Business houses buy products or services from other business establishments. They generate tremendous revenue as exchanges take place in bulk quantities without directly establishing a relationship with the end-user (customer).
In cut-throat competition, companies want to establish a long-lasting relationship with their buyers. Content marketing is one such channel operating in their favor. In the recent past, it has garnered a pivotal position as part of any company’s business strategy.
Through content marketing, B2B can develop and disseminate valuable information to its target audience. They can market their products or services in both the short and long run.
Blog Posts:
Blog posts are like compelling screenplays for a drama. The best practices of SEO come into force, and the content can either be condensed or elongated concerning the topic, demographic reach and appeal to the top-of-the-funnel (TOFU) audience.
Infographics
As a picture is worth more than a thousand words, Infographic or Information graphics miniatures all the information it wants to convey in a visual format. It depends on icons, graphics, charts, and text to give information. Its stunning imagery explains the trends, workflow, processes, and much more.
Videos, Webinars
Content marketing through webinars or videos is essential in the newfound freedom of social messaging. A product gets marketed through influencer marketing, product reviews, and live streaming on the internet. Customers get feedback on the product, and so are the makers.
Case Studies
Each case study mobilizes a lead into a prospective customer. It helps to reinforce faith in how the company helped its client. It showcases a scenario and the challenges faced by the client. The various solutions are delivered to the client suggesting the best option to work on. The client implements and gradually witnesses the positive outcomes of the solution provider.
Podcasts
Podcasts are silent revolutionaries that have significantly impacted the marketing of a product/service. There is a vast audience segment who gently indulge in buying the ware due to their disposable income at hand. Podcasts help nudge such customers into considering your product/service.
B2B marketers having a digital presence must recognize the presence of content marketing. It will cost their business massively if proper steps are not taken to incorporate them as a ‘way of marking strategy’.
Let us get started to know what the recent trends in B2B content marketing are
Machine learning & AI-aided content:
With the demand surge for content writers, AI-aided platforms like Write sonic and ChatGPT speed up the process, though the desired results are yet to be achieved. The human element is still needed for quality restoration. However, ML & AI helps with content outline creation & proofreading.
Additionally, AI-driven conversation marketing tools like Chatbots engage the leads or customers to reply to their queries. Buyers get basic knowledge before the sales representative enters the frame.
Direct primary data collection:
Many supporting services for collecting data are prevalent. Yet businesses are relying on sources directly collected through their marketing. Namely, Customers purchase history Customers’ preferences/wish lists or patterns of navigation, On-site user registration, and Running surveys
With a robust data backup, decision-making becomes simpler for creating pages on the web, points to be added in the registration process and other features.
Cross-channel marketing:
Every digital market owner finds modern techniques to canvas their products. This moves from conventional marketing like posters, billboards, social media or emails. They have also incorporated instant messages & mobile push notifications.
Accounts-based marketing:
Accounts-based marketing is a simple strategy where B2B is conducted for an elite group of business houses rather than for a generalized business firm. It is understood that business decisions are made only by a selected few in the firm. Therefore, their marketing approach in the form of advertisement, content and messaging is unilaterally diverted to these top-notch accounts.
Customer data is collected through tools, customer relationship management (CRM) systems or a customer data platform (CDP). B2B companies are uniquely positioned to identify problems about that account and provide resolving solutions. align their marketing strategy with their sales target to achieve a healthy ROI.
Social media content marketing trends:
Short-form:
Short-form video content generates a considerable impact and revenue. It evokes the same response as an athlete running a 100-meter dash compared to running a marathon. They are screened from platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts. The ads on these networks also garner more attention than other social media.
Shop page content in social media feeds:
Social networking platforms like Facebook and Instagram facilitate shopping transactions in the applications. The onlookers in the platform can purchase the product they view. Further, third-party platforms like Buffer or Later can also sell their merchandise using this feed.
Virtual events:
Customers digest virtual events at a rapid rate, whether it is webinars, online courses, product demos, or reviews of entertainment. They produce convincing results in B2B content marketing strategy. Consumers find that an ideal way to compare products, understanding their features & budget.
Intent Monitoring:
Intent monitoring is information gathered from individuals’ searches on the internet. It is collective data of an individual’s pages they visit for purchase or service online. content consumption, engagement metrics, conversion metrics, clicks on social media ads email newsletter subscriber behavior downloads.
An analysis is done through the collected data to understand the patterns of the prospective customer.
The information becomes valuable to have an insight into the prospect. The B2B seller can showcase the buyer with an equal or identical product or content, personalize marketing strategy depending upon the strength of the buyer prioritize which potential buyer to focus on from their list of favorites.
Brand awareness content marketing trends:
a. Influencer marketing:
Influencer marketing is a liaison between the influencer and the brand. They are hired to promote the brand’s product or services using various popular social media like YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook. The person who is endorsing the brand does not necessarily have to be a celebrity. Influencers are meant to be trusted figures in a niche society and have a steady stream of loyal followers.
Some of the key points of an ‘influencer marketer’ are
- Working as a separate and independent entity
- Trust themselves by creating their content
- Incorporate their content into the brand’s advertisement specs.
- Brand’s message portraying is done by them to suit the target audience
- Authenticity and trust becomes a major factor in the brand campaign
- The brands’ image and goodwill get boosted exponentially.
- Brands’ market penetration becomes more accessible as the influencer has a global presence. A maximum percentage of potential leads eventually become customers.
- Unlike celebrity endorsement for a fixed period, the collaboration between the brand and influencer goes for a long or indefinite period. The time, money and effort spent on brand building get diminished.
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO) results are better when compared to other types of promotion.
- Return on investment increases once the influencer is on-board and shows a steady growth arc.
- Quizzes
- Surveys and Polls
- Personality tests
- Giveaways and Contests
- Interactive 360° Videos
- Getting literate about direct consumers’ tastes & preferences
- Social media sharing helps a healthy brand promotion
- SEO optimization gets better and far fetched
- Engaging with the customers helps in building brand loyalty
- Comfortable position to sideline the competitors
- Growth in the revenue trajectory
- Parameters are easily set to target the precise audience whose products/services are meant.
- Gaining insights into the actual demand, anticipated supply, and delivery time frame is feasible.
- Business houses get noticed immediately, and reputation building becomes faster.