B2B CONTENT MARKETING - CONTEXT

Content Marketing: it’s all about the ‘C’ Word

Content marketing can be a blessing and a curse to B2B buyers. Digital technology has made it easier than ever to find out everything they need to know, in just a few clicks. But it’s led to an explosion of information, bombarding their senses, overloading their inboxes, stretching their Google searches.

They’re fed up with having to work so hard to find what they need. Too often, valuable nuggets are buried under a mound of irrelevance – and they haven’t got time to dig. When it comes to successful B2B content marketing, context is everything. It’s about quality, not quantity.

Give your content context

Instead of pushing information out to everyone, ensure the right content reaches the people it’s intended for. It’s about quality, not quantity./

Doing this means putting your audience first, not your brand. Focus on content that engages the people you care about most, and encourages them to talk back.

But generic personas that identify your audiences’ needs and challenges may fail to get your content the attention it deserves.

Context by market

To be practical and sustainable, these challenges need to be common across multiple audiences. For example, creating “a single view of a customer” is desired by brands in many different markets - but achieving it depends on different criteria. Considerations for banking will vary subtly from those in automotive. However, by taking the common issues and contextualising them for each specific industry, audiences will be more likely to recognise their relevancy and engage faster, for longer.

Context by role

In any business, individual requirements are viewed differently by individual roles. The priorities of a CEO will vary from those of a CIO, CFO, and so on. Understanding what makes these people tick makes it much easier to create content that will appeal to them. If it helps them solve a burning issue or even relieve the pressure a little, they’ll thank you for it – and come back for more.

Context by buyer journey

Buyer journeys take many forms, but usually include the same key considerations. By identifying these common elements within your audiences, and tailoring content to help them through each decision, you’ll increase your chances of success greatly. Done well your content can even influence their buying considerations at key points.

Context by channel and media

Creating your story is one thing. Sharing it with the world is another. To make your point heard, you need to send it through the right channels for your audience using the most effective media for each. What media do these people engage with the most ? How do you want them to react? What is the relationship between this channel and another?

Context by personalisation

Thanks to marketing automation, content can be tailored to appeal to specific people, which helps brands get closer with their conversations by using relevant information for each individual.

These clever tools analyse and predict behaviour based on their previous interactions and knowledge, then offer up customised content to engage them and move them in to the next stage of their buying journey. It also avoids annoying them with duplicated or old information.

Start using the C-word!

Microsoft has found that human attention spans have dropped by a third in less than five years. We’re now like goldfish! If it doesn’t grab us, we won’t notice it. Context and engagement has never been so important. Start using the C-word – and get ready for greater return from your content investment.