Strong content is the cornerstone of any industrial marketing campaign, even if you’re selling to industrial buyers who are often looking for more technical information. If your industrial B2B marketing strategy is driven by good, relevant content, you’ll establish yourself as an industry expert and inspire your customer’s confidence in your company.
However, it’s vital to know what your audience is looking for so you avoid missing the mark in your campaign. You want to strike a balance between what is interesting and what is informative to provide the most value for your customers without losing them to your flashier competitors.
TOP 5 CONTENT CATEGORIES INDUSTRIAL BUYERS WANT TO SEE IN INDUSTRIAL B2B MARKETING
INSTRUCTIONAL INFORMATION
Your customers want to understand how to use your products, whether they’re troubleshooting or determining if your items are right for their needs. You can provide this in a variety of formats, including manuals, video tutorials, and local workshops or training sessions. Don’t simply offer the bare minimum when it comes to instructions; be thorough and detailed and provide multiple ways for your customers to interact with your products.
Instructional information is an added benefit for your existing customers, but it can also draw in others who purchased items from
competitors. If you provide more comprehensive information, they’ll be more likely to keep you in mind for future purchases.
TECHNICAL DOCUMENTATION
A product’s technical documentation may include product specifications, industry standards, technical applications, CAD drawings, and more. If you take care of the heavy lifting and gather all of this documentation in one central location, your customers will visit your website more often and trust you to provide a full service buying experience. Many customers take to the web to find data sheets and other similar resources, so this will serve as an additional traffic funnel to your website.
RECENT NEWS
Your industry is likely changing, whether in small steps or leaping bounds. Keep your customers abreast of new developments with a news section on your website or regular news features on your blog. This can cover new product releases, updates to industry standards, and your company’s own press releases. As a result of these frequent updates, your company’s position on the cutting edge of product development will be reinforced in the minds of your customers. Additionally, many customers conduct industry research online and will find your site to be a valuable resource as they gather information.
PEER REVIEWS
Before they buy, customers want to know what their peers think of your product. If they don’t find it on your site, they may turn to your competitors or other online forums. To keep traffic on your site, you can enable a review function that allows customers to leave feedback on your products. Not only does this give your customers a forum for addressing their concerns and satisfaction, but it also creates a sense of community around your brand.
You may also consider creating a community forum on your website or blog to allow your customers to establish a dialog among themselves and with your own industry experts. Many customers allow online forums to inform their purchasing decisions, so you should give yourself the opportunity to take part in these discussions.
PRODUCT INFORMATION
Customers like transparency, especially when they’re making large purchases common to the B2B industry. One of the most important ways you can provide transparency to your customers is through the pricing information provided on your site. Your price compared to your competitor’s can be a powerful motivator in their purchasing decision, and without that information your customers will have a hard time making the right decision.
Other relevant product information may include components, parts, product samples, and demos. Make a point of supplying more information than your competitors and your customers will have confidence in your ability to provide them with what they need.
Your customers may find and interact with these forms of content on a variety of channels. Some may subscribe to your informative blog, while others will use your site’s search function to find what they’re looking for. Some of your customers may engage with your content on social platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn. Your industrial marketing strategy should incorporate each of these channels and allow for mobile use to ensure that you’re reaching the largest audience possible.
No matter where you share your content, ensure it’s content your customers actually want to see. Creating content for industrial B2B buyers can be tricky, but if you know what your customers are looking for, you’ll be better able to provide them with what they need. Your content should be informative, interesting, and well-written to reinforce your customers’ comfort in your brand.
In order to make your content as engaging as possible, you might pair it with infographics, product images, and richly descriptive testimonials that catch and keep your audience’s interest. In other instances, it might be best to simply provide the information in an accessible place on a product page, allowing your customers to find your other content as they begin to browse your site.
If you focus on these five categories in your content marketing strategy, you’ll provide relevant information your customers are looking for. They’ll be more inclined to spend time on your site, interact with your brand, and purchase from your company when the time is right. You will be a strong resource and voice of expertise in your industry, and this will directly transfer over into your sales performance and company standing.
Learn mroe about how to strengthen your industrial B2B marketing strategy with strategic selling guide.
