Content Marketing In Practice Captivate. Convert And Cultivates

Content Marketing that Breaks Through the Barrage of Information

Content marketing is a difference maker. It can help your business stand out from the crowd, generate leads, and nurture customers. That may sound like a tall order. But it's doable.

In today's world, you're saturated with information. There's direct mail, email, web content, Tweets and other social media. All compete for your attention. It's relentless.

Fortunately, useful marketing can help you combat this onslaught. But what exactly is useful marketing? More importantly, how does a marketer write B2B content that captivates prospects, converts customers, and cultivates customers?

Useful marketing meets current and future customer information needs by publishing content on multiple levels that benefits prospects and customers. It builds trust and helps build relationships.

With that in mind, B2B marketing communications must address three conditions.

· Content must be needs-focused and address a targeted audience.

· Communications must be relevant.

· Messaging must be presented in the prospects' and customers' preferred format and platform.

Content that captivates prospects

To break through the mass of information, you must publish B2B content that's compelling. Old media marketing methods like broadcast mass media are out. Personalized marketing is in. You can personalize marketing content with needs-focused messaging that speaks to a targeted audience. This one's a no-brainier. Nothing works better than content focused on a prospect's needs, wants and desires. This re frames selling into problem solving, according to Wordsworth and Holland. It also entails addressing prospects rationally and emotionally. To further personalize content, you must segment your audience. Jay Baer points out in Utility, that meaningful content helps build trust, which keeps customers coming back.

Content that converts customers

Your goal is to convert prospects into leads and leads into customers. Relevant B2B content helps you do that. Relevant content is informative and timely. You accomplish that by narrowing your scope and digging deeper into solving your Leda's pain points. You don't know when your prospect will need your products or services. But providing content that offers a relevant solution in a timely manner will resonate with a prospect. A powerful way to do that is to frame your solution as a story. As Joe Pulizzi said, "A quality story that is told to the right person at the right time will always cut through the clutter." 

Content that cultivates customers

You can cultivate customers and help them move along the buying cycle with content. That includes lead generation, conversion and nurturing customers. To do all of these effectively, you should develop content that considers the way in which your customers consume content. And it must be available where your customers gather. Where do they hang out: on your website, on YouTube, Twitter, or your company blog? Don't forget mobile. A 2011 study commissioned by Google revealed that mobile phone use exceeded PC use. Take the time to uncover how your customers consume their content. Some like print, some like video and others prefer podcast.

Making a difference with B2B content marketing

A properly planned and executed content marketing strategy can get you in front of the competition. Today's new methods put you in control. You can control your message. You can control the type of content you publish. And you can control your content distribution.

And just as important, useful B2B content benefits your prospects and customers. Content that's transparent and engaging builds trust and long-term relationships. You'll establish your business as a "go-to" resource and gain competitive advantage. You'll be "Useful".

Content Marketing has changed the future of marketing.