What is all this fuss about content marketing? You already have a website, showing everything you sell. Why do you have to keep adding to it?
You can no longer simply have a static website. These are the old websites we used to have. They were basically brochures, and nothing was ever added to them after you put it up on the web. Google now wants a dynamic site, in order to allow your prospects and clients to find you. This means new content needs to be added on a regular basis.
Now that brings up the question; “What in the world is engaging content?”
Accordingly, I have put together, in my opinion, 15 reasons B2B content marketing fails. Other than the first reason, these reasons are in no particular order, because they all help to make your content marketing fail, unless you stop doing all 15 reasons. And of course, in order to be successful, you need to do the opposite of the reason, which is also explained in each article.
Reason #3 – Not making audience relevant content
Of course, the first thing you have to do is define your market, or audience. And this is very important, and where many companies fall down. So, ensure you do this and understand your market, long before you start writing content for it.
This is where many “content” creators miss the mark. Most companies that produce content make two very serious mistakes when creating content. These two mistakes are;
1. Creating content that they find interesting, but has no real relevance to their market.
2. Creating content that is really just a sales brochure for their company.
The second mistake happens all the time, especially when a company writes a white paper or a report. Who wants to download a white paper on one of the products this company has produced?
This information should be on their products’ page or pages. There is nothing more frustrating than giving some contact information to a company, and then downloading what you think is a report, and then finding it is only a brochure about their products.
This type of behaviour, on your part, will only turn people off, and they won’t come back to your website. Your company needs to produce content that will keep them coming back for more.
So, what type of content will keep them interested, and then coming back? Well, obviously it is content that is relevant to them and how you can help them. But let me repeat, helping them is not a brochure about your products and services.
Helping them is answering the questions they need answered, before they will buy your products and/or services.
What types of questions they have and how you should answer them is part of my coaching program. However, let me give you one example of the types of questions that need answered, and where you can get these questions.
Your potential buyers have asked your sales force all kinds of questions in the past. Go to your sales force and ask them what questions your clients asked in the past. Then ask them what answers they gave that were successful.
Then start writing these questions down and answering them. You will be surprised how many questions you have.
There are various types of questions that your potential clients will ask. You need to answer all of them. Be helpful. Educate your prospects, and you will find they will become clients, and after they become clients, they will buy more from you.
Kind regards,
Ian Dainty
416.277.4537
Author of the Forthcoming Book – B2B Marketing – The New Paradigm
Ian Dainty’s Email
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