Clearly, you enjoy blog posts about B2B marketing. Good for you – you’re investing time in building your skills and knowledge, and I applaud you for it. I’m sure it will pay off handsomely.
But if you’re looking for the next big leap forward in content creation, you can stop reading now. And not just this blog; any blog.
I’ve been writing B2B marketing content for pretty much all of this century. And if I’m sure of one thing, it’s this: there are no silver bullets. No shortcuts. No magic wands.
Last week I took part in a content marketing Twitter chat, and I was struck by how the questions – and the answers – are the same as they’ve ever been.
- How do you get customers to read marketing emails? Send them something they care about.
- The big opportunity for this year? Targeted, relevant content.
- Want content to attract and retain an audience? Answer the questions they actually ask.
Hardly brain surgery – and nothing that would strike you as revolutionary. (We’ve already established you’re an avid reader of B2B blogs. So you know this stuff.)
Sure, there are always tips, hacks and tricks-of-the-trade that can add a little extra something, or make things that much easier. But fundamentally, the route to great content hasn’t changed. It’s doing a few simple things, really well.
And do you want to know the ridiculous part? Everybody knows what those basics are. But B2B marketers are so intent on chasing the next shiny thing that you can stand out by just following through on the stuff you already know.
B2B’s biggest content marketing opportunity?Actually doing the things you already know about.
So maybe it’s time to stop looking for the amazing secret piece of advice that nobody else knows. Because you won’t find it. Instead, you could spend the time on something you already know will make your content better. Here are four things you could do, right off the bat:
1. Create content that’s actually valuable for the reader
We see it every day. So-called Thought Leadership, without any leading thoughts. That’s one of the reasons why Grist and Coleman Parkes found only 29% of it actually gets read. The biggest turn-offs include lack of original ideas, and self-promotion.
So far, so obvious. And yet we still see new blog posts and ebooks cobbled together from online research, and marketing copywriters are routinely denied access to subject matter experts. Because everyone’s busy. The result? Content that has nothing new to say, but says it anyway.
Instead of reading this blog, you could write an email, to ask an engineer for coffee.
2. Make your customer the hero of your story
We hear a lot about storytelling in B2B, and rightly so. But that doesn’t mean everyone wants to know your brand’s superhero origin story.
Your customer will find your story a lot more compelling if it’s about someone who looks like them. And that’s why every worthwhile guide to B2B content and case studies will tell you the customer is the hero, not you.
Your values, your mission, and your founder’s journey? That’s rarely the story we’re looking for. Instead, tell the story of the challenge your customer faces, the change you enable them to make, and the difference it makes in their business.
Ultimately, your content is not about you. (No, not even your “about us” page.) So instead of reading this blog, maybe you should call a customer, and find out about their world.
3. Write in ways your competitors won’t (maybe even use real, everyday words)
The way your brand writes is as much a part of your brand as the way it looks. So your customer’s not going to get the sense you’re practical, approachable, and easy to do business with, if your copy is full of “utilize”, “whilst”, and “proprietary, paradigm-challenging methodologies”.
In life, we all get the sense that a true expert is someone who can explain a subject clearly – so the rest of us can pick up information quickly. But at work, we somehow feel people will be impressed if we use complicated language that gets in their way.
We justify it by saying they’re a senior, educated audience, as if that means they’ll appreciate our bluster. Newsflash: they won’t (and there’s research to prove it). It just means they’re busy – so the quicker they can digest your information, the more helpful your content will be.
Instead of reading this blog post, you could review the way you brief your copywriters. Or maybe even enrol one of your team on a B2B copywriting training course. Ahem.
4. Stop talking about how good you are. Prove it instead.
Talk is cheap – and, instinctively, we all know that. It’s why we’re hardwired to distrust some one who says “trust me”. Or to doubt someone who keeps banging on about their qualifications.
“Hmm”, we realise – without even thinking about it; “That’s what liars do”.
So what does it say when ninety-plus percent of B2B content is all about how brilliant this company or solution is. How its capabilities are unparalleled. Did we mention it’s market-leading? Of course we did. About ten times.
What would you think if someone you knew used the word “unparalleled” about themselves? You’d probably reconsider your friendship. But B2B brands do it all the time.
We don’t trust people because of what they say; we trust them because of how they behave. And the same goes for companies – and their marketing content.
So here’s an idea. Instead of reading yet another blog full of things you already know, how about creating some content that actually shows the reader what you want to express. Are you an expert? Make a complicated subject easy to understand. Are you helpful? Give me something that helps me to do my job. Brilliant customer service? Great; let’s hear from your customers.
Why are you still here?
This blog post probably reads like a greatest hits of advice on how to make good B2B content. I make no apology for that; people seem to be so intent on looking for the new thing that I still see shockingly few pieces of B2B copy that do these basics well. Your next big opportunity could well be lurking among the things you already know.
And besides, I did warn you not to read it.
