As parents we tell our children to eat their veggies because they are good. Then what happens? We struggle, the kids are unhappy, the veggies just sit there staring at us. Even as adults, fitness and nutrition experts tell us to eat what’s good and avoid what’s bad. A lot of what we eat may be very good for us, but that isn’t why we eat it. We (mostly) eat what we like, whenever we want to. Tell me about it, I’m openly, unabashedly, a ‘foodie’!
Marketing 101 tells us that we must give our target audience what they need. That’s the same as giving kids more veggies because they need them. Not easy. Packaging and presentation makes all the difference. Veggies? No! Broccoli trees, cauliflower bunnies with carrot ears, celery skateboards on cherry tomato wheels, zucchini cake, bean sprout worms sticking out of apple stars…well, now we’re talking!
It’s all about connecting with your audience in a way that is relevant to them. You need to understand the context your audience is interested in first, then bring them around to what you want to talk to them about. One of the ongoing frustrations in B2B marketing is how to get your prospects and customers to listen to what you know they need.
I am in no way suggesting that you should trick your audience into listening to you…ahem…as if you or anybody can! Audiences are smarter than they have ever been before and they control what they want, when they want it. So how can you “dress up” the information you know that your prospects really must be aware of? How will you communicate, distribute and make them remember and share your valuable content in a way that is not just palatable, but appetizing, appealing, attractive, memorable?
5 Ways to Package and Present B2B Content…the Kind You WANT to Eat!
1. Use language that resonates with your audience: It doesn’t matter what industry you are in, you need to speak in a language your audience understands and is familiar with. If that means using lingo associated with World Cup football, NASCAR, the Olympics, the Oscars, Grammy Awards, or anything else that helps make the connection, it’s worth it. You absolutely do not need industry jargon to communicate effectively with your B2B buyer. Of course, by the time you reach that point in the sales cycle where they are now asking questions or open to discussing your product specifically, some degree of tech-speak is acceptable. It helps, however, to keep it simple and use everyday language even at that stage.
2. Ride on current trends: What are people talking about and feeling excited over? Perhaps you can find ways to weave your messages into a discussion about the ALS Ice Bucket challenge (I did that too, by the way, and I did get cold feet…after the dousing!). Or pay a tribute to the inimitable Robin Williams. Show your empathy for people in Napa after the earthquake. Pick a trending topic that your audience is already engaged with and use that interest to steer it in the direction of what you have to offer. Remember to do it in as natural and relevant a manner as you can.
3. Solve the main problem first: When you visit your physician for an annual check-up, monitoring your high blood pressure and your existing heart condition will be part of the routine. But if you are suffering from back pain, you want your doctor to address that first during your visit. That’s exactly how it works in B2B marketing as well. You may have a slew of products and services to offer that can resolve a range of different problems for your prospects. However, they will only engage with you if you offer the BEST solution to the BIGGEST challenge they are struggling with currently.
4. Assume your audience is listening to you, in person: A lot of B2B content marketers continue to write for the search engines. You see, search engines do not speak, or listen or make a purchase. Who takes all those actions is your audience. If you were to imagine them standing in front of you, listening to what you have to say, would you speak to them the same way as your website or blog or online brochure does? Whatever you do, you can’t be dull and boring. Don’t drive your audience away or offend them by pretending to connect with them, when all you care about is the search engines.
Here’s a test: Take a printout of your landing page or home page and read it out loud. Then read it word for word to a prospect in a meeting. Nervous? Feeling foolish? You shouldn’t be if the messaging is relevant, useful and presented in a language they will understand.
5. AIDA: Follow the tried and tested formula of AIDA – Attention, Interest, Desire, Action, to carry over into all of your messaging. With B2B lead generation, you actually do have a lot more time to do this since you are dealing with longer, complex sales as compared to shorter, faster B2C sales.
Feel free to leave me a comment. You can also email or call me, Louis Foong, at (905) 709-3827. If you enjoyed this post, please click hereto receive email updates and information about B2B lead generation.
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