2B changes. Of the respondents, 70% said the pandemic has significantly changed their short and long-term content strategy.
The cost of PPC has risen dramatically and is less effective than a well-executed content marketing plan. On the other hand, organic growth is slower, but analytics show more power.
If you need assistance evaluating your B2B content strategy marketing, contact me. I can help you be competitive, relevant, readable, responsive. [email protected].
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Here is the Jeremy Durant article that was the source for my statistics.
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