Tag: b2b content strategy

It's A B2B Comms Thing

Is social media a waste of time for B2B business?

Anyone involved in comms and marketing will be spending a chunk of time on social media but, with mysterious algorithms to contend with, it can be a frustrating and unpredictable strategy.

Ayo Abbas, Emma Drake and I discussed whether social media is a waste of time for B2B businesses in a LinkedIn live stream

So is it worth the time spent? This is what Ayo Abbas, Emma Drake and I discussed on a LinkedIn Live stream recently, and these are some highlights from that conversation.

If you want to watch the video of the full discussion, including audience questions, scroll to the bottom of the post.

Is social media all it’s cracked up to be?

Emma: I think people don’t often get a lot from it because they’re perhaps not using it well or effectively.

And the algorithm makes no sense, it’s not one thing you can solve. It is continually changing and morphing, and that is a huge challenge.

So anyone who tells you that they understand the algorithm on a social media platform is lying.

I had a post on LinkedIn that had multiple likes and shares, but it got under 300 impressions. I’ve had a post that had two likes and got over 2000. Go figure.

Social media can be really useful, but you need to have a plan.

Me: Yes, you are at the whim of the algorithm. Some platforms are ‘pay to play’, and they’re promoting content that has been paid for.

So you have to go in with your eyes open and realise there’s no silver bullet with social media.

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B2B content: What should you focus on in 2022?

Multimedia, social media, events – there are many different channels for content marketing, but there are only a finite number of hours in the working day.

So making sure your content creation efforts are effective and get seen and digested by your target audience is paramount.

Mobile phone screen with social media app icons: Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn
Photo by Hello I’m Nik on Unsplash

In the third, It’s a B2B comms thing LinkedIn Live*, Ayo Abbas, Emma Drake and I talked about what content to focus on in 2022.

Ayo and Emma are fellow comms professionals working in the built environment sector, and these are some highlights from our discussion. If you are interested in the full chat, the video is towards the bottom of the post.

How do you know what content channels are the right ones for you in 2022?

Ayo: It’s got to boil down to where is your audience? Where do they hang out? If they’re on Instagram, that’s where you should go. If they’re on LinkedIn, that’s where you go.

You choose the content channels that work for you and work for your audience.

The big focus for my business and what I’m saying to my clients is email. As social channels like LinkedIn and Instagram try and monetize and therefore reduce organic reach, driving traffic and potential audience to comms channels that you own and have more control over has to be something to factor in.

Especially when you look at the fact that Facebook was down not too long ago.

Me: I would add to that: be on the appropriate platform and use the appropriate content for the story that you want to tell.

Different stories might require different mediums. Ayo, I know you use Instagram, and a lot of architects use Instagram. It’s a very visual platform, so it works.

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How to create B2B content around an award win

Every industry has awards, and winning is great, of course. But how much B2B content can you create around your win?

Picture of a gold winners trophy cup.
Photo by Giorgio Trovato on Unsplash

A lot of work goes into putting together an awards entry. Pulling together the information, data, images, testimonials and writing a submission that will grab the judges attention.

Your awards entry is the story of your business journey and achievements. It’s the story of a particularly successful project or product.

It’s the story of why you do what you do and what makes you stand out from your competitors. It’s all about what makes you or what you do the best in your industry.

All of which makes fantastic B2B content on your website, social media and a potential press story.

Leverage your win

This is more than writing about how ‘delighted’ you were and posting a picture.

It’s making the most of the work you did putting the entry together – and the work that won you the award.

Here are a few ideas for how to create B2B content around your award win:

1. Tell the story of what won you the award

Lifting the shiny new award was the easy bit. Getting to that point no doubt involved hard work, so write about what was involved.

What were your goals and how did you achieve them?

There were probably some ups and downs along the way. So tell the story of what you had to overcome, what the challenges were, how you solved them, and what you learned along the way.

Use that to frame what the award win means to you and your business.

You could also tease what’s next to move the story on.

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Why B2B thought leadership content is worth the effort

Whether you call it thought leadership, opinion, comment or insight, if you are a B2B business, there is huge value in taking the time to write and publish articles.

First and foremost, it’s a great way to demonstrate your knowledge, expertise, understanding of the market and wider issues.

Photo by Mihai Dogaru on Unsplash

It can demonstrate your understanding of your clients’ needs, what challenges they face and the pain points.

And thought-leader articles could help to reinforce your company’s brand values and help develop trust and authority.

As part of a content marketing strategy – and regular publishing – writing thought leader content can help build an audience and relationships with new clients, particularly if you allow comments.

Getting a bit more technical, it’s good for SEO. Google checks your website regularly for fresh content, and it is also looking for dwell – time spent on site. Alongside a good keyword strategy, it can help to drive traffic to your website.

Extra value

The time spent writing B2B thought leadership content carries extra dividends.

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Benefits of publishing regular B2B content or practicing what you preach

I’m a bit of a hypocrite. When it comes to posting regular content on my business website, I don’t practice what I preach.

In my work as a B2B content strategist and writer for property businesses, my advice is to publish articles or blog posts regularly to get results.

Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash

Sporadic publishing isn’t going to increase traffic to your website – and potential business leads.

The reason?

💻 It takes time to build up an online presence.

💻 It takes time to build authority.

💻 It takes time to build trust.

💻 It takes time for people to get to know you and want to do business with you.

If you publish regular, interesting and useful content on your website it helps to demonstrate your knowledge and expertise.

It shows what value you offer – and what you value.

And it can make you more visible in searches.

But when it comes to posting regular content on my own website, my efforts fall way short.

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