Contrary to many marketers’ beliefs, B2B (business to business) content doesn’t have to be boring.
In fact, it shouldn’t be.
Creative content should be a key element of your marketing strategy as it has the power to build trust, gain new customers, and convert them to leads.
So, how can you ensure you’re delivering the most compelling content possible? Read below for three crucial takeaways from MNTN Vice President of Marketing Ali Haeri’s session at HubSpot’s 2022 INBOUND conference.
1. Be as creative as possible.
During his session, Haeri honed in on the importance of creativity in B2B marketing, citing actor and ad expert Ryan Reynolds’ creative approach to targeted ad campaigns. He has a firsthand understanding of Reynolds’ tactics, given Reynolds’ own advertising agency, Maximum Effort Marketing, was acquired by MNTN in June 2021.
The TL;DR version: Just because you’re writing for a B2B audience doesn’t mean your message can’t be creative. Follow these tips to keep your content fresh and as engaging as possible for your B2B followers:
- Use humor. Where appropriate, don’t be afraid to be funny or show personality in your messages. Take legal writing, for example. Just because you’re writing technical copy doesn’t mean you can’t keep raising the bar. 😉
- Don’t share the exact same message twice. Find unique and different ways to get your message across, and use those opportunities to tell a story. In addition, consider the different avenues through which you can share your message (video, social media, etc.), especially the ones your core audience gravitates to.
- Evoke emotion. Let your readers know you understand them and tap into their emotions to stand out from the crowd. Evoking emotions can help you connect with your audience and, ultimately, encourage them to act.
2. Simplify your message.
More often than not, B2B marketing includes technical jargon that can lead to confused—or even misled—readers. Your message should be easy to digest, per Haeri, which is why it’s key to only deliver one message at a time and to deliver that message as simply as possible.
Your message should be like a landing page with one call to action: Don’t muddle it with extraneous details or opportunities for your readers to land somewhere other than your website or product.
3. Measure, measure, measure.
Finally, there’s only one way to determine if your efforts are working: Continuously test and measure your campaigns to see what content resonates best with your audience.
Don’t be afraid to A/B test your content to see what works best. You might find that what you thought would perform best actually resounds least with your audience.
For example, when Reynolds joined MNTN, the team launched a campaign introducing the MNTN platform. Before launching, it first A/B tested two videos: one with Reynolds talking directly to the camera, and one with him narrating. Surprisingly enough, the video with Reynolds narrating performed three times better than the one with him talking to the camera.
In B2B marketing, it can be difficult to find a unique angle, but don't let that deter you from keeping creativity top of mind. Explore new ways to share your message and pay close attention to the metrics—the results might surprise you.
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