Remington Begg
We talk a lot about content creation and it’s role in inbound marketing. Content marketing’s purpose is to attract new and retain current customers by consistently creating relevant and remarkable content, but does it matter if your “customer” is actually another business? Of course! Content marketing is important for both B2B and B2C companies for their success, but it should be handled in a different manner. When looking at the differences, consider these:
Goals
The difference between content marketing in B2B and B2C industries becomes apparent at a very early stage: when you’re setting goals and objectives. New studies from MarketingProfs and the Content Marketing Institute showed that the main objectives for B2B companies engaging in content marketing are raising brand awareness and generating Leads. For B2C companies however, the goal should be more about generating a buzz around their content, and by proxy their brand. While they’re similar, B2B content marketing is more about engagement while B2C is more about the actual conversion to a sale.
Subject Matter
Businesses and consumers buy for very different reasons, and those reasons need to be taken into account for your content strategy. Businesses buy because your product or service fulfils a specific need they have. Their need will usually boil down to one of these basic things:
- Saving money
- Saving time
- Making more money
Businesses don’t buy for frivolous reasons; they aren’t concerned with name brands. They buy out of necessity and their purchases are usually data-driven. The same cannot always be said for consumers. For instance, someone may buy a pair of sneakers even though they’re overpriced because it will make them look cool, but you probably won’t make B2B sales based off that claim. While consumers shop for luxuries, not many successful businesses do. Exactly what your subject matter should be and how you should present it will all depend on how detailed and correct your buyer personas are.
Promotion
Where you promote your content is just as important as what you actually say. Whether it’s a blog, a whitepaper, or a video, it should be shared socially. However, the specific platforms you use to share your content will differ according to the type of content, and its target audience. LinkedIn is probably a great place to connect with professionals looking to read articles about something that will save their company money, while Instagram is more appropriate for millennials looking for vacation ideas. Knowing who you are writing to is vital to where where to promote it.
Most businesses, regardless of who they’re trying to target with their content, have one goal in common: to build awareness of their company. That’s what branding is all about! Many times people believe that once they have a logo their brand is done, that is simply not the case. It’s important to understand that a logo is only one element of a company’s brand. For more detailed help on all of your branding efforts and finding the right voice for your content, download our free eBook D.I.Y. Brand Audit Guide today.
