Framework for Developing Your Own B2B Marketing Content
Are you feeling a bit anxious about creating content for your B2B marketing? Have you exhausted all your options for putting off content creation? We've all been there at some point. But guess what? You have a secret weapon. And who is that expert? Well, it's none other than you!
Yes, you and your colleagues are the ones who know your products, services, and how to solve your customers' problems better than anyone else. You've done the research and you understand their habits and needs. So why not put that expertise to use and create engaging content?
Whether you have ample budget and resources, or you are operating solo in a DIY world, the process for developing quality, original content is the same. We’ve laid out that process for you in four steps.
Step 1: Identify Your Target Audience
The first thing you’ll need to do is figure out exactly whom your content is targeting. You will need to flesh out that persona fully. Identify the persona’s problems or needs, and how your products and services help fill the gap.
Your persona should include demographics, psychographics,
Demographics: Age, location, gender identity, career path, job, education, family, etc.
Psychographics: Personality traits, interests, challenges, motivations, etc.
Step 2: Create a Content Calendar
Next, develop a content calendar for that persona. A content calendar puts a timeframe for the tasks involved in the production of each piece. It allows you and your marketing team to see clearly how the content will be delivered over a specific time, such as a quarter or a year. For example, if your company provides office supplies to other businesses, and some of your biggest customers are schools and government organizations, you will want to plan the content calendar around the knowledge that most orders are placed at the beginning and the end of the fiscal year.
Step 3: Develop Communication Channels
If you are going to produce all this awesome content, then an important step in the process is deciding how you will deliver it to your target persona. Do you want to use social media outlets? Will you use your email marketing platform? Do your targets respond well to direct mail? What about using print or digital advertising to drive users to your blog and other content on your website? If you already have data, use it to inform your decision about the channels that will work best. If not, make an educated guess, and find ways to capture data to use to review after a period of time. You can always make adjustments.
Step 4: Write, Write, and Write Some More
Jump in, start writing, and keep writing. Write emails, blog articles, and whitepapers. Publish an eBook on your website. Compose scripts for videos, social media posts, and blog posts.
Don’t underestimate the importance of a well-written follow-up email. The idea is to build up a queue of content so that when other marketing duties dominate your time, you have content in the hopper ready to publish. Also, don’t forget to build in time and a process for editing and obtaining approval from management or the legal department, if necessary.
So Now What?
B2B marketers, I know you can do it. Take your expertise, follow these steps, and get going. You’ll be amazed at the quality content you can create in just a few months.
Image courtesy of Unsplash.com
Learn more about the steps to creating your content by downloading our ebook, Feeding the Monster.
