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B2B CONTENT MARKETING GUIDE Learn how B2B brands can leverage the power of Content Marketing to reach new audiences, enhance the customer experience, and boost sales. CONTENT / INFLUENCE / SCALEor the vast majority of marketers, content marketing is very familiar. The 2017 State of the Creator Economy study (SOCE) revealed that 94 percent of marketers had direct professional experience with it. About 70 percent of marketers had experience with the approach in the past year alone. But not everyones familiar with the concept. Additionally, some marketers might be familiar with the business-to-consumer (B2C) space, but might want to jump over to business-to-business (B2B) marketing in the near future. Although the techniques are similar, there are some key differences. Heres everything you need to know about B2B content marketing. B2B MARKETERS GUIDE TO CONTENT MARKETING F THE BASICS OF B2B CONTENT MARKETING The simplest definition of content marketing is that it is the creation and distribution of useful content to a targeted audience. That content can take several forms, ranging from print magazines to radio programs and from blog posts to online video. Content marketing is a form of owned media. When a brand produces content, it usually has full control over what goes into that content, and where it is distributed. A blog post on a companys 1website, an entire mini-site, and a series of branded videos are all examples of owned media. Content marketing can also be a form of earned media. For example, a customer might decide to write a review of your brands product, or might create a social media post about the product. Your brand has less control over the content of earned media (it could be good, or it could be bad), as well as less control over where and how its distributed. You can choose to share and amplify earned media if its positive, but you cant do much to squelch it if its negative. As Nielsens 2015 Global Trust in Advertising study revealed, earned and owned media content are the top two most trusted ad formats. Although people are slightly more trusting of earned media, they also put a considerable amount of trust in owned content, such as a brands website, email marketing, and brand sponsorships. The study found that 70 percent of people trusted owned websites, for example. Trust in owned media is just one part of the puzzle, though. The 2017 Edelman Trust Barometer showed audience trust has shifted recently. Less than half of the people surveyed stated that they trusted the media and government. According to the barometer, the only forms of media that showed positive gains in trust between 2012 and 2017 were owned media and online-only media. HOW TO USE B2B CONTENT MARKETING The approaches used in B2B content marketing are also ever-evolving. Back in the 18th century, when printing was a relatively new thing, it made sense to reach out to businesses with a printed document. While printed content marketing still exists, the approaches used today are largely digital. According to the Salesforce report, about 34 percent of marketers spend their budgets on channels that they didnt know about five years ago. Among B2B marketers, the channels for content marketing that have seen the most growth in recent years (2015-2017) include: Video (204 percent growth) Text messaging (197 percent growth) Mobile apps (161 percent growth) Sponsored content (147 percent growth) Advertising on social media (130 percent growth) Along with those newer, faster-growing channels, content marketers are still using other channels and approaches for content marketing. The SOCE found that marketers tend to prefer visual approaches. The top four approaches used by marketers include: Photography (50 percent have used) Infographics (49 percent have used) 2 THE INTERNET HAS CONSIDER- ABLY CHANGED THE WAY B2B MARKETING WORKS. Audience is a key component of B2B content marketing. With B2B content, your audience is other businesses. In contrast, the audience for B2C content marketing is general consumers. But just because you are targeting companies doesnt give you an excuse to minimize the role the audience plays in your content marketing. As Salesforces 4th Annual State of Marketing report revealed, customer experience should be a top concern for B2B marketers. The highest performing marketers in the report were twice as likely to agree with the statement that “marketing is increasingly competing on the basis of customer experience.” The report also took in the opinions of thousands of customers. About 65 percent of business buyers stated that they would switch companies if a brand didnt personalize communications with their business. The vast majority 89 percent also expected brands to understand their specific business needs. For B2B content marketing to succeed, it needs to be as engaging, entertaining, and relevant as any sort of B2C content marketing a brand might produce. WHY USE CONTENT MARKETING? As the early examples of content marketing show, the concept predates the internet. Yet, the digital age has brought about a renewed interest in content marketing. Part of the renewed interest might have less to do with the internet itself and more to do with the evolution of trust in recent years. White papers (39 percent have used) Trend pieces (33 percent have used) Putting together a successful B2B content marketing campaign involves more than simply choosing one channel or approach and sticking to it. For best results, it helps to coordinate a campaign across multiple channels, creating a cohesive experience for customers. The Salesforce report found that high-performing marketers were nearly 13 times more likely to make an effort to connect their content across channels compared to the lowest-performing marketers. Connecting and adjusting content across a variety of channels better allows a marketer to shape the customer experience. The Salesforce report revealed that more than half of marketers broadcast the same message across all channels, which is a mistake. While doing so may streamline your marketing, it creates a number of problems. For one thing, youre not exactly targeting an audience when you use the same message and content on several platforms. For example, a business gets an email from your brand about a new product launch, decides to pre-order that product from the email, and then continues to see a similar message on social media. That business is likely to think that youre not particularly invested in it as a customer. A better approach would be to use analytics and tracking to see whos ordered the product from email, then make sure that they see a different message from your brand on their social media accounts. The information and tools are out there to help your brand target its message to specific customers. Its up to your marketing team to make sure your brand is doing what it can to really personalize and improve the customers experience. 5 STEPS TO LAUNCHING A SUCCESSFUL B2B CONTENT MARKETING CAMPAIGNYouve looked at the examples, and youve read some posts by top B2B content marketing bloggers. Now youre ready to start your own content marketing campaign. But where do you start? Whats the first step? 4 MEET SOME OF THE TOP B2B CONTENT CREATORS AND BLOGGERS If youre looking for more advice on the ins and outs of B2B content marketing, it can help to pay attention to some of the most well-known bloggers and content creators in the field. These bloggers have launched entire companies that focus on B2B content marketing, or have built their whole careers around digital marketing. Get to know a few of them: Jeff Bullas. Jeff Bullas writes about all things related to digital and content marketing. His mission is to show companies “how to win at business and life in a digital world.” Ann Handley. Ann Handley is the CCO (chief content officer) of MarketingProfs, a web-based resource for digital marketing. Her major focus is on helping businesses improve their marketing. Although she has a blog on her own site, you can mainly find her contributions at MarketingProfs, Entrepreneur, the Huffington Post, American Express Open Forum, and LinkedIn. Neil Patel. Neil Patel is a B2B content marketing expert and blogger whos founded or otherwise contributed to a number of projects, among them Kissmetrics and Hello Bar. On his blog, he publishes a variety of posts on boosting internet traffic, marketing on social media, and launching paid campaigns.3 2 WHERE DID B2B CONTENT MARKETING COME FROM? Poor Richards Almanack In December 1732, Benjamin Franklin published the first edition of “Poor Richards Almanack,” which went on to sell about 10,000 copies each year. The almanac caught on because it was full of aphorisms and proverbs, as well as the usual predictions youd find in any almanac. The book was an early example of owned media. Franklin produced it to show off the features of publishing, and he had full control over the contents of the book over the course of its 25 year run. Modern Methods of Antiseptic Wound Treatment Although it seems hard to imagine nowadays, back in the 19th century, some people were skeptical about the existence of bacteria and the role those bacteria played in causing infections and death during content marketing is older than you might think. Although more companies than ever before seem interested in the concept today, its actually an idea that dates back hundreds of years. Depending on who you ask, the first instance of B2B content marketing dates back to the 1700s, the 1800s, or the start of the 20th century. Lets take a look at some of the earliest examples of B2B content marketing. B2B or after surgical procedures. Some of those skeptics included the surgeons themselves. Yikes. Enter “Modern Methods of Antiseptic Wound Treatment,” first published in 1888. The pamphlet was created by Johnson & Johnson, and given to surgeons for free. It not only contained useful, necessary details on how to perform antiseptic surgery, it also included information about the tools a doctor would need to perform a safe, clean surgery. Many of those tools happened to be produced by Johnson & Johnson. The Furrow Another early example of B2B content marketing is “The Furrow,” a “Journal for the American Farmer.” John Deere began publishing the magazine in 1895. According to the companys history, the journal had gained four million readers by 1912. The company continued to publish the journal into the 21st century. The content in the magazine included a discussion of modern-day (for the time) farming issues, examples of best practices for farmers, and news about John Deere products. The Michelin Guide Of all the things that could bring a tough chef like Gordon Ramsay to tears, you wouldnt expect it to be a guide produced by a French tire company. Created at the turn of the 20th century as a way to encourage more people to travel by car (and, by extension, buy more tires), the ratings system used by the guide can make or break a chefs or restaurateurs day. (Ramsay once cried because one of his establishments lost a star). The guide also highlights an interesting example of people valuing what they pay for. Originally, the company gave out the guide for a free. But after Andre Michelin, one of the companys founders, saw a pile of guides being used to hold up a workbench, the company began charging a small fee per copy, so that people would actually value the information found within. The Committee for Public Information If you ask the Public Relations Institute of Australia, it will tell you that the first instance of content marketing dates to 1917, or the USs entrance into World War I. George Creel, a newspaper editor, was brought on by President Wilson to boost support for the war among US residents. Among the tactics Creel used to promote the war message was a team of volunteers delivering short speeches to moviegoers during the time it took to change film reels at the theater. He also hired writers to create articles on the war, which were sent out to papers and magazines across the US. Worlds Largest Store Another early example of B2B content marketing also targeted farmers. In the 1920s, Sears- Roebuck and Company began broadcasting on a radio station that would become known as the Worlds Largest Store (WLS). The radio station broadcast useful tips for homemakers, weather and farm reports, and a Sunday night barn dance, which became the most popular radio program in the Midwest. The radio station allowed the retailer to connect and maintain a relationship with farmers. The earliest models of B2B content marketing paved the way for the contemporary version of it. The examples were relevant to their audiences, and kept the needs of their customers at the forefront.7 FOUR EXAMPLES OF GREAT B2B CONTENT MARKETING CAMPAIGNS What does a successful B2B content marketing campaign look like in action? Take a look at a few successful campaigns from recent years and learn what features made them work. 1. American Express Open Forum American Express first launched Open Forum in 2007. Since then, its been a shining example of B2B content marketing done right. The programs focus is small businesses, and it contains articles on pretty much every single topic that would concern a small business owner, such as customer acquisition and money management. The content on Open Forum is written in a friendly, engaging tone. Along with advice articles, the website has a feature that lets businesses register and potentially have their own stories shared on the site. Not all of Open Forums content is online, either. There are also offline, in-person events for small business owners that take place across the US. Although the sell is soft on Open Forum, its all very clearly connected to American Express. 2. LeadPages LeadPages works in a pretty competitive Heres a quick, five-step guide to putting together a B2B content campaign. Develop a Strategy According to the SOCE, content marketing is rated as the most effective marketing technique (by marketers). But theres one thing that influences how effective your brands content marketing is going to be, and thats whether or not you have a strategy in place for the content. Part of developing a strategy for your content is deciding who your core audience is, and how youll reach that audience. Putting together a buyer or audience persona allows you to really zero in on whom youre talking to. When creating a persona, ask yourself: What industry is your audience in? How big is the business? What d
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