Content is king – have you heard of it? Hardly anyone can ignore this slogan today. But what is content marketing – and why is it so important? We explain, describe and show you why content is so royal, especially for small B2Bs.
1. What is content marketing?
Winning and retaining customers with exciting content: this is roughly what content marketing is all about. The customer should come to the product, not the other way around. For this reason, content marketing is also part of what is known as pull marketing .
In short, every text and video that you publish on your website is part of your content marketing. But: just putting content online is by no means marketing.
If you want to address your target group with content, there is more to it than just writing a few texts. The reason: different target group, different interests!
What does the customer want?
The question of all questions – asked by business owners and marketers since the beginning. Content marketing is based on offering (potential) customers relevant, exciting and activating content and thereby triggering an impulse to buy.
The rule is: first the strategy, then the content ! Many companies underestimate the effort involved in successful content marketing.
Content strategy – these are the most important steps:
- Analysis : Analyze the initial situation as well as current topics and goals
- Conception : Develop ideas, plan design and content
- Production : Start creating content. Do you need a landing page?
- Distribution : Only now do you publish the content via websites, social networks or landing pages
- Evaluation : last but not least – was the campaign successful? And even more important: what can you improve to achieve even more success?
2. Why content marketing?
B2B needs content! The so-called supreme discipline is not only successful in the B2C area, it is also perfect for B2B. This is proven by a study from the USA: 86% of all B2B companies there already rely on content marketing . Why?
The 7 best reasons for content marketing:
- Content marketing is fresh!
Stateofinbound publishes the sad truth about conventional online advertising in its content marketing report: Ad blockers prevent advertising banners from being displayed, almost half of the mailings are deleted without being read. So rely on fresh content! - Content marketing is sustainable!
Produced content does not expire – it enriches, supplements and shapes your website. And offer the user valuable added value, because: an explanatory video about a new software technology from the printing press manufacturer manroland can be played again at any time – and offers potential customers valuable information even six months later. - Content marketing is exciting!
Hand on heart – do you still find typical slogans and impersonal advertising mailings appealing? Neither does the user. Stories as told byautomotive manufacturer ZF (in technical jargon: storytelling) are exciting – because they are different. - Content pushes your SEO!
Another plus point for content marketing: good content brings you up in the SEO ranking. Self-created content on websites is rated particularly well, because: Google wants to offer its users the best possible, high-quality results. - Content marketing is target group specific!
Even if large content campaigns like Hornbach’s “Du Lebst” appeal to large, anonymous masses, content can be just as small and individual.
Create videos, offer online training, and write copywriting. Make sure to address your target group as personally as possible.
Ludwig Leuchten from Augsburg , B2B manufacturer for standardized lighting, managed to address this through its own online magazine: ” Ludwig Linien ” –
Can be downloaded free of charge from the website. The Augsburg company provides monthly information about new innovations, industry requirements and current customer references.
- Content is budget-neutral.
Costs for content marketing are flexible. You can of course invest almost immeasurable sums of money in your content. However, the target group in B2B is usually more manageable, individual and personal than in broad B2C mass markets. Therefore, large sums of money are often not necessary in B2B content marketing – and therefore all the more interesting for small regional companies! Because: once created and invested, the content can be used in a variety of ways. - Content is easy to consume!
The special thing about B2B: the products and services themselves. While B2C produces for everyone, B2B products are usually characterized by one thing: Specificity! The consequence of this is often a need for explanation. Educate your customers – through videos, infographics, whitepapers. Because: those who understand better are convinced faster.
As you can see: you should definitely not do without marketing with content. But what options do you have to share your content with users? We explain the most important content marketing instruments to you.
3. Content Marketing: The Best Content Tools
Content marketing can be anything – from serious to funny to crazy. As long as the target group is reached, anything is possible. Therefore, there are virtually no limits to the use of media to distribute content.
No matter whether photos, videos or blog texts: content marketing can use more formats than almost any other marketing discipline. This is precisely what makes the application particularly interesting for small companies and the B2B sector. There is a suitable format for every product category and target group.
You can start your content marketing with these formats:
- Photos
Imagery is particularly important – and can be used on all platforms, from social media to your own website - Videos
Explanatory videos are a popular means of content, especially in the B2B area and for products and services that require explanation - Webinars
Training courses on the web offer the customer a particularly high added value for products such as technologies that require explanation – and give you contact with the target group. - Presentations
Share your knowledge with potential customers via platforms like Slideshare – this is how you create a good image! - Whitepapers
Documents with additional information offer your customers exciting content that can be downloaded free of charge - Corporate blogs
prospective generate, educate customers, motivate employees: hardly a content agent is as versatile as a corporate blog
The article shows you: Content marketing can really be royal. Without an intensive investment of time and precise planning, however, you will not rule the supreme discipline.
