The best content creators understand how to pique the interest of B2B customers by producing videos, web pages, social media posts, and other forms of content that can be consumed quickly.
But how can those who develop content for B2B use these strategies in the longer-form content that they produce, which is traditionally more dull and unchanging?
Stay with us for some actionable tips for making your business-to-business content more engaging, including how to craft a compelling story for readers and optimize the content design.
If you need professional help for your B2B content, reach out to our team!
Let's dive in.
Get to the Point Fast
Because of the large amounts of content published each day, yours must stand out among the rest of the competition. The most effective method for achieving this is not to write clickbait headlines but rather to make articles or other types of content as helpful and pertinent as possible.
The following are some suggestions that will help you create content that will be of use to your audience:
Create customer personas and use them in your marketing.
Depending on the level of granularity you can achieve, customize and personalize the post/article or generally any content for each audience.
Your content should be structured around the challenges that your readers are attempting to overcome or the needs that they are looking to have met.
Address directly the emotions and struggles your audience currently might be dealing with.
Think about where they are in the buying process and what they require from you at this moment in time. A blog might be an effective marketing tool if they are still in the awareness stage.
Make sure the content you publish is up to date. It should arrive when it is required the most, and it should reflect the events pertinent to your specialized field.
Be Personable
It may seem like stating the obvious, but if you don't write your content in a relatable manner, your audience simply won't engage with what you have to say.
Even if the industry in which you work is not the most shocking or groundbreaking, you can still write in a creative and enjoyable way to read while adhering to professional standards.
Even in business-to-business settings, the audience you're speaking to wants the impression that they're interacting with a real person who gets them and their goals.
Tell a Good Story
People adore it when they are told a deep, exciting story that satisfies all of their needs. You can make the content you create more relatable when you implement a solid storytelling arc, which encourages readers to imagine what they would do in a specific situation. This, in turn, makes the content more engaging.
Case studies have the potential to be a compelling narrative structure. Even if you choose to present your material in a blog post or a how-to guide, you could conclude with a condensed version of a case study, complete with characters and a scenario that is either made up or based on actual events.
Keep it Simple
How often have you clicked on a blog, only to be met with a page that seemed to go on forever and was utterly incomprehensible?
You are familiar with this type, where you advance to the fifth line but then immediately duck for cover.
However, you do not want your readers to feel like they are participating in some endurance test when interacting with your content. Check out the following steps as a general guide to user-friendly content:
Make your sentences as brief as possible.
Make it easy to scan by including well-defined headings, subheadings, and bulleted or numbered lists.
Think about highlighting key points or ideas by putting them in bold. However, refrain from using all capital letters unless it is absolutely necessary to do so, as this may give the impression that you are yelling at your audience.
Choose a legible font on all operating systems and devices you might use.
Create visual breaks in the text with the relevant images/videos/infographics, etc.
You should only include helpful links.
Don’t be afraid of white space. Break your blocks of content into smaller paragraphs.
Optimize the content to ensure it appears correctly on mobile as well.
Do not Forget the Design Aspect.
The layout of the marketing materials you use is just as important as the words you use on them. Your reader won't become so overloaded with information that they feel the need to abandon the page if you give them plenty of room for white space to breathe.
Additionally, it enhances readability and comprehension while simultaneously bringing about balance. The use of white space also allows you to highlight the most important aspects of your content.
Final Thoughts
For effective audience engagement, it is essential to carefully consider your content's organization and flow. Assume that your reader will spend no more than ten seconds deciding whether or not the content is appropriate for them, and then write accordingly.
Include a compelling opening statement at the beginning of your content to pique their interest. When you ask questions it helps wake up the reader's imagination.
These things will get their attention and get them interested in what you have to say.
Contact our team to help you create the ideal content strategy and content for your B2B company.