Originally published June 29, 2021 , updated on September 2, 2024

Consumers don’t want cheap, inauthentic ads. They want to engage with marketing efforts that align with their values and beliefs and feel authentic. This is one of the many reasons why the right content marketing tactics have become increasingly important. It’s also why it’s important to include content marketing in B2B. 

It might feel as though content marketing is geared more towards the B2C business sector. That is not the case. The B2B sector has seen a massive increase in lead generation from this type of marketing strategy. This results in more buyers looking for ways to engage with the companies they purchase from.

Various studies have shown the success of this type of marketing. They highlight how these efforts lead to more leads than paid search advertising. It is also said that this strategy has a higher ROI than traditional advertising. Information and pieces that come out of content marketing have a long lifespan, while ads only run when scheduled. So the question is, are you using this technique in your B2B business?

This piece gives you an in-depth look at what exactly business-to-business content marketing is. We will also look at why it’s important and how it’s different from B2C. To end, we touch on how to use it best going forward, plus some various tactics that you can implement.

What Is B2B Content Marketing?

B2B content marketing is a way of distributing useful information and snippets that speak to other businesses. This content should result in lead generation for your business. It should also increase brand recognition and expand your audience among other businesses. This type of information and marketing targets other businesses. It has the aim of generating leads and increasing sales.

Why Is B2B Content Marketing Important?

Previously, companies would employ a salesperson to hard-sell their products or services to other companies. When last did you or your business buy something from a cold call from a sales rep? We’re guessing it’s been a while.

You first do your research. You look at various websites, customer or client reviews, social media pages and more. Also, you investigate. If your business does not have any valuable pieces and articles online for your audience to use in their “investigation” phase, how are you going to get that sale?

You need information out there so that people can find you, get an idea of your business and brand, and so that your desired audience can know more about you. We don’t mean conventional adverts. Customers – whether consumer or business – want to hear or read your authentic voice and not an advert you designed.

If your business is not putting out content, we assure you that many of your competitors are. You’re losing out. Using this strategy ensures that your business is seen.

What’s the Difference Between B2B and B2C?

Simply put, B2B content marketing tactics target other businesses. For example, a content writing agency is a B2B business because they provide services and marketing strategies to other companies. This type of content speaks to the needs and problems of companies. B2C targets individuals in their everyday lives. For example, a retail company that sells T-shirts for people to wear every day is a B2C company. Their information, articles, videos and more would be about their products and how it helps consumers. B2B content would highlight a business and how the business can help other companies.

How Do You Include B2B Content Marketing in Your Strategy?

There are several ways to develop and include B2B content in your marketing strategies. You could create a blog that speaks to your audience and how your services will better their business. Other ways include being more proactive on social media. By this, we don’t only mean posting on your own channels regularly. We suggest joining social media groups and sharing your pieces there. For example, you could be an app development company that creates applications for easier access to education. You could join some teaching or school groups. This gives you access to schools that might not have previously heard of you and may be in desperate need of your services.

Hunt around for podcasts or media opportunities that put you in front of the right audience. If you’re looking to speak to people in the construction business, for example, look for a construction magazine. You could reach out to see if you could place some of your content as a written piece. Or perhaps there’s a construction-focused podcast that you could speak on. You could even start your own podcast as a way of creating strong content.

What Are Some B2B Content Marketing Tactics?

Decide what audience you want to target. This will guide your B2B content strategy in every way. It will help you decide on topics, tone, language usage, where you target your social media ads and more. Understanding who your audience is and how they buy your product will help you tremendously.

Once you do this, create buyer personas and think through how other businesses would use your services. Think about how they would find you, where they would find you and what you want them to see. Don’t lead with pushing your product on companies and organisations – sell your story first. The B2B business is very much about relationship building. Build the relationship first before you do the hard sell. 

Develop the content you want people to see and decide on how you want to distribute it. Will it be blogs, emails, newsletters, podcasts or social media? Create different types so that people have options. Not everyone wants to read a long-form blog post. Some might wish to see an infographic, a video or listen to a podcast. Don’t forget about ebooks, case studies and whitepapers, too. This type of content is essential in the business world and will go a long way in building trust among your audience.

Conclusion

There are so many ways to use B2B content marketing tactics in your strategy effectively. And all of this could help with lead generation. You might be feeling overwhelmed right now. Perhaps you don’t think that you can do it yourself. If so, enlist the help of a B2B content marketing agency that specialises in B2B content marketing strategies. Whatever you choose, just make sure you don’t miss the boat.

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