To say that 2020 was a whirIwind of a year would be an understatement. Marketers shifted editorial calendars, adapted their messaging, canceled in-person events, and pivoted to working from home. With so much on their plate, marketing teams had little time to think strategically一they were just trying to get by.

Digital transformation predates the beginning of the coronavirus crisis, but companies have been forced to accelerate their adaptation out of necessity. A majority of B2B marketers (66%) view the changes they've had to make as both short- and long-term adjustments. A digital-first strategy, led by content, is now here to stay.

Content is Crucial

When most people think of content marketing, they think of blog posts that educate the buyer on how your product or service can save them time and money. Content can be that, but it can also be so much more. Content touches and enhances every major tenet of your business (product, sales, and customer success) with the power to attract, satisfy, and retain customers.

You can use content to create brand awareness and draw in prospects. When your content floats to the top of search engine results, it produces results. In fact, 72% of marketers believe that branded content is more effective than traditional advertising.

The annual B2B Buyer Behavior Study from Demand Gen indicates how crucial content is to the B2B buyer's process. 53% of respondents stated they used web search to research purchase decisions and 41% stated that the vendor's website informed them about the solution.

• 70% of buyers said 'content that speaks to their industry' is very important.

• 76% said their buying decision was 'significantly impacted' by content.

• 92% said their decision was influenced by 'an extensive menu of thought-leadership content'.

It's vital to address customers at each stage of their lifecycle. Keeping them top of mind when planning your marketing efforts will help to establish your company as a renowned thought leader. Reaching this coveted spot will draw in customers with the highest lifetime value.

In the Content Marketing Institute's Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets and Trends report, B2B marketers who reported low levels of content marketing success said it was mostly due to perennial problems such as content creation challenges (63%) and strategy issues (51%), rather than anything pandemic related (26%).

If you're also feeling that your content strategy could use a refresh, we've got four key themes for you to consider when making your strategy decisions.

Foster connection

B2B buyers want to feel like they are connecting with someone who has both a strong understanding of the business landscape and their unique business needs. The Demand Gen research asked B2B buyers for their top 5 reasons for choosing a winning vendor:

• 69% of buyers cited a strong understanding of the solution and the business landscape.

• 65% said a strong knowledge of their needs.

• 62% said the vendor provided content that made it easier to build a business case for purchase.

• 55% cited the quality of the content on offer.

• 52% said the content mix helped them with each stage of the decision making process.

In other words, to make a meaningful connection, your content should empathise with the problems customers have to address and provide genuine insight that seeks to address those needs. This means thinking less about content as a marketing tactic and more as a way to provide actionable advice or innovative ideas.

Brand Values

Don’t forget about issues that matter to people outside of work can foster a shared understanding. Highlighting your brand values can foster an even stronger connection between consumers and your company. Where relevant, share where your company stands on social issues, inclusivity, and sustainability.

But beware that making a few social media posts doesn’t mean that box is ticked一people will see that for the cynical marketing tactic that it is. Be proactive by consistently publishing content that is congruent with company policies, CSR targets, and donations.

Speaking about social issues also means that your audience will feel they have the right to ask questions about related, sometimes even tangential, social issues. Are you ready to have that conversation? Do you have processes in place to address sensitive questions should they arise? Anticipate that your content will naturally invite conversation and prepare to take a stance that matches your company’s mission.

While this may seem like a lot of groundwork to do, it pays off in terms of trust and credibility. As reported by the DemandGen Content Preferences Survey, B2B audiences placed a higher emphasis on the trustworthiness of a source in 2020 (51%), and this is not likely to change.

Concentrate on developing content that establishes your E.A.T (expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness) credentials. Not only does this provide the content your B2B audience prefers, it also creates quality content that search engines favor.

User Generated Content

User generated content (UGC) has been a big trend in B2C for several years, and has now trickled into the B2B experience as well. When researching new solutions, over half (57%) of B2B buyers turn to user-generated content, such as social feedback and commentary to give them a realistic picture of how your product or service works.

Introduce new opportunities for your audience to interact with your brand, make an authentic connection, and be a part of the brand story. Not only is this a “free” content source, user-generated content is more trustworthy. When making a purchase decision, consumers find UGC nearly 10 times more impactful than influencer content.

Interaction with user content is also valuable. Read the comments people leave and respond to reviews with integrity. Answering people's questions in an open way can help you become a trusted source.

Video Content and Live Streaming

Video and audio were already big trends, but grew even more popular with the proliferation of remote work. 65% of B2B buyers engaged with video in their buying process. Plus, video was ranked as the content format B2B executives were most likely to share.

Live video panels and webinars have also fulfilled people’s craving for a shared experience. As well as providing an opportunity for real-time interaction, going live provides a platform to talk about current events and demonstrate commitment to your company’s overall vision.

The best part is that you don’t have to create this content from scratch. Collaborate with industry experts and partner with affiliates to produce the more resource intensive formats and ask to participate in events other companies have already organised.

Online communities are another way for your company to consistently connect with members of your target audience. This distribution channel increases the likelihood that content will be consumed and acts as a networking platform for members. A great example is Salesforce Experience Cloud (formerly Community Cloud). Users can add community portals, help centers, and forums to their own website. Fostering communities on social media works, too. LinkedIn is especially effective, with 66% of B2B marketers agreeing that it generated the best overall content marketing results in the last 12 months.

Embrace innovation

With the sheer amount and variety of content available, companies must innovate to stay competitive. Content is the main way brands can connect with people these days, and now is the time to stand out from the crowd. Luckily, the average consumers’ comfort levels with virtual experiences are much higher. This opens the window to introducing new ways of distributing and creating content.

Get creative and interactive

B2B buyers are demanding richer content experiences. Expectations have been raised by their experience as consumers but people are also looking to content as a way to fill the gap left by face to face interaction. Although budgets may be constrained, your imagination is unlimited. Consider this an opportunity to tap into your creativity.

Having too many options can be overwhelming, so begin by deciding the types of content you would like to create and nailing down your most effective and relevant distribution channels. Be innovative with the format you choose—live streams, podcasts, and other video marketing can become the foundation for engaging presentations.

Don’t forget about crowd interaction. Bringing your audience into the fold makes for a more memorable, connected experience. In addition, this can give you more clues as to what content to publish next.

Get a Different Perspective

Your sales teams is one of your most effective assets. Use them as sounding board in the content creation process and employ their experience with direct customer contact.

Sales teams know the questions prospects frequently ask and what rebuttals are required to move a sale along. They also know how to address concerns from different members of the B2B buying team. This can help you to create content that educates your buyer and that fuels your account-based marketing strategy. Keep in mind, these people are confident pitching your products and could be possible stars for video content and podcasts.

Finally, don’t limit your interactions to the sales team. Leverage knowledge from other teams as well. Customer services, customer success managers and account handlers are a gold mine for understanding user intent during prospecting, implementation, and renewal periods.

You can also consider an employee advocacy programme that encourages employees to use their social media channels to promote content whenever possible.

Understand The Customer

67% of B2B buyers say they are relying even more on content to research and inform purchase decisions. As such, it’s crucial to focus on search intent. Your content should answer the questions that people in your audience are asking. What are the jobs the people in your audience need to do? How can your content help them to do those jobs? How will your product or service save customers time and money?

It’s not just about building awareness either. Your content should nurture people at every stage of the customer journey. Framing your content in terms of user intent will structure it in a logical way, thereby optimising it for SEO, featured snippets, and voice search ‘position 0’. This is key. In this economic climate, every piece needs to be dialed into your audience and give them the ROI they are looking for.

Meet them where they are

Pay close attention to who is consuming your content and why. Take a step back and look at all of your content in the context of the customer preferences. Is it optimised for each channel and segment of your customer base? Are you providing them with an experience they value? For example:

• 44% of B2B customers prefer mobile-optimized content.

• 43% prefer content from industry influencers.

• Most B2B buyers find research and survey reports most valuable, followed by whitepapers, e-books, and video content.

• Video is shared among colleagues the most, but white papers, surveys, and blog posts are also valuable in the decision-making process.

Bear in mind that people need repeat touches for content to sink in. On average, it takes 7 impressions of an ad to reach the customer, so don’t be afraid to promote.

Paid distribution channels and retargeting can boost your content’s reach. While most B2B marketers use LinkedIn advertising, use of paid instagram has increased. Take advantage of lookalike audiences and retarget customers based on behavioural triggers and other customer intelligence.

Be Prepared to Pivot

Leaving room to pivot may be the most essential component of your digital marketing strategy. Responding to current events and changing your content according to emerging customer priorities keeps it fresh and timely. Being tone deaf to customer expectations reflects poorly on your brand. On top of that, stale content decreases your chances of appearing high in the search engine page results.

Measure and Mobilise

Content is a numbers game一77% of B2B buyers consume between 3 or more pieces of content before making a purchase decision. But how do you know when content is working and when it’s not? The answer lies in your data. Marketing technology helps you visualise the full picture of your content marketing efforts across the whole customer experience.

Stay agile by closely monitoring your site traffic, email marketing metrics, conversions, and social media engagement. Each of these metrics provide insight into consumer behaviour and receptivity. In tandem, set up Google alerts to stay on top of new trends, legislation, and competitor releases. Build time into your editorial calendar to adjust messaging, rearrange distribution channels, or update your promotion schedule. 

When you need to change course, it’s tempting to do it all in-house. People in your company know the brand voice and story, and it can feel time-consuming to train up external vendors. However there are plenty of experienced outsourced partners that can fill gaps in both resource and expertise, enabling you to respond intelligently and agilely to changing customer needs.

Maintain your competitive edge 

One thing is clear: content should be at the core of your business strategy. Choosing marketing channels that foster connection, crafting innovative, personalized content, and staying adaptable can catapult you to the top of the pack. But staying at the top requires an even more strategic toolset.

No matter how hard they work, individual contributors can only produce so much content. 1827 Marketing can help you systematically expand your reach through our talent network and automation tools. Grow and sustain your competitive edge by booking an 1827 Marketing demo today.