Here’s how it happened. While drinking a much-needed cup of green tea, I decided to write a list. Love a list, me. Inspired by a LinkedIn post I’d read, my idea was to jot down all the content marketing mistakes I’d seen during my years supporting so many different businesses.
I didn’t expect to get beyond six. But in five minutes, I was surprised to count 19 on my list.
This is what happened next...
Not long ago, B2B thought leadership wasn’t a concept. Instead, suppliers relied on feature lists and pricing to engage with their protective customers. Today, everything’s changed. I look at thought leadership and how it can support your B2B content marketing.
We’re told that “keeping close to your customer” enables business success. “Understanding them”. “Walking in their shoes”.
This all boils down to another term: customer-centricity. I want to explain (in plain English) why such an approach is great news for creating content that works.
I don’t have a statistic. But I do know countless eBooks fail to achieve their objective. Maybe it’s 79%. That feels about right. All that time and money for little return. If you’re in marketing, you’ll know what I mean.
So, why do some eBooks go viral while others flop? Good question. I believe it’s down to three things: having the right topic, creating it effectively, and promoting it well.
This article should help you with the first of those: having the right topic. Because, without that, you’re onto a non-starter, however pretty and well-written it is.
You’re stuck for article ideas. The cursor’s blinking and you’ve nothing to give. It’s a common (and very unwelcome) scenario.
Let this article come to your aid. It’s my list of ideas to help you fill your content plan. Top tip: bookmark this page.
If you’re reading this, you’d probably agree customer stories are worth their weight in gold. Your prospects can more easily connect with a customer’s journey (than a sales pitch). It’s a story they can relate to.
But I don’t want to focus on their worth, I want to highlight how to get more return from your investment. How you can use (and repurpose) customer stories in countless ways to support your sales and marketing team. And your wider business team too.
So, stop dumping customer stories on your website and hoping for the best. Discover how they can work harder and make more impact.
Many B2B products appear complex. When you’re on the inside (so to speak) you know what they do and how they help. But how on earth do you get this across to prospective customers?
Plenty of businesses fail to resolve this challenge. And it hampers progress. So, read on to understand how your ‘complex’ can become a clear and engaging message.
It’s one thing to appreciate the huge value of customer stories. It’s another thing to have them as an active part of your marketing.
Many businesses fail at the first hurdle: getting your customers to say “yes”.
Let’s have a look at this so you feel more confident about the ask. With the right approach, your customers will be delighted to get involved.
You’d be forgiven for thinking they’re the same thing. In fact, many marketers (and copywriters) freely interchange the two terms:
Case study
Customer story
They’re not the same. In my humble opinion anyway.
You’re probably a marketing manager or small business leader. You feel you’re ok at writing your marketing stuff. Never enough hours, though - things get in the way. So, at the end of the month, you STILL haven’t written what you’d planned.
Familiar? This frustration came second in a poll I carried out with my email community. So, here are some ideas to help you carve out time and GET. THAT. THING. WRITTEN.
