I recently moved house and, besides developing an obsession with space-saving and cardboard boxes, I have had to setup a lot of utilities. The traditional approach, the one we know most consumers go through, is to research each provider, assess prices and make an informed decision. I did this, for utilities that required a change; but in most cases I went for the same providers I used at my previous home. They were well-known names that I was very comfortable with, and choosing them made the whole process very easy.
That very same logic is what most likely leads facilities officers, fleet managers, IT mangers and CFOs all over the world to choose well-known brands over lesser-known B2B service providers. When you have a million things to do, renewing a contract with a well known or tried and trusted provider is far more time-efficient than spending a week studying online content.
Which raises a question, if you run one of those smaller B2B service providers, how do you take on the big boys? How do you stand out and give yourself a chance when your rivals have better brand awareness and a bigger budget? Content marketing may provide the answer, but it’s not as simple as just pumping content out there. You need to create content that lets prospects know what you can do that the better-known brands can’t. For that, you need to ask a few questions.
Who is your ideal client?
This is an obvious one, and should be the starting point for all content marketing but it’s especially vital for lesser-known B2B businesses. The better you know your market, the more accurately you can target your content. Content that covers your industry’s broader topics can bring in a lot of traffic, but it is less likely to bring you qualified leads. Broad content usually lacks differentiation too, as a smaller B2B your content should mark you out. It’s hard to do that when you are simply adding to a pile of content marked “marketing”.
Instead, you should identify your ideal client in as much detail as possible. Don’t just target CFOs, target CFOs of businesses with more than 50 employees that work in the tech industry and a heavy reliance on online sales. Or whatever your ideal client may be. Make sure you identify them fully, because you need to speak to them as directly as possible.
What do they need?
The next step is to think about the challenges your ideal clients face that your business can help them to solve. Identify the things that you excel at, that could cause your ideal clients to struggle. And, again, be as specific as possible. Then start creating content that solves those problems and meets those needs.
Create content that solves the little problems and demonstrates your ability to solve the big problems. B2B content marketing is all about building credibility and proving expertise. The more knowledgeable you appear on your ideal clients specific difficulties, the more attractive you become as a service provider. Which brings us back to our original goal.
What can you do that bigger brands can’t?
The key factor within all of this is to focus on your strengths. Your business may provide market-leading service or offer outstanding value for money. Focus on the topics that play into these strengths. If you do offer great value, talk about cost-effective solutions to industry problems. If you provide great service, create content that demonstrates that personality and deals with service related issues.
As a lesser-known provider, your name is unlikely to spring to mind at renewal time, instead help your ideal clients to solve day-to-day issues in areas that you specialize in. Allow them to see your ability before they start thinking about services, and make your way into their thinking alongside the standard industry names.
You may offer the best prices, the best product or the best service; but you can’t rely on your clients to discover that all on their own. When they have a million things to do, they’re going to choose familiar options. With the right B2B content marketing strategy, any brand can become that familiar option.
Want to create great content, but you’re stuck? Have a look at our Engaging Content in 20 Questions for a bit of help!
Excellent post Eoin, on an often less discussed aspect of the content marketing process. Focus often tends to be on all the different types of content that can be created, but great content is worth nothing if it is targeted at the wrong person.