Well-written content should be like a trading post in the middle of a long, lonely stretch – frequent travelers should be able to find it easily, and curious newcomers should find it interesting enough to check out. If you are only writing to appeal to one of these, you should consider refreshing your content for a broader reach.
Your current B2B clients know your name and what you provide – your website is a touchpoint for more specific in-the-moment information as opposed to a primer. Your potential B2B clients need something more – but what’s the best way to provide the right amount of information and make this compromise sound like a solid conversation?
Often, businesses strive to reach both sides with a bland middle-of-the-road compromise, and this isn’t an ideal solution, either. The trick to solving the issue with b2b strategies is crafting the same content and structuring two (or more) different and distinct paths to lead readers in.
This provides the customized “conversation” they desire as potential partners without stretching your resources thin. Here’s how to make it happen.
Don’t Aim Too High or Too Low
It may be tempting to write an expert-level article full of tips and tricks and reassure yourself that you’ll bring new B2B searchers up to speed, but that’s banking a lot on your ability to consistently engage their interest and make the lessons of your content “stick.”
Alternately, writing your end content for the lowest common denominator will leave you looking uneducated or unrefined to your stable of established clients. When working with your writing team to craft content, be sure that they add nods to experts and beginners within the copy without shifting the tone too far in either direction.
Each type of B2B client – existing or potential – should be able to easily find a voice that speaks to them within the content itself, even if it’s only in a set of bullet points or an intro sentence.
Build Clear Paths Through “Micro Content”
Content is most familiar in its blog post and article forms, but those are certainly not the only place to make an impact. Start building your paths by phrasing social media posts such as Facebook updates and Twitter tweets to appeal to either side of your audience – even if the links lead back to the same content for both, it sets a tone that will compel them to read on.
For example, link to how-to articles on your product or service as a “refresh” in knowledge for existing customers while framing it as a “how to start X” stepping stone for clients you’re just getting to know.
For a finishing touch, add in a framework for your two types of content paths by incorporating subtle visual and directional changes – distinct banner colors and buttons depending on inbound locations, segregated email lists to encourage conversion at different rates, and so on.
Content is in itself marketing, but it can’t efficiently tell a story unless your B2B marketing strategies are on board with the motivation behind it.