Why is Content Marketing Important for B2B (Answered!)

B2B content marketing produces compounding returns, increases organic traffic, generates high-quality leads, and expands your brand reach. It also helps you establish authority in your industry and is cost-effective. 

As an entrepreneur looking for ways to increase profitability, marketing in the B2B space can be complex and challenging. Unlike B2C marketing, it is targeted at key decision-makers in organizations. Therefore, the competition for customers’ attention is higher. 

If you have not received favorable results from your B2B marketing efforts, it’s time to change tactics.

Content marketing has become a crucial marketing strategy for brands serious about drowning out the noise and standing out in this saturated space. 

If you are in the B2B space and still wondering if content marketing is worth the investment, then you are in luck!

In this post, we will break down why content marketing is vital for your B2B business.

What is B2B content marketing?

B2B content marketing, also referred to as Business-to-Business content marketing, as the name implies, is the process of developing and distributing content to attract other businesses.

It is a strategy targeted at businesses or organizations instead of individual consumers. 

The content is more informational and straightforward because significant purchase decisions are based on the possible ROI it will generate for the organization, in contrast to B2C content marketing, where monetary ROI does not play a role in consumers’ purchase decisions. 

Additionally, it is focused on reaching and connecting with the key decision-makers in a company. 

Hence, content marketing has become an essential marketing strategy for most businesses. 

According to the Content Marketing Institute survey, 71% of B2B content marketers have stated that content marketing has become more important than the previous year. 

When companies face specific challenges, some individuals are tasked with finding the solution to the problem.

If you are one of the individuals,  your first port of call is to research the internet for the solution. 

You are looking for valuable and informational content addressing your company’s pain points. And any website that creates content that solves these problems will easily gain your trust. 

Therefore, content marketing is an excellent means of getting the attention of your target group than an overzealous sales team and it enhances the sales process. 

You may also like: Best B2B Digital Marketing Channels (Updated 2023!)

7 importance of B2B content marketing

Whether you are targeting big enterprises, small businesses, or institutions, B2B content marketing will improve your business performance. 

Here are 7 reasons content marketing is a  plus for your marketing needs. 

1. B2B Content marketing produces compounding returns

Employing content marketing in your B2B marketing has long-term value. It has incremental gains and produces tremendous results. 

It is all about volume, consistency, and quality. Creating timeless, helpful, and relevant content can attract thousands of visitors to your website years later, translating to more sales. 

For example, when you check out Google for a piece of information, sometimes you will find articles posted 2 years ago still ranking on the first page. That is the power of high-quality, timeless content. 

Evergreen content will grow faster with time compared to temporal content. For example, according to the above illustration by Tomasz Tunguz, in a year, a blog post can generate more than 250k visitors per month. 

Contact Redakthor for timeless articles that will remain ever-relevant.

2. Ad saturation and unsolicited sales pitches are a turn-off 

Excessive ads and being constantly contacted by salespersons have become inconveniencing for business executives. They have little time to look at these promotions and pitches.

 If this is your only B2B marketing strategy, you are losing many potential customers. 

They are bombarded with outreach and pitches from different brands trying to sell one thing or the other. How do they filter all these messages they receive daily?  

They will most likely ignore your sales pitch and paid ads if you have not shown them how your product will be an asset to their organization. 

The best way to get their attention is by creating content that resonates with them.

3. B2B content marketing expands your brand reach

To broaden your market and reach new customers, content marketing will help you get there. The space is competitive, so if you want to drown out the noise, you need to make an impression by distributing content that attracts your target audience.

It will require more than paid ads to grab their attention,  showcase what your brand represents, and what makes your brand stand out from the competitors. 

4. It generates high-quality leads  

Targeted content generates qualified leads for your business. B2B content marketing requires strategic communication and straightforward content to build a stronger connection with your audience. 

You can accomplish this by creating high-quality content that will attract more leads. When your content is informative and helps them solve their problem, it will keep your business top of mind anytime they are ready to make a purchase. 

Read also: 7 Tips to Create Highly Engaging Content (On Any Channel!)

5. It increases your website traffic 

Attracting the right audience to your website requires creating the right content through blog posts. This will, in turn, increase your organic traffic. 

When you consistently deliver engaging and interesting content that does not usually attempt to sound like you are running an advert, it will capture their attention. And It will increase your rankings on search engines. 

You may also like: 19 Best SEO Content Writing Services (Read This First!)

6. It positions you as a thought leader in your industry

Valuable and relevant content will go a long way in showcasing your expertise in your industry. Creating this helpful content helps you gain attention, engagement, and trust.

It also tells your target buyers how your product/service is the best solution to their problem.  

For example, If there is a brand, you usually see their blog posts on search engine result pages sharing tips that have been instrumental to your business growth. You are more likely to patronize their services when you are ready because they have shown you that they are experts in what they do.

However, this can only be achieved when your content is premium quality and unique. 

Get in touch with Redakthor to build a large volume of valuable content that will showcase your expertise in your niche. 

7. B2B content marketing is cost-effective

Compared to paid ads, content marketing is more affordable. You can always create engaging content that converts if you are on a very slim budget.

And the most attractive part of it is that once you create content, it is eternal. It cannot be tossed aside, and you do not need to keep spending money to see considerable results. You can also repurpose it and share it in different media.  

You may also like: Content Marketing vs Paid Ads: Which One Has a Higher ROI?

Useful tips for creating an effective B2B content marketing strategy

Due to the complexity of marketing to a B2B audience, it is crucial to utilize an effective strategy that will optimize your ability to reach potential and existing customers to increase your profitability. 

Here are a few tips to guide you in your B2B content marketing journey:

Understand your value proposition

Before thinking about creating content for the B2B market, the first thing you need to do is to understand your product and the specific problem it will be solving for potential customers.

Some things to consider include:

• What is their primary offering to customers?
• Who will benefit from the product?
• What are the problems the product seems to address?
• Why should your business be chosen among other competitors?
• What makes your product unique?

Identify your target audience and their pain points

Increasing your conversion rate through content marketing requires creating content that speaks to the specific needs of your audience. What businesses are you targeting? What are their specific challenges?

To identify your target audience, start by creating a buyer persona that shows all the characteristics of your ideal customer, then personalize your content to address their pain points.

Here are some questions to guide you in creating a buyer persona:

• Who is your ideal customer?: Is it a small business? A startup or an agency? What is the location of their business? How many employees do they have? Is it a thriving or struggling business?
• What will make them buy your product?: What are the gaps they need to fill? What are their pain points? What are they currently paying for? Are they happy with the product/service?
• What is their current buying process?: Are they ready to make a purchase, or do you need to convince them more? How many key decision-makers will be involved in the purchase? What is their role in the process? 
• What kind of content are they interested in?: Do they prefer podcasts or videos? Where do they spend more time: Twitter or LinkedIn? What is their source of information? What do they search for?

Carry out in-depth research on your competitors

Navigating the B2B space requires researching your competitors. Who are your biggest competitors, and what are their brand offerings?

Identify what makes your brand different from theirs and your unique selling point. This will show what sets you apart from your competitors that will interest your target audience. 

Create multiple content format 

Explore creating multiple content formats for your audience when creating a content marketing strategy. It will help you maximize your reach. 

Some of the content formats you should consider include

Blog posts

Blogging is a versatile content format you can use to attract this target group. It helps build brand awareness, increase traffic and improve brand visibility. 

The customer journey of the B2B customer is complex. Creating helpful information will go a long way in making the decision-making process easier, and they will appreciate it. 

The nature of this content should be informational and data-driven. Keyword research will help determine the customer’s pain points and what they are looking for.

With the helpful content you have created, they are now aware of your brand even if they do not currently need your services. When you keep creating engaging content consistently, they will keep seeking you out for more information. 

Then when they need help with a particular problem your services or product can solve, you will be the first brand they will contact. 

Contact Redakthor for interesting blog post articles to connect with your B2B audience. 

White papers

In B2B, white papers are important in establishing authority and building credibility. It is an in-depth report about a specific subject or product that answers a specific question about your industry or addresses some challenges.

This content type is usually challenging to produce compared to other marketing materials, but they are great lead generation strategy.

You can offer this in exchange for their email address which you can use to warm leads. 

Ebooks

An Ebook is another lead magnet your target group may be interested in. Writing ebooks is more flexible and easier compared to an actual complete book.

When using this as a content format, ensure you offer them valuable and informative content. 

Newsletters

 Email is one of the best marketing channels for any business. A newsletter with relevant content will increase readership over time which can generate more leads and sales.

This report suggests that 77% of B2B companies use email marketing newsletters as part of their content marketing strategies. 

Integrating this into your content format will enable you to build a stronger connection with your audience. Utilize a marketing automation software to streamline this process. 

Webinars

Hosting a webinar is another way of reaching a wider audience. It is also an opportunity to promote your products and services. 

You can discuss certain concepts in your blog posts and expand on them. 

Videos

Video is very effective in improving customer engagement and supporting your marketing efforts. 

You can repurpose your blog post into videos to be shared on Youtube or every other social media platform used by your prospective customers. 

You may also like: How to schedule and use your content for maximum synergy among distribution channels.

Brainstorm on content topics

A crucial part of B2B content marketing strategy is mapping out meaningful and informational topics that will benefit your audience. You cannot create content nobody cares about and expect it to attract your audience or convert.

Research public forums and carry out keyword research to find out what the audience is searching for. 

Define your B2B content marketing goals

You need to clearly define your goals before embarking on this journey. The goal must be specific, measurable, and achievable. 

Define what you want to achieve and how you plan to reach your objectives. 

Analyze your result and content marketing efforts

Measure your result with the goals and objectives you defined earlier and see if you are progressing. 

You can audit your content from time to time to discover your best and worst-performing content. 

Use it to identify which stage of the buyer’s journey your audience is in. It will also help you determine the kind of content to focus on. 

Takeaway: Elevate your B2B marketing to the next level by activating a content marketing strategy

B2B content marketing involves developing and distributing content to attract businesses or companies. It is an essential part of marketing that focuses on building long-lasting relationships with your audience. 

The importance includes that it produces compounding returns, increases organic traffic, generates high-quality leads, and expands your brand reach. It also helps you establish authority in your industry and is cost-effective. 

With all these advantages content marketing offers, it is time to integrate it into your marketing strategy to see tremendous results. 

It can be challenging and complex, but working with a content marketing agency will make the process easier. And the result is worth it.  

Get started with a free website audit from Redakthor.