There’s more to writing than simply getting the words out there. You may be wondering “How do I create quality B2B content”? If you want to create a good, quality piece of content for your B2B company that will keep readers and prospects coming back to you, you need to be deliberate about your process, from ideation to execution. Here are 12 tips to create top-notch B2B content:
Do Your Research
Keep Your Audience In Mind
Create Strong Headlines
Make It Easy To Read
Make It Interesting
Mix Up The Use of Media
Have a Goal
Make It Actionable
Consider SEO
Be An Authority People Can Trust
Have a Unique Voice
Update Regularly
1. Do your research
This doesn’t just apply to thoroughly researching the topic you plan to write about, but also to your audience and your competition. Know what you’re talking about, know who you’re talking to, and know whose voice you need to drown out. Additionally, know your readers’ challenges. For instance, determine what it is that will be most likely to hold your buyers back from a conversion, such as time, apathy, resources, etc.
Make an effort to tackle those obstacles head-on by directly addressing them and overcoming their initial power in your readers’ minds. By eliminating potential conflicts early on, you can get your audience to learn the benefit of your pitch which hopefully outweighs any uncertainties.
2. Keep your audience in mind
It’s important to remember who you’re writing for. This will shape the overall tone and subject matter of your pieces. For instance, bloggers write about topics of interest to themselves, but a technology enthusiast writer writes about complex topics that pique the interest of their tech-savvy followers. Either way, if you want readers that convert into long-term fans or buyers, you need to consider their needs and wants and what you have to offer them. Make sure you provide your audience with information that they’re looking for and that’s beneficial to them.
3. Create strong headlines
Most readers never make it past the headline, so you need a headline that not only pops but invites your audience to explore the rest of your content. A headline doesn’t need to give away the entire message you’re hoping to convey, but just enough to make it relevant and qualify it as a must-read.
The idea is to earn the clicks from your targeted buyers. But even more than that, you want to make it near impossible for browsers that you didn’t initially target, but that might prove to be beneficial to you, to keep reading. The more exposure, and the more accessed content, the better.
4. Make it easy to read
Content needs to be easy to consume if you want your audience to read it. Difficult-to-read content can slow people down or lose them altogether. Some factors to consider to help with the flow of the reading process include:
- Think about the structure of your sentences (i.e. shape them in the simplest, most direct form possible)
- Be cautious about the length of your sentences (i.e. one sentence shouldn’t be longer than three typed lines)
- Avoid fancy words (i.e. use the simplest version of a word when you can)
- Break up lengthy blocks of text with headings and sub-headings
- Further break up blocks of text in multiple paragraphs (i.e. try to keep each paragraph at 100 words or less)
- Use lists
Some find it helpful to write headlines first and create a content shell, then go back and flesh out all of the content.
A great tool for creating easy-to-read content and improving your writing is Grammarly.
5. Make it interesting
Stagnant content can fall flat fast. You want to keep your readers actively absorbing the material, or at least giving it a decent skim, all the way through to the end. The less they read what you have to say on their first visit, the less likely they’ll be to come back, which means the less effective you’ll be at converting them to buyers. The idea of content is to make it useful as well as entertaining to prompt your audience to act.
6. Mix-up the use of media
People have different learning styles, which means it’s a good idea to mix-up the way in which you deliver information. Visual aids that support your content can help to more clearly convey your message or reinforce your main points. Blocks of never-ending written words are great for novels, but this isn’t necessarily the case for marketing. Add some images, graphs, lists or other content-breakers that also add value. Anything to keep your readers moving from the top of the page to the end result.
7. Have a goal
Having a goal or a purpose for your content can guide your writing and your process for distribution. Early on in the piece, give your readers a clear idea of what benefit they will derive from reading what you have to say. Don’t try to bury the objective so they have to read to the end to discover your point. This is actually a good way to lose your readership. Instead, provide them with the “why” upfront to give them the motivation to continue reading. Be transparent to yourself and your audience about the impact your content should have.
8. Make it actionable
Providing good advice isn’t enough. It’s helpful to support your content with practical ideas on how to apply the information you’re offering in real practice. Don’t think of it as telling someone what to do because you think you know best but rather giving them some tips about what’s worked best for you in the past. They can gather some pointers from you if you’ve already completed certain tasks they have yet to take on, so they don’t encounter the same pitfalls.
Ways to make your content more actionable include:
- Providing images
- Encouraging participation or feedback
- Using specific examples or templates
- Anticipating and answering questions your readers might have
- Supporting your statements with data
- Promoting results with clear calls-to-action (CTAs)
9. Consider SEO
You should always be mindful of search engine optimization (SEO). If your content doesn’t rank on the first page of any search engine when people are actively looking for information you can give them, they’ll likely never see you. Strong keyword usage can bump your writing above others. Know what your audience is searching for and fill-in-the-blanks.
10. Be an authority people can trust
You want your writing to help establish credibility in your industry so you are perceived as a trusted source of information. Google rating, testimonials, authoritative links, and even setting up HTTPS to secure your website all help boost your readers’ confidence. It’s also helpful to show you’re about more than making money. Allow your content on your website and elsewhere to make an impact that goes beyond the superficial.
And, most importantly, you need to know what you’re talking about. Make sure to write what you know, and if you don’t know it, learn it before posting. One way to help assure your audience you have the knowledge to benefit them is by using clear language. Fancy words can detract from your message and might serve to be a distraction for subpar information.
11. Have a unique voice
Be an outlier in your industry. Don’t be afraid to approach a topic with a unique spin. Sometimes, it can be something as small as changing up a headline or perhaps you might decide to share your own experience. You can also provide your own data, templates and examples to support your one-of-a-kind theories. However you decide to be different, do so in a way that stands out and delivers quality substance that you can’t find anywhere else.
12. Update regularly
Your content needs to be timely, even after it’s published. This is both for SEO considerations as well as for usefulness to your reader. After it’s posted to your site or another distribution channel, that’s not the end of the process. You’ll need to make sure to regularly update your content to keep it relevant and accurate. This is also a great way to further establish your credibility and show your readers that you are up to date on current events and recent trends. Additionally, it gives you an opportunity to revise SEO and keep your page alive on search engines.
How to Create B2B Content for Your Company
Are you struggling to create quality B2B content that resonates with your audience or distributing that great piece of content you’ve just created? Check out our content marketing services at Second Eclipse.
