Business Marketing

Over the past years, information technology and digital channels have changed the way consumers

shop for products. This has also drastically changed the way B2B companies and their customers

approach buying and selling. Business buyers are more informed than ever and sellers act the same

way. From the buyerʼ’s viewpoint, information technology and digital channels provide access to

knowledge and enable self-‑sufficiency. Buyers these days, are actively researching for products,

services and sellers online.

B2B buyers often have made up their minds about a purchase before a sales representative even gets

a foot in the door. Itʼ’s no wonder, then, that more than 90% of B2B sellers have turned to content

marketing to help regain access to buyers in the early stages of the purchase process.1

So, what is content marketing?

Content marketing is the art of communicating with customers and prospects without selling.2

But isnʼ’t, content marketing only geared towards B2C companies?

No, it isnʼ’t!

Close to 95% of marketers are already implementing B2B content marketing as a part of their overall

strategy.3

Content marketing is the next big thing in B2B. Itʼ’s not just a fad or trend. It is in fact a strategy, that

is here to stay!

As relationships with customers are becoming more and more personalized, having content based

marketing is the need of the hour. After all, B2B customers are also people and they resonate with

1 Harvard Business Review, Avoid These Common B2B Content Marketing Mistakes, Brent Adamson and Patrick Spenner

2 https://www.desantisbreindel.com/insights/b2b-marketing-why-content-is-the-new-creative/

3 https://uhurunetwork.com/b2b-content-marketing/

storytelling. B2B marketers must convey more than attribute-‑based features of the products, they

must convey the value, share information and evoke trust. Businesses must create content that sells

the benefit to the reader and is not overly promotional; content that can position you as a thought

leader, putting you top of mind when it is time to make a purchase decision.

Traditional Approach

Content-‑focused Approach

While there is wealth of content being created every day, most of it never gains any traction. As a

matter of fact, 55% of B2B marketers report a lack of understanding when it comes to what makes

for a successful content marketing strategy.4

A five-‑step guide to creating an effective content strategy:

1. Why do you want a content strategy?

The first step to an efficient content marketing strategy is to jot down your goals and objectives. Ask

yourself, what is the purpose of having a content marketing. Is it to build a community, increasing

brand awareness or driving sales, or all of the above. There should also be a clear distinction between

expectations and goals at every stage of content marketing. A mission statement, will help you

identify your goals from the awareness phase to the engagement phase.

4 https://uhurunetwork.com/b2b-content-marketing/

We sell boxes

They are

amazing

boxes

Come and

buy!!

Here is information

on boxes

We know a

lot about

boxes

We

understand

why you

need boxes

We sell

excellent

boxes to fit

your need

Come and

buy!!

Goals in awareness Goals in engagement

Increasing outreach

Website visits

Conversions

Customer Loyalty

2. Identify your target audience

The next and a very crucial step is to know your customers. Knowing your audience, their

expectations, and motivations will help you develop an effective content marketing strategy. It is

useful to create a buyer persona at this stage. Some key points to help your build a buyer persona are:

Priority Initiatives: You need to identify what does your audience value and what are their priorities.

Success Factors: You need to identify how your audience measures its success. Do they consider

tangible benefits or intangible benefits?

Perceived Barriers: You need to identify factors that cause your audience to believe that a company

might not be able to fulfil their expectations. How do they decide that the company will not satisfy

their needs?

Buyerʼ’s Journey: You need to have insights about a buyerʼ’s journey, from the awareness to the

decision making phase. Identify what motives them at each stage and what form of content will

work for them at each stage.

3. Create Content

Once you have analyzed your audience, itʼ’s time to proceed to the actual creation of the content.

Build content that helps you continuously engage the customer as they go from stranger to customer.

Rather than going directly from content to selling, you can use the content at each stage to qualify a

prospect and drive them from the awareness to decision making stage. Evaluate