A purchase transaction may happen online or offline, but shopping is definitely a universally online phenomenon today. Every buyer uses the internet to get information when shopping. B2B buyers are no different, regardless of industry. Manufacturers can’t deny the power of content marketing, but many haven’t fully bought into investing in B2B content. Trade shows were expensive before the pandemic. As we come out of the pandemic, it’s unlikely that they’ll make a comeback to their former glory anytime soon. Print magazines and journals are not as relevant as they once were. Your team can’t reach out to every prospect in person. Content marketing can be an important element in your marketing strategy because it’s ready when your customer is.
Join Your Buyer on Their Journey
B2B buyers may have a similar journey as B2C shoppers, but the cycle can take much longer. You’re not just reaching one person in many cases, but a whole team of prospects that must sign off on a project. Your copywriters can be a great resource to engage with the buyer at every stage. Here’s a breakdown of the sales funnel and what types of B2B content fit into each stage.
Awareness – Make Your Brand Recognizable
This is the top of the sales funnel. Create content that positions your business and your team as thought leaders and valuable partners in your industry. Remember that you’re writing to an industrial audience comprising of engineers and other technically qualified individuals. Create content that resonates with those who need your product.
- Blog posts
- Ebooks
- Industry insights
- Whitepapers
- Video tutorials with compelling scripts
- You can even customize your LiveChat scripts!
Consideration – Make it to Your Customer’s Vendor Shortlist
Once buyers know that your company is out there, you have to get them to trust you to solve their problems. At this stage, content needs to be highly relevant to their needs. Advertising-heavy content isn’t going to resonate with your audience. Invest in industry specific content that lets buyers know your organization is an industry leader and understands their pain points.
- Case studies
- Comparison studies
- Industry focused content
- Buyer’s guides
Decision – Make Your Brand Stay ‘Top-of-Mind’
The decision-making stage of B2B purchasing can be the longest, but you don’t want to lose your customers at this stage. To close the sale, focus on the value you bring to the customer. This is where you want to get into the nitty-gritty details of your products with specification sheets and brochures. You may even want to develop information about logistics and operations to demonstrate you can fit into your customer’s process. Work with SEO writers to provide content that performs with consumers and search engines.
Develop a B2B Digital Marketing Strategy
Content marketing can be a valuable part of a marketing strategy for manufacturers, directing B2B customers through the sales funnel. Work with a professional content agency to drive traffic to your site with exceptional content. Contact MintCopy to see how we can support your content creation team and help your business rank higher on the search engines.
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Resources:
- https://industrial.prontomarketing.com/blog/the-value-of-content-based-marketing-in-manufacturing-for-your-sales-team/
- https://www.hallaminternet.com/content-marketing-manufacturing/
- https://www.precisionmarketinggroup.com/blog/manufacturing-industry-trends
- https://blog.thomasnet.com/content-marketing-ideas-for-manufacturers
- https://www.toddhockenberry.com/blog/digital-marketing-for-manufacturers