These days the deluge of information we have available is frankly overwhelming, and our attention spans are short enough as it is. When it comes to B2B lead generation for your business, using engaging content can be most effective.
Unlike traditional marketing methods, which often interrupts, content marketing attracts potential customers by offering them value through information, education, and engagement. This strategy not only draws in leads but also nurtures them through the sales funnel, ultimately converting them into loyal customers.
In this article, we look at the different types of content you can use and how they might work for your B2B ecommerce store.
Why content marketing is important for B2B ecommerce
Content marketing is a staple in the B2B e-commerce space for several reasons:
- Educates your audience: B2B purchasing decisions are typically complex, involving multiple stakeholders and a considerable amount of research. Content marketing gives you the opportunity to take the lead here, by providing the information these decision-makers need to understand their problem, solution options, and eventually how your products and services can add value.
- Builds brand authority: By sharing insights, industry news, and solutions to common problems, you establish yourself and your business as leaders in your field, building credibility and trust with potential customers.
- Improves SEO: High-quality, keyword-rich content boosts your website’s search engine ranking, making it more visible in search results. With each piece of content you create, you cast a wider net when it comes to attracting leads.
- Supports other marketing strategies: Content marketing is foundational to email marketing, social media, and PPC campaigns by providing valuable material to share and promote.
Effective content types for generating B2B leads
Let’s delve into some of the most effective types of content that can help B2B ecommerce sites attract and convert leads:
White papers
White papers are in-depth reports on specific topics that present a problem and provide a solution. They’re an excellent way to showcase your expertise and offer valuable insights to your audience.
If you were a company specialising in cybersecurity solutions for businesses, you might publish the a white paper, “Your Guide to Securing Your Business in the Digital Age.” Inside, you could offer in-depth analysis and solutions for common security challenges faced by businesses today. This kind of content may bring awareness to cybersecurity issues and when a business is looking for assistance, as the company with the solutions, you’re likely to get the call.
Videos and webinars
Video is a preferred content format for most audiences and allows for a more personable format. This makes video an ideal staple in your lead generation strategy. Webinars allow businesses to engage with their audience in real-time, offering an interactive way to present information, showcase products, and answer questions.
If your company sold industrial cleaning machinery, you might host a series of webinars demonstrating a new model in action, covering topics such as operation, performance benefits and maintenance. Demonstrations like this allow you to address questions and concerns your audience have, adding to your business’ authority and credibility.
Case studies
Case studies are detailed accounts of how your business has helped customers solve specific problems. They are powerful because they provide real-world proof of your products’ or services’ effectiveness. This type of content is ideal for leads who are close to making a purchase decision. They know the solution to their problem and are now looking at businesses who can provide that solution.
A case study on how your ergonomic chairs helped an office double their productivity within six months offers tangible evidence of your product’s value. Including quotes from the customer and detailed before-and-after data makes the case study more compelling.
Blogs
Blogs are a versatile and essential part of any content marketing strategy. They can cover a wide range of topics, from industry news to how-to guides, and take a lot of forms; articles, interviews infographics, product comparisons, listicles and more.
A key benefit blogs provide is they’re great for improving SEO and driving traffic to your site. The more blog posts you can create for a range of keywords, the wider your reach when attracting people you your site.
Consistency is key when it comes to your blog. Posting blog content more often will show your audience how engaged you are when it comes to sharing your insights and expertise. Search engines like this too and will rank your site more favourably when they see your website content updating regularly.
E-books
E-books are longer than white papers and cover a topic in comprehensive detail. They are excellent lead generation tools, as they typically offer more valuable content and as such, can be offered in exchange for contact information.
As a seller of complex farming equipment, an e-book titled “The Ultimate Guide to Scaling Your Farming Business” would appeal to farms looking for growth strategies. By requiring an email address to download, you capture leads interested in expanding their operations. Utilising an effective email marketing strategy, you could continue to build a relationship with your leads.
Useful content marketing tools
Content marketing for lead generation can be a lot to get your head around, even for an experienced marketer. So here’s a few ways to make the dive into content marketing not seem like you’re in over your head.
Use a content marketing platform. Content marketing platforms like Contently and Semrush can help develop a process for consistent content creation and facilitate collaborative editing/approvals and measure content performance.
Upskill with a solid resource bank. Platforms like Hubspot and LinkedIn have excellent learning academys where you can do short courses on for content marketing (among other topics) to pick up more insights to improve your strategy.
Hire a writer. The toughest obstacle when it comes to generating content is having the time to sit down and do it. Good content marketing requires a large time investment and is difficult to juggle with other responsibilities. Having a writer on your team who can discuss ideas with you and then go away and execute takes a lot of stress out of the process, allowing you to strategise and analyse.
Content is kingmaker
At the end of the day, successfully using content marketing for your B2B ecommerce lead generation is about providing proper value to your potential customers. Anticipate the questions and needs of your audience and create and share content that educates and engages your target audience. Do that correctly and you’ll build trust, establish authority, and ultimately, convert leads into loyal customers.
Remember, the key to successful content marketing is consistency and quality. By regularly producing valuable content tailored to your audience’s interests, you’ll not only attract leads but also build a solid foundation for long-term business growth.
BY CRAIG RUNDLE
Director at Tin Soldier
Craig, Founder and Director at Tin Soldier lives and breathes digital. Being slightly geeky, since the late 90’s he has been involved and watched the internet grow from one page websites through Web 2.0 and more recently with the advent of AI technologies. Craig’s passion is ecommerce, in particular creating great customer experiences through personalisation, content and connected systems.