Is There Value in B2B Content Marketing?

“Is there value in B2B content marketing?” Now there’s a question that every B2B marketer must ask themselves every time they need to put together new content for their website or social media outreach. I know it’s certainly a question I asked myself before putting them together.

The following has been my experience with putting content together and ensuring that there is true value in the B2B content I produce for our promotional products businesses — Banner Pens and MyPaperCups.

I’m also drawing upon the experience we get every day with our customers that are producing content for their banner pens and how they use them to position themselves as industry experts.

It’s About Them — Not You

I knew when we started our content marketing strategy for our promotional products we could never just focus on our products — we produce promotional pens and custom paper cups — it was never going to provide us with enough information and was always going to sound too sales orientated.

What we had to do was address not only the direct questions about our products but also broader issues that my customers are trying to address — issues around increasing sales, distributing content, maximizing advertising budgets — all the issues that businesses typically face — including ours. Drawing upon our own experiences — we look to provide some value around what we have found and been able to achieve — along with how our products might fulfill some of the requirements and help achieve some of the goals they are looking to achieve.

In talking to our customers about the content and resources they place upon their banner pens, we are always reminding them to include content that is going to get their customers coming back to the banner time and time again, information that is most relevant and helpful while also positioning them as an expert in their field.

Answer Questions

Always look at what the businesses you are serving are going through. What are the challenges that they are facing? How can you help them face and overcome those challenges that they faced?

Suggestion: develop a blog, website or downloadable eBook that answers FAQs. Obtain feedback from your sales team with regards to the questions they are most asked. Consumers are going online to get answers to their queries. By producing online content that provides customers with answers, you become a resource by filling a need.

What Is the Intention of Your B2B Content Creation?

When developing a B2B content marketing strategy you need to set your guidelines around what types of content you produce, where you share it, and what subjects are covered.

Develop content that creates value, answers questions, enlightens, educates, converts, sells and retains. Everything we produce must have a purpose, and provide value for potential clients.

Knowing the intentions of your content marketing strategy is essential in making and producing an effective one for any company.

Provide Potential Clients with Value

Above all other things, ensure that the content you provide is going to provide value to your customer base. This is the most important part of it. If it provides no value, your customers won’t read it and they certainly won’t see your business as helpful.

Keep Your Customers

For most B2B companies, returning customers are the meat-and-potatoes of income. Content revolving around keeping customers is of paramount importance to any business who wants to stimulate long-term relationships. Your competition is always trying to get your customers’ dollars. Helpful, original content tells your existing customers why your services are superior to others.

SUGGESTION: Email newsletters and blog articles are a fantastic approach to retaining customers. For companies that don’t already have long-term client relationships, newsletters and blog articles can really help.

As a business, we’ve seen the benefits of B2B content marketing and are excited to see that benefit being enjoyed by our customers via their banner pens as well. At the end of the day for us — the value of the content you provide your customers will ultimately see your business benefit in return via increased sales and brand recognition