In technology B2B marketing we are spending thousands of dollars daily on creating content for our customers. There are many rules and guidelines available to us all from trusted sources on how best to do this:
- Be clear about your goal before your start – is this about qualified leads or brand loyalty?
- Be creative, engaging, passionate about your technology
- Be persona driven – what are your customers’ pain points
- Don’t sell but educate – nurture the customer towards you
Ultimately we want our content to be shared and, most importantly, we want influencers to share it.
When selling to engineers, to the engineering mind, research shows us that information can be sourced almost anywhere and it also shows us that the engineers are either blocking content or the companies they work for block it for them. This means we have a smaller window through which to reach our audience and this space is highly populated by our competition. So how do we stand out?
Nothing impresses the engineer more than innovation, ingenuity and expertise and they will listen to those who have a proven track record or knowledge in their field. So we need these influencers to respect what we do, to recognise where our technology can help. Now the simple truth is, these influencers will not share anything that is out of context or poorly written, that is technologically incorrect and has no vision. No amount of creative genius will persuade the technology influencer to interact with a brand that does not invest in giving the market quality technology reporting and analysis.
So to add to the list above on how to execute content marketing we need to put at the top of the list – use professional writers. These writers should know your brand, competing brands and the macroeconomics and microeconomics of your market place. They will be writers who genuinely know what your customers want and need, and know how to approach them to deliver that message. These writers will often have been journalists who have spent years pandering to the whims and needs of their readers…your customers. And they are worth every penny.
So when you are trying to compete with hundreds of brands – the great and the small from known and unknown markets don’t try to do it alone. Look for the real talent in our sector who genuinely understand what is needed to make your content palatable to the customer and to those in the market who might look to engage with your brand and share the word about the value of your technology.
Invest in content that comes from the knowledgeable – don’t just farm it out to the local wordsmith. Context makes a difference. Do this well and the influencers will reach out to you.
