Category: Content strategy

Content marketing, General, Writing tips

Guide to sharing an opinion in B2B content

An old typewriter with a piece of paper in it on which is written opinion.

Sharing an opinion in a LinkedIn post or in a web article can understandably be nerve-wracking, but in the sea of vanilla B2B content, it’s important.

Not only does it set you apart, but it helps your audience to get to know what you stand for – and get to know you. It can also help position you as a thought leader within your industry.

Here is a guide to how to share an opinion through your B2B content without being deliberately or unnecessarily provocative, and steps you can take to feel comfortable and confident putting your thoughts out into the world.

(NB: All property-related examples are made up for illustration only.)

Getting started with sharing an opinion

Start small. You don’t have to dive straight into big industry-wide topics; focus on smaller areas of influence. It might be a particular process or way of working. Or something that happens in the workplace.

And if even that seems daunting, try sharing your views in comments (in a non-troll-like way, obviously).

What is your friendly take on the topic shared in a LinkedIn post? Can you add to the discussion based on something you’ve experienced or seen in a short comment?

Got more to say? Maybe you are ready to share it in your own post.

Choosing the right tone for opinion-led content

How you express your opinion is critical. Think of it more as sharing a perspective than handing down a decree. Language choice is important.

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General

To maximise content impact you need a strategy

B2B content without a strategy is like a car without wheels: it ain’t going to get you very far.

You need to be clear on what you are trying to achieve with your content, so you can create the right sort of content, in the right places to deliver.

A good starting point is to review your existing content, as building on something is easier than starting from scratch.

Which types of content and which platforms are generating the best results? This isn’t just about vanity metrics like impressions and plays but about the results that move you closer to your goals.

Some questions to ask in a content review:

• Are the right people engaging and commenting?

• Do people you meet mention particular pieces of content?

• Has certain content or a content theme led to DMs or off-platform conversations?

• Have business leads come from some platforms more than others or some content types more than others?

• What is the quality of those leads?

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Audience engagement, Content marketing, Repurposing, Social media, Video

Getting value from panel events and podcasts

Panel discussion at MIPIM 30th edition event on 'UK: Regeneration & Waterfront Developments.' The stage features four seated male panelists and one female moderator standing at a podium. A large screen above displays the panel title and participant names and roles: Moderator Stacey Meadwell (Freelance Editor), Cllr Jon Collins (Leader, Nottingham City Council), Steve Dunlop (Chief Executive, Scottish Enterprise), Mark Sitch (Senior Partner, Barton Willmore), and Cllr Huw Thomas (Leader, Cardiff Council). The event branding and social media information are also visible on the screen.

Panel events and podcasts are powerful platforms for raising your profile as a thought leader to a broader network, expanding your brand reach beyond your own social media connections and email list.

These powerful formats help your audience connect with you or your team’s expertise on a more personal, human level. It can help build connections and brand trust, and open doors to other opportunities and conversations.

Panel events and podcasts foster brand storytelling in a way that builds trust and familiarity, especially compared to more polished written communications.

But you and your business want to come across well and get the most out of the experience or event. Here are just a few tips to get you started.

Invited guest: Delivering your message effectively

Tip 1: Align your messaging with the theme and audience

Do some preparation ahead of your panel or podcast appearance. The audience has turned up or downloaded the episode to hear a conversation on a specific topic, so make sure your messaging aligns with the overarching theme.

If you go off topic or fall into a marketing pitch, you risk damaging audience engagement or, on a podcast, being edited out.

Equally, to engage the audience, make sure you are speaking their language. What is their level of technical knowledge? Use plain English with a clear point of view, as it will always land better than jargon. 

Tip 2: Give the right answer

Listen carefully to the question you are asked and answer that. There is a danger of being overprepared and answering a question you anticipate rather than the one being asked, or giving too much away too soon.

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Audience engagement, Content marketing

How to write B2B content with purpose

A person sitting outdoors holding a black notebook titled “MISSION” on their lap. They are wearing blue jeans, a white top, and a black bracelet, and a white-and-brown tote bag rests beside them.
Photo by David Iskander on Unsplash

What is the business purpose of your B2B content? No one is putting fingers to keyboard for fun, but how do you angle your content so that it delivers on your goals while still engaging the audience?

Business goal: Raise visibility and become an authoritative voice

Through your content, whether that is on LinkedIn, your website or a newsletter, you need to demonstrate a good understanding of the sector/industry you work in. Obviously.

It’s important to have ideas or a fresh take. Talk about the problems that no one else is talking about, or if it’s ground that has already been well discussed, can you add a unique take?

Lots of people talk about well-known problems and challenges, but few are offering a way of navigating issues.

Can you highlight alternative approaches and a means of delivering a positive change? Is there a different way of doing things that isn’t really talked about? Can you move the conversation on in some way?

Could you spearhead a campaign behind which you can rally industry peers to make a material difference to your sector?

Building a reputation as an authoritative voice takes time and consistency, but it opens a lot of different doors:

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General

Mistakes I’ve made moderating panel discussions

Some of the mistakes I made when I first started moderating panels:

🙄 Reading the panellist intros straight from my notes without looking up, not realising they were sat in a different order, so mixed up names and gender.

🙄 No watch. No clock in the room. No clue how long the panel had been going for.

🙄 Not listening properly and asking a question that had just been answered.

What did I do next?

🎤 The panellist who’d been mixed up made a joke, and I laughed along with everyone while feeling mortified.

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